by Pamela Ann
“He’s leaving tomorrow, and he wanted to see me before going back to the states. I don’t have any intention of being with another man. You just confuse me. One second, you’re acting like a mad, jealous man; then, in the blink of an eye, you’re aloof and distant, acting as if nothing’s happened between us.” She wiped a tear before continuing, “Though I don’t know if it’s relevant or not, Ash did ask if he could kiss and hold me one last time.”
Ash. Yeah, the bastard might as well have asked her if he could shag her for the last time. “And did you—did you say yes?”
“He never gave me the chance to respond. He said to think about it and give him my response after dessert.”
How convenient.
“Did you—did you want to do it?” I knew the risk of asking such a question, yet had to know even if it was somehow killing me inside to wait for her answer.
“It doesn’t matter.” She brushed it off as if to purposely taunt me.
It had worked like a charm.
“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered under my breath. “I see.” She was royally fucking with my head, and I was letting her do it. “So, if I tell you that I’ll go see Hilary tonight and do bloody knows what, I’m sure it wouldn’t matter to you, would it? Since none of it is pertinent any longer.”
“Go ahead. I don’t care. Now will you open the door?”
This infuriating woman never did the things I expected her to.
“You are not leaving me, Ava!” I almost screamed in her face, wanting to project how frustrated I was inside. I couldn’t fully explain or disclose what I was going through without sounding like I was desperate, though. I simply couldn’t let her see how she got to me. I just couldn’t. She was lethal to my health, to my life and welfare. “So answer me! Did you or did you not want to give in to your ex-husband’s farewell request?” My body shook with fear of her answer and from the anger that was running through my veins.
She looked away, staring at her exposed, smooth thighs. “No, not even for a second. I promised not to betray you, but even then, I just can’t keep betraying myself by letting him touch me when I keep wishing it was you. The past years have proven that.”
Relief coursed through my body. I felt like a balloon that just popped, releasing all the tension from my body as I strived to level my breathing. “Would you mind—would you come here? I just want to hold you.”
She seemed uncertain for a second before she gave a fragile nod.
Pushing the seat backwards to give enough room, I gently scooped up her body and situated her across my lap with her head against my shoulder. Relief still coursed through me as I closed my eyes. This conversation had almost made us both lose our minds and throw away this … whatever this was at the moment.
“I don’t want you to go, so please stop threatening me with it. If I come out harsh, it’s because I’m not accustomed to expressing myself like I used to. The times when I’m aloof, it’s mostly because I’m stressed out about something. If it’s not work, it’s you. I can’t always give in to this possessed need to always want you, Ava. You must understand the strain that I’m under. I know it’s not an excuse, but give me time to get used to it, and I’m sure I’ll learn how to manage these problems along the way.
“After last night, especially after last night, I don’t want to cause anymore hurt, so I’m sorry for inflicting more pain today. I felt like a madman, seeing only red after I saw he was touching you.” Fragments of my feelings started to come out, and I wasn’t sure where it was going to lead me. “You’re mine—my wife—and I don’t ever share what’s mine, most especially you. You should know that by now.”
“This is good enough—hearing you say these things is good enough to make me happy. If it’s not possible to love me again, your trust and loyalty is enough.” She gazed up at me, looking flushed with her reddened eyes, before taking my lips, kissing me with all of her heart. I kissed her in the same fevered fashion, but when her hand travelled below and started to rub my cock outside my trousers, I groaned in protest.
“I have a meeting that I can’t cancel, so there’s no time for this. Tonight, I promise, once I get you to bed, I’ll pleasure you until you succumb to sleep from it all.” I tried to stop her hand from aggravating my cock even more as I gave her chaste kisses, hoping she’d pay heed.
“I don’t want a bed. I need you now—inside me.” She moaned my name just as I felt her working through unbuttoning my trousers. I muttered her name when I heard the sound of the zipper being lowered and then felt the heat of her overeager hand stroking my length. “Please? I promise to be quick.”
Like I ever stood a chance. “It’s all yours, princess. Do as you wish.”
She wickedly grinned before she shifted her position, straddling me with her thighs on both sides of my hips. She lifted the ends of her dress, giving me a glimpse of her white, lacey underwear. She pushed the flimsy fabric to the side then slowly lowered herself on my shaft. We groaned in unison as the head of my cock disappeared into her famished cunt.
“I can’t believe you wore that to see your ex. God, I’ll gladly punish you tonight, just you wait,” I promised as I tried to push away the tortured thoughts of her and Ashton. “I’m going to make you suffer …” The words almost didn’t come out of my mouth because the wench was lost in her own world, riding my cock until she milked me to the very last drop.
She was bloody fantastic. Breathtakingly incredible.
This was the Ava I knew. Nothing would stop her from achieving whatever she wanted. Heavens, life was definitely much brighter with her in it.
Chapter 28
Reiss
“Mum and dad are both expecting us come Friday. We’ll be staying all weekend, so pack enough clothes, and please, a swimsuit is a must, unless you’d like to go without one.” I was on the phone with Ava because I somehow had managed to have overlooked something that had been planned months back.
My jovial tone went on a serious note, clearing my throat as I primed myself to tell her. “There’s another thing,” I started saying, pausing just to make sure she had a second or two to process what was to come next. “There’s this fundraiser, and I had seriously forgotten about it until Emily reminded me of it earlier this morning. I hope that’s all right with you?”
“Yeah,” her small voice came through. It was making me incredibly guilty.
The past two weeks had been brilliantly fantastic, and I was hoping this tiny error on my part wouldn’t change a thing between us.
“Are you going with someone; is that why you’re telling me about this?” She sounded rational, as if none of this was bothering her, which only made me frown a little more.
“Emily had previously put Hilary’s name in, and since all the formal invitations were sent out, it’s hard to change names at the last minute. You know how these things work—”
“I do. Of course I do.” She sighed before adding, “Are you coming home to change, or will you be changing at the office?”
“I’m coming home. Maybe we could share a small meal or something …” Anything, really, as long as she wasn’t royally mad at me.
“Yeah, I suppose that won’t be so bad. What time should I expect you?” she asked, just as I glanced at the time.
“In an hour.” I cleared my throat. “Expect me in an hour’s time.”
Staring at the hairpin that had a jewel that was closely similar to her eyes, my memory took me to the morning I had taken it out of her hair while she was sleeping. As always, we had ended up in bed right after we had arrived back from dinner, and in my haste, I had simply ripped her clothes off because I couldn’t wait any longer. She had looked peaceful with her dark her in a perfect imperfect disarray, framing her beautiful face. I was uncertain what had prompted me to take it, but something had me wanting to have a piece of her with me while at work.
It made me feel closer to her since she spent her days doing whatever she had planned. From yoga to scouting the perfect nursery, she h
ad managed to fill her time with all kinds of activities so she didn’t have to keep waiting for me to get home. I was ecstatic that she was having a lovely time. Although, at the same time, I was worried she was on her own.
When I had requested if she would be okay if I hired another driver for her convenience, she had immediately shut it down, leaving me somehow frustrated and frightened for her safety. It wasn’t just her that I was protecting now; she was carrying our little bundle, and I was this overprotective man who simply wanted them safe at all times.
“Ava …” I trailed off, wanting to say so much, yet I wasn’t sure how to even start.
“Yes, Reiss?”
I miss you … “I’ll see you in a bit, yeah?” I was a coward, and I knew it. I had this immense fear that, if I started telling her what was going on in my mind, she might change her mind and take flight. The first time had been tragic enough. If she did it to me again, I wouldn’t stop until she fully knew how furious I was with her.
After ending the call with a hasty goodbye, my hand clung on to her emblem.
Hilary had called earlier, stating that, if I didn’t want to take her, she totally understood because she knew my situation with Ava. I felt awful since I knew Hilary had gone through such lengths to prepare for tonight. I didn’t want to hurt Ava’s feelings, nor did I want to rebuff Hilary’s lengthy preparations for a night out. Besides, I knew tonight was important because I hadn’t been doing much else after work other than be with Ava, and deep down, I believed that, if I didn’t put a little space between us, things could get utterly complicated. However, I knew I had better ask Ava for that face to face so I could see her expressions and tell if she was lying to hurt me or not.
Approximately an hour later, I arrived at the house, finding Ava sprawled in front of the television, indulging in her odd fascination with reality TV. She had cute, bite-sized egg, ham, and fresh mozzarella with tomato and basil sandwiches. She also had petite, fresh-cut chips; mini fruit tarts; fresh crème; and blueberry scones with a freshly brewed pot of tea.
“Hello …” I greeted with a knock before I strode into the room, grinning at her engrossed face as she ate one of the sandwiches. The sauce oozed out of the sandwich, leaving her with a small peach colored smear next to her lip. “How’s your afternoon going?” I bent over to give her a peck before my thumb swiped the sauce off her face. Then, placing it in between my lips, I sucked the flavor from my thumb. “Tasty,” I murmured and saw her cheeks flush beautifully at me.
“Hi,” she greeted me with a smile before her concentration went back to the show.
Sitting next to her, I took my time as I poured myself a cup of tea before taking my shoes off and stretching out. She eagerly sought my warmth and placed her head on my chest.
“Most of these women have fake boobs. They look rather tacky on such a small frame,” she murmured much to herself before glancing at me. “Have you touched one? Does it feel rubbery like it appears to me?”
My brows rose up, a soft chuckle emanating from me. “Well, let’s see …” I pretended to recall the women I had been with as she patiently waited for me. “I do remember this one woman. She was gorgeous, but one could immediately tell that she wasn’t happy with her body. It was all she spoke about the entire night, and seeing that I was more inebriated than I cared for, I hadn’t minded when she kept on talking about how she wanted to enlarge this area, stretch that part. It was unfortunate, really, but yeah, her boobs weren’t rubbery per say. Although, I can’t fully agree they were soft, either. I suppose they were right between rubbery and soft”—I made a face—“if that makes sense at all.”
“Which do you prefer?” she asked curiously.
“Need you ask?” I pulled her towards me, leaving kisses on her neck before trailing them down to the valley of her cleavage. “I prefer these. Not just any boobs, but my wife’s breasts. They’re mighty glorious.”
She squealed as she protested, and told me I had better be on my best behavior.
When we separated, she told me, “I made blueberry scones. I remember you used to love them.” She took a napkin before carefully taking one from the small pile on the blue china. Handing it to me, she urged me to take a small bite.
The sweetness softly crumbled on my tongue, melting into a powdery goodness. “Delicious. Christ, how I love these,” I groaned as I took another bite before making another sound of enthusiasm. “So good …”
For a while, my attention was focused on the show as well, wondering how in the world these women survived acting and looking like they had come out of a drag show. The piled on make-up, larger than life breasts, ostentatious jewelry, claw-like nails, and the hideous hair … did any men find these monstrosities attractive?
Quietly, we both ate, enjoying each other’s company in comfortable silence. I knew I should start getting ready soon; however, I wasn’t completely inclined to leave her side just yet. I liked this—the comfortable silence, the companionship, the feeling of having Ava next to me. Was this how life was supposed to be with her—simple, uncomplicated, without much care for the rest of the world?
I actually found it truly relaxing because, with the high tension-filled environment of my everyday life, it was refreshing to come home to a home. Not just a house I stayed at to sleep, but a home where I could relax and share my time with someone who appreciated my presence without demanding anything, without having to explain how my day had gone, or whatever else women usually adored talking about—all the things Ava didn’t do. She was happy with how things were going, plain and simple.
“I’m going to shower.” I started to get up before placing a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for the food. As always, it was lovely.”
Once I reached my bedroom, I immediately went into the bathroom to turn on the shower jets. Leaving it to run to my preferred temperature, I went into my walk-in closet and started undressing. Right then, my phone rang with Hilary’s name flashing on the screen. Taking the call, I swiftly told her I should be there in an hour or so. Ending the call, I took a deep, stressful sigh.
Preparing for this event was an exhausting process that I wished I didn’t have to deal with, but this had already been pre-arranged months back, before Ava had come back into my life. Then there was the fact that, although there was no question that I liked being with Ava, a major part of me wanted space from being too close to her. I had meant to tell Ava as much, yet I somehow ended up not going through with it.
Earlier in the day, her father had actually called me, asking how Ava was doing and wondering if I had any idea when his daughter would eventually call him so they could build their relationship again. I was actually surprised that she hadn’t reached out to them yet. However, I understood—when she was truly ready, she’d go see her father.
He wasn’t a bad man, not really. I didn’t blame him for doing what he had to me, because he had believed he was protecting his daughter. I loathed him for being so intrusive, but I had ended up learning a lot of things from him. I had learned what it was like to really work hard to achieve something great, something remarkable that affected other people’s lives.
His occasional calls had initially brought out so much ferocity in me, but as time had worn on, I had realized his direct approach that usually came out harsh was actually constructive criticism. Never underestimate an opposition or a business threat, always pay heed to the small details because those were essential in intense negotiations. When millions and billions were on the line, people could get very creative with their not so honorable intentions. Those comments had been made to shape me up mentally, to keep challenging me to never get comfortable in whatever situation I was in.
In an odd, twisted fashion, I saw him as my mentor who had never given up on me. Even if I hadn’t been sure whether I possessed the potential to succeed, he had. He had been confident I would one day become successful, pouring money into funding my school and extra classes that were not school related, yet essential to understanding the globa
l business market. We had developed civility between each other through all of those dealings.
That was why, when he had showed up at my office unannounced, declaring I had better marry his daughter, I had been taken aback by his demand. Even though he had reasoned he didn’t want the child to be a bastard, or for his daughter to be a single mother, deep down, I had known he had really come to see that I was a decent, hardworking man who had no ill will towards Ava before or at present.
Not only did I have a lot to thank him for, the man had ears and spies all over the globe, unfortunately. Consequently, I best tread carefully.
Chapter 29
Reiss
I left the house without a peep from Ava. When I had come downstairs, ready to leave, she had still been in the same place I had left her almost an hour ago. She had simply given me a smile and told me to be safe and have a good time. It was great and all; however, her not showing any concern made me wonder if she cared much at all. The desired effect I had hoped to gain with this space from her seemed to have backfired, and I had no one to blame except myself.
After leaving the house, I headed straight to Hilary’s place in Fitzrovia. As expected, she didn’t spare any expense on her appearance. Before, I had been accustomed to having this sort of woman around me most of the time—a decade of women who had little to no depth at all—but after being with Ava for over two weeks, I felt like I had been under an illusion.
Although most were kind, good women, they didn’t engage in any conversations that were intriguing or comical. If not engaged in appearance, being famous and powerful, vacations, money, or any of the latest fashion trends, most of them would only nod and smile at will, yet would offer nothing in retort. I used to like being around that sort, but after being with Ava, I simply abhorred it. I supposed, sooner or later, men did have to grow up and, in a sense, grow some balls.
Half an hour after into the fundraiser benefitting cancer, I was managing to uphold fake smiles and interest in superficial conversations. All was going as per usual, until I found Charlotte Watson’s icy glare giving me the chill along with the ultimate blast from the past.
