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"Hi" She smiled broadly as she saw hiht now? Of course he’d seen her suspended on a cable, just one false o" Grabbing her hand, he started pulling her toward their cars in the parking area Even as mad as he was, he was ly Before she could forer door and ushered her inside before walking around to the driver’s side
As they were pulling away, she finally snapped out of her daze enough to protest, "Mac, where are we going? I can’t leave nored her as if she hadn’t spoken as he drove the familiar streets toward her apartment The first trickle of unease prickled her skin as she wondered if she had pushed him too far this time Maybe she should have taken Dominic’s advice and not actually juht in front of Mac When she saw hih with it She had taken herself by surprise when she ju her pants as she flew so high above the ground Afterward, though, God, the rush had been so all-consuled with adrenaline
She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but when Mac pulled into her parking place and came around to open her door, she was ready toher car picked up before walking off Instead he once again grabbed her hand and pulled her up a flight of stairs, waiting not very patiently while she opened her front door Again, she prepared to say good-bye, but he pushed past her and she shut the door behind hi at her She’d never really understood thean unsteady hand through his short hair, he said softly, "Avie, I’ht now that I shouldn’t even be here I don’t understand what’s going on in your head" His eyes looked tor to hurt yourself?"
Unable to bear the pain in his eyes, she rushed over to hi their joined hands against his chest, he asked, "Then why? Why are you suddenly doing all these crazy things that are going to do nothing but get you hurt?"
Ava fought against the desire to put so at her as if he was trying to see inside her head He was in her space, and norh, she fought herself to deepen the inti her soul if she were ever to have a future with hi so afraid of everything all the time"
"Is that what the kiss was about yesterday?" Mac asked softly
Pulling one hand loose fro the stubble that was starting to break through his smooth skin "No, that was because I wanted it" She could feel his heart gallop beneath the hand that re a deep breath, she continued "Mac, I want us to tryyou know, to have a real relationship" Ava was feeling light-headed at her adotten the words out
Mac looked stunned, opening and closing his"Aviewhat exactly do youto hed nervously Mac, on the other hand, didn’t even crack a s to say, apparently not very successfully, is that I’d like for us to go out, you know, like on a date We don’t have to juht into a relationship if you don’t want to, but I’d like to start so on his hair as he always did when he was agitated She wasn’t an expert on n to her Maybe she had been expecting him to twirl her in his arms like some kind of roh he was about to puke Yeah, it was a real ego booster With every yank of his hair, her hopes were plue to look at the floor to see if there was any hair lying there fro-of-ith his locks
When she tried to turn away, thinking it would be easier to talk to the wall than to face hi her almost nose-to-nose, and just waited "I don’t want to lose you," she ad frustrated with her answer, he asked, "Is this because of Gwen and the fact that you and I aren’t spending as ether?" He looked as if he was in physical pain when he added, "I think you just s around so we can have a drink together like we used to, okay?"
She wanted to reach out and choke theto her as if she were a child who needed to be pacified Either he wasn’t hearing anything she was saying or he didn’t want to understand Why were all thelately? "That’s not what Iabout our friendship or lack of it lately I hat you’ve wanted froive you I want to hold your hand, kiss you, andlove you Not as your friend, though I’ his fist in his hands In contrast his voice was calave you every chance to show s I openedback in return other than friendship and a stiff arot too close You twisted me in knots for years It was torture to be close to you and hell not to be Finally, I just couldn’t do it anymore I had to move on I have moved on"
He still refused to turn back around and face her, which made it easier for her to whisper, "But you lovethat Ava started to wonder if he had heard her Then he turned back to her, his eyes bleak and distant "Soh I’ all the ith Do this conversation" Opening the door, he stepped outside before adding, "I’ll have one of the guys drop your car off later if you’ll give me the key"