41. Jet
Chapter 41
Jet
Six months later
“Your phone’s ringing, Son,” Dad shouts.
I hit the controls on the shower, not bothering to check if I’ve washed all the shampoo out. I grab a towel from the rack and sling it around my waist as I stalk out of the bathroom, through my dressing area, and over to the bedside table where I left my cell charging.
“You could call them back if you miss it,” Dad says from my bedroom doorway.
“It’s Ava’s ringtone,” I bark.
I look up into his eyes as I hit answer. They’re twinkling in amusement. He knows it’s Ava calling. He also knows I’ve paused meetings, held up traffic, and generally inconvenienced everyone around me without giving a shit, all so I never miss a single call of hers.
He winks and walks away.
“Hi.” Bright blue eyes fill the screen, the light behind her haloing her hair like a ring of rose gold around her. She’s got a wide grin.
“You’re beautiful.”
She laughs, her eyes raking over me. “And you’re naked and wet.”
“You could join me?” I arch a brow as I whip the towel from my waist and use it to rub my chest dry. I drop it onto the bed when I’ve finished.
She lowers her voice. “No phone sex right now. This is a serious call.”
“We can have serious sex,” I growl.
She snorts. The light is back in her eyes. We’ve spoken every day since she left, and each time she’s glowed brighter and brighter.
I’m so fucking proud of her.
“I was just calling to tell you something.”
My heart flies into my throat, but she continues speaking, not saying the words I’ve been longing to hear come from her lips for months. I’m ready to come home.
“I left you something.”
I drop onto the edge of the bed. “Here?”
She nods. “Yeah, at Rochwell. I knew you’d be there this weekend for your dad’s birthday. Did he have a good time?”
“You know he did. You and Liv called and sang to him from that river boat you were on. Now, where is it? ”
She laughs as I huff impatiently. “Go look under the step.”
I throw my workout shorts on, then stride from my room, making the journey to the old rear staircase as quickly as I can.
“You put this here before you left?” I ask as I jog down them and sit in my usual spot.
“I did,” she hums.
I curl my hand around the edge of the step below and yank it loose. The space beneath should be empty now that the toy plane is gone.
“I thought you’d appreciate it.” She bites her lower lip.
“Fuck, it’s your panties, isn’t it?”
“Just look inside.”
I lift the step. There’s a small box inside. I reach in and take it out, then prop my phone up so Ava can see me. I glance at her. The only person who has ever left me gifts, who ever knew about this hiding place before I showed it to Ava, was my mother.
“Open it,” she coaxes in a gentle voice, understanding flashing in her eyes.
I ease the lid off.
The tiny replica plane is inside. Fixed back together.
“Ava,” I rasp, my chest pulling tight.
“It needed fixing.”
I turn the plane between my fingers, overcome with nostalgia from the day I found it as a boy.
“Thank you,” I murmur .
“There’s more in there,” she says. I place the toy plane onto the step beside me and remove a layer of tissue paper.
The groan of appreciation in my chest is rich and full bodied as I lift out a glass filled with silk.
My dick twitches as I stare at the pink and gold encased inside. Waterlilies.
“Ava, have your lucky panties been underneath my father’s staircase since you left?” I growl.
She giggles as I hook the delicate fabric out with one finger; another deep rumble of approval vibrating my chest as a faint leftover scent of her perfume and arousal on the fabric reaches me.
“We’re using this glass the minute you come home,” I groan, lowering the panties back into it.
Her cheeks flush pink. “If you say so.”
“I say so.”
“There’s one more thing,” she breathes.
I peel back another layer of tissue paper at her instruction.
I grip the piece of card between my fingers. “Ava, why do I have an IOU for three million dollars?” I snap.
“I’ve not spent any of what you paid me.” She pouts. “You’re taking it back, even if I have to shove it down your throat.”
“Don’t be a—”
“Why? I thought you liked it.”
Her eyes are twinkling as I curse and shake my head, my palm throbbing with the need to assert control over her for her brattiness. Daily calls and phone sex have done little to take the edge off. She’s asked me so many times to fly over and see her. But we both know that she needed to do this alone.
Because once she comes home, I’m never letting her out of my sight again.
“Turn it over.” She smiles.
I twist the card and look at the words on the back.
Everything stops as I let out a sound between a growl and a groan.
I’m ready to recommence my brat duties. Bring me home, Jet. I love you, Ava x
Fuck yes.