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She spins around in a circle, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waits for me to catch up and open the door.
“I never knew a bachelor pad could elicit this type of reaction from a woman.” I chuckle.
“Are you kidding me?!? This was built when? In the early twenties?” Her eyes are alight with excitement as I reach past her and open the front door.
She doesn’t wait for me and bolts inside, heading directly into the kitchen.
“Are these cabinets original?”
I shake my head. “I had them refurbished right before I moved in. I couldn’t bring myself to rip them out and put in new ones, but I upgraded the appliances and had granite countertops installed.”
As she flits around the kitchen, asking questions about different things I’ve changed, I imagine her cooking in front of the stove, a bright smile on her face the moment I enter the room. Our children giggling in the background as I scoop her in my arms and plant a soft kiss on her lips.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks nervously as the smile drops from her face.
Ava’s eyes widen as I step closer to her, crowding her body against the countertop. My hands grip the edge of the counter, caging her with my arms as I lean down slowly.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” I mumble before capturing her lips with mine once again.
She stands stock-still for a few moments before sliding her hands up my chest, and her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me against her.
“I’m never letting you go,” I growl as I nip and suck along the collar of her shirt.
She gives my chest a gentle push, and I take a step back. I should probably apologize for attacking her as soon as she stepped foot in my house, but I’m not sorry.
“Show me the rest of this amazing house, and then feed me.”
I flash her one of my panty-dropping smiles before heading toward the island in the center of the room and opening a drawer to pull out a handful of takeout menus. “So, what sounds good to you? Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, or Italian?”
She shakes her head, striding toward me and resting her elbows on the counter. My eyes scan her body, landing on her tits spilling out the top of her shirt before flicking right back to her eyes.
“I got the impression you were going to cook me dinner.”
“I’ve been home for a little over a day, and most of that time I spent with you. The choice is takeout or a can of beans that I believe has been there since I moved in.”
Ava giggles softly as she strides toward me and yanks the takeout menus out of my hand. “I guess traveling around the world and giving tours to tourists when you’re home doesn’t leave too much time for things like grocery shopping.”
“What can I say? I have very particular tastes.” I smirk at her before making my way around the island.
“And takeout from your local restaurant does it for you?”
“Right now, no. Now I’d much rather take a bite out of you.”
“If you’re not careful, I might start believing you really want to keep me,” Ava responds before looking back at the menus.
“How do you know I don’t?”
Her head snaps up, and our eyes lock. Ava stares at me for what seems like an eternity before smashing a menu against my chest.
“Thai food. You can order me whatever you want. I’m not picky, and I don’t have any allergies,” she whispers before heading out of the kitchen toward the front of the house.
“Way to go, arsehole,” I mumble to myself, pulling out my phone and placing the order.
I know I’m scaring the shit out of her, but I don’t know how to get a handle on all these feelings coursing through me. I want to shout from the rooftops that I’ve found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. When Rebecca died, I thought I was going to be alone. That love would never be in the cards for me. Most people never find true love for the first time. It would be insane to even fathom I’d find it a second time.
Ava doesn’t seem to hold my nomadic lifestyle against me, but she also has no idea that after selling my company and most of my assets, I don’t have to work another day in my life. All she knows is Callen, the man, and no one else.
Her voice brings me back to the present. “Are you going to show me around or what?”
