eyes completely focused that she realized what was sitting on the table.
“What. The. Fuck?” Eyes wide she stared at what was before her.
“What are you doing down here?” Ava jumped at the sound of Luke’s gruff voice.
She spun around to see an angry stoic expression on his face. He wasn’t happy about her little Jacque Cousteau moment. “I thought this was the door to the pantry.” She tried to look apologetic.
“It’s not,” he bit out.
“Kind of figured that out.” Laughter bubbled out.
“I didn’t tell you to pilfer through my shit, Ava.” Oh hell, he really was pissed.
“Luke, I’m really sorry. I thought there might be something down here you could use in your restoration efforts.” She looked at the items on the table and turned back to him. “What’s with this anyway?”
“None of your business.” He walked past her and pulled a cloth over the items, covering them up.
“That’s an awful lot of firepower on that table. Planning on fighting off zombies out here or something?” She wanted to lighten his mood.
“No. But there are wild animals that need to be taken care of.”
“With a sniper rifle?” Her voice dipped as she said it.
“Go upstairs, Ava,” he ordered.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I want to know why you have something like that here.”
Luke ran his hand over the cloth and spoke, “I used to be in the military.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Is that enough of an explanation for you? Or do you need me to write you a fucking novel about it?”
Ava didn’t much care for his gruff demeanor. She spun on her heel and ran up the stairs. Sure, she was acting like an errant child, but they’d been joking and laughing all morning. What the hell had changed all of a sudden? So she’d found a high-powered rifle in his basement, was that any reason for him to go off the rails? As she ran through the kitchen she could hear Luke calling her name. No way was she staying there a moment longer.
“Ava, wait!” he yelled as she darted out the front door of the house. “Damn it!”
She continued to jog down the gravel driveway— hearing Luke’s footfalls closing in behind her. “Leave me alone!” She looked back and saw he was coming closer. Damn, he could run fast and she was quickly running out of steam. Stopping, she put up both hands, signaling him to stop.
“Are you going to run all the way back to town?” He wasn’t even out of breath. Damn him.
Ava’s lungs burned as she doubled over, trying to pull precious air into her battered lungs. “Maybe,” she huffed out.
“All thirteen miles of it?” Luke sniggered.
“Laugh it up,” she said in a mocking tone. “I’m not staying here if you’re going to be an asshole all day.”
“You invade my personal space and expect me to be shitting glitter and rainbows?”
“You didn’t tell me to stay out of the basement, Luke!” Ava shouted as she walked closer to him. His manly scent mixed with the sweat from him running had her libido doing backflips.
“Fair enough,” he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. He looked around and back to her. “I don’t want you to leave. But if you want to, at least let me drive you back.” He looked sorry.
“I don’t want to go.” Ava stepped even closer.
“So you’re staying?” He pulled her into him and she laid her head on his damp chest and nodded. “Good.”
“It’s so hot out here. Too bad you don’t have a pool.” Her mood was lightening but not too quickly. No wonder they said crime rose with the temperature. She was so overheated, crime was sounding like a wonderful consolation right now.
“No pool, but I have something else that might work.” He grabbed her hand and began to walk across the vast property.
“Where’re we going?” She looked around but all she could see were trees and emerald grass.
“Just trust me.”
They walked about a hundred yards until they met the tree line at the
“What. The. Fuck?” Eyes wide she stared at what was before her.
“What are you doing down here?” Ava jumped at the sound of Luke’s gruff voice.
She spun around to see an angry stoic expression on his face. He wasn’t happy about her little Jacque Cousteau moment. “I thought this was the door to the pantry.” She tried to look apologetic.
“It’s not,” he bit out.
“Kind of figured that out.” Laughter bubbled out.
“I didn’t tell you to pilfer through my shit, Ava.” Oh hell, he really was pissed.
“Luke, I’m really sorry. I thought there might be something down here you could use in your restoration efforts.” She looked at the items on the table and turned back to him. “What’s with this anyway?”
“None of your business.” He walked past her and pulled a cloth over the items, covering them up.
“That’s an awful lot of firepower on that table. Planning on fighting off zombies out here or something?” She wanted to lighten his mood.
“No. But there are wild animals that need to be taken care of.”
“With a sniper rifle?” Her voice dipped as she said it.
“Go upstairs, Ava,” he ordered.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I want to know why you have something like that here.”
Luke ran his hand over the cloth and spoke, “I used to be in the military.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Is that enough of an explanation for you? Or do you need me to write you a fucking novel about it?”
Ava didn’t much care for his gruff demeanor. She spun on her heel and ran up the stairs. Sure, she was acting like an errant child, but they’d been joking and laughing all morning. What the hell had changed all of a sudden? So she’d found a high-powered rifle in his basement, was that any reason for him to go off the rails? As she ran through the kitchen she could hear Luke calling her name. No way was she staying there a moment longer.
“Ava, wait!” he yelled as she darted out the front door of the house. “Damn it!”
She continued to jog down the gravel driveway— hearing Luke’s footfalls closing in behind her. “Leave me alone!” She looked back and saw he was coming closer. Damn, he could run fast and she was quickly running out of steam. Stopping, she put up both hands, signaling him to stop.
“Are you going to run all the way back to town?” He wasn’t even out of breath. Damn him.
Ava’s lungs burned as she doubled over, trying to pull precious air into her battered lungs. “Maybe,” she huffed out.
“All thirteen miles of it?” Luke sniggered.
“Laugh it up,” she said in a mocking tone. “I’m not staying here if you’re going to be an asshole all day.”
“You invade my personal space and expect me to be shitting glitter and rainbows?”
“You didn’t tell me to stay out of the basement, Luke!” Ava shouted as she walked closer to him. His manly scent mixed with the sweat from him running had her libido doing backflips.
“Fair enough,” he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. He looked around and back to her. “I don’t want you to leave. But if you want to, at least let me drive you back.” He looked sorry.
“I don’t want to go.” Ava stepped even closer.
“So you’re staying?” He pulled her into him and she laid her head on his damp chest and nodded. “Good.”
“It’s so hot out here. Too bad you don’t have a pool.” Her mood was lightening but not too quickly. No wonder they said crime rose with the temperature. She was so overheated, crime was sounding like a wonderful consolation right now.
“No pool, but I have something else that might work.” He grabbed her hand and began to walk across the vast property.
“Where’re we going?” She looked around but all she could see were trees and emerald grass.
“Just trust me.”
They walked about a hundred yards until they met the tree line at the
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