Chapter 13
ALEX
Alex’s heart wrenched as Ava strode away from him, sans rings…at least sans his rings. He slid his eyes sideways to glance over the railing at Ethan Parker’s smug mug. He’d like to dive over the railing and smack that smarmy smile right off his face.
His gut twisted as he thought of Ava charming the man. It wasn’t just Ethan–though his strong dislike of his so-called competitor made it ten times worse–but it was what Ethan represented. The haunting specter of losing her to another man made his skin prickle with unease.
He masked his jealousy with concern, but deep down, the terror of losing Ava was driving his every move.
He bit his lower lip, curling his fingers into fists in a desperate attempt to dismiss some of his frustration. He forced his eyes away from the tech trickster, searching the crowd for Vivian Reed.
He spotted her across the lobby, chatting with a few colleagues. Her taut expression suggested she hadn’t gotten what she wanted in the argument. She was still rattled. He may be able to use that to get some information from her.
After a final glance at Ethan Parker, he pushed himself to cross to the stairs leading down to the lobby closest to Vivian.
He tapped his fingers on the railing, his foot dangling over the front step. Someone knocked into him before they skirted around with a mumbled apology and continued down.
He swallowed hard. He was one of the richest men in the world, but most people still treated him like the geeky kid he’d been growing up.
Only people who already knew he had money gave him any measure of respect. Except Ava.
She’d treated him like he was special from the time they’d met. The corners of his lips turned up as he recalled going to a fraternity party in their senior year. Beautiful Ava had been fawned over by most of the frat boys.
She hadn’t given them a second look, spending much of her night with him since he hadn’t wanted to go to the party in the first place.
But when one of the jocks had knocked him to the ground, Ava, with one swift kick, had knocked him off his feet, then dumped the boy’s beer all over him. She followed it up with a poke of her pink-polished nail. “Don’t you ever touch my friend again.”
The crowd laughed at the frat boy’s takedown while Ava wrapped a caring arm around him and said, “Let’s get out of here. This party’s lame anyway.”
He’d grinned at her and nodded, happy to leave it behind, especially with her. He’d felt like a king walking out of that party arm-in-arm with her.
“You’re blocking the stairs, dude,” someone complained behind him.
He twisted, his features pinched as he stepped sideways.
The offended party’s eyes went wide. “Whoa, Alex Stone?”
Finally, someone recognized him.
“In the flesh,” he answered, flinging his arms out.
A few people tugged their cell phones free, snapping pictures. While he grinned at the crowd building around him, it was just more proof that his money and status were the only things that mattered to most people in this world.
Except Ava.
“Are you giving a talk?”
“Will you be available for questions?”
“Can we submit a resume for StoneCorp?”
The questions continued as his mind made a snap judgment. He couldn’t let Ava talk to that wolf. She could handle herself, but the idea of her smile directed his way turned his stomach.
It reminded him too much that he was already losing her to another man. He didn’t need to take the third seat.
He waves his hands in the air. “Sorry, folks, no time for questions. I have a very important engagement. Oh, but does anyone know where Jordan Haynes is?”
“IP session. Montclair Room.”
Alex shot a finger gun at the person who answered before he pushed through the crowd to the curved staircase leading to the main lobby below. Ava already spoke with Ethan, a grin on her pretty features.
He hated seeing her smiling at him. He didn’t deserve that smile. And neither did Chris Maxwell. He couldn’t do anything about that right now, but he could stop the idiot from buying her a drink at the bar.
He hurried down the stairs and crossed to them just as he offered her his arm.
“Sorry, Ethan, she’ll take a rain check on that drink,” he said as he grabbed her wrist before she could accept him.
“Are my eyes deceiving me or is this Alex Stone at the Frontiers Conference?” Ethan asked.
Alex pulled Ava closer to him, lifting his chin. “Your eyes are not deceiving you. It’s me.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy the talks. Maybe you’ll get some new ideas from them. But as I was telling the pretty lady, there’s nothing interesting this afternoon, so we were about to head to the bar for a drink…maybe more.”
He tightened his grip around Ava, his fingers pressing against her waist in a desperate attempt to keep her safe next to him. “No, no drink, definitely nothing more.”
The harsh laugh from Ethan reminded him of those frat boys all those years ago. “She’s already agreed to the drink. Buzz off, Stone. The lady’s not interested in you. She is, however, very interested in me.”
“No, she’s not. She just wanted a little information about that blow-up. But your price is too high.”
Ethan closed the gap between them, getting into Alex’s space. He’d normally back down, but he wanted to protect Ava, and it was making him bolder than he normally would be.
“You may have built a tech empire, but this lovely lady wouldn’t look twice at you.”
Alex lifted his chin, savoring his next words as he inched Ava tight to his side. “Think again, pal. Ava’s my wife.”
Ethan glanced at Ava before he tossed his head back and roared with laughter. “Oh, Stone, have you finally lost your mind? Did the genius start to manifest as insanity? You could never land a girl like this. Not even with the money.”
Ava dug into her bag. “He’s telling the truth. We’re married.”
To Alex’s delight, she shoved the rings back on her finger and wiggled them at him,
“Well, you must be bored with him if you slipped those off and came after me. Though I completely understand.”
“I wasn’t bored. I was after information. I wouldn’t look twice at you otherwise, and I would have slapped that ridiculously cocky grin off your face if you would have come on that strong.”
A shot of warmth coursed through him as Ava wrapped an arm around his waist.
Ethan wrinkled his nose. “Whatever.”
Alex puffed his chest as the man walked away. He’d won the battle, but the questioning gaze Ava gave him almost made him cringe. He motioned for them to leave the crowded lobby behind.
After a brief discussion, he convinced her they didn’t need Ethan Parker since he knew Jordan’s location. With his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, they wound their way toward the hall of conference rooms.
As she searched the digital screens for the right room, he dug his phone from his pocket, partially because he wanted to take a photo and partially to hide his burning cheeks from her after she’d complimented him.
He toggled into the camera, calling her name to get her attention. They posed for a selfie together before he sent it to her, then toggled into his social media app. After a few taps on the screen, he posted the picture, proof that he was at the Frontier Conference.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this,” Ava said as they waited for the session to let out.
His heart skipped a beat. Was she talking about his recent realization that he wanted her to be with him permanently? Could she see through him that easily? “I don’t know what you mean?”
An amused smile played on her doll-like lips as she eyed him. “I don’t know either, but there’s something different about you. You’re like…wound up or something.”
His heart pounded faster against his ribs, and he shoved his hands in his pockets with a shrug as he looked anywhere but at her. “Wound up? I’m not wound up. I’m just…we’re solving a mystery. So, that’s kind of…fun.”
She grinned at him. “What is going on with you, Ace?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t like you talking to the Tech Trickster.”
“He won’t trick me.” She slid her hands onto the lapels of his sports coat.
The motion threatened to make him redden again. He used the moment to propose his plan for some alone time with her. “What do you say about grabbing some dinner tonight after we talk to this guy?”
“Well, we do need to eat.”
He swallowed hard. “I mean…out on the town. Somewhere nice maybe?”
Before she could answer, the doors to the conference room opened and people spilled out. Ava searched the crowd for Jordan as he wrinkled his nose at the interruption.
“I don’t see him, do you?”
“Not yet.” He couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice.
Her fingers tightened around his hand as she rose onto her tiptoes to search through the throng of people.
Alex spotted his former employee emerging from the conference room, speaking with someone else. “There.”
“Oh, yeah. He grew a beard. He looks better with it.”
Alex frowned at the statement. “Ava, will you try not to ogle the target.”
“I’m not ogling, Ace. I’m just making an observation. Come on, let’s go talk to him.” She tugged him closer, snaking through the crowd toward him.
He rubbed at his chin, wondering if she’d prefer him in a beard. Maybe that would make all the difference. “Do you really like the beard?”
“On him, it looks better.” She cut her gaze to him for a brief second. “Don’t grow a beard, Ace.”
“Right,” he answered as they approached the man.
“Jordan?” Ava called as she closed the distance between them. “Jordan!”
He glanced up from his portfolio, searching the crowd for who called him.
Ava continued toward him. “Jordan,” she said again.
His eyebrows pinched as he stared at her before he shifted his gaze to Alex. His eyes went wide, and he swallowed hard.
Jordan twisted on his feet and raced away from them.
“He’s running,” Ava said as she whipped off her shoes and shoved them against his chest. “Hold these.”