Page 35 of Secret Redemption

Chapter Fifteen

Ava was angry with herself for letting her emotions show with Zack earlier. It wasn’t his fault he felt as he did. As she had watched him interact with Riley at dinner, her heart had softened, and she had realised that perhaps for her son she could do this. She could marry Zack.

Her pride had been wounded, and perhaps the death of a dream had come in those words he had uttered, but she’d had her tears and her temper, and now she would take what she could for herself so that she could give it all to her boy.

She knew in her heart they would have a good life together and he was becoming a wonderful father. Sex as far as her memory served her was off the charts, and he was a good man. He may never love her the way she loved him, but she knew he cared and would be a good husband. She silenced the little part of her that screamed it wasn’t enough, that she needed that all-consuming die-for-you love from Zack that she felt for him.

That option had ended when she had become a mother, from the day they had put Riley in her arms he had become her number one priority, in fact, if she was honest it was from the first little flutter she had felt as her baby made his presence known.

It was time to grow up and suck-it-up-buttercup.

“Daddy book,” Riley said as he sat on the floor of the room he had slept in last night; Zack’s room. Riley had books and blocks spread out all around him.

She pulled her son to her lap as she sat on the floor, her legs crossed Indian style. She had changed into yoga pants and a white cotton vest top, her hair piled on her head. Riley liked to play at bath time, and she knew she would probably get soaked, but the thought caused a smile. God, she had missed him, and he had grown so much. She would never leave him like that again.

“You want daddy to read to you?” she asked her son.

“Daddy book,” he said more excitedly, and she laughed.

Well if her son wanted a story from his father then he would get one.

“Come on then,” she said hoisting him onto her hip, “let’s go find daddy.”

She walked down the huge stairs singing to Riley and jiggling him up and down. He let out a shriek of delight which made her laugh too.

Ava followed the curve at the bottom towards Zack’s office, knocking she waited until Zack shouted to come in.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he said back softly, and she noticed the tiredness and weariness in him.

“You okay?” She watched the now familiar way he rubbed his hand over his face.

“Yeah, I’m good. You?” Zack asked, and Ava knew he was asking if they were okay.

“I’m fine. In fact, this little guy was asking for a story from his daddy.”

Zack turned to Riley, holding out his arms to his son, who scrambled out of her arms to his father. “You want a story, son?” he asked as he smiled, turned, and walked back to the chair behind his desk.

Ava sat with her back to Zack and Riley and listened to the deep baritone of Zack’s voice as he read to their son and tried hard not to let it affect her. She clenched her legs together to ease the tingle that had zinged to her clit. Zack had always made her react this way, this warm burn that ignited when he was around. Ava was so immersed in his voice it took her a moment to realise Zack had gone quiet.

When she noticed the silence she stood and turned, Riley was sitting on his father’s knee scribbling on a piece of paper as Zack looked on indulgently.

Yes, she was making the right decision for her son, and at least she would get the mind-blowing sex. That would have to be enough. The thought of sex with Zack made her body burn and her nipples harden.

She needed to get out of there before she forgot their son was in the room and climbed his daddy like a tree.

“Time for your bath buddy!” she announced as she took Riley from his father but not before Zack dropped a kiss on his son’s head. Zack’s arm brushed across her tight nipples, and she knew he caught her sharp inhalation of breath as his eyes came to hers. His were dark and filled with heat; desire and dominance emanating from every pore.

Stepping back, Ava put some distance between them. When she got to the door she turned back, “Can we talk later after Riley has gone down?”

“Of course, come back here after he’s asleep. I have Kanan coming over. I have an idea I want to discuss with him about the situation going forward, and I would love your input. We can talk after the meeting if that’s alright with you?”

“That works,” she gave him a tentative smile as she left and wondered what Zack had planned.

It was funny, with everything that was going on, she should be worried for their safety, but she wasn’t. There wasn’t a man alive who she felt as secure with, except perhaps her father. The absolute certainty she felt that he would bring down the Watchers was rooted so deep it was as if it were already a given.

With that thought, she left to put her son to bed, something she had missed for the last few months.