Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis Read Online Free PDF Page A

ahead.”
    Ava blushed thinking
how right Victoria was. Without an ounce of encouragement, Ava had
secretly daydreamed about a future with Grady. What if he did ask to
see her again? Was he ‘a girl in every port’ type of man? She
didn’t think so but how well did she really know him.
    Brianna started to fuss
and Victoria said, “I better go save your man.”
    Ava headed for the
kitchen to make another appletini. Maybe, she’d try something
stronger—a scotch like the one Grady was nursing before he cradled
Victoria’s baby girl in his arms.
    Several times she
thought he’d ask for more or at least mentioned that he wanted to
see her again. So involved in her pity party she didn’t hear Grady
come in.
    “Let me take a sip.”
He gently took the glass out of her hand.
    “No—.”
    “Hey, these taste
pretty good.”
    She loved the way he
licked his lips and again she anticipated the feel on them on her
body without the moustache and beard. “But—.”
    He took another sip.
“Mmm, tastes like a sour apple Jolly Rancher.”
    “Appletinis are for
girls.”
    “James Bond drinks
martinis.”
    Ava was about to make
the same argument she made to Victoria when Grady pulled her into his
arms that could and probably had killed men, though held her with a
gentleness that melted her resolve to be strong. A well of tears
threatened. A litany of begging words on the tip of her tongue had to
be bitten back. Two weeks wasn’t enough to last a lifetime without
him.
    Damn Victoria and Russ
for making her believe in happy ever after.
    “Besides scotch and
appletinis don’t mix well together when kissing.”
    His lips claimed hers;
his fingers weaved through the waves of her hair. The tart sweetness
of his soft kiss contrasted with the hefty hard-on pressing against
her, confirming real men did drink appletinis.
    “Ava, baby,” he
whispered before deepening the kiss until she was drunk only on him.
Grady pulled away and placed his hand on her cheek, with a thumb he
swiped away a tear she hadn’t realized she’d shed.
    “Did you know
Delaware is the midway point between Virginia and NYC?”
    “No.” Ava’s heart
lifted as hope fluttered inside her chest.
    “It could work, you
know. Us.”
    “Us?” The flutter
morphed into rapid beat and she had to choke back the well of emotion
before she broke into a pool of happy tears.
    Grady kissed the tip of
her nose. “A house maybe and whenever I get leave we could leave
our jobs behind. Just us, like these past two weeks.”
    The oxygen must not be
getting to her brain because she could only utter, “Us?”
    “I’m not doing a
very good job of this.” Taking her hands in his he lightly caressed
his thumbs over hers. Grady dragged in a deep breath then let it go
above her head in a one long swoosh. Then he dropped his gaze to
hers. “I never asked a woman this, but Ava I’m asking you, will
you wait for me?”
    In his misty green eyes
she read her future of tortured goodbyes but also the joy of
homecomings. “Yes, I’ll wait for you.”
    Hugging him tightly,
she vowed to cherish this day. When she missed him the most, in the
quiet minutes before sleep she’d relive it in her heart knowing
distances could be bridged and a lifetime lived in moments. Together
they would do both.

About the Author:
    Liz Matis is a
mild manner accountant by day and romance author by night. Married 28
years she believes in happy-ever-afters!
    Fun Fact: Liz read
her first romance at the age of fifteen and soon after wrote her
first romances starring her friends and their latest crushes!
    Keep in touch
with Liz at:
    Blog: http://www.taoofliz.blogspot.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Twitter: @LizMatis
    Facebook: Liz Matis Fan Page
    Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5289185.Liz_Matis

If you loved this sexy short why not try one of my longer books!
    AVAILABLE
NOW:
    Love
By Design by Liz Matis (Russ and Victoria’s story)
    Design
Intervention starts the second season with