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“It’s all about you. As it always will be.”
“Jesse”—she peeks down again—“what if I lose it, what if—”
“Ava, shut up,” I warn softly, brushing her hair back. “It’s insured and it’s a gift from me. If you don’t wear it, I’ll be crazy mad. Understand?”
She hesitates, looking unsure, but she softens, accepting, reaching for my chest and moving in, looking up at me. There it is again. Acceptance. I think it’s my most favorite look on Ava. I know it’s only a necklace, but she accepted it. Because I want her to. This moment feels somehow... significant.
“I really don’t know what to say.”
“You could say you love it,” I say. “You could say thank you.”You could say you’ll marry me. Have babies with me. Give me everything I never dared dreamed I could be blessed with.
“I do love it.” She smiles. “Thank you.”
“You are more than welcome, baby.” I accept her kiss. “It’s not as beautiful as you, though. Nothing is.” Now, wereallyhave to go before John kicks my arse and Sarah has a breakdown. “My work here is done.” Not quite, but for now. “Come on, you’ve made your god late.” I collect Ava and my keys, and turn off the music, opening the door for her and pulling her into the foyer, unable to stop myself from looking at her constantly, smiling, happy. Again, not because of how incredible she looks, but because she’s here. With me. On my arm.
We’re a couple.
I feel her watching me too, and I wonder what she’s thinking. It’s one of the first times in our relationship that I haven’t been worried about that. Her eyes sparkling as hard as that diamond around her neck, she rubs at my bottom lip with her thumb. “You’re crazy handsome,” she says softly, concentrating on her task of cleaning me up. “And all mine.”
Something is happening here, and I don’t know what. I already knew she loved me. But now, here, it’s different. I know The Manor is the last place she wants to be. I know she hasn’t been looking forward to this evening. But she’s doing it. For me. That’s love. Not just adoring but compromising. Maybe the truths I spoke last night have eased her. Reassured her. Even though we barely scraped the barrel of other things I need to render. “Just yours, baby.” I kiss her fingers, holding her hand tightly and getting us off the elevator when the doors open. I pull her into my side as we pass Clive, the old boy smiling as we go.
One day, I tell myself, I will share my story with Ava. I could do it now, tell her about Jake and Rosie, smile my way through some of the memories. Problem is, there’s no happy ever after for those stories. And I can’t tell her the beginning and not the end. But I don’t see my family. Don’t talk about my family. Don’t talk about anything pre-Ava, really. It’s only a matter of time before that fact starts spiking questions too.
33
John looks fuckingfurious when I pull up, but he somehow manages to find it in himself to give Ava the cheesiest smile I’ve ever seen grace his serious face. I laugh to myself. That smile wasn’t for Ava, it was for me. A message that I’m the soul focus of his bad mood.
I give him a playful—very real—snarl as I chuck him my keys, and he gives me a look to suggest I’m a dead man. But who’s going to kill me? Sarah or John?
“There you are!”
I flinch at the shrill voice of Sarah as I pull Ava along, feeling her hand stiffen in mine. Always does when Sarah’s around. I can’t hold it against her, especially now she knows Sarah’s and I have slept together. But I wish she’d disregard that and listen to me when I tell her there is and never will be anything between us. I suppose it would be helpful to give Ava context but—
Can’t do that.
Sarah skids to a stop and looks past me, her eyes going straight to Ava’s neck. If she could, she’d frown, but she can’t. She can, however, scowl, and she executes that without a problem or fault.
“I’m here now,” I say on a sigh, taking Ava into the bar to get her settled before I’m dragged away to deal with the battery crisis. “Here, sit.” I help her onto the stool and take one myself, searching out Mario across the bar, waving him over.
Something is thrust under my nose between me and Ava. “Can we just go through—”
“Sarah, give me a minute,” I say, ensuring Ava sees my attention is on her alone. Makes sure she knows Sarah means nothing beyond work. Yes, I care about the woman, but that’s simply an unfortunate disadvantage of guilt. “What would you like to drink?”
Ava’s gaze goes to the top shelf behind the bar where Mario, the dapper bastard, has appeared, looking chipper, eager to serve.
“I’ll have aMario Most Marvelous, please.”
“Yes,” Mario sings, delighted that someone loves his rocket fuel. Because that’s what it is. Highly flammable. Dangerous. I’ll be keeping an eye on her. “Mr. Ward?”
“Just a water, please, Mario.” I give Ava a quick kiss.
“Sloe gin, Mario.” Sarah may as well be on my fucking lap, and Ava pushing herself harder onto my lips, humming happily, is nothing short of pissing up my leg. “Jesse, I could really do with you in the office.”
“Sarah, please.” She’s like a fucking fly buzzing in my ear. I stand, at least showing the signs of my intention to leave, so perhaps she’ll shut the fuck up and let me finish what I’m doing. Or actually, let Ava finish whatshe’sdoing. Claiming me. I ask Ava if she’d like to come, if only to demonstrate who’s most important in this situation, and it isn’t Sarah or my manor.
“I’m good here,” she replies. “You go.”
I take my water as Mario sets it down and drop a kiss onto her forehead. “I’ll be quick.”
