[AVA]The next morning arrives with my head not ready to give me a break.“Oh, God! What the hell was I thinking?”I have never been a graceful drinker, nor have I been the one who woke up with a smile on their face after the booze night. I don’t know how people do that. It must be some sort of supe
I shake my head, trying to get myself together when my head starts spinning a bit. I reach for my head and then grab the counter to steady myself.“Hey, are you okay?” He asks, and I so badly want to roll my eyes.“Do I look okay to you? You bastard!” I move away from the sink and head for the fridg
[BRIAN]I wrapped up my Thailand business trip in a total of two days instead of three.I can’t wait to see the surprise on Ava and Kian’s faces. Kian would probably just give me a wide-eyed and half-hearted hug (which I believe is a new trend among teenagers, not coming off too excited, that is), b
Turns out, Mark, John, and Remington only wanted to invite me to their grandsons’ weddings. Surprisingly, all three weddings are on the same day of the same month of the same year, and now they’re all fighting because they can’t convince their kids to change the dates and want me to pick the wedding
[AVA]The moment I step out of my office building, I cannot believe my eyes.Brian is waiting on the driveway, arms folded across his chest. His wonderful body leaned against his sleek black car.For a moment, I think, no, it’s not possible. Brian still has a few more days before he returns from his
I look around. Of course, there’s no one. It’s the same dim private cabin we’ve been to before. It even has soundproof walls. But knots tighten in my belly anyway, probably because I’m so stupidly excited.I look back at him. “Why?”“Don’t ask why, just do it.”I shrug, and get up, dragging my chair
[AVA]After we get back to Brian’s penthouse, we both are absolutely tired to even talk.As soon as we get to the bedroom, he kicks off his shoes, and changes into something comfortable. I do the same, and the moment we climb under the sheets, I snuggle up against him.It’s like this whenever we are
“Are you sure it’s a good idea? I mean…” I trail off, not wanting to say I’m still not ready to go public about us. I don’t know. Every time I bring it up, I feel guilty somehow, as if I’m doing something wrong, as if it’s not fair to him.“Ava,” he says, his voice soft, but stern. “We’ve talked abo
“Someone has been threatening Ava?” He stands up so fast it almost makes me dizzy. “Who the fuck would do that? And why? What did she do?”“Your guess is as good as mine,” I say, shaking my head and running a hand through my hair, already tired of this whole messed-up situation. “I don’t know why sh
[BRIAN]Brooke leads me to her apartment next door—apparently, that’s her name, as she told me before she allowed me to follow her.She opens the door and steps inside. But just as I take a step in, a big, fluffy thing barks and growls at me from inside.Alright. One thing about me: I’m not very con
[BRIAN]When I pull up at Ava’s old address, I have only one goal in mind.To find Max and get the hell out.Why? Because this place always gave me the creeps. Not only is it the most notorious part of the city, but it’s also slightly dangerous.When Dean and his family went bankrupt years ago, I di
He walks back to the couch, and for the first time, I notice a camera that’s already been set up.My stomach tightens.He grabs the camera stand with one hand and drags it closer to where I am. Adjusting the angle, he makes sure it focuses directly on me. Then he straightens, his gaze locking onto m
[AVA]I might have lost consciousness because the next time I open my eyes, the bright lights make me wince and squeeze them shut again.“Ah…” I whimper, only then realizing my ankle is badly bruised.“You’re awake.”A deep male voice rings in my ears, and I look up—only to find the same staff guy w
[AVA]Once Brian leaves, I sink back onto the couch, my fingers dialing Max’s number again.Maybe if he picks up, I can convince him to drop by on his own, and Brian wouldn’t have to go.But every call goes unanswered. And the more I try to convince myself it’s no big deal—that Max is just being him
I run my fingers through his wet hair. “Because I can’t stop thinking about what happens next. About who’s behind this. About how this doesn’t just affect me but everyone around me.”“You don’t have to figure everything out right this second, Ava.”“I know,” I whisper, but knowing and believing are
[AVA]I finally feel a little better—enough to let Brian freshen up after his long flight.He kisses me on the forehead and promises to join me soon.Maybe he knows that if I’m left alone, my mind will start spiraling again, drowning me in guilt. And once that happens, I won’t be able to focus on an
I unlock the door and pull the door open, only to find his familiar handsome face looking back at me.He’s dressed in a white shirt and blue denim jeans, and I don’t think he could look any better.I know, I know. I probably sound like some horny bitch, but I don’t care. It’s Brian. And being horny