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I don’t question it. I don’t need to. I’m carrying precious cargo.
It feels like the fastest journey ever. I relish every second of her clinging to me, and when the gates to The Manor appear, I feel resentment that the best ride of my life is coming to an end. But what about Ava? Did she enjoy it? Will she indulge me again?
“Off you get,” I order gently when we come to a stop, lifting my visor and looking back. She springs off, and I kick the stand down and swing my leg over, setting my helmet aside.
My hand goes through my waves, not to sort out my mussed-up hair, but because I’m nervous. I want her to like riding with me, because I need to experience that kind of new peace again. Tentatively, I lift her helmet from her head, and her face slowly appears. It’s expressionless, and my heart sinks. But then she grins, eyes sparkling, and dives into my arms, wrapping every limb around me, as if she already misses being stuck to me. I’m so fucking happy, I could cry.
“There’s that grin,” I say, reaching back to set her helmet on the seat of my bike so I can hold her with both hands. “Did you enjoy that?”
She pulls away, finding my eyes, and then she hits me with something I’m not expecting,orthat I’m prepared for. “I want one.”
What?No, wait, that wasn’t part of my plan. “Forget it,” I blurt without thought. “Not a fucking chance in hell.” I’ll be a nervous wreck, more than I am already. “Never, no way.” Good God, what was I thinking? “Only ever with me.”
She’s amused. I am not. “I loved it,” she declares, hauling me in, giving me a long, lingering, hot kiss. “Thank you.”
I hum, resigning myself to a new way of riding from here on in.Withleathers. And considering I’ll likely buy some to protect myself as well says something.She’s changing me. It makes me wonder if I could possibly like myself one day. Am I capable of that? She makes me want to be a better man, and even though there’s a huge black cloud hanging over my head, waiting to rain all over my parade—that’s the understatement of the century—it makes me hope. Maybe this fuck-up could finally find peace. Be happy.“You’re more than welcome, baby,” I whisper.
“Why are we here?”
“I’ve got a few things to sort out.” Annoyingly. “You can have something to eat while we’re here.” I’m being tactical, reducing the need to waste time eating when we get back to Lusso. I may as well use this time wisely. “Then I’m taking you home, lady.” I place her down and remove some strands of hair from her cheek.
“I’ve got nothing with me,” she says, as if that’s a problem. It isn’t. Ava just doesn’t know it yet.
I clear my throat and prepare for the backlash. “Sam’s here,” I tell her, taking the lead and pulling her along. “He brought some of your stuff from Kate’s.”
Surprisingly, I get no counter or challenge. It’s refreshing. Are we finally having a breakthrough?
As we enter The Manor, I feel my body tensing, the noise a good indication of how busy it is this evening. I knew it would be—Thursdays always are. My eyes are peeled as I walk with pace to my office, ignoring the looks coming at us from every person and every direction. The cat’s officially out of the bag. Yes, I’m seeing someone. Let’s not make a big deal of it.
“Good evening,” I mutter, my legs moving faster, keen to get us out of the spotlight. I don’t like the sea of frowns coming from the women, and I positivelyhatethe looks of interest on the male members’ faces. My hold of Ava’s hand tightens, my eyes narrowing, firing looks of warning far and wide.
“Jesse.”
I glance up and see John at my office door, his eyebrows high past the tops of his wraparounds.
I get Ava into my office, safe, away from the members of my manor. “Any problems?” I ask, forgetting myself for a second.
“Small issue in the communal room, now resolved,” he answers, clearly forgetting himself too. I throw him a look. “Someone got a bit excited,” he goes on, and then I see the second his brain catches up. John flicks a look to Ava as I stare at him, stunned, feeling Ava’s curious eyes on my profile.
“’S’all good,” he rumbles. I laugh on the inside. Is it? “I’ll be in the surveillance suite.” He slides out quickly, leaving me to face the impending interrogation alone. Think.
Think, think, think.
“What’s a communal room?”
Bollocks.
I grab the collar of her jacket and tug her into me, making fast work of removing her bag and attacking her mouth. “I like you in leather,” I breathe, removing her jacket. She’s mine in the blink of an eye and a crash of her hammering heart. “But I love you in lace.” I reach for the waist of her trousers and work the zipper fast. “Always in lace.”
“I thought you have work to do,” she pants in my face.
Work? Do I? I can hardly remember to breathe when I’m with her, so remembering anything else is impossible. I need an Ava fix. Something to keep me going until I can get her home. I lift her and carry her to my desk, and the delight in her eyes only spurs me on. I pull off her boots and dip, getting close. Her eyes are swimming with anticipation. I’m certain mine must be swimming with love. “It can wait.” Nothing is more important than she is. I wish she’d adopt the same theory where I’m concerned. Be all and end all.
I help her down to her back and take a moment to drink in the perfection of her spread across my desk. “You drive me crazy, lady.” My voice is hoarse. I’m trembling, my fingers struggling with the buttons of her blouse.
“You drivemecrazy.”
My palm meets her chest, and I inhale, the heat of her body penetrating me. I drivehercrazy? She’s here, spread on my desk, bowing her spine, pushing her flesh into my touch, egging me on. And I drivehercrazy?
