Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
“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 hold and my 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. So stubborn. 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.
I stop torturing her and turn her over, swathing her and lowering my mouth. “Kiss me.”
She pounces like a lion, attacking me insatiably, her mind distracted, her grievance forgotten, just as I planned. But when her mouth gets firmer on mine and she bites at my lip and whips her tongue around my mouth, I realize it’s not forgotten. She’s marking her territory.
Me.
“Just you, Ava,” I affirm. “I love you.”
“Just me,” she says quietly, sounding unsure. Telling herself.
I pull back and smile mildly down at her. “Good girl. I’ve fucked you, and now I need to feed you.”
“Is Cathy coming in?”
“No, weekends are her own. Up you get.” I pull her to sitting and get up, picking up all the things I tossed on the floor and taking them to the dressing room, shoving them in the wardrobe and slipping on some lounge pants. I enter the bedroom and find Ava’s made no attempt to get up. In fact, she’s lying back down and looking quite smug about it. I eye her as I tie the string on the waist of my lounge pants, and her smile widens. “Are you going to lie there all day?” I ask as she blatantly admires me.
“You promised a lie in.”
Of which you’ve just wasted bellyaching over something irrelevant. I’m fast learning when to talk and when to keep my mouth shut. Happy wife, happy life. I wander over, and her eyes follow me to the end of the bed. She can’t restrain her grin. She’s asking for it, and I’ll happily give it to her. I grab her ankle and she yelps delightedly as I yank her down the bed to me, caging her in with my arms. “Tell me we’re friends.”
“We’re friends.”
“Tell me you love me.” I get temptingly close, nose to nose, breathing across her face.
Her smile is life. “I love you.”
“Tell me you’ll marry me.”
“I’ll marry you.”
“And I can’t wait.” I look at her lips, the draw strong. “Kiss me.” I groan as she locks our lips and wraps her limbs around me, clinging to my front as I stand up straight and meet her swirling tongue, carrying her to the bathroom and setting her down outside the shower. Or trying to. She’s not letting go willingly, so I help her along, smiling when she protests. “You brush your teeth, I’ll start breakfast.”
“Do I need to brush my teeth?”
Always reading between the lines. “No, I just thought that maybe you would like to.” I put her in front of the mirror and take in the sight of the couple before us. There’s no escaping it—they’re a really good-looking couple. I hold her eyes as I kiss her shoulder. Then smack her arse and leave, a shit-eating grin on my face. I collect my phone, get Ava’s from her purse, and take the stairs, collecting my laptop from my office on my way and taking it to the kitchen. I put Ava’s phone on charge, go to the fridge, have a few finger dips of my favorite stuff, and then settle at the island and open the lid of my laptop.
My fingers don’t even meet the keys, pausing when I hear Ava shriek in the distance. “What the hell?” I’m off my stool like a bullet, my heart clattering, and I fly back up the stairs three at a time and fall into the bedroom. I hear terribly strained breathing coming from the bathroom. “Ava?” I gasp, rushing that way. I find her on the chaise in the window, her head between her legs. Fucking hell, what’s happened? A dizzy spell? Why would she have a dizzy spell? I gasp to myself. Is she pregnant? “Ava, baby. What’s wrong?” I hurry over and collapse to my knees, rubbing at her legs, willing her to speak, tell me, but all I get is overwrought, labored breathing. Jesus, have I ever felt so scared? I shy away from that thought quickly. Yes, I have. Once before, and my life quickly fell apart. “Ava, God help me, what’s happened?” I can’t stand it a moment longer. My heart is about to break out of my chest and land on the bathroom floor. I encourage her face up and find toothpaste smeared around her mouth. “Please,” I beg, wary of the tears pouring. “Tell me.”