I had one arm banded around her breasts, the other cupping her, my finger still stroking her clit.
She whimpered as I strummed her, one final, rippling orgasm winding its way through her. She stilled, and her head fell to her chest.
I kissed the side of her neck. “Hi,” I whispered.
She laughed softly. “What the hell was that?”
“I have no idea. Pretty fucking awesome, though.”
“If that’s how you return a book, Hunter, take the whole shelf. I’ll add late fees if you want.”
I laughed and tenderly eased her away, laying her on the mattress and rubbing her legs. I kissed her lightly and met her eyes. “Can I stay awhile?”
She cupped my cheek.
“Yes.”
* * *
I opened the door, glancing behind me. Ava leaned on the counter, peering at me over the rim of her mug. She was sleepy, tousled, and sexy. Her hair was a mess, her neck was red, and there was more than one bite mark on her shoulder. I had noticed her teeth marks on my chest and neck earlier. Our coupling had been intense and addictive. I had kept her up most of the night. In fact, I was surprised she was standing. My lower back ached, and I needed a long hot shower before I started working to ease the dull throb. I wondered how she’d make it through the day.
We’d gotten up early, had coffee, and I was leaving to go home so she could get ready and go to work.
The temptation to ask her to stay home and come with me was strong, but I tamped it down. I had no clue where all these odd impulses were coming from, but they needed to stop.
“Have a good day, Little Dragon.”
She laughed, the sound husky and low. “I doubt it will compare to last night, but I’ll try.”
I winked and walked onto the back deck. I took the steps two at a time, landing on the damp grass and heading toward the forest.
“Hunter?”
I turned at the sound of Ava’s voice.
She was leaning on the doorframe, a smile tugging her lips.
“Yeah?”
“Remember 0611.”
I frowned. “What is that?”
She tapped the number lock on the door. “In case you need to return anything else. The code is 0611.”
A grin split my face. “Okay, I can do that.”
She waved and headed inside. I joined Cash waiting for me on the trail, wondering what the hell I was doing and, for the first time in a very long while, not really caring.
* * *
Ava
I was grateful for the pile of work on my desk. It kept me busy and my thoughts off Hunter. At least, most of the time. When I stretched to grab a file, my muscles protested a little. When I sat down, I felt a dull ache between my legs, a sure sign of his possession.
He’d been intense and passionate last night. When I opened the door, his expression reminded me of the day I met him—the banked fury in his eyes and his tense body language. But it hadn’t been anger driving him last night. It had been need. One that matched my own. As soon as he dragged me into his arms, everything settled in me, and my focus narrowed down to him. Us. The fire that his touch lit between us. I had never experienced anything even remotely similar to the passion he ignited in me. I had thought perhaps I was the only one who felt it, but given his sudden appearance last night and his actions, I knew he was feeling it as well.
What it meant, I had no idea. He wasn’t staying. He didn’t do long-term relationships. It would probably burn itself out soon enough. It had been a while for both of us, so it was probably fairly normal.
Except, the way Hunter made me feel didn’t seem normal.
A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts, and I lifted my head. Addi came in, smiling and carrying a cup of herbal tea. She sat across from me, looking at my desk.
“We have you snowed under, don’t we?”
I chuckled. “Lots of work.”
“We’re hiring you an assistant.”
“Pardon me?”
“You’re working too hard, Ava. You’re here all the time. Yesterday, you looked exhausted. Dad commented on it.” She smiled. “Pops advised me it would be for the best to get you help. No one knows how much work is involved behind the scenes to keep things running as well as he does.” She studied me. “You still look tired.”
I focused my gaze on the desk. I wasn’t sure how to tell her the reason I was tired had more to do with the sexy man from the bluff and his insatiable sexual appetite than my job. Still, the thought of some of the load being taken off my shoulders wasn’t unwelcome.
“You tell me what you need, Ava. Do you want an office assistant? Someone to do the filing and upkeep here? Run the paperwork around so you can concentrate on the overall planning?”