Authors: Rose Harris
The smile he sent directly at her made her fear at his anger dissipate. It was as if he’d read her thoughts and she’d just admitted too much. “Yeah, well, I have a pretty girl sitting here, and I have to go. Later.”
With the closing of the cell phone, the room lapsed into silence; that was, of course, only until Ava couldn’t stand the quiet any longer and had to question Jace about the call.
“You’re going back to Nashville?” Of all the things that could have come out of her mouth, why did she have to always say the stupidest things? If she could have thumped herself on the forehead, she would have.
“Yeah, but I’ll be back whenever I’m needed. Why, are you going to miss me?”
The question should have been playful, but the want in his eyes was unmistakable. The thought of denying him anything was beyond Ava as she locked gazes with him.
The need to touch him was overwhelming, so placing a hand against his stubbly cheek seemed natural. Unfortunately, her wandering fingers stroked his face as if to memorize his features, tracing the line of his eyebrow and stroking the dimple in his right cheek. Then, as if her body was functioning separately from her brain, she ran a satiny smooth fingertip across the lips she could still feel against her body three years later. The flash in Jace’s eyes told her he felt the same way. Before she could do anything foolish like kiss him for the third time in a day, she jumped to her feet, separating herself both physically and mentally from him.
She took several steps away from the couch and struggled to form a sentence. “I, uh, yeah.” The temperature in the room seemed to be staggering, and Ava wanted to feel her naked body pressed up against Jace. The urge to throw herself at him increased when she glanced at his lap and saw an impressive erection waiting for the go-ahead. “I, uh, need to go to bed. I mean I have to get back to my homework.” She made it to the door before she realized this could be her final time to enjoy the feel of Jace’s strong, comforting arms around her in both lust and friendship.
Without thought to her sanity or future, Ava rushed back to Jace and threw herself into his arms. The initial press of their lips set off a fiery frenzy of passion; all the problems, secrets and fears they both hid were erased.
Ava had read about the kiss that changed a person. The one that made fireworks go off and the sun burst through rain clouds, but she’d never experienced it until this moment. Ava’s world tilted, flashes of light appeared within the darkness of her closed eyes, looking remarkably like fireworks.
Stubble that only seconds before had tickled her palm now sent feelings of aggressive need coursing through her over-sensitized body. When the pressure of his tongue probed the seam of her lips, her body reacted and opened to him.
When Jace’s talented tongue began to explore, Ava lost all sense of time and place. The fifteen-year-old girl getting her first kiss from a college sophomore reappeared, the nineteen-year-old virgin having her body stroked came back, but more importantly, the woman who only wanted the touch of this man surfaced.
He stroked the long black hair that cascaded down her back, his gentle touch reminding Ava of lightning, thunder and love. When he slipped his hand inside her pants and caressed her backside in his strong grasp, Ava threw caution to the wind and reached between their bodies to cup perfection.
The silk boxers that covered him added to the erotic thoughts that riveted her attention, and she slipped her hand inside the front flap. The heat from his pulsing cock caused Ava to pull her mouth from his so she could rain kisses down the front of his chest with a destination that would leave them both begging for more.
When Ava stopped just short of ecstasy, the moan of disappointment that escaped Jace was audible, but no more so than the cries of Ashlyn. With an apologetic glance, Ava rushed out to tend her daughter, leaving Jace with a hard-on.
The week flew by with Jace and Ava crossing paths only during the early evening. She would offer a simple invitation to dinner, and he would politely refuse. The longest conversation they’d had was about the roofers: when they would be finished and what Ava’s portion was. When he had explained it was his way of saying thanks for letting him hide out, she’d finally given in, albeit reluctantly. As he went down the hall to get his shaving bag out of the bathroom so he could finish packing, Jace overheard Ava in her room on the phone.
“Professor Randle, I really appreciate the opportunity, but I just can’t guarantee I’ll get off work the next two weeks to fulfill my in-class training.” The pain and anguish of refusing this opportunity was apparent to even Jace, and he didn’t even know what she was talking about. “Of course, if something changes before Sunday, I’ll let you know. Thank you again for thinking of me.” The silence that emitted from her bedroom caused Jace to assume she was off the phone. Stepping forward so he could question her about the unusual call, Jace hesitated when she continued talking.
“No I can’t go out tomorrow, I’m heading out of town to assist in finalizing some
paperwork
.” The giggle that escaped her lips had Jace’s stomach muscles tightening, and he had to relax his hand that clenched the door handle. “No, I’m not kidding, that’s what he said. He needed help finalizing some paperwork. I’ll be so happy to leave this job, and you’re assistance with the job interview in Nashville has me one step closer to ending my association with Lawson & Morris. All right, I will see you in class. Goodnight.” Jace heard the beep that signaled Ava had ended her call. He could walk in now or continue with his packing and ignore the feeling of panic that a professor, who was giving her extra attention, had apparently propositioned her.
The voice inside of his head told him
walk away
. Unfortunately, Jace wasn’t going to listen, and he barged into the only room of the house he had avoided his entire stay and admired the sight of Ava preparing for bed. The regal red camisole and tiny black sleep shorts were sexy in a way that made peek-a-boo lingerie pale in comparison. The scent of honeysuckle and sex that was Ava’s alone assaulted his senses, and he stopped, forgetting why he barged in her room.
The shock of seeing him rush into her bedroom momentarily left Ava speechless.
“What are you doing?”
“Did your professor just ask you out?” Jace tried to control the urge to lock Ava in a room with him for the next fifty years.
“No. Why were you listening to my phone call?”
“How could I not? It wasn’t like you were whispering. Why would you need to take two weeks off work for class? I thought all of your classes were scheduled around work. And I know I heard you turn down a date.”
“What you heard was me telling my professor I couldn’t go out with her and a couple of friends this Friday night because I have a work commitment, Mr. I-Need-To-Know-It-All.”
“Don’t start calling me names, Miss Prissy Pants, just because I’m concerned about your welfare. Professors should not be hanging out with their students,” Jace calmly replied after hearing the professor in question was female.
Ava looked shocked by his declaration. “I don’t think it was my welfare you were concerned about, probably just an overinflated ego. I mean really how could I be dating someone else after kissing you?”
Shoving his calloused hands into the front pockets of his loose jeans caused them to slide another inch lower and allowed Ava a glimpse of his abs. He watched her eyes lower, and when they dilated, he knew she was as affected as he was by their chemistry. “Look, I’m sorry for over-reacting, but I wasn’t eavesdropping, you had the door open. So are you going to tell me why you need two weeks off work?”
“You’re not going to forget you heard that, are you?” Jace shook his head, and Ava continued. “I have to do a two-week in-class demonstration to receive my final grade in my elementary school education class. My professor has a friend who offered me an opportunity at a school she has connections with. She got me an interview with them. The problem is it’s in Nashville, and I can’t commute back and forth for two weeks. Even if I could get out of work, I couldn’t afford the hotel bill for two weeks and daycare for Ashlyn. I hate to leave her for one night, much less for two entire weeks.” Ava seemed to rush her words before she lost her nerve to tell him her plans.
“You’re not going to be a lawyer?” Jace could barely hide his shock.
“No, I’m going to be a teacher.” A smile crossed her face, letting Jace know it was her dream job. Jace wanted her to share her secrets with him.
“And you have been offered an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, by completing your classroom training and making a good impression for a prospective employer all in the space of two weeks?”
“Yes, but…”
Jace cut off Ava’s protest when he took one step forward and said, “Have you forgotten I live in Nashville? You could always have asked to stay at my house. Actually, you don’t have to ask, I’m offering. You and Ashlyn can stay with me. I have plenty of room.”
“Even if I could come for two weeks, what would I do with Ashlyn while I was in class?”
“I have plenty of friends who have kids, and I’m sure they could hook you up with a babysitter. If you couldn’t find anyone, she could just stay with me.”
“Have you forgotten what’s going on in your life right now? If the media saw you with a child, they would assume the allegations are true, and they would think you’re every bad thing they’re saying. I can’t let you take that risk. I won’t put Ashlyn through the scrutiny of paparazzi.”
“Ava, calm down, I live in a gated community. You have to have clearance to get through the front guardhouse. I would never put Ashlyn in harm’s way. I thought you trusted me more than that.” Jace tried to hide the hurt from her low opinion of him.
“I do trust you. I just don’t trust the world. She means everything to me. She’s my life. But this is a moot point. I can’t get out of work for two weeks. I have things to take care of, your case being one of them.”
“I can demand you attend my press conference with me.”
“Get real, your attorney would be the one attending the press conference, not a lowly assistant, and since you have failed to tell him about it, you don’t want him there. Besides, I have already put in the leave for that Monday so I can get to Nashville for my interview and be back to get Ashlyn without my mom being suspicious.”
“Your mom doesn’t know about the interview?”
“No, without the classroom time, I don’t even know if I will be graduating next month.” Ava turned away, but not before Jace could see the need for her parents’ approval.
When he responded, “Why not?” she had no reason to hide the truth from him.
“I don’t know if I’ll have all my credits to graduate. I started out just trying to get ahead enough so when I had Ashlyn I wouldn’t be behind. Then with Mom, Lexi and Roxi’s help, it was easy to get back to my classes. I ended up being ahead of schedule even with the change of major, so I kept up the pace. Now I don’t know if I can get all my requirements to graduate. I need that in-classroom training. I want to surprise my parents with the announcement on their anniversary. I just hope the surprise is I will be graduating and not that I need to go to school another semester next year.”
****
Jace tried to take in the reality of the amount of hours and determination it had taken to complete all the necessary credits to graduate on time with a child and a job. Keeping up the grades to impress professors enough to go out on a limb for her made Jace become a little more in awe of Ava.
When Ava turned from him, Jace quickly closed the space between them. Sliding up behind her felt so natural, and he knew she leaned into him for support without conscious thought. When he smoothed the hair away from her shoulder, he fought the urge to put his lips on her exposed skin.
The barest brush of his fingertips against bare skin and they both shivered, forgetting all about school, their jobs and even Ashlyn. All he wanted was to be naked, sweaty and free in her arms. Fighting the need and want was getting harder the more they were together.
Jace turned her toward him so she could see him and only him as he told her how proud and impressed he was by her accomplishments and the obvious dedication she put into her education after becoming a parent.
He planned on questioning her about Ashlyn’s father, but Ava distracted him with her body. Sliding her arms up and around his shoulders, she pulled him so their every breath mingled. If he’d known complimenting her would get this response, he would have told her the first night.
Heated kisses caused Jace’s body to react in the most fundamental way, and he forgot what exactly he had wanted to ask her. With a final kiss goodnight and a promise to try to figure out a way to get to Nashville, Ava forced an aroused Jace out of her bedroom.
****
While sitting in the back seat of the airline shuttle van that would deliver Ava and Bob to the terminal in time for their seven o’clock flight, Ava broached the subject of her leave of absence.
“Bob, I have to talk to you about the next few weeks,” Ava started.
“As long as you’re not asking for time off, let’s talk,” Bob responded in his usual cocky manner.
“Actually it
is
about me taking time off. More specifically I need two weeks off, starting—”
“No,” Bob blurted, as if his word was law.
Used to his abrupt manner and unwavering opinion, Ava continued as if he had never spoken. “I have to be in Nashville for a school project and was just informed about it last night. I am willing to stay behind this weekend and catch up on any projects that need my immediate attention.”
Bob’s soured face turned, and Ava lost all hope this was going to turn out to be a productive discussion.
“If you think I’m going to give you up to an overpaid football player who makes babies and then leaves them, think again.”
Ava was shocked by his callous and rude comments; she definitely wasn’t prepared for the rest of his tirade.
“I’ve noticed your distracted behavior this week. I am aware he’s staying at your house with you, no doubt in your bed.”
Before the last words were even out of his mouth, Ava slapped his hollowed, arrogant, self-centered face. The impression of her hand glowed bright red immediately, and she demanded the driver pull over so she could get out.
“Don’t be stupid, Ava. You’re too smart to be one of his whores. He’s the type of man who loves the chase, and once he gets the catch, he leaves it for dead and goes after the next hot piece of ass.”
The stunned silence in the van was oppressive. When the driver finally pulled over in front of a Super Walmart, Ava got out. While the driver began to pull her bags from the back, she turned to face Bob for the final time.
“I want to tell you, thank you. If you were not such an asshole, I would feel bad about quitting. But now, after your true feelings have become clear, I know I would be cheating my daughter and me if I gave up the opportunity to follow my dreams. Contrary to your ignorant ideas, they have nothing to do with Jace. Kiss my ass, and if you even think for a moment about going to the press and bashing Jace, I will bring the long-awaited sexual harassment suit you have been flirting with for the last three years.
“I am not afraid of you, Bob. I sure as hell have more self-respect for my family and myself than to let some thirty-something hypocrite make inappropriate demands on my time, either personally or professionally. I hope you go to hell and it’s a long hot journey.”
With a final slam of the door on a stunned Bob with his swollen left cheek and open mouth, Ava ignored the congratulatory smile the driver sent her way and began her journey to the nearest place of shelter. The angry slashes of lightning that raced across the skies matched the war that was being fought within her: pride for standing up to her boss warred with the reality she was now a single mom with no job. She was a statistic.
The skies opened, rain pounded the asphalt and Ava rushed toward the entrance of the Walmart with angry tears running down her face. What a great way to end her professional career as a legal assistant, assaulting her boss and getting soaked during a thunderstorm.
What next?