Age of Ava (Vested Interest - ABC Corp 4)

I nodded.

Ava yawned, and I nudged her. “I should go. You need to get to bed. Monday is going to come early.”

She smiled. “I have the day off. We all do. BAM and ABC stay closed on the Monday after our family barbecue.” Then she lowered her voice. “You can come back to mine if you want?”

The thought of being alone with her, being able to touch her sun-drenched skin, kiss her marshmallow-sweet mouth, and bury myself inside her was too much to resist.

“Take me home, Ava,” I whispered, nuzzling behind her ear. “Now.”

She shivered.

“Okay.”

Chapter 19

Ava

Tuesday, I hummed under my breath as I sat at my desk, going over my list of things to do. I studied the list then marked which ones I could hand off to Robert and which I needed to finish or, in a few cases, start. I didn’t want to overwhelm him his first week, but I was looking forward to having a couple fewer responsibilities on my plate.

It meant I could spend a little more time with Hunter.

He’d stayed at my place all day yesterday, leaving early this morning. We had coffee, then he kissed me until I was a shaking mess, stepped back with a wink, and called for Cash. I watched the two of them disappear into the trail, my fingers on my lips as if holding his kisses there.

We hadn’t done much on Monday except concentrate on each other. To my surprise, Hunter asked some questions about my family, making sure he had all the “clans,” as he called them, straight. He was fascinated by Ronan’s and Liam’s relationships with Evan and Lucy. Laughed hard when I told him about Grace and Jaxson’s beginning, and seemed confused by Addi and Brayden.

“I can’t imagine forming an attachment that early in life,” he admitted. “I can’t form one at this stage either,” he had muttered, staring into space.

I refused to let those words dampen my mood. He was forming an attachment. To me. To this place. I had seen a different side to Hunter on Sunday. More open and receptive. Relaxed. I had to figure out a way of allowing him to show that side more often.

A knock on my door brought me out of my musings, and I looked up to see Robert waiting. I smiled and beckoned him in.

He sat across from me, laptop open, notebook in hand.

“You ready to get started?”

He nodded. “Hit me.”

* * *

Later that day, I walked out of city hall, permits secured for an addition to the winery. Addi would be pleased, and we planned to break ground late in the fall and have it completed for the busy spring/summer season next year. The addition would increase business and be a great boon to our bottom line. I was so deep in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the truck beside my car or the handsome man leaning against it, watching me.

“Excuse me,” a voice I would recognize anywhere drawled. “I’m a little lost, and I was wondering if you could direct me?”

I looked up, meeting Hunter’s ice-blue gaze. Heat flickered in the depths of his stare, and I felt myself responding instantly.

“Hi,” I said, my voice breathless. “What are you doing here?”

He looped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “Waiting for you.”

His mouth covered mine, possessive and firm, his kiss sparking the flame that never completely went out for him. It was always just below the surface, hot and simmering, waiting to ignite.

Everything and everyone around us disappeared when we were this close. All I could see, hear, and feel was him.

Until a car honking brought me to my senses, and I stepped back, blinking. I touched my fingers to my lips, and Hunter cocked his head to the side.

“You do that every time.”

“What?”

“You sigh when I kiss you, and you touch your lips as if you still feel me there.” He grinned. “I like that.”

I shook my head to clear it and slapped his arm. “What are you doing here?” I asked again.

“I was in town getting some tarps, and I saw your SUV. I decided to wait for you.” He winked. “You okay with that, Little Dragon, or are you gonna pull some of your karate moves on me and accuse me of stalking you?”

“I’ll let it pass this time.”

“You got time for coffee?”

“Actually, I was going to head home.”

He frowned, glancing at his watch. “It’s four o’clock. You playing hooky?”

“No, my new associate, Robert, is handling things at the office, so I am not needed there.” I smiled widely. “He is pretty awesome already. I like him a lot.”

“Robert,” he repeated, narrowing his eyes. “Exactly how much do you like him, Ava?”

His voice was low, the tone off. He sounded…almost jealous. Hunter wasn’t the jealous sort.

Or was he?

“A lot,” I confessed. “We get along so well. And his smile. It’s so contagious. He’s going to be my favorite coworker. I can tell.”