Falling for Rayne (24 page)

             
Ivy’s head snapped up and she slowly turned around to see Becket leaning in the doorway as he looked at her solemnly. Her face reddened as everyone turned to look at her. Garrett grinned and winked as Rayne bit her lip and raised an eyebrow. Asher’s face had turned stony and hard while Cleo smiled at her.

             
“Ivy’s and Rayne’s eyes are identical. They’re sisters,” Cleo pointed out as she dumped all of the mushrooms and onions into the sauté pan.

             
Becket shook his head slowly as he continued to watch her. “No they’re not. Ivy’s eyes are darker and more mysterious. Rayne’s eyes are clear and light but Ivy has a dark gray ring around hers.”

             
Ivy blinked in surprise and knew she was going to drag Rayne to the nearest mirror as soon as the guys left to compare eyes. How had he seen her so clearly? He’d been aware of the tiniest detail. She stared back at Becket as she tried to figure him out. He smiled slowly at her and she knew she was smiling back.

             
“Thanks Becket,” she said quietly, not knowing what else to say.

             
“Do you mind if we crash your dinner party?” he asked, just looking at her.

             
Ivy glanced down at her pan and the now blackened tortilla and squeaked. “Of course you’re welcome to stay,” she said quickly as she lifted the tortilla out of the pan and turned and flung it in the sink as everyone laughed.

             
Asher walked over and took the pan from her. “Here, let me do that for you,” he said kindly as his eyes twinkled at her. “I’m kind of an expert at frying tortillas, just ask Garrett.”

             
Ivy stepped back and watched as Asher expertly peeled the next tortilla and laid it in the pan. She glared at his back wishing that he wouldn’t always step in. She was doing just fine with the dang tortillas until Becket had walked in. And then her mind went to mush like it always did.

             
“Ivy, why don’t you and Becket set the table for us? My salmon won’t take long at all and Cleo just has to cook the mushrooms and we can eat,” Rayne said as she put her salmon fillet in the oven.

             
Ivy shrugged and grabbed some plates as Becket opened the fridge and pulled out the salsa and the jalapeños. Since it was an old fashioned house, the dining room was down a small hallway and off to the side. She could feel Becket walking behind her and automatically tensed up. She’d have to talk to him now. She swallowed and took in a deep breath. She was twenty-three years old. She was an adult who could have a conversation with a man who had just complimented her eyes in front of a whole room of people. She was a strong woman. She could do this.

             
“I won’t run away,” she whispered to herself as she turned the light on.

             
“Run away?”

             
Ivy groaned. Becket had to be half-dog. His hearing was unreal. She could lie or she could turn things around on him.

             
She set the plates down on the table and looked up at Becket and felt her breath catch. If he wasn’t so good looking this would be easy. How could she be expected to have a conversation with a man who looked like he did? He was about six feet tall and although Garrett was taller, Becket was bulkier. But it wasn’t his build that made her mute, it was his face. He had the face of a fallen angel. He was all golden, with tanned skin and blond hair, white at the tips from the sun. And forget her eyes. She’d noticed that his brown eyes sometimes went light amber when he laughed. Ivy had lain awake too many nights imagining his face in her mind. He looked exactly like Apollo would if he existed. He was a walking, talking Sun god.

             
“Sometimes I get shy or nervous around you and instead of talking to you, I end up running away. I don’t want to do that anymore,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster.

             
Becket’s eyebrows went up and his eyes warmed before his mouth went up on one side in a half-smile. “Why do I make you nervous?” he asked softly as he set the jars down on the table.

             
Ivy cleared her suddenly dry throat and picked up a plate, setting it very carefully down on the table. Yeah, lying would have been easier.

             
“I guess, because I like you,” she said simply, refusing to look at him.

             
Becket moved around the table and picked up a plate, setting it down as she picked up another one. “I like you too Ivy. But why would liking me make you nervous? You don’t make me nervous.”

             
Ivy blushed and pushed her hair over her ear as she picked up a plate and walked away from him as she set it at the head of the table.

             
“I don’t actually know the answer to that to be honest. I mean, I like a lot of people but they don’t make me stammer and forget my name,” she admitted as she glanced at him quickly.

             
Becket was standing there with a plate in his hands looking very pleased with himself. “So you don’t stammer around Garrett or um, Asher?”

             
Ivy smiled and laughed a little. “No, of course not. Garrett’s like a big brother to me and Asher’s just . . . Asher,” she said lamely not knowing why she was so comfortable around him.

             
Becket nodded his head and walked around to set a plate down. “What about that guy in the band? Trevyn? Do you ever feel nervous around him?”

             
Ivy tilted her head and frowned. Trevyn was their drummer and he asked her out a minimum of twice a week but he was a harmless flirt. He was the type of guy who had to have at least three girlfriends telling him how amazing he was or he was miserable. “Not even a little. Why do you ask?”

             
Becket smiled and shook his head. “Just curious. So this problem with me. . . what do you think would cure it?”

             
Ivy straightened the plate and shrugged. “I’ve thought about it. A lot. And I don’t know.”

             
Becket picked up a plate and walked over and set it down before walking over to stand next to her. She was forced to look up into his face and felt an awareness come over her body. She felt a catch in her breath as she breathed in the scent of grass and flowers and wood, an outdoor fresh smell that always reminded her of Becket.

             
“I might have a cure for your nervousness,” he said softly reaching over and gliding his fingers up and down her arm.

             
Ivy felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared up into Becket’s warm brown eyes. “What kind of cure?”

             
Becket’s face was suddenly closer and she stared at his lips as they curled into a smile. The sound of feet coming down the wood floor alerted her seconds before Asher walked in carrying a plate of steaming tortillas. She looked at Becket but he had already stepped back from her and was scowling darkly.

             
Asher set the tortillas down and grinned at her. “See there? Perfect and not one burned.”

             
Ivy tried to smile. “Thanks for saving the day,” she said dryly.

             
Asher laughed as if she had made a joke. “Hey, why put yourself out when I can do it for you?”

             
Ivy frowned at that but didn’t answer as everyone walked into the dining room carrying plates and bowls. Rayne preferred fish tacos with artichoke hearts, mushrooms and caramelized onions topped with olives and Caesar dressing. She and Cleo liked the more traditional taco with beef, butter lettuce, jalapenos and cheese with a sprinkling of olives and salsa.

             
As everyone sat down, she noted that Asher had fixed it so that there was an open seat next to him. She glanced at Becket but he was talking to Garrett and Cleo was seated on his other side. She sat down and smiled at Asher.

             
“Since you’re so good at tortillas Asher, would you like to offer the prayer?” she asked, grinning wickedly at him.

             
Asher grinned back good-naturedly. “My pleasure.”

             
After the prayer, everyone dug in and pretty soon there was laughter and conversation filling the room. Ivy sighed happily as she glanced at her sister, sitting at the head of the table next to Garrett. She was glowing. She reached over and touched Garrett’s cheek and the look he gave her made Ivy’s heart burst it was so full of tenderness. She sighed with a smile and glanced across the table to see Becket looking at her. She blinked and looked away, but then looked back. He was looking at her as if . . . as if he thought she was beautiful.

             
Ivy smiled hesitantly at Becket and he nodded his head at her before turning and answering a question Cleo had asked him.

             
“So are we still on for tonight Ivy? I’ve been looking forward to taking you to the movies all day,” Asher said before shoving the rest of his taco in his mouth.

             
Ivy felt paralyzed as all conversation stopped. She swallowed sickly as she noticed Cleo staring at Asher with pain in her eyes before glancing back at her plate and schooling her expression. She glanced at Becket and bit her lip as she saw that his eyes were narrowed and his face was hard and mean looking. He was staring at Asher in a way that made her very nervous for him.

             
She took a sip of water and smiled. “The movies sound great Asher. What do you guys think? Should we all go to the movies after dinner?” she asked smiling at the whole table before turning and staring at Rayne, silently pleading with her for help.

             
Rayne’s eyes were big and she glanced at Garrett who looked worried. “Uh yeah, the movies sound great. Let’s all go,” she said unenthusiastically.

             
Ivy glanced around the table and noticed that Becket had put down his napkin and was looking like he was ready to stand up and walk out. Cleo just looked unhappy. This was not good. Why couldn’t Asher just go for Cleo like they all thought he was going to do?

             
Asher sighed loudly. “Yeah, I guess we could all go. But I was thinking of taking Ivy to see that new romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock and Chris Evans. You guys never watch chick flicks,” he said glancing between Garrett and Becket.

             
Garrett rubbed a hand over his face and glanced at Rayne who was now grinning at him. He grumbled something under his breath and then laughed. “Yeah, actually I love chick flicks. Anything that lets me sit next to Rayne and kiss her in the dark is good with me.”

             
Becket looked up at that and frowned before turning and staring at Asher. Ivy’s eyes widened and she jumped into the conversation. “What about you Cleo? You love popcorn and red vines. And you told me just last week that Chris Evans was the most perfect man ever born.”

             
Cleo smiled stiffly and shrugged as Asher looked at her with a frown. “Sounds like Asher just wants to take you out. I’m sure he doesn’t appreciate all of us tagging along on your uh . . .date.”

             
Asher reddened and ran a hand through his wavy hair that was getting long enough to touch the back of his collar.

             
“Ah, it’s nothing um, like that. We’re just friends,” he said with a nervous laugh as he glanced around the table.

             
“Good, if it’s not a date then let’s all go,” Becket said and stood up, picking up his plate and walking into the kitchen.

             
Ivy stayed put for a moment and let out a sigh of relief. She loved Asher. He was the best. He made her laugh, he was sweet and he was always rushing to help her or rescue her from anything. Last week he had even spent twenty minutes during practice trying to kill a spider just because she’d been frightened. But thinking about sitting in a dark movie theater, just the two of them, made her feel weird.

             
“Let’s go have fun,” she said cheerily and picked up her plate.

              I live in Utah with my six children and I’m the author of thirty-three books so far. I write YA Paranormal Romance under my pen name, Katie Lee O’Guinn. I enjoy the outdoors, reading and being with my children. I’m also a supporter of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. For more info on her cause, please go to:  http://elizabethsmartfoundation.org/.

             
As you’ve probably already guessed, I’m a huge believer in happy endings. Scarlett really should have been happy with Rhett and it’s a darn shame Leo and Kate didn’t float safely into New York on the Titanic. Don’t even get me started on Romeo and Juliet. To find out the latest on my books, check out my blog at www.shannonguymon.blogspot.com or www.katieleeoguinn.blogspot.com. You can purchase all of my books at www.amazon.com.