couldn’t tear her gaze from the man who’d ruled her mind since puberty. She simply stared at him as the only sound in the room came from a wily DJ announcing the time and weather on the radio.
Ten a.m. and hot as hell.
Ava felt another bead of sweat fall from her hairline to her neck, then snake down her back.
It was the weather, not her relentless attraction for Jared Redwolf that caused this reaction, she told herself as she watched his eyes blaze fire and his jaw twitch as he stared at her.
Finally she gathered her courage and found her voice. “Hello, Jared.”
But he said nothing, just continued to stare at her as though she were an apparition—and a very unwelcome one. She felt like a caged animal in her pretty pink satin gown that hadn’t been fitted to flattering yet.
Awkwardly Rita cleared her throat. “So, Jared. Back from Dallas early?”
“Too early, it seems,” he said, his tone bordering on venomous.
A tight knot formed in Ava’s stomach. But she understood his anger, and tried once again for polite conversation. “Jared, listen, I—”
“By the way, Rita,” he interrupted, ignoring Ava. “Congratulations on your wedding.”
Rita smiled halfheartedly, her gaze flickering toward her sister. “Thanks.”
“I’d like to get you and your fiancé something, but—”
“We would’ve invited you, Jared, I just didn’t think you’d be in town,” Rita explained awkwardly. “But now that you’re back, you’re more than welcome to come.”
Ava felt her mouth drop open. This wasn’t happening. She’d been so careful with her plans in coming here.
“I appreciate the thought,” he said. “But I don’t think so.” His gaze was intense—and back on Ava.
“Sakir and I would love it,” Rita insisted.
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I can’t do it. I have a desk full of work and a client flying in that night.”
“It’ll be just a few hours.”
Ava clamped a hand down on her sister’s shoulder. “If he doesn’t want to come, he doesn’t want to come. Don’t force the issue.”
The humidity was barely noticeable when compared to the weight of sentiment that passed between her and Jared. His eyes had turned from fuming black to watchful cool steel and Ava felt that familiar stirring deep in her belly. The one she’d hoped she’d feel again, but prayed she wouldn’t.
He could rile her from a hundred paces with that look, always would.
“What time did you say the ceremony was?” he asked Rita, though his gaze remained on Ava.
“Two o’clock,” Rita offered.
He nodded. “Maybe I will stop by.”
Clasping her hands together, Rita looked from one to the other. “Well, you could drop by the house and pick up an invitation if you want.”
Ava’s throat went bone dry. What was her sister playing at? Jared couldn’t come by the house. Her gaze flickered to his. “You can just send it to him, little sister. I’m sure it won’t get lost in the mail.” She took a breath and added, “If you send it out today it will get there—”
“I’ll come by and get it,” Jared stated firmly.
The clang of Mrs. Benton’s ancient cash register sounded. “Give me just one more minute, girls,” she called from the other room.
Ava didn’t have any more minutes left. “I have to go,” she said firmly. A few years ago, she would’ve just remained until the very bitter end of this torture. A few years ago she’d been an idiot. But not today. She’d been through way too much in the past four years to allow these three people to tear apart her small sense of confidence. “I’ll see you back at the house, Rita.” Without looking at Jared, she stepped down from the pedestal, grabbed her purse and headed out of the curtained room just as Mrs. Benton was heading in.
“But the dress…” Mrs. Benton called after her, but Ava didn’t listen, she needed air, she needed—
So intent was she on escape, she actually gasped when she heard the deep baritone from behind her say, “Running away again?”
Halfway to the front door, halfway to safety, she froze. That voice now filled with cold sarcasm had once told her how beautiful she was.
“You always were good at running, Ava.”
She slowly turned around and faced him. “You didn’t say one word to me in there. I didn’t think you’d care if I left—or notice for that matter.”
His eyes darkened and a muscle in his jaw twitched violently. “I noticed.”
She wasn’t exactly sure if they were talking about the dressing room or the past four years. “What can I do for you, Jared?”
“Not a damn thing.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Your husband here for the wedding?”
Her pulse skittered in her blood as she was reminded of the lie she’d been forced to tell before leaving Paradise. “We’re not together anymore,” she said quietly.
“You walk out on him, too?”
Ava took a deep breath. Jared had a right to be angry with her, but she wasn’t going to accept barb after barb. Living in New York, having a child and a high paying interior design job had really changed her. No longer was she a pushover to her father, to Jared—to anyone.
She took a step toward him. “I understand that you’re angry with me, but that’s no reason to be downright cruel.”
“I’m not angry at you, Ava.” His dark eyes bore into her. “You have to really care about someone to be angry with them.”
She felt her throat tighten as tears threatened. She realized with a start that she’d actually formed a fantasy over the years about seeing him again. And this was so drastically far from that fantasy it was almost comical. She and Jared would never be together again. He despised her, and she imagined that even a full explanation and an apology wouldn’t make much of a difference. The man had turned cold and hard.
But it wasn’t just her feelings, her heart anymore. She had more to protect now. She straightened her shoulders. “Look, you obviously don’t want to see me or talk to me. Let’s just pretend this never happened, pretend we never had this encounter and try to steer clear of each other. I’ll only be here a couple weeks. So that shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Are you telling me not to go to your sister’s wedding?”
She swallowed hard. “Not telling. Just asking.”
He nodded
