by MJ Masucci
He was a twenty-seven year old man, and he had a schoolboy crush on a woman who was four years younger. To top it off, she was intimidated by him. His emotions were all over the place where she was concerned. Either he was kind or too harsh. She looked scared when he called her to his office or he asked her a question. There was nothing worse than seeing a woman with fear in her eyes. Either that or she wouldn’t look at him at all which was just as bad especially because he wanted to see those gorgeous green eyes of hers. He would just have to be cognizant of keeping his emotions even when he was around her. It would be hard especially when he wanted to take her in his arms and make love to her.
As the final minutes of their Sunday ticked by, Ava didn’t want to say goodbye to Liam, but he needed to go. He had several things to prepare, and his flight was at 4:00 AM the next day. He would need to take the train home and then go to bed early, or he would be a wreck when he arrived in London. Monday evening, he had a dinner scheduled with his colleagues from the London office, and he wanted to be sharp. So at five, he got his stuff together. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“Ava, please don’t make this harder for me than it already is. I would never have volunteered for this a month ago if I knew it meant leaving you for two weeks. I wish we were together back then, so I could have said no.” He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. She kept her arms wrapped tightly around him for several minutes.
They kissed, and he held her hand as he walked to the door. She walked with him to the elevator and watched him as the doors closed. Once he was gone, the tears slipped down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her finger as she headed back to her apartment. The air still had the scent of his cologne. She went into her bedroom, and there was a card on the bedside table. On it was a bouquet of daisies in a vase painted in water colors. Inside the card was blank except for Liam’s handwriting:
Chapter 8
Xander arrived at the office with only thoughts of Ava. He wondered how she was feeling but didn’t want to disturb her if she was still sleeping. I should have gotten her cell number so I could text her. He wanted to ask Jacob for her number, but he was currently out of the office. He supposed he could ask her friend Samantha, but he decided against it especially if Ava had revealed to her what he had said. He would just send her an email now and then one at lunch break.
Ava,
I hope you are feeling better. I was worried about you. Please try to eat something today. I don’t have your cell number, or I would have texted you. Take care and I will email you on my break from court.
Best,
Xander
Ava heard her phone chirp. She was hoping it was from Liam, but she saw it was from Xander. She read his email. Ava sat on her bed and typed a reply to him.
Xander,
Thank you for taking care of me last night. I appreciate it. I am feeling better, and I had some of the broth you brought me for breakfast. I think that horrible vinegar concoction did the trick. I won’t be in to work today because I still feel pretty weak. I should be able to come back Thursday. My cell number is 917-555-4241. Thank you again for your help.
Ava
Xander was sitting at the defendant’s table when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He wanted to look to see if it was Ava, but Judge Hopper would bring his wrath upon him if he saw him. He would check when he got out of court for break. Until then, he could only speculate.
Ava spent the morning watching TV, answering texts from Sam and calling her Aunt Mavis. She felt relaxed, but what’s more, she felt better. It wasn’t just physical either. She felt emotionally better now that Xander was nice to her. Strangely she thought of him more than Liam (who was still MIA). She wasn’t going to chase Liam. She had sent him an email and if he chose to reply, call or text her that was his business. At noontime, she received another text. It was from Xander
Hey, just checking in to see how you are doing. Thank you for giving me your cell number. I think I will be done with this case by tomorrow, so I should be in the office on Friday.
That’s good news. I feel much better and should be in the office Thursday. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to do research on those case files. I will work as fast as I can tomorrow and Friday.
She was surprised by his answer.
All I care about is that you are well. We can always ask one of the other assistants to help you if needed. I don’t want you stressing yourself over work. I have to go back into court, be well.
To her, it looked like Xander was a changed man and all it took was the stomach flu. He had more than apologized for what he had said even though she wouldn’t forget it. There also was the kiss. She was baffled by his behavior, and he offered no explanation about why he did it. But she felt something when he was kissing her. She was burning inside. He lit a fire in her more than she had ever felt with Liam. But there was that pesky thing about him being her boss. She decided that she would not mention it to him unless he brought it up. She doubted that he would since they were becoming friends.
For the rest of the day, Ava relaxed. She felt strong enough to shower by late afternoon, and she felt much better. She had eaten more crackers with the rest of the broth that Xander had brought. She had tried to hydrate as much as she could by drinking several glasses of water and a few bottles of Gatorade. After her shower, she bundled up in a pair of Christmas motif flannel pajamas. There was still was a chill in the air, and she didn’t need to catch a cold on top of the stomach flu. She decided to give herself a head start for tomorrow and chose an outfit for the next day complete with shoes. After she had finished Ava checked her phone and was surprised to see an email from Liam.
Ava,
I’m so sorry I haven’t emailed you until now. I’ve had the worst stomach flu. I wasn’t feeling so great, but I figured it was because of the long flight and the time difference. Some people from the London office wanted to go out to the Pub on Monday evening. I was having an okay time but then really started to feel horrible. I had to go outside to throw up. I only had a half a pint of beer and knew it couldn’t be that. So I went back to my hotel room. I was sick all night and well, it was coming out of both ends. I felt horrible and was in bed all of Tuesday, and unable to teach the seminar. I am still not feeling so well today, but I wanted to teach. I hope you are doing well, and you haven’t caught this mess from me. I miss you.
Liam
Ava was happy to read his email. Despite what Sam had said she knew that Liam would eventually get back to her. She had faith in him. I bet I got this horrible stomach bug from Liam. She wrote him back but didn’t tell him that she had gotten sick, too. She didn’t want him to feel bad.
Liam,
I’m sorry to hear you got sick. I was worried that something far worse had happened to you other than a stomach virus. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Please take it easy as much as you can. I am doing fine. I miss you, and I can’t wait for you to come home.
Ava
She sent the email off and went into the kitchen looking for something to eat and opted for a small dish of applesauce. She took it to the couch and ate it while she tried to figure out a seven-letter word with the clue illustrious and the third letter T. She inserted Notable. It fit. She continued to work on the puzzle until she heard her phone chirp. She checked, and it was a text from Xander.
I was wondering if I could stop by to see you?
She wasn’t in the mood to see anyone really, but he had been so nice to her last night.
I am doing fine really. You don’t have to come.
I want to come. I was worried about you all day.
You can come over.
Ava’s heart did a little flutter. She put down the crossword puzzle and took her dish to the kitchen. She looked down, saw her pajamas and decided that she needed to put on something a little more appropriate. She went to her room and found a pair of gray yoga pants and a black t-shirt. When she was dressed, she went to the phone and dialed the front desk.
Ava sat down to wait not three minutes later she heard her doorbell. She opened the door, and Xander was standing in front of her. He was dressed casually in dark blue jeans, a gray v-neck sweater, and a hip-length wool pea coat. It wasn’t that late, so she guessed he had gotten out of court and gone home a bit early.
“Hi.”
“Hello. I hope you are feeling better?”
Ava spotted his eyes looking her up and down. She wished she had worn a bra because her nipples had hardened from the slight chill of the hallway. They were poking in hard points against her shirt. She fixed on his face, and he averted his eyes to look at his shoes.
“Come in. I’ll take your coat.” Xander shrugged out of his coat and handed it to her as she opened the foyer closet. She hung his coat, and he followed her into the living area.
“Did you eat anything today?”
“I had some broth, crackers, and applesauce plus plenty to drink.”
“I’m happy you are feeling better. Does this mean you will be in the office tomorrow?”
“I think that I feel well enough to come to work.”
Xander had finished with court early and wanted to see Ava. He didn’t just want to see her; he needed to see her. He went to his apartment to change and texted her. She was hesitant at first to let him come, but she relented. Unbeknownst to Ava, he lived not far from her.
When he arrived at her apartment, she surprised him. He expected her to be in her pajamas, but she was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt. The ensemble suited her. The pants hugged her shapely derriere, hips, and thighs just right. The t-shirt was form-fitting, and he noticed that she wore no bra. Her nipples hardened when she let him in, and he had some hardening of his own from the sight of them. He had to look away and think of something else other than Ava before the bulge in his pants grew too much to hide. He followed her into her living room being careful not to look at her beautiful ass. He needed to control himself, but the thoughts of what he wanted to do to her kept invading his brain.
“I won’t be in the office tomorrow.” Xander’s phone rang. He slid it out of his back pocket and saw it was Abby. “Can you excuse me, I have to take this.” He moved over to the foyer, and he spoke in low tones. Ava heard pieces of the conversation. It sounded like Xander wanted her to ship his stuff to his apartment because their relationship was over.
When he returned to the couch, he had a grim look on his face. “Thank you for letting me come by to see how you were doing. I need to go.” Ava thought he would stay longer, but she understood. He was probably upset by the ending of his relationship. “Uh, I hope you will be discreet about what you just heard.”
She avoided eye contact. “Heard what?” She followed him to the foyer and got his coat out of the closet. He slung it over his arm, gave her a side hug and left her apartment. She watched him walk to the elevators then closed the door and locked it. She felt sorry for his situation. She still needed to speak to him about their kiss but now was not the time. It was only 7:30, but she was exhausted. She changed back into her pajamas and climbed into bed. But the dreamless sleep from the night before was not to be. Again she had the nightmare about the two men fighting with each other. She woke up in the wee hours of the morning bathed in sweat. Her pajamas were damp, and she needed a drink of water. After she had changed, she got back in bed but was restless for the remainder of the night.
Xander arrived home with a burning fire in him. He wasn’t upset at Abby for finalizing their breakup. He thought they had a chance to get back together, but he should have realized when she was unwilling to discuss her infidelity that it was over. He would have forgiven her if she just told him the truth. He knew that she had screwed her coworker, not just kissed him. She wouldn’t admit it, but he knew. Maybe he was delusional but up until a few weeks ago, she was the best thing that had happened to him. He thought that he would be more upset, but he was relieved.
The fire he had was for Ava. As he walked the several blocks home, he couldn’t get the sight of her hard nipples and round shapely ass out of his mind. By the time he arrived at his apartment, he was sporting a very large erection. Luckily his coat hid it, or he would have been quite embarrassed. He could have gone to Charlie’s to have his pick of several women to fuck, but he didn’t want that. He wanted Ava. After he stripped off his coat he made himself a scotch neat, slugged it down and tried to push thoughts of her out of his head. Nothing worked. His erection was almost painful he was so hard.
Instead, he went to his bathroom and stood over the toilet. He unzipped and unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down along with his boxers freeing his large cock. A bead of precum had slicked the head. He wrapped his hand around it and began to stroke, occasionally running his thumb over the head. His thoughts were of Ava, beautiful Ava. He wanted her so badly. When he came, he watched as his thick white cum slapped the surface of the water. He would repeat this scenario twice more, once in his bed and once more in the toilet. He wondered if he was becoming obsessed with her.
The next morning Ava felt much better as she sat up in bed. She checked her phone and saw Liam had sent her an email.
Ava,
How are you feeling? Justin emailed me and told me that Samantha had said you had the stomach flu. Why didn’t you tell me? I feel horrible that I gave that to you as a going away present. I feel much better, and I might go out to dinner with a few of the guys from the group I am teaching. I have told them that I am craving a good plate of fish and chips.
They said I should try the bangers and mash. I’m sure I will get to have both while I am here. BTW, I can’t text or talk on the phone. The HR department at Magellan was supposed to get me set up for international service but never did. I might have it by the weekend since they said they are working on it. Please email me. I will text you when I am up and running. I miss you.
Liam
Ava felt bad that Liam had found out that she was sick. She had every intention of telling him when he got back. She knew he would feel horrible about it, and he did. Thanks to Justin. She emailed him back.
Liam,
I am feeling much better. I had every intention of telling you when you were back in the US. I was wondering why you didn’t answer my text. It is probably out there somewhere over the Atlantic waiting for you to get service. I am going to work today after being out for a couple of days. Enjoy the fish and chips. I miss you more.
Ava
She got out of bed and went to take a quick shower. She decided to put her hair in a ponytail. She didn’t feel like styling it or using the blow dryer. She dressed and checked herself in bathroom’s full-length mirror. She looked good except for the circles under her eyes. As she was walking out the door, the lobby phone rang. She answered.
“Miss Keene, there is a man here waiting for you in the lobby.”
“I’m coming down now.” Who could that be?
She stepped out of the elevator and there was Xander looking sharp in a gray pinstriped suit, white shirt, and burgundy paisley print tie.
“What are you doing here?” Ava said.
“I have the car service and thought I would see if you wanted a ride to the office. I have to stop there before I leave for court.”
She was a bit taken aback that he would offer her a ride. “That is kind of you, but I usually take the train to the office.”
“I’m here now so why don’t you ride with me.”
Ava thought it weird that he would come all this way to give her a ride. She had no idea where he lived. But Jacob had mentioned that he lived near Central Park West, and this was out of his way. Ava hesitated but answered with a giggle, “Okay, I think it will be much nicer than the subway.”
Xander smiled widely and escorted her out to the car. He held open the door, and she slipped into the car seat and moved over. He slid next to he
r and noted how good she smelled. It was a cross between fresh linen and lavender. He watched as she folded her hands in her lap and looked out the window. She didn’t say anything to him and for once in his life, he was tongue tied. He wanted to tell her; he was falling hard for her, that he wanted her so badly he thought about it constantly. He wanted to hold her soft hand again but when she would be a willing participant rather than asleep. He wanted to do so much with her, to her; hell he didn’t even care if they did nothing as long as he could be with her.
Ava looked out the window watching the traffic into midtown. She felt awkward not saying anything to Xander, but she wasn’t sure what to say. She wanted to ask him about the kiss, but because the driver was in earshot, she chose to wait for a more appropriate and private moment. She desperately wanted an answer. He hadn’t brought it up, but she was sure that he had feelings for her despite his treatment of her as of late. Finally, she said something to him. “So the weather is nice isn’t it?” The weather is nice? That was the best you could come up with? She thought to herself.
“Yes, it’s really nice out. I hope the weather holds for this weekend because our soccer group has a game scheduled. Would you like to join us or are you busy?”
Ava felt out of sorts when she was around people she didn’t know, so she made an excuse. “I have a few things going on this weekend, but maybe I can join you another weekend.” This was a lie because she probably would never join him. But she didn’t want to make it seem like she was permanently turning down his invitation.
Ava went back to staring out the window, and Xander watched her. Her hair was pulled back in the ponytail, and his eyes followed her jaw line down to her beautiful swanlike neck. He would love to kiss her neck and below. He had to avert his eyes because his pants were starting to become uncomfortable with his growing erection. He read his emails instead until his erection subsided.
