The Perfect Liar by Brenda Novak

Author:Brenda Novak
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: mom 03/21/2014
ISBN: 9780778327240
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2009-09-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

When Luke woke the next morning, he found himself on Ava’s recliner with a blanket tossed over him. She was on the couch, curled up and facing in the other direction. Her blanket had slipped onto the floor, leaving her uncovered and revealing her shapely legs. But it was the curve of her bare bottom beneath her sweatshirt— his sweatshirt—that really caught his attention.

She made such a pretty sight he didn’t move right away. If he stirred she’d probably jump up, realize she’d been running around the house half-dressed and shove him toward the door. He remembered how she’d nearly leaped out of his car rather than invite him in. She did that when she got defensive. But she wasn’t defensive now….

Was she stil wearing that thong he’d glimpsed last night? If not, he wasn’t the one who’d removed it. He hadn’t drunk that much. After what’d happened with Kalyna, he wasn’t stupid enough to let go to that degree.

He’d only wanted someone to talk to. And Ava had given him that. But she didn’t have his body weight—or any tolerance for alcohol, apparently—and had gotten buzzed while they were stil sitting on the couch. From that point on, she’d treated him like a girlfriend, as if it didn’t matter that she was in her underwear. But it did. The image of her small buttocks, the scrap of lace that covered her in front, her bare legs and those painted toenails was indelibly imprinted on his brain.

If he leaned slightly to the left, he’d be able to see more, he realized, but he didn’t allow himself the liberty. She’d trusted him enough to let him stay over, and he didn’t want to betray that trust. He liked her, had enjoyed spending time with her, especially once she lowered her guard and was simply herself. At first, they’d talked about Kalyna and the possibility of a baby. But then they’d put on an old movie and played poker, and the conversation had drifted all over the place. Ava was actually a funny drunk.

Luke wasn’t sure what surprised him more—that or the thong.

The sun climbing over the horizon reminded him of what she’d said 178

about watching the sunrise from her bedroom. He wasn’t seeing it from that vantage point, but there was a window close by and it was beautiful all the same. Although not beautiful enough to compete with what was peeking at him from beneath that sweatshirt….

She rolled over, and the sweatshirt rode even higher so he got up to cover her. He was just pulling the blanket over her hips when she opened her eyes and stared up at him with such a sexy, sleepy expression he was glad the blanket concealed his lower half.

“I think you owe me money,” she mumbled.

“Money?” he repeated.

“Didn’t I win last night?”

She was the worst poker player he’d ever met, but he’d let her win a few hands because it meant so much to her.

“Oh, yeah. Fifty bucks.”

“Bummer,” she said, covering a yawn.

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