Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
??LONDON, ENGLAND
T he pain au chocolat was still slightly warm when she bit into it, a hum full of satisfaction vibrating inside her chest at the sound of the crunch and the buttery taste touching her palate.
There was always a small table full of pastries, fruits, coffee, tea, and juices set in the hallway for the employees to grab before going into their offices. Ava’s guilty pleasure was a pain au chocolat, and she loved them even more when they were still fresh and crispy.
“Those are so bad for you.”
Immediate irritation flared through her system at the sound of Rowan’s low voice. Dabbing the side of her mouth, she peered at the door and watched him stroll inside her office without waiting for her permission to enter.
He took a seat opposite from her, leaning back in the leather chair as he let his lips curve into a smile. And just like that, he was the perfect portrait of indolence and arrogance.
“Good morning to you too, Rowan.”
He grinned. The set of dimples adorning each one of his cheeks was just another weapon in his arsenal, but she wasn’t fooled by his handsome smile. “Morning, love.”
Ava wiped her fingers on a napkin after depositing the pastry on a plate. “Don’t call me that.”
“My bad,” he said almost coyly. “Hi, Avery.”
Letting out a heavy exhale, she shook her head in a barely noticeable motion. “It’s nine in the morning and you’re already here to annoy the shit out of me. What do you want?”
“You’re a real delight,” Rowan commented sardonically, yet coldly.
She offered him a faux smile. “Thanks.”
A file she hadn’t noticed he’d been holding landed on her desk. Warily, she grabbed it and made sure he saw the glare full of incredulity she gave him. All she received in response was a blank expression.
“What’s this?”
Locking his fingers behind his head, he propped his feet atop the bureau and shrugged sheepishly. “Because I am a handsome, amazing, incredibly considerate man, I am saving you the burden of spending time with me. These are facts about me that you should know.”
“I’m sorry… What?”
A smirk drew itself upon his lips. “Apology accepted. Just take a look at those. I promise you’ll be thanking me.”
Daggers were shot at him through her glare, but he merely lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug again.
She despised how nonchalant he was.
“Are ten pages necessary for that?” Ava scoffed, taking the sheets of paper out. “You should’ve written an autobiography.”
He smiled broadly at the sound of her derisive tone. “I did consider it. But my guess was that you’d DNF it, so I summarised everything. But I’ll gladly tell you all about my life if you want.”
“Please don’t,” she mumbled as she plucked her glasses from the top of her head to place atop the bridge of her nose.
“That’s what I thought.”
She took a sip of her coffee and allowed a frown to settle on her features as she gaped at the page before her eyes. “You can’t be serious, Emerson.”
“I am. Super serious.”
“You’re mad, that’s what you are.”
1. List of vitamins and medicines I take
2. My allergies
3. Brands of water I hate(VERY important)
4. My coffee order (I only drink oat milk)
5. What not to forget when we travel (e.g. favourite pillow)
6. An insight into my super specific diet(I like a pecan pie on cheat days)
7. Snacks pre and post-race
8. Songs that hype me up & my fave movies(in case I feel blue and you need to comfort me)
Each bullet point was followed by a detailed explanation of the title. Rowan Emerson was not a simple man. He was eccentric. Arrogant to the point it was evident the whole world knew of his name. Complicated and mysterious in a way that strangely piqued Ava’s interest.
When she looked back into his hazel eyes, she fluttered her lashes, dramatically so. “Do you want me to study those pages so I can know everything about you?”
A dimple made another appearance on his cheek when he grinned smugly. “That’s the idea.”
She rolled her lips, causing his stare to drop to her mouth. “Not happening.”
“Well, you’re going to have to,” he argued. “I’m slowly running out of vitamins, by the way. I need them before we leave for Bahrain.”
The balls this man has!
Ava scoffed and put the papers aside. “No.”
“No?” he echoed with raised brows. Something flashed in his eyes—as though he loved challenging her.
“Do you want me to say it in French?” she snapped. “ Non . In Spanish? No .”
“Damn,” he muttered. “Trilingual queen?”
She sighed, already exasperated by his presence. She still couldn’t fathom why she was so bothered by his simple existence. “Can you please shut up?”
He laughed— laughed— and for some reason, his smile caused her irritation to spark, like angry fireworks exploding in her bubble. Perhaps because his smile was gorgeous. Perhaps because he was aware of his undeniable charm and his devastating looks—those intriguing tattoos, those piercings on his ear, that sharp jaw covered by a freshly shaven splatter of dark hair, and that intense scrutiny that could melt anyone’s heart.
“I’m not your assistant,” she clarified, tone clipped.
“Might as well be, love. We’ll be spending so much time together.” He winked. She huffed before pushing his feet off the table, eliciting a chuckle to rise from his throat. “Look at us already having fun. Becoming besties and all.”
Ava leaned back in her seat, propped her elbows atop the armrests, and rubbed her temples. She inhaled. Exhaled.
“Can you just—” She wanted him to leave so she could finish her pastry and drink her coffee in peace. But she also needed to start working with him before leaving for the pre-season testings and have everything settled down. “Just sit there and don’t say a word, please.”
“Alright.” Raking his fingers through his brown locks, he leaned back and spread his legs out, obliging her gaze to follow a route on his torso where a fleece jumper hugged his broad physique. “I will sit here and be pretty. I can do that.”
Diverting her gaze towards her computer, she ignored his chuckle when she acted like she wasn’t affected by his presence.“In silence would be great.”
“Nah. I like a good chit-chat. Tell me more about yourself. It’s crazy how we’ve been working together for, like, three seasons and know nothing about each other.”
“Stop being weird.” The fact that he was trying to talk to her settled an odd feeling inside her chest.
“How am I being weird?”
“I thought you didn’t like me.”
He huffed. “Well, I can’t exactly deny it.”
“So why are you trying to make conversation?”
The mischief shimmering in his eyes, the smirk pulling at his mouth, threatened to make her temper explode. “We’re going to be stuck together for months, if not years. Might as well have fun with it. We should call a truce.”
His remark was disregarded, but he didn’t seem vexed by her lack of interest. On the contrary, he seemed amused as another soft chuckle erupted.
“Is this the moment you take out your sketchbook and draw me like one of your French girls?”
“Rowan,” she hissed, trying to conceal the smile threatening to touch her lips. He was such a fool. One thing she had noticed was that he enjoyed making people smile and laugh, as though seeing his entourage grin was a personal reward. “We’re working now, okay? No more chit-chats about trying to get to know each other. That’s reserved for afternoon tea or something.”
“Avery,” he scoffed, feigning outrage. She saw him put a hand on his chest from the corner of her eye. “Are you asking me out? I would love to have a chat over a cup of tea. Does tomorrow work—”
She turned and scowled in his direction, which made him laugh again.
Lifting his hands in surrender, he shook his head. “Now’s actually the perfect moment to resign. I’m always going to taunt and annoy you, just so you know. Sophie’s office is right at the end of the corridor. Just a knock on the door, a heartfelt conversation with her, and you’re out of this nightmare.”
Ava narrowed her gaze on him, and he mirrored her action. “I’m not quitting. Sabotage me all you want, but I’m not letting you win.”
Slowly, pure bewilderment drew itself upon his expression, and that glint in his eyes made her heartbeat drum faster. “Feisty. I like that.”
Ava scoffed softly, diverting her gaze away. She couldn’t stand that look in his eyes. Couldn’t stand him , period. “Whatever.”
She started typing on her keyboard, opening the notes she had prepared for this meeting. She could feel him staring at her, studying her allure, analysing each one of her calculated movements. Ava felt like burning up under the intensity of it all.
“Don’t mind me,” he said then, tone softer. A frown touched her brows at the sound of that sudden delicacy. “If you want to finish your breakfast before we begin, go ahead. Don’t let my previous comment hold you back from enjoying yourself.”
“Didn’t you just say it was bad for my health?”
“Well, it is.”
He was right, but she wouldn’t let his words and judgment ruin her. “Food makes me happy,” she retorted proudly.
He hummed. “Good for you.”
She glanced at the pastry of which she had only taken a bite. “I’ll just eat it later.” He, too, was observing her plate, and she was slightly dazed by that strange look on his face. Ava did not like sharing her food, but for the most bizarre reason, she found herself asking,“Did you want some?”
“Nope. Strict diet.”
“Of course.” She focused her attention back on her computer, noting how his features had softened for a fraction of a second. “So. Media Day is next Thursday. They’ll most likely ask about your summer break. Some nosy reporters might point out those pictures of you totally unhinged, partying in Dubai.”
He snorted softly, gaze darting to the window behind her shoulder. “That was a fun party. Kind of blurry, but fun.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” She wasn’t one to care about any of the drivers on the grid, despite seeing all twenty of them more than she saw her own roommate, but she had seen a few pictures of Rowan partying during his break—dimpled smile, sparkling eyes, glasses of liquor in hands, women tucked under both arms. “I can’t control everything on the internet, but do I need to clean your public image one way or another?”
He shrugged. “No, it’s fine. I was on winter break, needed to get drunk and party. But I do expect you to have my back anytime I fuck up from now on.”
She arched a brow, not appreciating how he kept underestimating her. “Don’t worry about it. I’m good at what I do.”
For a moment, he stared at her in silence. Ava couldn’t read beyond his hardened expression and those eyes that reflected nothing but uncertainty. At last, the corner of his lips twitched upwards, and he shook his head in a slight motion, as if lost in his thoughts.
“So I’ve heard.” He stood up then. “I have a seat fit right now, but you have my number. Whatever you need me for, just shoot me a text.”
Ava leaned back in her seat, cupping her mug of coffee between her hands. “I’d rather not message you.”
“Glad we feel the same way about each other.”
She watched him wave in farewell and huffed behind the rim of her cup.
His tone was full of malice again as he sang, “Peace out. Don’t miss me too much.”
As if.
A sudden wave of realisation then hit her. “Wait.”
Rowan abruptly stopped and peered over from his shoulder, raising a brow in silent questioning.
She pointed towards the small sofa where his blazer laid. “Your jacket. Thank you, by the way.”
His gaze flickered towards the direction she was pointing at, and his shoulders sagged. Rowan took hold of his jacket, nodding stiffly. She could still smell the citrus enveloping her senses, could still feel the warmth of his large clothes on her.
“No problem.”
Ava held her breath and looked away from the man, waiting for the moment he’d finally leave to sigh in relief. But, when his silhouette halted, she couldn’t help but glance his way.
It was when he was at the door that their gazes collided again, a mischievous grin on his lips. “We’re going to have so much fun together, love.”