Page 49 of Maid in Heaven

“Doesn’t look like you broke anything or need stitches. It could have been way worse. But, you may end up with a black eye or two.”

“Eh, that’s fine. It’s not like they’re going to ask me about it at myjobtomorrow.” She scoffed and returned her green eyes to him. “Just a bummer. After this, I was gonna take you to seeHarveyat the little theater near my house. They’re doing a 35mm screening of it.”

“Yeah? I love that one. I tried to get Starla to name her stuffed rabbit Harvey.”

“No, you did not!” Ava laughed.

“Oh yeah. But she insisted on another equally dumb name.”

“That’s funny.” Ava sighed, slumping a little with defeat. “Yeah. I wasgonnainvite you back for a coffee at my placeafter the screening.I don’t have a fancy coffee makeror imported stuff like you—”

“Oh?”His mind ping-pongedbetween the thought of going back to her home and what he would do to her body if given the chance.His thoughts drifted to fantasies of kissing her neck.Cupping those bare breasts.Trailing fingers down her stomach…

He refocused his eyes on the injured woman in front of him.“One time on a date, I ate something that didn’t agree with my stomach. We started driving down this washboard backroad—”

Ava pulled the cluster of napkins away from her nose and chuckled. “What? Youshartedoror something?”

“No.” He chuckled. “Thank God. But I threw up.”

Ava laughed. “Okay, that’s worsethan a bloodied nose, I think.”

“Oh, no. Just wait. It gets better.” Will grabbed a fresh napkin from inside the bench between them and softly dabbed at the fresh drop of blood beneath her nosewith care. “I didn’t have time to get out of the truck. I threw up on the dash.”

“Ewwww.”

“And as I skidded to a stop, it all came rushing back at us.”

Ava closed her eyes, battling not to laughrightin his face butlosing miserably.

He paused for a momentto touch her cheek, taking in her bright, beautiful smile, tousled hair still a disheveled mess.He’d never wanted to kiss someone so bad in his life.

But hewas serious about doing things differently this time. He’dmade a promise to himself. He wasn’tabout to break it.

As if she could tell what he was thinking, she leaned into his hand, laughter abating, rubbingagainst the soft flesh of his palm, staring back into his eyesfor a moment that wasnearly perfect.

It took every cell of Will’s body to pull his hand away.“I guess we should probably get you home so you can tend to these wounds.”

“We probably should.”Ava was taken aback. Despite the catastrophe, she’d secretly heldout hope he would come home with her.

After all, this was their thirddate, the one traditionally rumored to be the night where even a well-mannered gentleman makes his move.

Ava removed the MacGyvered ice pack from her face and looked down at the blood stain on her coat. “Oh no. Dammit. Ilovedthis coat.”

“The easiest solution is cold water and soap. Just scrub,scrub,scrub. Hydrogen peroxide, in my opinion, doesn’t work as well, especially oncolors.You can end up doing more harm than good.”

Ava smiled. “I love that you’re a stain expert.”

“Occupational hazard.”He breathed deeply, fogging up the truck windows. “Let me walk you back to your car.”

Ava nodded without a word, trying to hide her disappointment. As they arrived at her black SUV, she spoke. “Thank you for coming tonight. I’m sorry about… all this.”She pointed to her nose, pink from injury and pale in spots from the cold, and then fiddled nervously with her keys. She got inside, started the vehicle, and rolled down the window.

He leaned in, pressing his forearms to the door. “Wanna do thisagain sometime?Maybe something without so much blood?”

She snickered. “I’d like that.”

“Me too.”

Ava looked up at him, heart thundering in her chest, stomach fluttering with a potent mixture of excitement and jangled nerves.

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