Page 52 of Accidentally Checked By My Brother's Best Friend

Me:

Me:See you tomorrow.

Me:Good night, Duncan.

Duncan:Good night, Ava.

Duncan:“Thingamajig”

Still grinning, I slide my phone back into my pocket and all but skip into the kitchen.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Duncan

Theperfectfallday;cool air, and leaves rustling in the breeze have no effect on me as I get closer to David’s house. My heart accelerates, and my breath gets shorter. And faster. Which is ridiculous since the whole purpose of me going for a run is to get my heart rate up. It’s not like I took it easy before I circled back in this direction.

Apparently, my well-conditioned heart has a very different response to physical exercise versus its racing reaction at getting to see Ava. Inhaling the brisk air, I work to quiet the pounding in my ears.

Turning down David’s street, I slow my pace to a walk. Meanwhile, the closer I get, the harder my heart pumps. The pounding is no longer just in my ears, but it’s now making its way around my body like a herd of stampeding mustangs.

Running up the stairs to the house, I swipe my sleeve across my forehead, take a slow, deep breath, and then run my hand through my hair. I knock before opening the door and yelling out, “Hello.”

“Hi, Duncan,” Ava yells from the back of the house. “I’ll be right there!”

Stopping in front of a mirror, I give myself a quick once-over. I attempt to tame the unkempt mess on my head. Heels click sharply against the floor and I quickly move into the kitchen. If Ava tells Scarlett I was caught being vain, I would never hear the end of it.

Reaching into the fridge, I grab a bottle of water and lean against the counter, doing my best to look relaxed and unaffected. At the sight of Ava, my hand freezes. The bottle hovers at my lips, unable to move now that these stampeding mustangs are in my chest.

Her hair is in a high ponytail, her face has little to no make-up, and she’s wearing a loose sweatshirt and jeans. Taking a sip, I swallow past the lump in my throat. Everything about her is perfectly adorable.

“Your key.” She lifts the fob and gives it a shake. The smile she throws my way has my cheeks lifting.

Reaching my hand out, she drops the fob in my palm. Her fingers brush mine, sending a trail of heat through my arm and causing my breath to hitch.

“You mean ‘thingamajig,’ right?” Smirking, I take a sip of water in an attempt to wash the cotton ball down.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” She narrows her eyes. “You’re so very funny.”

Unable to stop the laugh that bubbles up, I grin at her. “We both know I am definitelynotfunny.”

“Duncan, do you not recognize sarcasm?” Her blue eyes dance, and she gives me a lopsided grin. My eyes linger on her mouth for a moment before lifting my gaze to hers. The intensity staring back at me leaves me momentarily stunned. Slightly breathless, she pushes out, “We all know you don’t have a sense of humor.”

Knowing I’m not the only one affected by this close proximity has my body humming. Letting my eyes roam over her face, I acknowledge that I’m walking on shaky ground. The air feels like it’s being sucked from the room, making it difficult to breathe.

A shiver runs through her, and she lifts her hands to her arms, rubbing up and down. “Cold?” I ask huskily, taking a step toward her, letting my emotions dictate what my body does. Right now, every part of me wants to be as close to her as I can get.

Her round eyes sparkle as she shakes her head, and I slowly reach my hands out to her arms.

“Hey!” Ava and I both whip toward David’s voice and I drop my arms to my sides just as the door slams. “Duncan! What are you doing here?”

Disappointment rushes through me at David’s untimely arrival, but I do my best to cover it up by casually leaning back against the counter. “I’m here for my car. Got in late last night and figured it would be easier to have someone drop me off at home. I needed to run today anyway, and stopping by after made the most sense.”

“Oh,” David says, a knowing look on his face as he glances back and forth between the two of us. Making his way to the cabinet, he pulls out some coffee grinds. “Want any?”

“I need to head home and shower.” I play with the fob in my hands and shake my head slightly. “Red can still come over this afternoon to bake?”

“I forgot about that, but I’m sure Scarlett didn’t,” he chuckles, pulling a mug from the cabinet. “When is the fundraiser for Mile High Mutts Rescue?”

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