Dinner at Eight-epub Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’m fine.”
    “I know you are. You just don’t need juice spilling onto your clean sheets. You’re trembling.”
    She set the glass on the bedside table without drinking any of it. “Adrenaline. It hasn’t had a chance to settle.”
    Jared studied her for a long time, emotions warring in his chest. Shock and worry jostled for first place.
    “Av?” He sat on the edge of her bed and used his gentlest voice. It only worked on the cats sometimes. God knew if it would have any effect on his friend. “Tell me what happened.”
    “You woke me. I wasn’t expecting it.”
    “No.” In measured and slow movements, he stuck out his hand, showing it to her the entire time, until his fingers met hers. Carefully he twined them together, giving her every opportunity to pull away. Thankfully she didn’t, and he cradled her hand in his. “I mean what happened while I was gone?”
    Ava’s gaze tracked his movement the entire time. Her fingers hung like limp spaghetti in his. “I, uh, I don’t understand what you mean.”
    “I’m surprised by your reaction to me. First in the car and again now.” Still moving slowly, he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Softly, gently, so she knew there was no threat to his action, only concern. “The Ava I knew wouldn’t have twitched. Not when I touched you or when I knocked the door into the wall. You’d either have grabbed my hand and held on to it or you’d have slept through the noise. Yet both times, you bolted like a spider had run across your legs.”
    She shuddered. “God forbid.” Ava had an irrational fear of spiders.
    “Talk to me, Torres.”
    “There’s nothing to say. You’re overreacting.”
    He was overreacting?
    “I was startled. Both times. That’s all.” She squeezed his fingers in reassurance, and thankfully, kept her grip firm after that.
    “Look, Jar, it’s…” She squinted at her night table. “Three fifteen in the morning. The last thing I feel like doing is talking. How about you let me go back to sleep?”
    Jared rubbed his free hand over his face in frustration. Greg had warned him. He’d said Ava had changed. She was different—and had been ever since she’d left Anthony. His brother didn’t know why, and none of their friends had been able to pin her down for an explanation, although they’d all hazarded guesses.
    Silently, Jared had rejected the theory that Anthony had been unfaithful. How could any man lucky enough to win Ava’s heart cheat on her? No one would be that stupid.
    Zoey and Liv suggested Anthony might have been neglectful, spending more time at work or with his friends and family than with Ava. That was a possibility. The arrogant asshole could easily have figured that once he’d married her, he’d owned her. He no longer had to make an effort to be nice.
    Idiot. Ava was more interesting than any job could be, ever. More interesting than any person too—friend or family.
    All the friends believed that at some point Ava had come to realize Anthony was a controlling asshole. But they also suspected something more had happened, something tangible.
    The idea of Anthony emotionally or physically abusing Ava sickened them, but no one denied it was a possibility. It would explain why Ava had left after only four months of marriage.
    Whatever the reason, Jared could hardly expect Ava to blurt out the truth now. This was an obscene time to have a heart-to-heart. “Yeah, of course. You’re right. Go back to sleep.”
    “’Kay. Not gonna argue.” She curled onto her side, facing him. “Hey, Jar?” Ava yawned.
    “Yeah?”
    She tugged at his hand. “You okay sleeping on the couch?”
    He grimaced. The last thing he was okay with was sleeping on the couch. All he wanted was to climb into bed with Ava and hold her tight, all night long. Just like they used to before Ava met Anthony.
    Then, their sleeping together had been innocent. Two mates sharing a bed.
    If Jared ever climbed into bed with her again, there would