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“But you’re scared of what will happen if things don’t work out between you.”
I nod my head at his statement. He isn’t wrong, but he isn’t completely right either. I’ve already lost one love in my life and barely survived; I don’t know if I could survive heartbreak like that again. I know that I’ve only known Audrey for a short period, but my feelings for her could rival how I felt about Lydia. She was my best friend. We grew up together, and it was only natural for us to end up in a relationship. But Audrey Wilde blew in here like a summer storm, taking me completely by surprise. If I’m not careful, I could be swept away.
“Being scared is normal, Connor. But if we let fear rule our lives, we will never thrive.”
“But Jade and Love, Audrey’s daughter, are already thick as thieves. I don’t want to ruin that for her.”
“Stop using your daughter as an excuse to not pursue this thing with Audrey.” Vance clamps his hand on my shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. “Look at Selina and me. We still hang out with friends, can even be in the same room with each other, and she hates my guts.”
“She doesn’t hate your guts, Vance.”
“Semantics.” He waves away my statement with his hand before heading toward his desk on the other side of the small room and taking a seat. “All I’m saying is if things don’t work out, then they don’t work out. Love and Jade can still be the best of friends, and then I can ask out Audrey in hopes of making Selina jealous.” I pick up a stack of Post-it Notes on the edge of my desk and throw it at him, causing him to laugh loudly. “Okay, maybe that was a step too far.”
“Only a little.” I shake my head at his antics.
Vance is right. I haven’t been living my life to the fullest since Lydia passed away. I’ve been so focused on growing our business and ensuring Jade’s happiness that I haven’t thought much about my own. I can be all the things Vance listed and still be an individual of my own. I can have wants and needs that go beyond ensuring that everyone else in my life is thriving. And right now, what I want more than anything is Audrey Wilde.
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Anytime. Now, we need to get some work done so you can head over to Bristol’s and see your girl.”
“She isn’t my girl, per se. She agreed to go on a date with me, that’s it.”
“Semantics, my friend. The date is just a formality. If she didn’t want to be your girl, she’d never have agreed to go on a date with you.” Vance winks before we both turn towards our computers and get to work.
Luckily, the day goes off without a hitch, and I make it to the yoga studio in plenty of time. I don’t see any classes going on in the main room through the large window in the front, or anyone standing at the front desk. I know Audrey is covering Bristol’s class today, so I’m sure I’ll run into her at some point, but I was hoping it would be without an audience.
The small bell on the front door rings as I walk through, and I head toward the back, where the AC unit is located. I look around quickly, wondering where Audrey is, and notice one of the smaller room’s doors is closed. She must be teaching a class. I head toward the break room, slightly disappointed I won’t see her, but hopefully, we can bump into each other soon.
I quickly get to work checking the air condenser, which is indeed covered in grime, and get to work clearing it out before heading to check the new ducts we installed with the thermostat for any issues. I begin in the front of the studio, placing the ladder within view of the small room where Audrey is teaching to ensure everyone can see the ladder. Once it is locked into place, I climb it quickly and remove the drop ceiling, poking my head inside and using a flashlight to look around.
After a few moments of searching, I find nothing, so I pull the tile back into place and move theladder. Once I have the ladder locked, I begin the process over again. After a few seconds, I feel something bump into the ladder, causing it to wobble beneath me. I attempt to regain my balance, but the ladder falls out from under my feet. I grasp onto the ceiling support, but unfortunately, it holds no weight, and I come crashing to the ground, landing flat on my back. I clench my eyes shut and try desperately to hold back the groan of pain, wanting to escape.
Once I regain some of my composure, I open my eyes and see Audrey with a shocked expression on her face as she mumbles, “Sorry.”
Chapter 8
Audrey
Itake a moment to regain my composure before I bend down to help Connor stand. What a great way to make a good impression on someone.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Connor chokes out before clenching his eyes closed tightly and groaning again.
My hand brushes along the side of his face and cups his cheek. Connor nuzzles his cheek into my palm. His eyes are full of pain, but there’s something else there, too.
I know this isn’t the time for this, but I can’t help but notice how beautiful he is. Most men want to be called rugged, handsome, or some other manly descriptor, but Connor Bennett is beautiful, and judging by the way the ladies from my class are simpering behind me, I’m not the only one who thinks so. He’s tall, handsome, and has muscles stacked on top of each other. Intricate tattoos run down both of his muscular arms, peeking out from beneath the fitted black T-shirt he’s wearing with the Ace & Hammer logo on his chest. After talking to Connor via text and phone over the last few days, I know he has a warm heart and loves hisdaughter more than anyone in this world. He wears his emotions on his sleeve for everyone to see, unlike other people. You know what you get when you interact with Connor, a quality I admire, especially after what happened with Ian.
“Are you alright?” I ask. My eyes scan his body, searching for any signs that he’s injured.
When he doesn’t answer me, I lie on the floor beside him, inching my lips close to his ear. “Connor, can you hear me?” I whisper as he lets out a whoosh of air, a shiver running through his entire body, causing a loud groan to leave his lips. My core tightens at the sound, wishing we were anywhere but in the middle of the yoga studio.
Down, girl! This is not the time to climb him like a tree.
“How could you have missed the enormous ladder right in front of you?” Connor asks, turning his head to make eye contact with me.
“I was talking to someone as we left class and ran right into it. Besides, who puts a ladder in front of a door anyway?” I respond defensively, before softening my tone immediately. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you.”
“No need to worry, beautiful. Just got the wind knocked out of me.” He smiles as he rolls to the opposite side, pushing himself up on all fours, giving everyone a marvelous view of his ass. “I just need a minute to catch my breath.”
