Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
??MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
R owan was a natural.
He was born to be under the spotlight. To be the centre of attention.
As music played softly in the background, Rowan was posing in front of the camera, a beautiful smile plastered to his equally handsome face. Occasionally, he would let a joke slip out, be his cocky self, or sing loudly, causing the people in the room to chuckle with him.
But Ava couldn’t exactly ignore the few glances he would throw her way when he thought she wasn’t watching.
She couldn’t get rid of him. It was killing her that he invaded her thoughts night and day.
Those lips.
Those hands.
“You’re drooling,” a voice whispered in her ear.
Ava blinked and smacked Tate in the chest.
“I’m not,” she said in a harsh whisper before crossing her arms.
Tate hummed. “Okay.”
Come on, Rowan was standing under the bright lights of the studio, wearing nothing but Levi’s jeans that weren’t buttoned, hanging low on his hips. His inked chest was on display, the hard ridges of his abdomen contracted whilst two muscles formed a v-line, pointing towards an area she had thought of last night.
He ruffled his hair, his bicep flexing with the movement.
Rowan bore an ethereal physique, but it was his tattoos that had piqued her interest. Did they have a meaning? Or was he the impulsive type to get a tattoo whenever it pleased him?
Ava huffed under her breath and turned in another direction when the photographer asked Rowan to change position.
She walked towards the buffet where Tate was looking at the pastries with lazy eyes.
He then looked at her. Glanced back at the table. Lifted his gaze towards her again.
“What?” she snapped. “You’re being weird.”
“I’m not,” Tate argued before snatching a brownie.
“You are,” she retorted, grabbing a doughnut.
Ava narrowed her gaze on Tate, and he mirrored that look of incredulity before biting on his snack. He then turned around and sat on a chair before nudging his chin towards the purse she had set by his side. “What are you reading?”
“You read?”
“It’s not because I’m all muscles and a pretty smile that I don’t know how to read.”
Ava raised her brows. “Arrogant like your best friend, that, you are. It’s a romantasy. It’s good so far.”
He repeated the word, nodding. “Can I have a look?”
“Help yourself. I’m happy to lend you a few books if you’re interested in any.”
Tate’s smile was a thing of beauty. “Thanks.”
Her encounter with Tate at the club on Sunday night was as clear as day in Ava’s mind. She had been busy dancing with Eliott when he came up to her.
“Hey,” he said, tapping on her shoulder to grab her attention. “I’m heading back to the hotel. You should come with me.”
Ava snorted. “You’re cute but not my type.”
Tate wasn’t fazed by the comment. “I’d just like to walk you back. As friends. Or whatever. No biggie.”
When she peered behind her shoulder, she saw Eliott busy whispering in the ear of another girl from the marketing team, his hand splayed on her lower back.
“Where’s Rowan?” she asked the tall man. “You’re usually glued to his butt.”
“He left.”
Right. With that gorgeous blonde.Her chest was still aching at the thought.
Ava understood then. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Tate lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Maybe you do.”
“Is that what he told you?”
Tate grumbled and rubbed his face. “Look, I’m exhausted and I just want to sleep this long weekend off. But Rowan asked me to get you back to the hotel safely, so I’m not leaving without you.”
“Do you do everything Rowan asks you to do?”
“Mostly.”
“God, Tate.”
“Dude, I don’t know what’s the deal between you two, but if Rowan asks me to look after you, it’s for a reason. Besides, the way he’s acting with you? All those annoying demands, the incessant taunting and bickering? He doesn’t do that with other people. Ever.”
She frowned, too drunk to process the information. “Dude,” she emphasised. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“I know. I’m trying to understand, too.”
“Let’s take five.” The photographer’s voice boomed, snapping Ava out of her thoughts.
“Yes, please,” Rowan agreed, stretching. “Should I change into the next outfit?”
“Sure.”
When Rowan strolled towards the small changing room, he called out for her. “Avery, come in here for a sec. I need your opinion on something.”
She blinked, inhaling sharply when she felt her heartbeat speed up. With a nod, unable to voice her agreement, she walked towards the small room.
“Close the door,” Rowan asked, his back turned to her.
Leaning against the closed door, Ava needed to hold a semblance of control over herself, so she breathed out softly to calm her racing heart. She draped an arm across her stomach and bit into her doughnut.
“What do you think I should wear for the next round of pictures?” he asked. “I want to put one on my Instagram. Should I go shirtless again or go with that old-money look?”
As he pivoted to face her, he lifted a linen shirt and loose trousers.
“Depends,” she started. “What audience are you trying to reach? Men who admire you for that classy side you sometimes show, or groupies who will zoom in on your abs and save the photo to their camera roll?”
“Talking about you?” He smirked, his gaze trailing down her body. Leisurely. Headily.
“You wish.”
“Maybe I do.”
“You need to sort out your priorities.”
Rowan deposited his clothes on the sofa and sat on the edge of the table resting against the wall. His features hardened for a small moment, obliging her to look at the tick in his jaw and the bump in his cheek when he rolled his tongue over its interior.
When he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, a few lazy strands of hair toppled over his brows before he pushed them away.
“Is there something you want from me?” she asked.
His voice dropped to a lower octave, causing a shiver to rush down her spine. “There are a lot of things I want from you, Avery.”
Feigning innocence, she tilted her head before biting into her pastry, collecting a crumb from the corner of her mouth with her thumb. “Such as?”
A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes. “A secret for a secret?”
Ava managed to keep her smile from growing. “I’ll go first. Why did you ask Nikki to have me here today instead of her?”
He pushed himself off the table and slowly, so slowly like a motion at idling speed, he made the distance between them disappear. “Two things: I’d rather be in your irritating company than hers—”
“Charming,” she scoffed.
“—and there’s nothing she can do to keep me away from you. She can say all she wants to keep you away, but I’ll always find a way to break her rules.”
Her breath caught inside her throat when he planted his hand above her head, his cologne invading her senses. “You’re a fool.”
A darker shade of honey shifted in his gaze. “Maybe.”
The distance between them was barely existent. As her chest rose and fell, his bare torso nearly came in contact with hers. “You’re taking risks.”
And yet she was gravitating towards peril, not running away from this man who was set on ruining her.
“Baby, I race fast cars for a living. Taking risks and living for danger is my motivation. Trying to get your attention is nowhere near risky, and I think it’s worth it.”
She swallowed.
He watched her throat work up and down. Smirked, aware of the effect he was having on her. The destructive power he held over her.
“I’m distracting you,” she whispered.
“You’ve finally come to the realisation.”
“I don’t want—”
“Me? Liar.”
She glowered. “I don’t want you to lose your focus.”
When his fingertips came in contact with her cheek, she stilled and dropped the doughnut. She felt paralysed, spellbound under his burning caress as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’m touched by your worry.” He lifted her chin, gaping at her mouth. “Do you want to know what I want from you?”
She nodded automatically, a smug smirk appearing on his bewitching lips. When his nose grazed hers, her lashes fluttered.
“I want you to finish what you started in my room on Saturday.”
“Rowan,” she whispered, somehow surprised by this confession.
From the way he had kissed her, had touched her, it was evident he had enjoyed it. But she was still confused as to why he had left the club with another woman. Actually, Ava had rejected him—he had every right to act like this.
“I don’t chase after people,” he said. “But I can’t stand the fact that you’re avoiding me.”
“Do you not see where all of this is wrong?” she hissed. “We see each other every single day. We work together. Travel together. Things can get so complicated for both of us. You don’t want whatever this is to be reported to HR. You could get in so much trouble.”
He pecked her cheek, causing a certain weakness to rattle in her knees. “You are so cute when you’re concerned.”
“I’m not just concerned—” She stopped herself, inhaling deeply. “I’m trying to be rational. I could get fired, and your career could be jeopardised. God, what a shitshow it’d be if the press ever found out! Besides, it’s obvious you regret everything because you left the club with that blonde—”
“Do I sense jealousy?” He had the nerve to smirk, to push her buttons.
Perhaps. “Just stating what I saw.”
That cocky bastard was amused. “Thanks for the observation, love.”
“Rowan,” she breathed out, “I’m trying to make everything right.”
“Pushing me away is not the solution,” he murmured. “And for your info, I don’t regret it.”
“What?”
His lips started skimming her jaw, down her neck until they landed on her thudding pulse. Surprised, she gasped but tilted her head to give him access to her skin. She could feel his satisfied smile against her flesh. Could hear how his breathing was starting to stagger, too.
“I don’t regret the kiss,” he said hoarsely.
“You don’t?”
He kissed the spot below her ear and pressed his hips to hers. His rock-hard arousal was nearly enough to make her succumb to the temptation. But she wouldn’t let him win.
“And that other girl means nothing to me.”
But then, he cradled her jaw, obliging her to look into his heady eyes and that salacious gleam alighting his irises.
“I don’t regret kissing you back, sunflower. I would have taken you against that wall. I still want to rip your preppy clothes off and fuck you. I do. Not. Regret it.”
“This is such a bad idea.” She wanted to fight her thoughts, the misplaced desire she felt for him. Wanted to blink and wake up.
And as much as she was trying to convince herself this had been a mistake, he was intent on proving her it was everything but.
Everything could go wrong if they kissed again. But what if—
A knock resonated on the other side of the door. She startled slightly whilst Rowan dropped his head forward, grunting softly with unwavering frustration.
“Rowan?” It was the photographer. “You ready?”