Chapter 43 Ava #2
Instead of death, I felt a dull thump as I fell in a heap in Desmond’s arms a few steps below.
I lay back for a second, trying to catch my breath while my heart pounded erratically against my chest. I was somewhere, midway on the stairs, and I was scared to open my eyes.
Desmond was holding me, and I wished I could just keep my eyes shut and forget about the world for a little bit. To just be happy in the darkness.
I felt him shaking me, calling my name repeatedly. That voice. It was a voice I wanted to get closer to. It was a voice that reminded me of cold chocolate ice cream on a hot night. Definitely a voice I wanted to sink into.
“Sweetheart.”
This time, the voice was urgent, and I forced myself to prop one eye open. Desmond was staring back at me with two wide, fearful eyes as he scanned my face. Eyes that shut tight in relief when I blinked at him. Now, I realized that the arms holding me were trembling.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded my head just a little. “I am. Unfortunately. I must say, if you were trying to kill me, darling, you’re doing a terrible job of it.”
“I don’t want you dead, sweetheart,” he muttered. “If you died, who’d tell me off for not being nice to the waitress?”
“I think you’re confusing yourself with Harvey. You would never be rude to a waitress.”
He grinned as a tear rolled down his cheek. “You fell, sweetheart,” he said. “You fell, and you want to compliment me?”
“Didn’t you break my fall? I thought I fell on something warm.”
“I might’ve. Tell me, are you hurt?” he asked, his face next to mine.
The world was silent, as it always was when Desmond was near me. I could only hear his breath, his words, and feel the rise and fall of his chest.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, trying to stand up but failing. “I’ll be careful. I promise.” I stretched my legs out in front of me. “See, I don’t even have a scratch on me. You can go back to being the brooding single Hulk.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“I’m mad at you because you quit your job. You didn’t have to do that.”
He was smiling and wincing at the same time. An odd expression indeed. “Yes, I did. I was happy to give it up actually.”
Perhaps I should get off him. But it felt so good. I savored one last moment of lying in his arms. I actually had a reason to be lying in his arms for the moment. No one would fault me, would they?
“Why? Why did you give it up?”
He looked at me, a small smile on his face. He traced a finger on my face and leaned in closer. “Do I really need to answer that?”
I felt my heart skip a beat. Whatever wounds I had could wait. Something strange was happening here.
“Yes, darling. I need to hear it.”
He leaned forward and placed his soft, warm, wet lips on mine.
He puckered and kissed. Drew away and then kissed some more.
And then, with no warning, he lifted his torso off by putting one hand on the ground, pulled me to his chest, and kissed me deeply, passionately.
Apparently, even though the rest of my body might be broken, my lips were working just fine, thank you very much.
My fingers were snaking through his hair as I kissed him back urgently, our chests never apart for more than a millimeter.
Kiss, kiss, and kiss some more. I thought it went on for more than a few minutes before we broke apart, breathing heavily, smiling.
I knew he was smiling because I tried kissing him one more time and got his teeth.
“Because I love you, Ava Hale. I can’t wait for six months to take you out on a date when I adore you more than I ever thought I could adore anyone.
You’re in my thoughts throughout my day, your presence next to me, guiding my actions even if you aren’t by my side.
Every moment, I’m probably going to be scared to death that I’ll lose you, that I’ll lose you to a crazy drunk driver late at night or to a madman like Kyle Whitby, but I can live with those fears if it means I’m lucky enough to be with you.
If you can tolerate me. I’m not going to give up on you like I did last time.
I’m never going to give up on us again if you give me another chance. ”
My chest expanded as I drew in the biggest breath ever. He must have seen the change in my expression—the happiness—because he pulled me to him, a smile growing on his lips.
“You should continue kissing me,” I murmured as I waited for him to resume.
Seriously, how much time did he need a breather for?
Instead, he put his arms around my back, held me tight, drawing me onto his chest.
“I should,” he agreed.
He was looking at me. Brown eyes, those incredible lips, and that roguish smile that just made me want to melt.
“You should just undress me right here and make passionate love to me. And then go announce to the world that you killed me to avenge the damage our relationship had done to your business. And move on with your life with someone else. I shall disappear to some cactus-ridden desert in New Mexico. I’d get a trailer and live there for years.
Decades perhaps. I have a strong constitution, unfortunately.
But I’d be happy. I’d have a tiny picture of you on the ceiling above my bed.
You’d be the first thing I saw every morning and the last thing I saw at night. ”
He laughed out loud. “You’d be happy with a picture of me?” he asked, looking down at me.
There. Right there. I saw adoration reflected right back at me. His eyes were filled with love, and there was no denying it.
I sat up too and looked at him. “That’s right,” I said before leaning forward. “Right after I’ve had a few kisses.”
I pulled him to me, his long torso and all, and kissed him. Our legs intertwined, hips clashed, and chests rubbed against each other as I kissed those lips.
Did the kiss say everything I wanted it to say? Did it tell him I loved him? That I’d always love him and that nothing he could do would make me change my mind?
I kissed him more urgently. I wasn’t good with words, and this kiss had to say it all …
“Don’t stop,” I murmured, putting my hand on the back of Desmond’s head while he …
Sigh.
He broke the kiss.
He wrapped his arms under my shoulders and was helping me stand up. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?” he asked. “I got distracted, sorry,” he said to me. “I should’ve asked you this earlier, but I got carried away.”
I looked up at him. This was the guy who’d broken my fall.
“Des,” I said, “it’s okay to be fearful of losing me.
It’s okay if your mind feeds you scary scenarios.
We can take precautions. Just like you made sure Brody is safe, there’s so much we can do to address the other fears.
But staying apart from each other cannot be an option anymore.
Staying apart from one another this past week has been the worst, and I don’t want to go through it again.
I don’t want to stay apart from you because I love you too. ”
His laughter sounded happier than I’d heard it in a long time.
“You’ve made me the happiest person alive, sweetheart,” he said, hugging me tight.
I wrapped my arms around his torso, putting my head to his chest and hearing his familiar heartbeat. “And you, me,” I said, lifting my head up to gaze at him.
The warmth in his eyes was a delight to see. We walked up the stairs slowly, hand in hand.
“Did you know I got a text from Ellie earlier?” I asked, reaching for my phone.
I hadn’t been able to stop myself from rereading it in the past few hours since I’d received it.
“Kyle Whitby was found and arrested for breaking and entering a Luxe Hotels property last night. He is facing further charges for battery of a security guard and embezzlement of a Luxe Hotels property a year ago,” I read out loud in a voice that sounded strange, even to my ears.
Desmond was still looking at me with that adoring, amused expression.
We’d finally gotten Kyle arrested. I was finally doing away with my guilt around the events that followed mom’s death. When I met Desmond’s eyes, the relief I felt was mirrored in his.
“Thank goodness for that,” he said, looking relieved as we stopped outside my door. “I don’t need to worry about you running into him anymore.”
I would certainly be looking over my shoulder a lot less now, for sure.
“What are you going to do now that you’ve quit?” I asked as I dug around in my handbag for my keys.
The corners of his lips twitched before he smiled fully. “I’m planning to invest in a health tech company, and to transition to a leadership role there soon.”
I smiled up at him. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for doing this for me. For taking the hit for our workplace relationship.”
He pressed his lips to my cheek. “I refuse to be held back by company rules about who I can or can’t date. So, it was no effort at all.”
I leaned up on my tiptoes to brush my lips against his. “So, you’ll hold hands with me in public whenever we’re out? And pick me up from work every night?”
He nodded. “Every night. Then, I’ll drive you home and make crazy, infatuated love to you.”
“After dinner?” I asked.
“Definitely after dinner, which I will not burn, char, or scorch to death when I attempt to cook for you. And I will repeat this silly routine for eternity or, of course, until I lose my driver’s license due to old age and such—in which case, I’ll still have someone drive me over to pick you up and then take you back home to make crazy love. ”
“You’d lose your driver’s license, but not your libido?”
He kissed me for a long minute before breaking off. “I’m never losing that with you.”
I grinned. “Someone is strangely confident about that, I see.”
He took the keys from my handbag and pushed the door open, pulling me in with him. “Maybe it’s time for a demo.”