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It’s hard to explain to another person, but I can tell Avery isn’t going to let it go. “The Howards don’t have a good track record. Especially the men.”
She snorts. “You can say that again. Estella has told me stories about your grandfather.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I would have figured out a way for him to have an accident early in the marriage.”
I nod.
“But you aren’t like that.”
“How can you tell? I only care about my company.” It’s a refrain I have heard from more than one of my exes. I’ve lost friends because I was driven to getLone Star Techoff the ground. I think Trev and I are only friends because he understands my workaholic ways.
“Of course you do. It’s your baby. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I follow her through the house as she approaches the back door. She steps out on the porch.
“I thought you were too hot.”
She glances over her shoulder at me and wiggles her eyebrows. “I am totally hot.”
I should laugh, but the memory of last night and this morning flood my system. God, I want her. It’s like a fucking sickness. I shake my head and try to focus again. This has never been a problem.
“Avery.”
She turns with a smile, and then it fades. Stepping close to me, she cocks her head. “What’s going on in your head?”
“How do you know I’m a good man? I was trying to get you kicked out of here. I date models because they don’t need much attention, and I rarely come to visit my grandmother. And all I care aboutismy business. You agreed with that.”
“Well, you’re focused on it, although you haven’t been doing much work since you’ve been here.”
That’s true. “Avery.”
She sighs and slips her hands up my arms to my shoulders. “You are a good man, Jon. You could have been pissier to me. Don’t get me wrong, you have been a bear, but you could have been sexually aggressive. Other men wouldn’t think twice about harassing me until I left.”
I snort. “Maybe I’m scared of you.”
“You are not, Jon. At least not that way. But you are good. You could go anywhere. Hell, I bet you could go hang out with Asher Kincaid wherever he is.”
“How do you know about Asher?” I have two friends or at least two people I can trust. Trevor is one, and movie star Asher Kincaid is the other.
“Your grandmother.”
I nod. “He’s in Hawaii right now.”
“Oh! That’s my next destination.”
I knew she had talked about it once or twice, but it sounds like she’s going there soon.
“You’re leaving?” Panic sets into my chest. She’s leaving me?
“No. You’re not that lucky.” I open my mouth to tell her that’s not why I asked, but she places a finger over my mouth. “You are not like your father. Your father would have done horrible things to get rid of me. He doesn’t check in with your grandmother like you do. And you love your mother. You are a good man.”
I don’t know what to say. I dated Sienna for six months, and I don’t think she ever thought about my family. Granted, I didn’t talk much about my family, but she wouldn’t have listened otherwise. She wanted arm candy, a wealthy man on her arm to make her look like she’d arrived.
Avery has known me for less than two weeks and is getting under my skin.
And fuck, if that isn’t sexy and scary at the same time.
