The Perfect Liar (Last Stand 5)

"Thanks for coming back," he murmured, and drew her inside.

Luke had told himself that if he was lucky enough to get another chance with Ava, he wouldn't take her to bed. Not right away. Last night, they'd jumped ahead and confused everything, which had frightened her.

He wanted to slow down and invest the time in getting to know her so he could build up her trust before becoming physical again. With Kalyna pregnant, possibly carrying his child, life was complicated, and he had to acknowledge that. But it wasn't easy to leave Ava's clothes on. Not when their kisses grew so hot that their bodies began straining together.

He'd guided her fingers away from the buttons on his jeans twice. He wasn't sure he could hold out a third time. Not with the way she'd warmed to his touch. Not with the acute pleasure he felt just having her in his arms again. He probably would've given in. He already had her skirt up when a knock made her break away.

With her face flushed and her blouse unbuttoned to reveal her lacy bra, she'd never looked prettier. He grinned at her as she attempted to adjust her clothes, and she flashed him a shy smile.

"Luke? You home?" The voice belonged to Kalyna. He grimaced when he recognized it and wished he hadn't let her take his laundry. She was so damned intrusive. Since she'd transferred to Travis, he hadn't been able to go a single day without running into her somewhere.

"You know who that is, don't you," he muttered.

Ava nodded. "Are you going to answer?"

"Do you think she'l go away if I don't?"

"She's obsessed with you. She'l never go away--unless they put her away."

"Luke?" Kalyna called again.

"Just a minute," he said, and turned back to Ava. "So all my hopes hang on some unlikely conviction? Wow, you really know how to reassure a guy."

"If she kil ed her mother that might not be as unlikely as it seems."

"Now you've got me thinking I should hire a private investigator to help the Mesa police."

"I can see if Jonathan could squeeze it in," she said.

"You haven't yet? I thought you were going to ask him if he'd try to track down the hitchhiker. Sarah."

"It's been one thing after another today. I haven't even made it in to work, which is unlike me. But I'l get him tomorrow."

That was a step in the right direction. Stil , putting Kalyna away wouldn't solve al his problems. He thought of the document she'd brought him, proving her pregnancy. It was stil lying on his kitchen table. He needed to tell Ava that Kalyna had been tested and address any concerns she might have about his having a baby with someone else. Especially if that someone was Kalyna...His situation would be a challenge to any relationship--could easily destroy one so new. He wanted to prevent that, if he could.

"Luke, this stuff is heavy," Kalyna complained.

"I'l get rid of her," he whispered.

Ava touched his arm. "Wait. Let me go into the bedroom first. I'd rather she didn't know I'm here. It'l just antagonize her, and I don't think we'd be smart to do that. Not until we find out more about how Norma died, and Sarah."

He waited until she'd slipped past him, then opened the door. He immediately took the laundry, but Kalyna didn't leave.

"Is someone here?" Gone was the solicitous mood with which she'd approached him this morning. Her eyes were narrow and accusing, her jaw hard.

He wanted to tell her she had no right to even ask, but he could get rid of her more quickly if he avoided an argument. "You done already?"

She didn't let him distract her. "I thought I heard a woman's voice."

"The TV's on."

She kept trying to look around him. "If it was just the TV, what took you so long to answer the door?"

Hooking his hands on the jamb over his head, he positioned himself so she couldn't come in. "Maybe I wasn't dressed," he said with a scowl.

She didn't react to the irritation in his voice. The gaze that swept over him was so sexual Luke felt as if he'd been accosted. "I wouldn't have minded."

She'd already made that very clear. Ignoring the comment, he managed a smile. "Thanks for helping out. I'l see you at work."

He tried to shut the door but she stopped it with her foot. "Ava's in there with you. I know it. Don't lie to me."

This time he couldn't keep himself from responding. "Kalyna, I could have as many women in here as I want. You don't have the right to complain."

A feral gleam entered her eyes. "I don't care if you want multiple partners. I'l even provide them. Just...not Ava. Anyone but her. Don't shut me out, Luke. Let me be number one."

"That's not how a relationship works," he said. "At least, that's not how my relationships work."

"I could be anything you want."

"Kalyna--"

"Just tell me the truth. You've got Ava over, don't you? You're in love with her. You wish she was carrying your baby instead of me!"

Luke said nothing.

"Don't you?" she challenged.

With a sigh, he nodded. "Yeah, I do."

The blood drained from Kalyna's face. He opened his mouth to tell her he'd never made her any promises. What part of "I'm not interested" did she not understand? But she didn't give him the chance.

"You bastard!" she screeched. Then she slapped him and ran away.

Ava found Luke standing at his front door, looking a bit stunned. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure I'm living in reality anymore."

"What do you mean?"

He shut the door. "Somehow I've become the protagonist in Fatal Attraction. "

"Obsession happens in real life, too."

"To other people."

She gave him a sad smile. "Not this time, handsome."

"You've seen it before?"

"More often than you'd think. It's usually a man obsessed with his wife, or girlfriend, getting possessive and dominating, chasing her away while trying to make sure she won't ever leave him. But it can happen in reverse, too."

"But Kalyna and I never had a close relationship!"

"In her mind, you established that the night you slept with her."

His smile slanted to one side as he took her hands. "Did you feel anything that earth-shattering when we slept together?"

"I saw stars..." she said.

He rolled his eyes. "We were sleeping outside."

She laughed. "Um, okay, there were moments I thought I'd drown in desire."

"Or in the river, right?"

She nudged him. "What about you?"