Blown Away (3 page)

She looked him
in the eye. “Do you have a girlfriend? Is that why you don’t want
to go through with this?”

He laughed. “I
do now.”

Ava frowned.
“What do you mean?”

“Tonight is
just the beginning for us, Ava.”

***

Ava could
barely breathe. Was Brent for real? He was asking her for some kind
of commitment? They’d never even been on a date. Her mama would be
so ashamed. She chewed her lip. “Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe
we should just forget this ever happened.”

“Impossible,”
he said, flicking his tongue over the skin she’d pierced with her
teeth. “Stop doing that. You’re marking this luscious mouth.”

She always bit
her lip when she was nervous and she’d be damned if she stopped
just because he told her to. As though he sensed her withdrawal, he
crawled down her body and positioned his wide shoulders between her
knees.

If she couldn’t
breathe before, she was about ready to pass out then. “Brent…” Her
objections were lost on a long, low moan. Oh, Lord, she really was
a slave to her body. Every thought she had about controlling men
and premature commitments fled. The only thing that mattered was
the way he made her feel: sinful. It felt too good to stop…
ever.

“Incredible,”
he whispered.

Wasn’t that
supposed to be her line?
She didn’t tell Brent she was close
that time. She allowed her body to speak for her. Her hands
clenched in tight fists above her head, her legs trembled, her eyes
pinched shut, her heart hammered, and she couldn’t draw a breath.
Surely he knew what he was doing to her. She only prayed he kept
doing it.

“That’s it,
sweetness,” he whispered, kissing her thigh. “Let me have it. Now.”
Was he finally giving her permission? Whether he was or not, her
body responded almost immediately. Her cries filled the room as he
continued to stroke her to completion.

“Satisfied?” he
asked, looking amused.

He really was a
smug bastard, and so gorgeous it should be illegal. No wonder every
woman on campus wanted him.

“Getting
there.” His ego was already big enough. She wouldn’t contribute to
his arrogance by heaping on the praise he expected. He already knew
he was an incredible lover. Women had probably been telling him
that for the past decade.

Brent reached
into his pocket and withdrew protection. Of course he was prepared.
He’d probably come to the party expecting to take some woman home.
She’d made it easy for him. He didn’t even have to leave the
party.

Ava cringed
when she thought about what he would think of her tomorrow. Good
thing she wouldn’t have to worry about facing him. He was in the
last year of his M.B.A. program, and tomorrow marked the first day
of their summer vacation. Ava and Tara had big plans for the
summer: trekking across Europe. But she so wanted to take the
memory of one night with her fantasy guy with her.

He frowned when
he looked at her wrists. “Do you need me to take those off?” He
released the hook. “Shit, they left a mark. I’m sorry, baby. I
didn’t mean to hurt you.” His eyes held hers as he pressed a kiss
to the subtle abrasions.

“It’s okay. I’m
fine.” She was better than fine. She was practically vibrating with
anticipation.

He kissed her
tenderly and she wrapped her arms around his neck, grateful she
could finally touch him. Pulling back to look into her eyes, he
whispered, “You are so beautiful. God, I feel like I’ve been
waiting for this forever.”

Ava knew the
feeling. She’d expected his skill and intensity, but she hadn’t
expected his passion or possessiveness. He was unlike any man she’d
ever known, and she was suddenly grateful she would be thousands of
miles away from him for the next four months. If she stayed in
Nashville, Brent Armstrong could easily become her vice.

He guided his
shaft to her entrance before kissing her again, presumably to relax
her. “I need you to trust me. I’ll take good care of you. I
promise, sweetness.” She buried her face in his neck. When she felt
him inch inside of her, her body tensed. “Baby, I want to make you
feel so good, but you need to let me in. Do you think you can do
that?” He pressed his lips to her cheek.

“I want to.”
She dug her nails into his back. “But I’m scared.”

“It’s okay to
be scared,” he whispered. “You’ve waited a long time for this.” He
held her face. “So have I. Believe me.”

Ava couldn’t
take time to analyze his meaning. She’d already decided she didn’t
want to save herself any longer, and she wanted him to be her
first. It was time. “Make love to me, Brent.” She bit her lip when
she realized how he might perceive her words.

“I told you not
to do that,” he said, a smile teasing his lips. “Just relax,
sweetheart. We’ll take our time.”

True to his
word, he continued kissing her, distracting her from the pain,
until he filled her completely. She could tell by his strained
expression that remaining still, giving her a chance to adjust,
cost him, and she felt a sense of overwhelming relief. He meant
what he said. He wouldn’t hurt her.

“It’s okay,”
she whispered. “I’m okay.” She slid her mouth to his shoulder,
hoping she wouldn’t be compelled to sink her teeth into his flesh
when he picked up the pace.

But he didn’t
pick up his pace. He was slow and gentle, his eyes never leaving
hers as he gauged her reaction. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Tears sprang to
her eyes not because he was hurting her, but because she’d never
expected him to try so hard to avoid hurting her. “Fine.”

He stilled
suddenly. “Why are you crying?’

“I’m sorry,”
she sniffled, embarrassed. “I just didn’t expect to feel this way.
It’s intense, but in a good way.”

He smiled
before dropping a kiss on her lips. “I’m glad. It’s going to get
even better, you’ll see. God, Ava, I can’t wait to make love to you
the way I want to… no holds barred.”

She got thrill
bumps just thinking about that. Too bad she wouldn’t be around long
enough to enjoy an encore performance. She locked her ankles at his
waist, drawing him deeper as she encouraged him to pick up the
pace. She was more comfortable and less fearful, and she didn’t
want him to hold back anymore. She wanted the full experience, the
same one he treated those others girls to. No, she wanted more. She
wanted the best of him. At least for tonight.

When she got
her wish, Ava slipped into a trance as he kissed her neck. Her body
responded to his naturally, as though she’d been made for him.
“Yes…” She was close again. She’d heard it was difficult for some
women to orgasm during intercourse. Undoubtedly Brent’s skill was
taking her there. A wave of sadness washed over her as she wondered
if she would ever enjoy that experience again.

“Ahhhh…” He
threw his head back, his jaw clenched tightly. “Baby, you feel so
incredible.” He fixed her with those dark eyes. “You’re so perfect
for me.”

Those were the
last words Ava heard before she surrendered.

Brent scowled when he
opened his email and read his brother’s subject line:
The Girl
Who
Got Away.
He didn’t have time for Keith’s games. He
had a company to run and a hostile takeover to finalize.

He’d told his
board of directors the takeover wasn’t a personal decision. It was
strictly business, but those who knew Brent well knew he didn’t do
anything without a good reason. The company in question belonged to
the man their mother had left them for almost thirty years ago.
He’d been plotting the takeover for years, chipping away at the
company, undercutting them at every turn, buying up as much stock
as he could… He was already salivating over his impending victory.
The old man’s son had taken over the company a few years ago, but
that didn’t dull Brent’s sense of revenge. That son was Brent’s
half-brother. The son his mother had chosen to raise.

Brent rifled
through his business emails before curiosity got the better of him
and he opened Keith’s message. There was a link to a dating
website.
Must be a joke.
His brother had a twisted sense of
humor. Brent almost deleted it, but then his eyes scanned the name.
Ava. He read the subject line again.
The Girl Who Got Away.
Could it be her?

If his brother
was messing with him, Brent would have to kill him later. Or at
least rough him up. Keith, of all people, knew the lengths Brent
had gone to to find Ava. She was supposed to be in Europe for the
summer, but apparently she’d enjoyed it so much she decided to
stay. She finished her undergraduate degree in Germany. He hadn’t
seen or heard from her again. He rarely thought about her anymore.
Business commanded all of his focus and attention.

When he clicked
on the link and saw her face, his heart stuttered. She was even
more stunning than he remembered. Her long blond hair fell in soft
waves, blanketing her low-cut red sweater. Those big blue eyes, the
same eyes that still haunted him from time to time, beckoned to
him, as were the glossy full lips he could almost feel.

She was
supposed to be his. He’d made his intentions clear that night. When
he took her to bed, it was with the understanding he wasn’t letting
her go. His gut told him she was the one, but apparently her
instincts told her otherwise. She had deemed him the one thing he’d
never wanted to be: a regret.

Thinking about
how he’d felt waking up to an empty bed only an hour after she’d
fallen asleep in his arms still made him mad. The party had been in
full swing, but Ava was nowhere to be found. He cornered her best
friend and demanded answers. Tara hadn’t been very helpful. She
said her friend wasn’t feeling well and asked a sober girlfriend to
drive her home.

Brent had felt
powerless. He had no phone number, no address, and her best friend
refused to give up the information he demanded. Keith finally
talked him down when he started causing a scene by telling him he
could track down Ava in the morning. Except the next morning, Ava
boarded a plane to Europe, starting a whole new life without
him.

Brent printed
the page and threw open his door, striding past his assistant.
“Hold all my calls. I have to kill my brother.”

Amy rolled her
eyes before turning her attention back to her computer monitor.
“Again? What did he do this time?”

“He’s messing
with my personal life.”

“Such as it
is,” she muttered and tried to hide her smile when he glared at
her. “Maybe he’s just trying to help you
get
a life.”

“I have a life.
I’m out every night of the goddamn week, whether I want to be or
not.”

“Yeah, and
you’re always the life of the party, Armstrong.”

He didn’t
attend those parties to socialize. He didn’t have time for fun. He
had one goal: to go to sleep richer than he was when he woke up. If
the people he rubbed shoulders could help make that happen, he
spared them precious time.

His hand was
already on the doorknob to the outer office when Amy said, “Leslie
called. She wanted to confirm your date for the children’s charity
benefit tonight.”

Brent groaned.
He didn’t mind attending the event, but after three dates, Leslie
was already getting on his last nerve. She wrapped herself around
him like a barnacle at every event, and he despised her public
displays of affection. He wanted to be the one deciding when and
where he touched a woman. And his desire to touch Leslie lessened
every time he saw her. She’d propositioned him on their first date,
a serious turn-off. That made him question how many men had come
before him. He went for innocent women… ever since a sexy little
co-ed got under his skin. Which reminded him of his mission to kill
his brother.

“I’ll be back
in a minute,” he said over his shoulder. Keith’s office was right
across the hall, so he didn’t have far to go. He waved off his
brother’s assistant and stormed his inner office.

“Hey, come on
in, bro. Don’t bother knocking or anything.” Keith grinned as he
kicked his designer shoes up on his polished desk.

“I own the
goddamn building. I don’t have to knock.” Brent set the paper
bearing Ava’s picture on the desk before thrusting a finger at it.
“You care to explain this?”

Keith’s lips
twitched when he said, “So you do remember our friend Ava. I
thought you might.”

“A dating
service? What the hell is this about?”

Keith laced his
hands behind his head and tipped his chair back. “She owns some
upscale dating service here in Nashville. Caters to celebrities,
actors, musicians, successful professionals.”

“How long have
you known about this?”

“A couple of
months.”

The urge to
throttle him was great, but since they had a board meeting in half
an hour, Brent resisted the temptation. “And you’re just telling me
now?”

Keith lifted a
shoulder as he regarded his brother carefully. “You’ve been so
caught up in this Dunlop acquisition, I didn’t think you’d
care.”

Brent hadn’t
spoken about Ava in years. Not since her trail in Europe ran cold.
Admitting he was still interested in a woman who wanted nothing to
do with him was humiliating, especially when he usually had the
opposite problem. Ever since he’d started making the list of the
country’s wealthiest bachelors, gold diggers had lined with their
nets, hoping to be the one to snare him.

“I care,” he
said. He paced the large office with long strides, his designer
shoes tapping out an impatient rhythm. “What do you know about her?
Is she married? How did you find out she’s back in town? When did
she get back? Have you seen her?”

Keith laughed
as he held his hand up. “Relax. One question at a time. I ran into
her at a charity thing last month. She attends lots of these
events. Given her line of work, those are the people she socializes
with.”