Page 13 of We Never Kissed

I slipped off my shoes and socks and followed them.

Dax wasted no time plopping down in the sand close enough to the water he could get his hands on the damp stuff. I loved that Ava didn’t hesitate, even though she wore that cute sundress that looked like it could be new.At the party she was elegant and beautiful, but she also didn’t mind getting her hands dirty. There was nothing I didn’t love about her, even if she was an annoying pain in my ass sometimes.

The three of us sat in the sand, Dax simply attempting to build the world’s tallest hill. Sandcastle wasn’t on his radar yet. Dax talked about the part-time preschool he started, his favorite shows, pretty much anything he could think of, and it was fine with me. I got to look at Ava without the pressure to have any real conversations—not that I thought I could avoid it forever.

“Aunt Ava, look!” Dax held a tiny crab in his hand and then set it on Ava’s leg.

She yelped and jumped sideways, crashing in to me. I caught her, and when she looked into my eyes, my heart stopped. If only I could just hold her, stare into the depths of those chocolate brown eyes, and then…

“Sorry,” Ava said but made no attempt to move, her dark gaze telling me she wanted me to kiss her. Right here. Right now.

It felt momentous and risky and something I couldn’t stop myself from doing because it was all I wanted in that moment. I felt her chest heave into mine as we both leaned in closer to each other.

Just before I closed the distance completely, I saw two tiny sand-covered hands land on Ava’s cheeks. I pulledback and watched as Dax planted a long pressing kiss on Ava’s mouth. “Mwah! Bride kiss!” Dax called out. It was the term he used after seeing a couple kiss on TV at a wedding.

Damn, I just got bested by a four-year-old. I couldn’t help but bust out laughing. Ava’s shocked expression was almost worth missing out. But I wouldn’t make that mistake again. The next time I had a chance to kiss Ava, I would damn well take it.

Chapter 7

Ava

Despite sitting in a comfy recliner—more luxurious than any furniture in my apartment in Vegas—I squirmed as the plane hit a bit of turbulence. I stared across at Alex, who didn’t appear to have an ounce of worry in his gaze, in this ridiculous private plane. Alex said it was called a Gulfstream and that I would be much more comfortable than in a commercial aircraft. I found it to be the opposite.

I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking, but somehow Alex had talked me into flying with him to Vegas. I had planned to fly back after my parents’ party, finish packing what little things I had, and then drive backwith Gunnar, who didn’t have a vehicle. That was still the plan for the way back.

“Are you sure this is okay?” I said, nervously clasping my hands in my lap.

“Well it’s too late now,” he said with a chuckle.

Alex apparently had this big deal in the works, and one of the companies involved owned this jet and sent for him. He worked for an investment banking firm, and according to Sammy is one of their top dogs. Sammy could have been there right with him but chose a different life. Sometimes I wondered if Alex didn’t want any of the traditional things Sammy chose for himself. Our conversations never got that deep. No, I didn’t just wonder it; I feared it.

“Like I said, they told me to pick when and where—somewhere midway between us—so I said Vegas. I guess you’re lucky the timing worked out, huh?”

“Yeah, lucky,” I said with a bite to my tone because what I really felt was awkward. Without Dax as a distraction, we were forced to either address the elephant in the room or dance around it, like always.

“I know you’re not afraid to fly, so…”

“In this plane? I mean, didn’t you see any of the movies about famous people dying in planes like this?” He made a face and I continued, “Buddy Holly? Jim Croce? Ritchie Valens?”

“Since most of those were decades ago, I’m guessing this plane is a lot safer…”

I stuck my tongue out at him.

“I could come over there and hold your hand if you want?”

He might have been teasing me, but the thought sent a wave of heat through me. If he were paying attention, he’d see it on my cheeks. “Let’s just change the subject, okay?”

“Fine with me…” He stared at me a moment, as if he were debating asking me something.

“What?” If ever there was a time to do this, now was probably best. I braced myself for his next words.

“Talk to me about this Gunter fellow, and why I haven’t met him.”

Now that I hadn’t expected, and I let out a laugh. “What are you, my daddy?”

“Do you want me to be?”

His deep tone sent a thrill through me, and my pulse quickened. Alex had a way of drawing me in and then scaring the shit out of me. I wasn’t sure how I was ever going to navigate this thing with him. It was like standing at the edge of a canyon, wondering how the hell you could make the leap across. With my mouth hanging open, I searched for what to say. When he lifted a brow in challenge, I steeled myself. “First of all,” I said matter-of-factly, “it’s Gunnar, and secondly you did meet him.”

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