CHAPTER SIX
BECAUSE OF YOU
“I’d answer but”—Ava picked up her empty wineglass—“I’m fresh out of truth serum.” Jesse’s question took her by surprise, but she’d asked herself the same thing over and over again, searching deeply for answers that never came.
“I can remedy that,” Jesse offered, reaching for her glass.
Ava swallowed hard, nearly handing him her glass to refill, but she knew that would put her on the highway to the danger zone. “Um, I think I’d better just get going.”
“It’s okay to avoid the question, Ava. I shouldn’t have asked it in the first place. It just popped into my head and out of my mouth. Sometimes I have no filter.” He drew an air circle around his lips.
“Sometimes?”
“Most of the time,” Jesse admitted, and appeared so contrite that she felt an urge to give him a hug.
“It’s okay,” Ava said, and he gave her a little crooked smile that she found utterly charming. She touched him lightly on the arm, a bit shocked at the slight tingle from the brief contact. Had Anthony ever made her . . . tingle? Ava longed to touch Jesse again just to see if her reaction would be the same.
“What are you thinking?” Jesse asked.
“Why?”
“You’re frowning as if you’ve got the weight of the whole damned world on your shoulders,” he said with a frown of his own.
Ava relaxed her facial muscles but couldn’t quite muster up a smile. “Better?”
“Yeah. A little.”
Jesse Heart was turning out to be different from what she’d first expected. But because she was starting to like him, she needed to tread even more carefully. While she’d known she was going to have to have her guard up and fully in place, he seemed to find ways to make her smile.
“Thanks for not giving me the shove that I deserved this time around.” Jesse ran his fingers through his hair. “Sometimes I have trouble minding my own business.”
“Look, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors that Anthony cheated on me.”
Jesse nodded but didn’t press her for an answer.
“Well, it’s true. He did,” she said flatly.
“I’m sorry, Ava,” Jesse said softly. “Did you suspect?”
Ava shook her head and then blew out a sigh. “I was absolutely blindsided. I felt so stupid.”
“So you trusted him. Ava, that’s a good thing. Trusting people don’t expect someone they care about to betray them. No wonder you didn’t know.”
Ava felt a surge of emotion at his compliment. For reasons she couldn’t begin to explain, what he thought of her mattered. She lifted one shoulder. “Everyone seemed to know but me. But I think I was too focused on my dancing career and not on the relationship. Maybe if—”
“Whoa . . .” Jesse raised both hands. “Don’t tell me you’re somehow blaming yourself? I’m sorry, but cheating is just wrong, period,” he said hotly. “There’s no justification for it, ever. If you’re in a relationship you don’t want to be in, then don’t keep it going while you try out other options. Get out! It’s plain and simple in my book.”
“Well, I think Anthony worried about our dance career too, so he didn’t want to . . . end us. For professional reasons.”
“You mean he was worried about keeping up appearances for his career. It doesn’t sound as if he was worried about you at all. Is that why he took up not just with another woman but with another dancer? So he’d still have a dance partner for life once he ended things with you?”
“I . . . I suppose so.” Ava felt her face grow warm. For some stupid reason, having Anthony cheat on her made her somehow feel shame. Of course, he’d placed the blame on her and degraded her in ways she couldn’t begin to tell Jesse about. Anthony had claimed she’d left her passion on the dance floor and failed miserably in the bedroom, so he had to find it someplace else. While she knew it was lunacy to believe him, he’d still stripped her of her confidence. And then there was the damned sex video that he’d made without her permission. Who knew what he’d done with it? Her face grew even warmer at the humiliation.
“Damn, I’m sorry . . . There I go again,” Jesse said softly. He stepped closer and tapped his cheek. “Go ahead, free shot, right there.”
“Oh, stop,” Ava said, thinking she wouldn’t want to harm that handsome face. “But see why I hate gossip? Being in the limelight? I’ve had enough drama to last me a lifetime.” She closed her eyes for a second.
“Ava, you’re preaching to the choir,” Jesse said, and then reached for her hand.
Ava knew she should pull her fingers from his grasp, but she just couldn’t resist the warmth, the strength. He was getting angry on her behalf, and she found it rather sweet.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” he continued. “I’ve enjoyed your company tonight. The last thing I want to do is upset you.”
Ava inhaled deeply but nodded. “I know that, Jesse.”
“Good.” He squeezed her hand, and for a moment she thought he might pull her into his arms.
Ava gazed into his sincere blue eyes and realized how easy it would be to fall for him. And she just . . . couldn’t risk getting hurt again. “Look, I’m not famous like you, but we were well-known in the ballroom dance world. Public humiliation took its toll on me. I made a vow to keep a low profile. To guard my privacy.” She held his gaze but reluctantly pulled her hand from his. “And my heart.” She paused, nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Okay, you can’t look at me so intensely and not go on.”
“I honestly tried really hard not to like you.”
“What’s not to like?” Jesse asked, but when he leaned in for a kiss Ava put her hands on his chest and he pulled back to look into her eyes.
“Jesse, I’ve enjoyed this evening too,” she admitted, and then let her hands drop back to her sides.
“I hear a very loud but.”
“But nothing can happen between us.” Ava’s voice was laced with more emotion than she’d intended.
“Why?” Jesse leaned back against the sink. “Because people might talk?”
“Not might, would. You’re Jesse Heart.”
“Ava, other than a few concerts for charity, Heartbeat is over.”
“Maybe the paparazzi doesn’t hound you so much in Sea Breeze, but you’re still famous. The thought of being the talk of the town makes my stomach churn. So will you respect my wishes? Keep your word to never kiss me again?”
“As I recall, you kissed me.” He grinned.
“Accidentally,” she said, finding it hard not to smile back.
“I don’t think that would hold up to a jury.”
“Then I’ll be the judge.” Ava tapped her chest.
“I never gave my word to not kiss you again, if you remember. We were interrupted.”
Ava narrowed her eyes and then remembered the class that had come clamoring in at the height of the passion they’d shared. “Okay, so we were interrupted, but your answer was implied. So . . . are we on the same page about this?”
“Mmmm . . . nope.” Jesse shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sorry, no can do.”
“Are you serious?”
Jesse tilted his head. “Uh, yes. I guess you’ll just have to deal with my noncompliance.”
Ava’s eyes widened. “What?”
“I’ll do my best, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to help myself. You’re just too darn cute, home skillet,” he said with a grin, but Ava shook her head.
“Stop calling me that!”
Jesse opened his mouth.
“Don’t you dare,” Ava warned, but had to bite her lip not to grin.
“Wrong words to say to a Heart brother, especially me.” Jesse looked at her for a minute as if trying to decide whether to call her home skillet again.
“Just when I thought you could actually be serious. Scratch that whole liking-you part.” She wagged a finger at him.
“Too late. No takebacks on saying you like me back.” Jesse pushed away from the sink, seemingly uncaring about the sudden change in Ava’s demeanor. In truth, she was in an odd place, between being annoying and being funny. “Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, are you ready to bounce?”
Ava blinked at him, but his expression failed to change. “Well, if I don’t get your promise, I’m not getting on the bike with you.” She gave him her best stubborn face, trying not to feel childish.
“You can’t drive.”
Jesse glanced at her legs. “I’m aware.”
“I’ll walk.”
“Then I walk with you.”
“No, you won’t!”
“It’s dark.”
“It’s Sea Breeze. I’m perfectly safe.”
“I’ll be the judge this time. So, is it walking or pedaling?” he asked in a light tone.
Ava put her hands on her hips. “I am walking a-loooone!” She drew out the word long enough for him to get the message.
“Nope, you’re not.”
Ava gasped. “Yes. I. Am!”
“Not happening.”
Ava was pretty sure steam was coming out of her ears. “Watch me.” She stormed across the room, wishing she knew where the hell she’d put her sandals.
“I’m following.”
Ava stopped so fast that Jesse slammed into her, nearly knocking her over. He put his arms around her from behind and for a weak moment Ava leaned against the solid feeling of his body against hers.
“There’s only one way to solve this,” Jesse said softly in her ear. The seductive warmth of his breath caressed her neck, sending a hot tingle all the way down to her toes.
“And what might that be?” Ava tried to sound flippant, but her voice came out feathery.
“A dance-off,” Jesse announced. He dropped his arms from her waist and took a step back.
Ava swiftly spun around and gaped at him, but he gave her a classic boy-band arms-crossed-over-his-chest pose. “And who would be the judge of this so-called dance-off?”
Jesse shrugged. “The honor system.”
“You’re joking.”
He shrugged again. “Or, in other words, you’ll have to admit defeat when I solidly beat you.”
“Ha, like that would happen.” Ava rolled her eyes, but deep down she was starting to warm up to the idea.
“There’s only one way to find out.” Jesse arched a challenging eyebrow. “What do you say?”
“What kind of dancing are we talking about here?”
“Freestyle. Anything you want to do. Go ahead, choose a song.” He pointed to his Echo. “Just ask Alexa.”
Ava pressed her lips together, still on the fence—but at the same time, songs and steps started flooding into her brain.
“Or do you want me to go first? Set the bar?” He made a show of how high above his head the bar would be set.
Ava inhaled deeply and remained silent, trying to quell the rapid beat of her heart. “Okay, but no Heartbeat songs. That wouldn’t be fair,” she finally said, and his face lit up at her apparently agreeing to this crazy dance-off.
Having him go first would allow her to see what she was up against. She intended to win.
“Agreed.” Jesse grinned. “Let’s do this.”
“Bring it on,” Ava said, but then frowned. “Wait, I’m in a tight dress. It’ll limit my movement.”
“We’ll take that into consideration.”
Ava nibbled on the inside of her lip for a second. “Okay. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Here we go.” Jesse pushed the coffee table out of the way and scooted two bamboo chairs over to the wall. “Alexa, play ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling!’ by Justin Timberlake.”
Good choice, Ava thought, and started thinking of songs she should choose. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaned against the wall, and watched Jesse as he started to dance. Damn, he had some moves that rivaled Channing Tatum’s from Step Up, one of her favorite dance movies. He combined fluid grace, strength, and a hot, sexy hip-hop style that turned her on more than she cared to admit. She couldn’t take her eyes off him while he did some gravity-defying, slow-motion moves. By the time the song ended, she wanted to launch herself at him and rip the shirt off his back.
Now, just how was she going to dance when she suddenly felt weak in the knees?
Jesse did a little spin move and shot her a cocky grin. “Boom!” he said, making the finger-exploding gesture.
“Ha, you’re going down!” Ava sounded way more confident than she felt. But her competitive side reared its head and she decided to beat him at his own sexy game. “Alexa, play ‘No Diggity’ by Blackstreet,” she commanded, and she nearly laughed out loud at Jesse’s surprised expression.
“ ‘No Diggity,’ by Blackstreet,” Alexa responded in her prim little voice.
Ava let her body feel the slow, sultry beat and channeled her inner sexpot. She tossed her inhibitions out the window and executed some hip action that would have made her mama blush. Although she felt his eyes upon her, Ava avoided looked at Jesse. She knew all the words to the song, mostly from watching Pitch Perfect over and over. She used each body part, from her bare shoulders to her painted toenails. In an inspired move, she shook her bun loose and grinned when she heard Jesse’s quick intake of breath. Emboldened, she danced close to him, turning swiftly so her hair brushed against his cheek. Her movements caused her dress to slide lower off her shoulders, and she used it to her advantage. “No diggity, got to bag it up,” she sang, mere inches from Jesse’s face.
Then, backing away, she finished with a final pop of her hip. “Oh . . . snap.” Tilting her head, she waited for his reaction.
Jesse blinked at her. His Adam’s apple moved as if he was swallowing hard.
“ ‘No diggity, no doubt,’ ” she sang, and gave him a shoulder shimmy. “Use your words, Jesse.”
Jesse cleared his throat. “I’m not gonna lie. I like the way you work it,” he said, and grinned. “You won, hands down.”
“Damn straight,” Ava tried to say coolly, but the words came out breathless. The heat in Jesse’s eyes made her pulse pound, and it wasn’t from the exertion.
“My mind is seriously blown,” Jesse admitted, shoving his fingers through his hair. “And . . . I really need a cold shower,” he said gruffly. “No diggity, no doubt. Ava, that was seriously hot. And I gotta tell you . . . you can sing.”
Ava felt heat in her cheeks at his admission. Now that the song was over, she felt like a bit of a tease. “I wasn’t trying to, um . . .” she began, but he held his hands up.
“You didn’t even have to try. Damn,” he said with a weak chuckle. He licked his bottom lip. “But Ava, even though you won, I really don’t want you to walk home by yourself. I wouldn’t have made the bet, except I thought I’d win. I had no idea you had those moves.”
“I do competitive ballroom dancing, but it’s not the only dancing I love.” She’d wanted to expand her competitive dancing to other forms back in Chicago, but Anthony had refused, wanting to keep their partnership and concentrate on ballroom only. Looking back, she wondered why she’d let him call all the shots.
“Obviously,” Jesse said, and it appeared as if he wanted to say more.
“I have to say that you have some sweet moves of your own. Move over, Channing Tatum.”
“Oh . . . please.”
“Just sayin’.”
“Well, would you allow me to either walk or pedal you home?”
Ava pointed to her dress. “A bike ride might not be the best idea in this outfit,” she said, even though the tandem bicycle ride appealed to her.
“That dress isn’t that short—I think you’d be okay. And there’s streetlights along the way. Want to give it a try? Promise not to look if your dress rides up,” Jesse said with a smile that caused a pleasant flutter in Ava’s stomach.
“Eh, sure, why not?” After her sexy dance, showing a little leg seemed tame. And the bike ride would be fun. Fun was a word that needed to return to her vocabulary and to her life.
“Cool, we’re outie,” he said with a grin.
Ava followed Jesse outside, noting how pretty the lighted pool was at night.
“The offer’s still open for a dip in the pool,” Jesse said.
Ava nearly gave in, but the night had already been more intimate than she’d imagined, and an evening swim might lead to something more than she had bargained for. Jesse gave her a sideways questioning glance, but Ava shook her head. “Morning will be here before we know it, and we have a lot of work to do in the studio.”
“Okay,” Jesse said agreeably. “I’ll go get the bike.”
“Thanks,” Ava said, glad he didn’t press her further. Anthony liked to get his way, but Jesse seemed to be much less demanding.
A few moments later, Jesse returned, and Ava couldn’t help but grin at the bicycle. “Sorry for the wait. I had to pump up the tires.”
“I haven’t been on a bike in years,” she admitted.
“It’s been a while for me too. I bought this baby at an estate sale on a whim. Just couldn’t resist. Now I’m glad I did.”
“Can’t say that I blame you.” She looked at the bike and bit her bottom lip. “Oh boy . . .”
“All you have to do is pedal. I’ve got the rest under control. Put your purse in the basket and hop on.”
“Okay, but don’t turn your head when I swing my leg over.”
“I will be a perfect gentleman. Now, where do you live?”
“Above Thelma’s Sweets and Treats.”
“One of my favorite places on Main Street. The butter cookies there are my favorite on the planet.”
“Oh, they are so good. I indulge now and then.”
“How can you not?” Jesse smiled. “Okay.” He looked over his shoulder. “Ready?”
Ava nodded and felt giddy laughter bubble up in her throat when they took off. “Oh!” she shouted when they went over a bump.
“Don’t worry, I’m a good driver,” Jesse promised, picking up speed.
“Slow down!” Ava shouted, but Jesse laughed and kept up the pace. “I hate that I can’t steer!”
“Just pedal and enjoy the ride.”
“I’ll try.” After a couple of minutes, Ava relaxed, loving the sea breeze blowing through her hair. The full moon and the abundance of streetlights made the ride scenic despite the late hour. Few cars were on the road, so she didn’t have to worry too much about her leggy display.
“You okay back there?”
“Fine! This is fun!”
Jesse nodded.
Luckily, Florida was flat, so the ride was easy, and in no time at all they were at the bakery. “Go around back,” she said, laughing when they went over the curb.
Jesse parked the bike near the back steps leading to her loft. He scooped up her purse and handed it to her. “Sorry about the photo shoot.”
“No big deal.” Ava shrugged, but suddenly she felt a bit shy. If this were a real date, she might invite him up. But this wasn’t a date. Still, she wanted to tell him how much fun the evening had turned out to be. “Thanks for dinner, and for showing me your amazing vintage collection. I had a great time.”
“I’m glad that you did, Ava. And I’m sure Nancy will reschedule the shoot for another time.”
“Yeah.” Ava nodded, but she was suddenly sad the amazing night was over. She tried to remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed. “Well, it’s a long day tomorrow, so I’d better get upstairs.”
Jesse nodded too but remained silent for a moment. He shoved his fingers through his wind-tousled hair, looking damned cute in the dim light of the moon. Even though she wanted to keep their relationship strictly professional and had turned him away back at his house, a part of her still longed for him to lean in, close the gap between them, and pull her in for a long, hot kiss. She wondered if something similar was going through his mind. “Ava,” Jesse began, but then he stopped and seemed to shift his train of thought. “Um, I need your car keys.”
“Oh, right.” She fumbled around in her purse. “I don’t know why I don’t keep my keys in the same spot,” she said, but in truth, she usually located them right away.
“That would make life too easy,” Jesse said.
“Aha!” Ava dangled the keys in the air and then gave them to him, noting the feeling of his fingers brushing against hers. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jesse groaned, making her chuckle.
“Get a good night’s sleep,” Ava added, but then she pictured Jesse in bed and felt heat steal into her cheeks.
“I’ll try,” he said. “Good night, Ava.”
“ ’Night,” she answered softly, and then turned toward the stairs. Halfway up, she pivoted and watched him pedal away. After he was out of sight, Ava felt a little pang of sadness that the night was at its end. She’d enjoyed herself more than she wanted to admit.
When Ava entered her apartment, the scent of sugar and yeast filled her head. Inhaling deeply, she smiled, but an ache settled in her chest. Loneliness? Jesse had stirred a longing that she’d kept buried deeply and far away from her heart. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
Blowing out a sigh, she headed for her bedroom and flicked on the light. If she hadn’t already had more than usual to drink, she’d have poured a glass of wine and headed out to her rooftop balcony to wind down. But since she’d met her alcohol quantity for the evening, she shimmied out of her dress, hung it in her closet, and got ready for bed.
It wasn’t until Ava was snuggled beneath the covers that she reached for her cell phone on her nightstand to scroll through social media, noticing she’d missed a call . . .
Anthony.
Ava’s heart skittered around in her chest and she stared at the phone as if it might bite her. He’d left a voice message, but she couldn’t bring herself to listen to it. What could he possibly have to say to her? He’d called once a few weeks ago, and like a fool, she’d picked up only to listen to a slurred and sloppy attempt to win her back. No apology, just that he was over his little dalliance with Angelica—the dancer he’d tangoed with—and he still wanted to marry Ava. And then, as a little sidebar, he’d mentioned that Angelica was a better lover, but that Ava won out as the more talented dancer. God. Ava had wanted to scream at him, but she’d listened instead in silence. Trembling with rage, Ava had hung up on Anthony and should have blocked his number. But she hadn’t, and now here she was, staring at her phone.
Part of her wanted to simply delete the message, but morbid curiosity had her wondering just what he might have to say. Had he broken up with Angelica? Was Angelica the one who was heartbroken now? Not that Ava cared. She didn’t have any sympathy for a woman who’d cheated with an engaged man. Although oddly enough, she supposed Angelica had done her a favor. Breaking an engagement was easier than filing for divorce. “Dodged that bullet,” Ava whispered into the darkness.
After a couple of minutes, Ava finally sat up. Swallowing hard, she brushed her hair away from her eyes and decided she had to know why he’d called. Her hand trembled, but she suddenly became angry that he could make her feel this way. After another bracing breath, she put her thumb to the arrow and listened.
“Hello, Ava,” Anthony began smoothly, but Ava cringed. She used to find his deep voice sexy, but now he sounded so damned fake that she nearly stopped the message. “I hope you are doing well. I thought it only fair to let you know that Angelica and I are engaged.” He paused in the message then, making Ava think that Angelica was right there and he must have felt the need to kiss her or something equally gross.
“You two deserve each other,” Ava grumbled aloud, and she was relieved that she felt nothing at all except for contempt, but then he continued . . .
“Angelica and I have decided to enter the dance competition in your little town,” he said gleefully, causing Ava to gasp. “After all, it’s for a good cause . . . repairs for the little arts center where you, uh, work. We’re certain to win, adding to our first-place finishes, helping us to capture the number-one standing in competitive ballroom dancing. Anyway, we arrive tomorrow in . . . Where is it again, darling?” he asked, and Ava could hear Angelica answer in the background. “Right, Sea Breeze,” he said in a sneering tone. “Oh, and I know you’re not officially competing with that boy-band has-been, but you’ll still be judged. Hats off to you for being so willing to make a fool of yourself, but I guess a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Ah well, I’m sure our paths will cross in such a small town. Hopefully you’ll be able to handle yourself with grace.”
Ava sat very still in the center of the bed, clutching the phone so tightly that she was surprised the screen didn’t shatter. She knew exactly what this stunt was all about. She’d heard through friends that Anthony was feeling the backlash from his deplorable treatment of her. And he and Angelica weren’t number one and weren’t likely to reach that lofty goal. Anthony’s stellar career was in jeopardy, and he was all about seeking revenge for something he’d brought upon himself. Insane.
Ava released her grip on the phone and let it slip from her fingers onto the bed with a soft thud. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, not sure whether to cry or dissolve into hysterical laughter, so she simply groaned.
A moment later her phone pinged, sounding loud in the darkness, startling Ava. She refused to look down, fearing Anthony was at it again. When the phone made the second annoying ping she sighed, looked at the screen, but then perked up. “Oh . . . Jesse,” she whispered, and read his text message:
Hope I didn’t wake you, but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your company tonight. That’s all.
Ava read the message three times and then picked the phone up and held it to her chest. It was almost as if he knew she needed a reason to smile. She wanted to call him and confide in him about Anthony. God knew she could use a shoulder to lean on, but she shook her head and put the phone down. Her throat ached from holding back tears, but she refused to give Anthony Grecco the power to make her cry. Fisting her hands in the sheet, she decided that she needed to find a way to fight back. How? Well, that was another question.
With another groan, Ava pulled the covers up and prayed she’d fall fast asleep.