Eight

Ava

 

 

“What were in those empanadas? Nyquil?” Griffin jokes as we stare at a sleeping Levi who is cuddled up with Maverick on my couch. We aren’t even twenty minutes into the movie and he’s out like a light.

“Very funny.” I shoot him a playful glare.

“I guess I should get him home,” Griffin says in a noncommittal tone.

“Or we could let him sleep and I could make us some coffee.”

He grins and nods in agreement, and I go about making us each a cup of coffee. Once it’s made, I come out of the kitchen and see Griffin’s already sitting on the porch. After making sure the chain lock is secure on the front door, I bring our coffees outside, keeping the door slightly ajar in case Levi wakes up.

“Thank you,” Griffin says, taking one of the coffees out of my hand. He’s lying on the lounge chair, so I lay on the other one. The porches aren’t big but because I have a corner unit, mine wraps around, giving me enough room for two chairs, a table, and two lounge chairs.

Griffin takes a sip of his coffee then sets it down on the side table that’s situated between our chairs. “Tell me about yourself.”

I’m thrown off by his forward request. Needing a minute to think, I take a sip of my coffee, before I ask, “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

“Hmm…well my parents were born and raised in Honduras. I have one younger brother, Samuel. He’s in his last year of college. We moved here when I was eight so my dad could take a better job. My parents have been married for over thirty years, and the rest of our family still lives in Honduras.”

Griffin takes another sip of his coffee before he glances over at me, a smirk splayed upon his lips. “Now tell me about you.” My lips twitch and I can feel my nose scrunch up which causes Griffin to laugh. “Do we need to play twenty questions to get you to talk?”

“I think I like the sound of that, actually. Then you’ll have to tell me about yourself as well.” I stick my tongue out playfully.

“Okay, I’ll go first. Are you single?” He gives me a mischievous grin and I know he isn’t going to go easy on me. Damn him! Starting with the deep shit.

“Yes,” is all I give him, raising my brows in defiance. He chuckles when he realizes I’m not going to give him more.

“You?” I ask in return.

“Yep. Last relationship ended several months ago.”

We go back and forth asking and answering each other questions. Some are serious like, ‘What are your dreams?’ I tell him it’s to be happy and content. Some are silly like when I ask him what his favorite pizza toppings are. He tells me Hawaiian is his favorite. When I admit I’m not sure what that is, he informs me it’s pineapple and ham. In return, I tell him we won’t be sharing a pizza any time soon.

His favorite color is blue. Mine is pink.

He works out almost every day with his brother. I don’t work out…ever.

His favorite dessert is yellow cake with chocolate frosting. His mom used to make it for his birthday every year when she was alive. Mine is flan, and my mom still makes it for me almost weekly.

He wants more kids one day. I want at least two kids.

He’s twenty-eight years old and I’m twenty-four.

His favorite show is anything sports related. I tell him I rarely watch television, but I read close to two hundred books last year. This tidbit of info has him choking on his coffee.

When the questions stop momentarily and I let out a reluctant yawn, Griffin chuckles softly, sitting up. I sit up as well, swinging my legs over the side of the lounge chair to face him, putting us less than a foot apart.

“Can I take you out?” he asks.

I want to say yes but the determination in his eyes has me suddenly nervous. We’ve gone from new neighbors to dry humping each other in two-point-five seconds. He was just on a date with another woman last night! I know he said he’s single but he’s obviously dating around. My thoughts drift back to the last two men I let in and how it ended for me—cheated on and brokenhearted. As I stare into Griffin’s gorgeous sapphire eyes, my heart beats against my chest. I didn’t feel one-tenth for the other guys only a week after knowing them like I already feel for Griffin and his precious little boy. Griffin doesn’t just have the power to break my heart. If I give him the chance, he’ll have the power to decimate it.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say softly. “I really enjoy your company. Can we be friends?” Ugh! Did I seriously ask that? Can we be friends? I close my eyes for a second, afraid of the look he’s most likely giving me. When I open them, he’s smiling, but it’s not the genuine smile he’s given me all evening. Instead, it’s a half-assed version.

“Sure.” He nods casually and stands up. “I better get Levi home and into bed. Thank you for dinner, Ava.” Huh. I guess he wasn’t feeling the same connection I was. Okay then…

“Umm…” I stand up, confusion getting the best of me. Griffin hasn’t moved from the middle of the two lounge chairs yet and our bodies collide. My hands come out to steady myself, landing on Griffin’s muscular pecs. His hands grip my wrists before I tumble back, and when he pulls me forward slightly, I lose my balance. My elbows bend and my body crashes into his.

I glance up as he looks down, his now serious eyes searing into mine. I open my mouth to say something—anything—needing to break the awkward vibe my answer has created. Unsure of what to say, I close my mouth then open it again, hoping something will come out. But it doesn’t matter, because before the words can come out, Griffin’s mouth is crashing into mine. His strong lips wrap around my own as his tongue pushes through. Unlike him asking for a date, he’s demanding my mouth, refusing to give me a chance to say no.

His hands keep hold of my wrists, holding me to him as our kiss deepens. Butterflies swarm my belly as I get lost in our kiss. He tastes delicious—like vanilla coffee and something that is simply Griffin.

“Daddy,” a soft voice says, and for a second my jumbled brain thinks it’s hearing things…because why would a child be calling ‘Daddy?’ “Daddy.” And then it hits me…Levi!

Quickly backing up to separate us, I pull my hands back with enough force that Griffin lets go of my wrists. I forget we’re still standing between the two lounge chairs, and before I can catch myself, I’m falling backwards onto the lounge chair. My butt hits the middle of the chair, but because I was standing against the side of it, there’s no back to catch me…and I topple over the side! My back hits the wall, my butt hits the ground, and my legs fly into the air.

“Oh shit!” Griffin yells, and although I can see he’s concerned, I can still see the silent laughter in his eyes. I shoot him a death glare and it only causes him to laugh out loud. He. Actually. Laughs. Out loud!

“Oh no! Ava, are you okay?” Levi shrieks and comes running over. He crawls over the chair and like the gentleman his father isn’t, he extends his tiny hand to pull me up. Griffin coughs to stifle his laughter then leans over and reaches out to grab my other hand. I take both of their hands—only because there’s no way Levi will be able to pull me up, and I’m freaking stuck and need help—and let them pull me up onto the chair.

I stand up, and without Levi seeing, push past his dad—trying and failing to knock his ass over—and walk back into the house, Griffin and Levi following behind me. Maverick spots me and immediately starts wagging his tail. He jumps off the couch and runs to the front door knowing he’s due for his nightly walk before bed.

“Dad, I have to go pee,” Levi pleads.

“Okay, buddy, we’re leaving now. Thank Ava for dinner.”

“Thank you for dinner!” Levi yells, running to the front door. “Bye Maverick!”

I unlock the chain and Levi runs out the door toward his home. Keeping the door held open, I let Griffin pass, and as he walks by me, he stops and gives me a heated stare, then he leans down and kisses me on the corner of my mouth. “I don’t give up so easily, Ava,” he whispers into my ear, the coolness of his breath causing goosebumps to prickle across my skin. I stay still, waiting for him to back up, but before he does, he places a soft kiss on my earlobe, gently tugging on it with his teeth as he pulls away. “Good night.”

And then he disappears down the hallway and into his apartment, leaving me standing here breathing heavily, completely speechless and hornier than I’ve ever been in my life.