Spark: Book 1 (The Heat Series)

by MJ Masucci

  She wondered how fast Liam would make her come when he made love to her. Would he take his time paying attention to her whole body or would he make her come quickly so he could be satisfied? She had spent a lot of time watching romantic movies and knew it could go either way. She pushed these sexual thoughts out of her mind because she realized it might be months before she found out. She finished washing up and stepped out of the shower.

  Riley was crying at the door, and she had to feed him before he started scratching at the area rugs in protest. She quickly pulled on her robe and hurried out of the bathroom. Riley trotted after her into the kitchen. When she bent down to get his bowl she saw that he had already been fed. The kitchen had also been cleaned, and any dishes left in the sink had been washed. Wow, Liam is a real keeper! I can’t believe he hasn’t been snapped up yet.

  Riley hopped up on the counter and rubbed against her arm. She knew he hated to be left alone and had considered getting another cat. But she worried because Riley was very territorial and often would sit at the window growling at the dogs being walked below on their street. She wasn’t sure how he would take to an intruder on his turf. She scratched him behind his ears and under his chin. He rewarded her with his loud purring.

  A check of the clock told Ava she needed to hurry up as it was after 7:00 AM and she needed to be at her desk by eight. David was a stickler for time management. She quickly chose a pair of white linen pants, a black silk blouse, and heels. She put her hair up in a bun, applied some mascara, lip gloss and was ready to go. She didn’t like to fuss when she was going to work. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

  The day dragged and Samantha was in meetings all day. Ava had wanted to talk to her about Liam. She arrived by the skin of her teeth that morning at 7:58. David had just come around the corner to pile some briefs on her desk. He needed her to do some research on a few cases. For someone who had a lighter workload, he was keeping her busy. Just another Monday!

  Ava worked in the research room most of the day. She had forgotten to have lunch, and by the time she realized it was 3:00 PM. She ended up having a granola bar and a string cheese courtesy of the snacks stocked in the kitchen. Her mind kept drifting to Liam and when her phone chirped at 4:03 with a text from him, her heart fluttered.

  Hey, beautiful. I got a breather and just wanted you to know I am looking forward to seeing you tonight. Do you want me to bring some takeout?

  That would be great. I was probably going to have a can of soup and some crackers.

  We can’t have that. See you tonight.

  Ava was anticipating leaving work. It was 4:08 and she couldn’t concentrate on her work. She wanted to go home.

  David walked into the room, exclaiming, “There you are. I have been looking all over for you. Do you have the research for the McDaniels case finished?”

  “Yes, sir, and here’s the file. I made notations in my research based on the criteria you outlined. I still need to transcribe it, though.”

  David opened the file and paged through her research. “This is great work, whoever gets you next is going to be very happy.” David was not one to give compliments, and she blushed.

  “Thank you.”

  He walked out, and Ava looked at her watch; it was nearly time to go. She packed up the rest of the files and made her way to David’s office. He wanted her always to leave the files he was working either with Elise or with him, so they were accessible. He must have let her leave early because she was not at her desk. Ava opened David’s door expecting to see him sitting at his desk. However, she was shocked when she saw David kissing one of her coworkers. He was sitting on the couch in the corner of his office, and she was straddling his legs, and it appeared as if his hand was up her skirt. They were so busy that neither of them saw or heard her enter.

  The young woman had only been working at the company for a few months, with both Samantha and Ava disliking her immediately. She was working as an assistant for Ava’s cousin, Jacob. She was very pretty, but she used her looks to make up for her inadequacies as an assistant. Jacob had mentioned to her uncle that he needed a new assistant because she had made some mistakes that took overtime to fix.

  Ava felt sick. She slowly backed out of the office and quietly closed the door. How could David do that? His wife was ill, and that is what he was doing? Ava went back to her desk and locked the files in her drawer. She knew she would have to either confront David, confront the young woman, report it to her uncle or all three.

  It was now 4:55 PM and she decided she was going to leave. She couldn’t stay here. She grabbed her things and hurried down to the elevator. Samantha was coming down the hall and noticed her rushing.

  “Hey, where are you going? It’s not five?”

  “I have to leave; I need to get home.”

  “What is the matter?”

  Ava hurried on but Sam caught her by the elevators. “Would you stop for a second? What is wrong?”

  “Get on the elevator with me, and I’ll tell you.”

  “Can you wait, and let me grab my stuff?”

  Ava waved her to get her things. Sam ran to her desk, and she came back quickly. They couldn’t talk in the elevator car because of the many other people. When the doors opened on the main floor, Sam pulled Ava to the side.

  “Tell me what happened, you look like you saw a ghost.” Ava started to fan her face. She suddenly felt overheated as she explained what she saw.

  Sam shook her head and said “What a freaking slut. I knew I didn’t like her. The whole office knows his wife is sick, and she goes and does that? What are you going to do? You’re going to have to tell your uncle.”

  Ava pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “I know. I am very fond of David, but I can’t turn a blind eye to this. If my uncle finds out that I knew and didn’t say anything, he would be very disappointed. Not to mention the liability that this can create. Lisa could say that David sexually harassed her, forcing her into it. She could sue the firm. I have no idea what David was thinking.”

  Sam gave her a wicked smile.

  “I know what he is thinking and with what part.”

  “Ewww, Sam, don’t make fun of this.”

  “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

  Ava looked at her watch, dammit, she had missed her train. She decided to take a cab. She wasn’t in the mood to be surrounded by a bunch of pushy people. She hugged Sam goodbye and went to hail a cab. In rush hour traffic, it took her almost a half hour to get home. It was almost 5:45 by the time she got to the door of her building. As she entered the lobby, she saw Liam sitting there waiting for her, earlier than he thought he would be at her apartment tonight.

  “Hey beautiful, how was your day?”

  Ava was so happy to see him. She needed his sanity to help her deal with what she just saw. “It was not very good.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. I hope I can help make it a little better.” He held up a bag from Lotus Flower. “I decided to leave work early. I can always finish my analysis on my laptop. It will give me some more time to spend with you even if it’s just to be close to you.”

  They got in the elevator, and she punched the number five a little too hard. She was angry that she was put in the awkward position at work. They were silent on the ride up. Liam sensed Ava did not want to talk, so he let her be alone with her thoughts.

  When the car arrived at her floor, she rushed forward so fast that the heel of her shoe caught on the carpet, and she went sprawling to the floor. That was it; she couldn’t hold back. The tears started to come. Liam jumped over her and helped her from the floor. He picked up her briefcase and purse and gently pushed her towards her door. He kept his hand on her back, and when they arrived at the door, he held out her purse so she could retrieve her keys. She was sniffling, and the tears had made tracks down her face. Inside he put everything down on the entry floor and hugged her to his chest, then sent her to change.

  Ava went to her bedroom and
changed into sweats and a gray polo shirt. She didn’t even care that the shirt was thin, and you could probably see her nipples through it. What did it matter? Liam wasn’t going to show any interest in her for the time being. He had the food set out on the coffee table with two plates even though she had said she wasn’t hungry. He must have fed the cat because Riley was happily sitting on the chair in the corner licking his paws. Liam had brought his backpack and had changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt that looked new

  “I set you a place. Do you want something to eat? I got Kung Pao Chicken; it’s your favorite.”

  Ava tried to remember when she told him that it was her favorite. Did she mention it when they got Chinese last week? She didn’t remember telling him.

  Her stomach was tight, but it was also growling. String cheese and a granola bar did not help to curb her hunger. She decided to have some of the chicken. They silently ate. When they had finished, Liam packed everything up. He had bought enough to have plenty of leftovers. He cleared the plates, and she could hear him washing them in the kitchen.

  When he came back, he sat close to her and asked her to tell him what happened. She told him the whole story and how she was torn between her fondness for David and her duty as an employee. Liam agreed that she had to tell her uncle. David was putting the firm in jeopardy by his actions. After they had finished their discussion, Liam took out his laptop. It was almost seven, and he had said he was going to leave at nine. He was going to stay in the company suite tonight and go home tomorrow.

  Ava turned on the TV, propped her head on some pillows and promptly fell asleep. She must have been asleep for awhile because the next thing she knew Liam was waking her. He had packed his things and was getting ready to leave.

  “What time is it?”

  Liam looked at his watch telling her it was 9:12. “I need to go.”

  “No, please stay with me tonight. I need you.”

  Liam hesitated then agreed to stay. He told her he needed to get up by five tomorrow. She kissed him and went to brush her teeth. When she got back, he was already on the opposite side of the bed. She got on her side and shut out the lights.

  “Liam?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can you cuddle me?” She heard the rustle of sheets and without saying anything, he took her in his arms. She turned, so she was facing him and buried her face in his chest. He held her close. She kissed his chest and his neck. She played with his nipples until he stilled her hand. They both fell asleep quickly, but Ava’s was a restless sleep. She knew what was coming tomorrow.

  When morning came, she woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. It was 5:20 AM and Liam was no longer in bed. Riley had exited, too. He was not in the usual spot which was at the foot of her bed. She was sure the cat knew that Liam in the kitchen meant the promise of being fed extra early. She got out of bed and opened her bedroom door. Liam was sitting on the couch. He was freshly showered and dressed, checking his emails on his laptop. He was munching on a bagel with cream cheese. She bent over, and he offered her a bite.

  “Are you coming by tonight?” She asked.

  “I can’t, I need to go back to my apartment. The traveling back and forth to Westchester is killing me.”

  “Did Sam tell you that Justin is going to move in with her?”

  Ava wrinkled up her face “Are you kidding? They are both the biggest slobs! I feel sorry for the cleaning service!”

  Liam laughed.

  “That is true, but I was able to keep Justin’s mess confined to his room. We talked and agreed that it made more sense not to renew our lease. It expires on May fifteenth, so I will have to scramble to find a place. Since our landlord expects thirty-day notice, we need to tell him by the end of this week. If I can’t find a place before then, I will have to rely on the kindness of strangers.” He winked.

  She chuckled and kissed his forehead. She got on her robe and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Liam scared the crap out of her when he knocked on the door. She shut the shower off and grabbed a towel.

  “Hey, I’m leaving.” She wrapped the towel around her and opened the door. He leaned in to kiss her.

  “I’ll text you later if I get a chance.”

  Chapter 3

  After he had left, Ava started to feel the anxiety again. With Liam here, she had little time to think about what she had to do today. She was dreading talking to her uncle. She went to her room and dressed very conservatively in navy blue slacks, a light blue blouse, and her black flats. She wasn’t in the mood to apply much makeup, settling for just mascara and lip gloss. She glanced at the clock, and it was only 6:30. Even so, she decided to go into the office early.

  Her uncle would be in the office soon, and it was quiet. She headed out and caught the train to midtown, which was a bit crowded for this time of the morning, but she was used to it. She had gotten a seat next to a woman who was playing numerous games of Candy Crush. The noise was grating on her nerves, but she kept her mouth shut. This was New York City, and you had to deal with it.

  Her stop was two blocks from the office, and it was a nice day, so she didn’t mind the walk. Spring had finally taken hold. She entered the building and waved her credentials at the guards. They knew her, but occasionally there was someone new at the desk. As she stepped into the elevator, she felt a huge lump in her throat. She kept going over what she would say. When the car reached eighteen, she exited. She went to her desk, dropped off her coat and dropped her purse in the drawer. She pulled the files she had locked away yesterday and brought them to Elise.

  “Can you take these files? David wasn’t in his office when I left, and you had gone home already, so I locked them in my desk for the evening.” The lie came rolling out of her mouth with ease. She couldn’t reveal what she saw last night even though Elise might already know. Ava handed over the files and headed down to her uncle’s office. When she arrived, his secretary, Annie was not there.

  She gently knocked and was greeted with a harsh “Come in.” When she opened the door, her uncle was sitting at his desk holding a printed sheet in his hand.

  “Just who I need to see. Sit down; I want to ask you some questions. We have a situation that has come to light. I received an anonymous email from someone who works for the firm that David has committed some improprieties with another employee. I must question all employees that work with him.”

  Ava felt a huge lump in her throat form, and her mouth became dry as a bone.

  “What is this all about? What improprieties?”

  Daniel sighed loudly. “David was accused of having a dalliance with another employee in the office.”

  She almost laughed at the word dalliance because it was not something that you would normally hear. She wished he just said an encounter or something else. For all she knew, he was fooling around with this woman for awhile.

  “David has previously been accused of something like this several years ago, and it proved to be true. That employee sued the firm, and we ended up settling out of court.”

  Ava gasped. She never heard that story before, and she would have thought that someone would tell her even if it was just in passing. Jacob never said anything, and he had worked here longer than she had. Daniel must have been reading her mind because he spoke up.

  “There was a non-disclosure clause in the final settlement. Everyone at the firm was required to sign it and keep it quiet. We couldn’t have our clients finding out that one of our top attorneys couldn’t keep it in his pants. It’s why I assigned you to him. I knew that if he made overtures to you, you would tell me about it, and we would have to terminate him. You never thought about why he has been with us so long and has not been made partner? This is the reason.”

  “What will happen to him if you find this to be true?”

  “We will have to put him on a leave of absence and can say it is because of his wife. His cases will be reassigned.”

  Ava’s mind was going in a million different directions, but she had to
do what she needed to.

  “I saw David with one of our employees,” she blurted out.

  Daniel’s face reddened. “When?”

  Ava hesitated. This made him angrier, and he raised his voice. “Ava, when?”

  “Last night. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you then, but I was so upset by it that I had to think.”

  “Tell me everything you saw,” Daniel demanded.

  “I was working in the research room all day. David has given me several cases to research. In fact, he came down a little after four to see how I was doing and to take the McDaniels file.”

  “Yes. Yes?”

  “After he left, I decided to pack the rest of the files and head upstairs. He had always told me to drop files off that I had each evening. When I got to his office, Elise was not there. I knocked but got no answer, or maybe I didn’t knock.”

  “Get to the point, what did you see?”

  Tears started to well up in Ava’s eyes.

  “He was on the couch with the new girl, Lisa.”

  “And? What was he doing?”

  “He was kissing her, and he had his hand up her skirt.”

  Ava felt nauseated, and the tears had escaped her eyes and were sliding down her cheeks.

  Daniel put his face in his hand. “Stupid man, what the hell was he thinking?” He put his arm around Ava and pulled her into his chest. Daniel was a large man with a big barrel chest. Her petite frame was lost against him. As she buried her face against him, she smelled his pipe tobacco. When she finally stopped crying, she noticed she had left tear stains on his dark pin-striped suit. He sat her down and poured her a glass of water. She was gulping air in between her sobs. He handed her the water.

  “Calm down; we will figure this out. I think you should take the day off. I don’t want you working when you are so upset. Okay?”

  Ava nodded. She took a few sips from the glass and handed it back to him. “I just need to get my stuff. I left my coat and purse at my desk.”