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As soon as Sierra makes her exit, I wrap my arms around Ava. Her tightly curled hair rests just below my chin, and I bury my nose in the coconut scent.
Ava tightens her hold around my waist and cries, making the material of my shirt tear-stained at my chest.
I don’t care. Ava can wreck anything of mine, and I’d still love her.
I haven’t admitted as much out loud, but I do love Ava Wells, despite our age difference and my close relationship with Asher. Not to mention my professional relationship with Ava and my vow of never again getting involved with someone I’m protecting. Except Ava smashes through all my resistance, and here I am, in torment watching her upset by her friend’s hurtful words.
She starts pulling her face away from me but doesn’t break the contact between us. “I’m sorry, Brandon. Now you have make-up all over you.”
I shake my head at her words. “I couldn’t care less about this shirt. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Ava bites her lip and stares up at my mouth, breaking our eye contact. “Other than losing someone I considered a friend and business partner? I’m fine.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you didn’t lose a friend, Ava. For someone to treat you like that, they’re not a friend.”
She nods at my words and swipes a tear from her eye. “I guess you’re right. It just sucks. On top of not having my friend now, I have all this work ahead of me until I find someone to replace Sierra.”
I tuck back stray curls that fall forward as she’s speaking. Everything about Ava is soft, and I could hold her all day if that wouldn’t be a weird and creepy thing to do.
“I have no doubt you can handle whatever is thrown at you, Ava,” I say, tilting her chin up and placing a light peck on her lips.
“At least I have you,” Ava says, staring up into my eyes and caressing my cheek.
I so badly want her words to be true. This…thing between us is temporary, and I have to keep that in mind.
I’ve already crossed my own boundary by getting involved with a client again. This time, she’s my best friend’s kid sister, who is the sexiest woman to me, but it would tear my longest and closest friendship apart.
I’d hate myself if I were to cause Ava any more anguish than she’s already been through.
“You’ll always have me to protect you,” I say instead. My words are a truth I’d etch into my skin. I’d protect Ava Wells until my last dying breath.
Ava’s tears have dried, and the color has returned to her cheeks. She now looks like her normal gorgeous self.
“What’s on the agenda today?” I ask her. She needs a distraction after all she’s been through, and I’m just the man for the job.
Ava twists her lips in consternation before answering me. “Sierra and I were supposed to posts some reels today. I had some recipes I wanted to preview from the book. Why?”
“How about I help you?”
Ava lifts a brow at my suggestion. “Mr. Anti-social media wants to help me with content?”
I can’t hold back my smile. “Don’t make me take back my offer.”
Ava stares at me for a beat before her smile widens. “Okay, this will be fun, at least for me watching you struggle, old man.”
I slide my hands on her hips, backing us towards the breakfast nook. “That smart mouth of yours will get you in trouble.”
“Maybe I like being in trouble,” she says, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me until we’re both too weak to stand up.
It will be hours later until Ava and I emerge from her bedroom before anything is filmed and posted. I’ve had plenty of great sex over the years, but never has a woman pulled me in like Ava. I don’t know how we’ll end this tether between us.
The next several days consist of Ava and I spending all our time together. I’m assisting with food prep and “Instagram boyfriend duties” by setting up angles for Ava’s newest posts.
Though I complain, I delight in seeing Ava in her element and watching as the numbers grow with every post. Everyone is drawn to her. Some people just have that light about them, and it feels good knowing that I get to inhabit Ava’s orbit.
Since I’d begun taking on Ava’s protection, I’d neglected my own work. One snowy afternoon a few days after Sierra’s tirade, I resumed my usual duties while Ava worked on a blog post next to me on her sofa.
My eyes began glazing over as I’d reviewed various emails from potential clients looking to hire TSS for the past several hours. Deciding to take a break, I think about my uncle in the city who I haven’t heard from since our meet-up at Bazel. In that time, I’ve received two calls from my father, and I’ve sent the calls to voicemail.
