Blown Away (19 page)

“What are you
doing here?” she asked, praying she was strong enough to stand her
ground. She’d asked him for time, but he clearly didn’t intend to
respect her wishes.
Typical.
He wanted what he wanted when
he wanted it, and he wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. He
was the most egotistical, stubborn man she’d ever met. Yet she was
crazy about him, so what did that say about her?

“The better
question is what the hell are you doing out alone at this time of
night?” Brent asked.

She tugged
lightly on the pink, pearl and crystal studded leash. “Isn’t it
obvious? I’m taking my dog out.”

He looked
around the empty parking lot, scowling. “You can’t wander around a
dark parking lot at night. It isn’t safe.”

“And you can’t
tell me what to do.” She ran her key card over the access box and
reached for the door handle. “Now get lost.” Ava knew she was being
harsh, but she had to send a clear message. He couldn’t dictate to
her the way he barked orders at everyone else in his life.

He grabbed the
door, holding it open as she passed through. “Wait here,” he said
to his driver. “I’ll let you know whether I need a ride home.”

“He will,” Ava
said, unable to believe his audacity. Did he really think she was
ready to pick up where they’d left off before she met the beautiful
Jasmine?

“We’ll see
about that,” Brent muttered, ushering her inside.

Ava waved to
the security guard and tried to ignore Brent. It wasn’t easy with
him standing so close, looking so handsome, and smelling so
delicious
. Damn him.
“Did you have fun at the benefit?”

“No.” He
punched the button for the elevator as Oreo jumped up on him. His
scowl softened into a smile, and Ava’s heart thawed just a little.
Oreo didn’t like just anyone. She routinely made a fuss when Ava
brought a date home, but for some reason, she’d taken to Brent. Ava
wondered if it was true what they said about children and animals
having impeccable instincts about people.

She lost her
train of thought when he stunned her by admitting, “Jasmine was
there.”

Ava tugged on
Oreo’s leash to bring her back to her side and crossed her arms,
trying to pretend she was unaffected by his news. “You invited
her?”

“Don’t be
ridiculous. Of course I didn’t invite her.”

Ava didn’t
think it was so far-fetched. They obviously still had unresolved
issues. “Why was she there? And don’t tell me it was a
coincidence.” Ava knew she should pretend she didn’t care, but she
wasn’t in the mood to play games. She wanted to know exactly where
she stood with Brent.

“It wasn’t.” He
gestured for her to step off the elevator first. “She wanted to
talk to me. She didn’t feel good about where we left things this
afternoon.”

Ava remained
silent as long as she could, which was about thirty seconds, before
her curiosity got the best of her. “Where did you leave things this
afternoon?”

“Apparently
unresolved.” He followed Ava into her apartment and removed his
jacket and tie before tossing them over the back of an armchair.
When he turned back to face her, the first two buttons on his shirt
were undone, revealing a distracting amount of bronze skin.

“So, did you
resolve things?” Ava removed Oreo’s leash and the little dog ran to
her water bowl.

“I guess so.”
He settled into the sofa without waiting for an invitation. “I gave
her a ride home and we--”

Ava shook her
head as she held her hand up to silence him. “Wait a second. You
drove your ex-fiancée home? Why?” A little voice in her head told
her she didn’t have the right to ask, but she told it to shut the
hell up. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking
I wanted to put the whole Jasmine thing to rest once and for all.”
He patted the seat beside him and extended his hand. “Come here,
sweetheart.”

She didn’t
intend to settle into his arms and pretend he hadn’t been with the
dark-haired goddess less than an hour ago. “No, thanks.” She sat on
the edge of the chair across from him. She knew it was juvenile,
but she couldn’t let him think he had the upper hand.

Brent laced his
hands behind his head and toed his shoes off before kicking his
feet up on the upholstered ottoman. “We can do this the hard way,
or you can admit you missed me as much as I missed you
tonight.”

Ava crossed her
arms and glared at his relaxed pose. “Don’t get too comfortable.
You’re not staying.”

He grinned.
“Yes, I am.”

“No, you’re
not.” No matter how tempted she might be to let him.

“You’re mad at
me. I get that. I would be too if I found out you had an ex-fiancée
you didn’t tell me about.”

“It’s not just
a lie of omission, Brent. I asked you and you flat-out lied to me.
How am I supposed to trust you?”

His eyes
darkened as he set his feet on the floor and leaned forward,
bracing his elbows on his knees. “Don’t ever question whether you
can trust me. Jasmine’s a part of my past I’d rather forget. My
future is with you.”

She couldn’t
deny his words elicited a little flutter of excitement in her
stomach, but she wasn’t that easy. “What did you two talk
about?”

“You.”

“Excuse me?”
Ava already knew the other woman was after
her
man. She
shouldn’t be surprised Jasmine had been trash-talking her to try to
make up lost ground with Brent. “She’s cheated on you and she has
the nerve to start bad-mouthing me?”

Brent’s lips
twitched as though he was trying to suppress a smile. “She wasn’t
degrading you, baby. She was giving me some friendly advice.”

Ava wasn’t
convinced. She saw the way Jasmine looked at Brent. That woman had
an ulterior motive. “What kind of advice?”

“She told me
not to make the same mistakes with you I made with her. She said
the two of you were nothing alike and she didn’t think you’d put up
with my B.S.”

“She’s right
about that,” Ava said, crossing her arms. Oreo jumped up in her lap
and Ava stroked the dog’s silky coat, grateful for the distraction.
Ava didn’t want to admit Jasmine may have been trying to help them,
but it appeared her first impression may have been distorted by
shock and jealousy. “What else did she say?”

“She said a lot
of things. Things that make sense. She knows me well.”

Ava didn’t want
to hear that. Spite and resentment prompted her to suggest, “Maybe
you should try working things out with her.”

“You don’t mean
that.”

“Sure, I do.”
She set Oreo on the floor and crossed the room to the window. She
looked at the city skyline, barely visible in distance. “Maybe she
came back when she did for a reason. Maybe fate that brought her
here before you made the mistake of getting too involved with me.”
Her stomach clenched when she thought of handing Brent over to that
woman. Tracing a heart through the condensation on the window, she
said, “I believe everything happens for a reason. Jasmine must have
come back to town now, when we’re on the verge of--” She bit her
lip, unwilling to admit she was falling in love when so much still
hung in the balance.

Brent came up
behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I believe things
happen for a reason too, Ava. You came back into my life for a
reason, to help me figure out how to move on with my life and find
happiness.”

She tried to
remain stiff, but the allure of leaning into his strong arms was
too tempting. Resting her head on his chest, she said, “I want to
make this work, but I’m scared.”

“Scared of
what, sweetheart?” he asked, kissing her temple.

“You probably
have a dozen Jasmines in your past.”

Brent chuckled,
the movement reverberating through her. “No, I’ve only been engaged
once, I swear.”

“That’s not
what I mean and you know it.” She closed her eyes and a tear slid
down her cheek. She didn’t want him to see how vulnerable she was.
“I can only imagine how many women have been in love with you over
the years.” She watched cars stop at the traffic lights below and
wondered if her life would come to a screeching halt when he walked
out on her. Could she take that risk?

“Does that even
matter? We’re talking about you and me.”

Ava closed her
eyes and remembered when her day revolved around catching a glimpse
of him. She held her breath as she walked out of class, hoping he
would be waiting for her. “Even back in college, all of the girls
were trying to get your attention.”

“Only one woman
has ever had my undivided attention, Ava.” He flattened his palm
into her abdomen, pressing her back into his front. “You, only
you.” She wanted to believe that, but if she gave her heart to him,
she’d never get it back. Even if he decided he didn’t want it
anymore, he’d always have it. “You have to believe me,” he
whispered. “Please tell me you believe me.”

She turned in
his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. “I believe you.” Ava was
taking the biggest risk of her life, but a life without risk wasn’t
worth living.

“I love you,”
he said, kissing the tear tracks on her cheeks. “So much.”

Oreo danced
around their feet as though she sensed she was witnessing an
important moment.

“I love you
too.”

He held her
face. “You mean that? No doubts, no reservations?”

“None.” If she
was sure about one thing, it was her feelings for him. They left
her too raw and exposed to be anything less than the real
thing.

He kissed her,
filling the emptiness in her soul with the undeniable certainty
that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “Let me call my
driver,” he said, tearing his mouth away. “Assuming you want me to
stay?”

“I may keep you
here forever,” she said, gliding her tongue down his neck. “As my
sex slave.”

He threw his
head back and laughed. “Baby, I want that job.”

Brent propped the
pillow behind his head and watched Ava rush around getting ready
for work. He intended to get used to it. He didn’t care where they
started their day, his place or hers, as long as they were
together. “Why don’t you come back to bed?” he asked, licking his
lips when she dropped her towel.

“You’re
insatiable,” she laughed. “You kept me up half the night. I may
need a pot of coffee to get through the day.”

“I love that I
was the one who turned you into a caffeine addict,” he said,
winking. “Welcome to the dark side.”

She rolled her
eyes. “Don’t you have to get ready? Last time I checked, huge
corporations didn’t run themselves.”

Brent burrowed
deeper under the duvet. He was usually already on his way to the
office by that time. Shifting his focus and finding a little more
balance felt good, especially since he realized the time he spent
at work couldn’t compare to the time he spent with Ava. “I have to
leave town in a few hours.”

Ava poked her
head out of her walk-in closet, a pout on her pretty face. “Where
are you going?”

“Boston. I
should be back day after tomorrow. You want to come?”

“I can’t.” She
sighed. “I have my father’s birthday party tonight. I was going to
ask you to come, but I guess you can’t.”

Brent wanted to
go so he could get to know her family and give them the opportunity
to see how much he loved Ava, but he didn’t think he could get out
of the meetings. He’d invested in the start-up a year earlier, and
they required another round of financing to enlarge their
manufacturing facility so they could meet the demand for their
hand-made decadent treats. He’d already put them off once, and if
they didn’t expand soon, they would lose the contracts they needed
for the Christmas season.

“I wish I
could, baby.” At times like that, he wondered why he pushed so
hard. He could easily retire and do whatever he wanted for the rest
of his life, but without the daily challenges, he would be bored
out of his mind. “Raincheck?”

She smiled.
“Sure, he has a birthday every year. You have a standing
invitation.”

He loved that
she was thinking about the future, but he could tell she was
disappointed. “Text me the address. I’d like to send him a gift, at
least.”

“You don’t have
to do that.” She leaned over to kiss him.

“I want to.” He
grabbed the back of her thigh so she couldn’t escape.

He knew how
much Ava’s family meant to her. They would be an important part of
his life as well. If a token of his sincerity could pave the way,
he would gladly buy her father the best gift he could find. “What’s
your dad into?”

“The usual
stuff,” she said, peeling his hand off her leg with a smile. “He
likes to travel. Still loves martial arts, jogs almost every day,
and listens to country music.”

“I look forward
to seeing him again.” Brent watched with regret as she slipped into
a royal blue, sleeveless dress and strappy sandals. “Think he’ll
remember me?”

She looked at
him in the mirror as she placed diamond studs in her ears. “You’re
a hard man to forget, Armstrong.”

He laughed.
“I’m glad you thought so.”

“Do you need a
ride home or will you call your driver?”

His penthouse
was on the way to her office, and since he was going away for a few
days, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. “Can I
talk you into giving me a lift, gorgeous?”

She faced him
with one hand on her hip and a sassy smile lighting her blue eyes.
“You could, but it’ll cost you.”

“Oh yeah?” He
grinned right back, gratified to see her so happy and knowing he
had something to do with it. “Whatever the price, I’m pretty sure I
can pay it.”

***

Ava walked into
her office an hour later with a plan. She was convinced Eli needed
a woman with enough personality and feistiness to make him forget
he’d ever met his ex, and she knew just the woman for the job:
Tara
.
She’d never tried to set her best friend up with any
of their clients because it was risky. But he was Aiden’s friend
and teammate, and in her mind, that practically made him
family.