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“Why didn’t you just tell me all of this instead of letting my mind race?”
“Why would I trouble you with that trivial shit?”
She eyes me, her bottom lip slipping between her teeth, looking thoughtful. I don’t like it. “So, you took part in the threesome and that was it?”
Reallydon’t like it. “Yes.”
“You’re lying to me,” she grates, trying to remove her hands from beneath mine.Oh, here we go.“That wasn’t it, was it?”
Why the hell does she want all the dirty little details? It’s maddening, and it won’t change a thing. I love her. I want to marry her. Coral means nothing.For fuck’s sake.“Not exactly, no.” I can’t look at her right now. Not with that disgust plastered all over her face. “Do we need to go on with this? She was under the wrong impression that I wanted more, I didn’t. End of.” I am in no position to be irate, and yet here I am. Irate.
“So youdidhave an affair with her?” she asks quietly.
Jesus Christ.“Yes.” Fuck me. If having sex with Coral while Mike wasn’t there and was unaware, then yes, I had an affair. I didn’t’ even consider that at the time, though, because, again... I didn’t care. Now? Oh, how I’d change so much. I growl, frustrated. “Okay, yes, I did, but it was just sex, nothing more.” To me, anyway. We fucked. I left, or I asked her to leave. “Now, let’s drop it.”
“You told me once that you’ve never wanted to fuck a woman more than once, she says quietly, her eyes darting across my chest briefly. “Only me.”
God love her, she sounds so disappointed. “I never said I didn’t have a woman more than once,” I reply gently, hating having to explain this. Hating bursting her bubble. “I said I’ve neverwanteda woman more than once. It was a means to an end, that’s all. She offered it on a plate.”
“So, you haven’t only fucked me more than once?”
I flinch, cringing, so fucking uncomfortable. How did we get here? “Ava, watch your mouth,” I say, if only to buy myself some time.
“No,” she snaps, startling me. “Not when we’re talking about you fucking other women.” Her nostrils flare, her jaw rolls. “You’ve not just fucked me more than once, have you?”
What is she trying to achieve, except severe annoyance on my part and hurt on hers? She’s like a dog with a fucking bone. “No, I’ve not, but you have to understand none of them meant anything to me. I used them, treated them like objects. I’m not proud, but that’s just the way it was. They would take me whatever way I came, Ava.”Drunk, heartless, emotionless, cold.“They all wanted more, but they certainly never expected it. Now, though, they’ve seen I can be a one-woman man.” I fucking hate myself right now. Everyone around me keeps harping on about my past being in my past, all facets of it. And here we have a perfect example that it doesn’t matter. It can still hurt Ava, and that’s what I want to avoid at all costs.Wantto. Don’t know if I can.
“She’s still in love with you,” Ava whispers, her voice trembling with her lip, her hands gripping mine hard. “She can’t have you. None of them can.”
My stress and irritation subside at the sight of her... fear. She’s scared of losing me. I can relate. It’s my greatest fear. “She can’t. I told her that.” Numerous times, and now I finally feel like it’s sinking in. “None of them can. It’s all about you.”
“I don’t want you helping Coral either. It’s unfair for you to expect me to be okay with that.”
Whoa. “Ava, I can’t turn my back on her.” She’s acting on impulse. She doesn’t mean that, surely? I’d expect coldness from Sarah, yes, but Ava? She’s not heartless.
“Okay, I’ll keep working for Mikael.”
I stare at her, aghast. If she ever tells me I’m unreasonable ever again...“You had better retract that statement.” What the hell is wrong with her?
“No.” Her look is pure defiance. She knows she’s being selfish. It doesn’t matter the circumstances, only that she’s acting with spite.
Fine, have it your way, Ava.It looks like this morning’s going to the dogs, anyway. “Three,” I say calmly, and she laughs without humor as I feel her muscles engaging, prompting me to lock down my hold.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she hisses.
“Two,” I continue, giving it to her, fierce, my holdandmy expression.
“No! You are not giving me the countdown on this.” She wriggles and squirms. “No way, Ward. You can take your zero and shove it up your fucking arse!”
“Mouth,” I bellow, manhandling her onto her front before she knocks either of us out with her flailing arms and legs. It’s not easy, her strength’s surprising, and I’m short of breath when I finally have her pinned on her front. “One,” I wheeze.
“Get lost,” she gasps back.Sostubborn. This is ridiculous. We’re at odds over something that is so fucking unimportant.
“Zero, baby.” I go straight for her weak spot and tickle the hell out of her, determined to get some lightness back.
“Jesse!” Her scream of my name is ear-piercing, could probably be heard as far as The Manor. I don’t stop. Not until she promises to drop her issue that isn’t really a fucking issue. I’m never seeing Coral again. Don’t need to.
“Okay,” she shrieks. “Okay, I’m sorry.” I ease off the pressure, watching her squished face in the sheets, her mouth open, gasping for air as she apologizes repeatedly.
