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She had to look at him because otherwise he’d think she was avoiding him—which she was, but no way was she letting him know that. “Hey, Ryan.”
He wore gray sweats low on his hips, a T-shirt that showed off his tattoo, and his feet were bare. In his arms was Brody, the cutest little guy, in a white sleep suit. Her heart did not just sigh at the vision of sexy rock god and baby.
“All good. I got it.”
“You snippy with me, Faith?” His deep voice sounded gravelly, like he’d just woken. An image of that lean-muscled body warm from sleep made her cough.
“Glasses above the sink if you need water for that throat,” Ryan said.
“Thanks.” She drank deep, hoping he’d leave her alone so she could regroup.
“So, the snippy thing,” he said from over her shoulder. Clearly he wasn’t going anywhere. “Plus, you’ve been avoiding me.”
“What? Who the hell says snippy?” She ignored the last part of his statement and unpacked the bags, stacking the baked goods on the counter.
“Pissy?”
“You’re a rock star; surely both those words are beneath you? Plus, I treat you no differently than I do others.”
“Not quite true. I mean, I know your body now like—”
“Do not finish that sentence if you want to live.” She made herself move to where he stood, leaned in and kissed Brody’s soft cheek to prove to herself she could be that near Ryan and not melt into a puddle at his feet. “Hey, baby boy.”
He leaned closer and kissed her cheek. “Hey there, sweet girl. Want to tell me why you’re avoiding me?”
They stood in silence, just staring at each other. The pull of need inside Faith was so fierce, she had to dig her toes into the floor to stop herself from touching him.Back away!“Ryan—”
The knock on the door had her mouth closing.
“I’ll get it!” Hope called from the living room.
“Can we have dinner together one night, Faith?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
“You’re leaving, I’m staying, and this is going nowhere.”
“Do you want it to?” His eyes seemed darker as they held hers.
“There is no point to this conversation, Ryan. You live in LA, and I live here. End of story. What we shared was good, but it’s done.”
“Good?” His voice was a low growl. “It was fucking sensational.”
“Don’t swear in front of the baby.”
“Answer the damn question, Faith. Do you want there to be an us?” He held Brody in his big secure hands. Strong hands that would keep the child safe. Hands that could touch her and send her to a place she’d never been. Hands that would hold a heart safe, but not her heart.
Thankfully, the people who stepped into the dining area off the kitchen stopped her from having to answer that question.
“Oh, hey there, Jacob,” Faith said, moving to where Hope stood looking nervous.
There was a sudden tension in the room so thick Faith could swipe a hand through it. Hope and Ryan’s father had arrived with his wife and children. All had their eyes on Ryan.
“Hello, Faith,” Joanne Robertson said quickly. “We had a lovely meal in The Howler two nights ago, thank you.”
“My pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
