Page 48 of Love Me Reckless

I sit back, unease stirring in my gut. “But Hutch hasn’t called you since September.”

“I know. Weird, right?”

“Maybe because Jeremy is military, they have a more secure communication link?”

“Maybe.” None of us like it when Hutch goes dark for so long,but it’s hardest on Ava. She’s not a worrier, but she worries about Hutch.

I flip through the next few pictures. The selfie of us five on the dance floor. Me, Ava, and Sofie cheers-ing our ice waters, our smiles so big.

The last shot is me drooling on Sofie’s shoulder in the backseat of the car.

Ava laughs. “You were snoring before we left downtown.”

“I can’t help it. You guys wore me out.”

The next shot is Sawyer carrying me to the elevator, my bare legs dangling into space and my head burrowed into his chest. I swallow the clot of emotion in my throat with the last of the water.

“Where did the two of you go after the pool?” she asks, arching her eyebrow.

“I told him I’d never skinny-dipped and he offered to, um, help.”

“Did he now?” she asks, handing me the mug of coffee.

My belly warms but I focus on blowing across the top of the coffee and taking a slow sip.

“I’m glad he’s here,” Ava says. “It was fun watching you enjoy yourself last night.”

“Everyone was so nice to me,” I say to move the conversation away from Sawyer because talking about him, even with Ava, who I trust with my life, feels dangerous. “I wish everyone could have a night like that at least once in their lives.”

“Why only once?” She grins.

“I wouldn’t have the stamina to do that regularly.” I eye her over another sip of coffee. “Speaking of stamina. Did you already go for a run this morning?” She’s probably been studying too. Ava gets more done in a day than the rest of us do in a week.

She shrugs, like her daily five-mile jog is no big deal. “The detective called me early, so I was already up.”

“From the break-in at your place? Did they catch the guy?”

“The prints they got didn’t match anything in the database.” Shesmooths the comforter, her face calm but I’m not fooled. The break-in rattled her. “Which only means the guy isn’t a seasoned criminal.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing.” I take another slow sip of my coffee.

She nods, but then her contemplative look melts away, and she smiles. “You want to jump in the shower? We’re due at the spa in thirty.”

“Oh, right!” I peel back the covers. “Is Sofie awake yet?”

Ava scoops up my empty water glass. “She and Zach went to breakfast downstairs. Or at least that’s what they told me.”

“Maybe they found a broom closet.” I laugh. “They had enough chemistry to light the bar on fire last night.”

She fans her face. “No doubt.”

Sure enough, when Sofie breezes in just as Ava and I arrive at the spa, her cheeks are flushed and she’s smiling like she just won the lottery. In a way, she has. Zach is as hunky as he is sweet, and the way he dotes on her melts my heart.

Two hours of pampering later, we emerge from the spa to find Zach and Sawyer waiting for us. My eyes meet Sawyer’s and his smile brightens. Ava and Sofie hurry ahead with Zach, chattering about the cooking class we’re heading to next.

“You look awfully glowy for someone who danced her feet off till two in the morning,” Sawyer says, shoving his hands in his pockets. His chiseled jaw is freshly shaved and he smells like fresh cedar and something spicy, like cracked pepper.

I flip my hair and plump up my lips for show. “You look pretty good yourself.”

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