14. Nick
Nick
The moment I step onto the stage, the room erupts into applause.
I’ve done this a hundred times before—speeches, interviews, press junkets—but tonight feels different.
Maybe it’s because Ava’s here. Or maybe it’s because I can’t stop thinking about the way she looked at me back at the penthouse, like she was trying to figure out if I was lying to her or not.
I never imagined the fallout from the Mia bullshit would include Ava not wanting to touch me again. I honestly had no idea how I was going to convince her I was telling the truth. I mean, if it was the other way around, I might not believe her.
But that’s a problem for later.
I scan the crowd as I start speaking, my words smooth, practiced.
But my eyes keep drifting back to her. She’s sitting at the booth, pen in hand, nodding along as she talks to someone.
She looks professional, composed, but I can see the slight tension in her shoulders.
She’s nervous. Hell, she should be nervous—this is her first big event with me—but I know she’ll pull it off.
I wrap up my speech, and the applause swells again, but I’m already making my way off the stage, weaving through the crowd to Ava. The person she’s interviewing—some guy in a suit who looks like he’s trying way too hard—leans in a little too close for my liking.
I reach the booth just as the guy laughs at something Ava says, his hand brushing hers on the table. My jaw tightens, but I keep my tone light as I step in. “Everything going okay here?”
Ava looks up, startled, but quickly recovers. “Yeah, we’re good. This is—uh—” She glances at the guy’s name tag. “Mr. Carter. He’s pitching an idea for the next product launch.”
Mr. Carter grins at me like he’s just won the lottery. “Nick Sullivan! Man, it’s an honor to meet you. Your work is?—”
“Thanks,” I cut him off, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice. “But Ava’s got a lot of people to talk to tonight. Let’s wrap this up.”
Ava frowns at me before smiling at the man.
“I need to check in with someone,” I say. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
By the time the conference is finally over, I’m exhausted. My feet ache from standing all day, my voice is hoarse from talking, and I want nothing more than some peace and quiet and a stiff drink. But as I glance over at Ava, I can tell she’s in worse shape than I am.
She’s sitting in the car beside me, her head resting against the window, her eyes closed. Her hair is a mess, her makeup is smudged, and she looks like she’s about to pass out. But despite all that, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“You okay?” I ask.
She opens her eyes, glancing at me. “Yeah. Just … tired. That was intense.”
I nod, reaching over to squeeze her hand. She doesn’t jerk away. “You did great. Seriously. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks. But I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from that.”
I laugh, pulling up to my building. “Come on. Let’s get you inside. We’ll order dinner. Drown our sorrows in my wet bar.”
We take the elevator up to the penthouse without speaking. I immediately order dinner from my favorite Italian place. Ava collapses onto the couch, kicking off her heels and letting out a long sigh.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired,” she says.
I grab a bottle of wine from the kitchen and pour us each a glass. “Here. This’ll help.”
She takes the glass, sipping it slowly. “Thanks.”
We sit in silence for a while. Ava’s eyes are closed, her breathing slow and even, but I can tell she’s still wired.
“So, what’s the plan for all those applications?”
She opens her eyes, sitting up a little straighter. “I’m going to organize them as soon as we get back. And then I’ll talk to Clive about next steps. I appreciate you thinking I can handle this, but I’m not convinced.”
I raise an eyebrow, setting my glass down. “Why do you need to talk to Clive? You don’t need his permission.”
She shakes her head. “Yes, I do. Sierra is the head of the developers. She should get to pick her team. And Clive knows more about salary packages and benefits. I can’t just make decisions without consulting them.”
I lean back, studying her. “Ava, you don’t need to defer to them. You’re more than capable of handling this on your own.”
She looks at me with a frown. “Nick, I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes. I’m just trying to do my job.”
I sigh. “Fine. But don’t sell yourself short. You’re smarter than both of them combined.”
She smiles, but it’s hesitant. “Thanks. But I still need to talk to them.”
I don’t argue. Instead, I grab the wine bottle and refill our glasses. “Whatever you say. But for now, let’s just relax. You’ve earned it.”
She nods, leaning back against the couch. “Yeah. Relaxing sounds good.”
“There was this one guy,” she says as she leans forward. “He had this crazy idea for an app that could predict traffic patterns based on weather data. It was insane, but it actually made sense.”
I smile, watching her. She’s so passionate, so full of life. It’s impossible not to be drawn to her.
“Sounds like someone we should keep an eye on,” I say. “Don’t want him going to the competitor.”
“Definitely. I’ll make sure to flag his application.”
The buzzer cuts through the quiet. “Dinner,” I say.
I get up to answer the door, leaving Ava on the couch with her wine. The delivery guy hands over the bags of food with a smile. I tip him generously before shutting the door. The aroma of garlic, basil, and tomato sauce fills the room as I bring the food to the coffee table.
Ava perks up, sitting forward. “God, that smells amazing. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”
“Dig in,” I say, unpacking the containers—spaghetti carbonara for her, a hearty lasagna for me, and a bag of fresh garlic bread. She wastes no time, twirling a forkful of pasta and popping it in her mouth.
Halfway through her meal, she leans back with a sigh, setting her plate down.
“I think I might actually survive this day,” she says, reaching for her wine glass.
“Feel better?”
“So much better.”
“Good.”
“I think I need a bath,” she says, standing up and stretching. “My whole body hurts.”
“I think there are some bubble bath things in my bathroom.”
She arches an eyebrow. “You have bubble bath?”
“I get gift baskets delivered all the time,” I explain. “The housekeeper stores them. Some are bath things.”
“Please tell me they aren’t Sierra’s leftovers.”
I can’t help but grin. “They are not. She has not been here in a very, very long time. And for the record, she will never be here again.”
“Fine, whatever.”
“Follow me.” I smile.
I lead her down the hall to the master bathroom, flipping on the lights.
The room is all marble and white tile, with a deep soaking tub that could fit two.
Not that I mention that. I open one of the cabinets and pull out a box of bath salts and a bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath, handing them to her.
“Here. Knock yourself out.”
“Thanks,” she says, setting them on the edge of the tub.
“There’s towels on the warmer. I’ll turn it on.”
“Thanks.”
I turn it on and then leave her alone. I pace the living room. She’s in my bathtub, naked. I see the bottle of wine and get an idea. I’ve seen movies. I know what women like.
I find some candles in the pantry and grab the lighter and the bottle of wine. I’m about to wow her.
I knock on the door.
“Yes?”
“Do you want a glass of wine?” I ask.
“Uh, sure.”
I open the door and freeze. She’s covered in bubbles up to her chin.
I walk in and pour her a glass of wine, setting it on the edge of the tub. Then I light the candles and turn off the lights.
She watches me without a word.
“Need some company?” I ask quietly.
“Nick …”
I stand next to the tub. “I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to. I just … want to be close to you.”
She hesitates but then nods. “Okay.”
I strip down quickly, joining her in the tub, sitting across from her. The water is hot, almost too hot, but it feels amazing against my sore muscles.
“Nick, what are we doing?”
I don’t answer right away. The truth is, I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t stay away from her.
“I don’t know,” I say finally, my voice rough. “But I don’t want to stop.”
She sits up and scoots close to me. I pull her closer. Our wet bodies collide together. The scent of lavender fills the air. Her breath hitches as I slide my hand up her back, fingertips tracing the curve of her spine.
“This is a terrible idea,” she whispers, but there’s no conviction in her voice. Her lips brush against my collarbone as she speaks.
“Maybe.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me, her eyes searching mine. The flicker of candlelight reflects in them, casting shadows across her face. She’s so damn beautiful it almost hurts to look at her.
Her mouth slams against mine once again. I pull her into my lap, her legs wrapping around me. Water sloshes over the side, but neither of us cares. Her hands are in my hair, pulling me closer. My fingers grip her waist, anchoring her to me.
Her nails dig into my shoulders as I trail kisses down her neck.
“My bed,” I murmur.
She slides off me. I help her out of the tub, both of us dripping water on the floor. I can’t resist her wet, naked body.
I shove Ava onto the bed, crawling over her and pinning her wrists above her head. She arches up against me, her breasts brushing against my chest as she struggles playfully.
"Nick," she breathes, her voice a husky whisper that sends shivers down my spine. "God, I want you so badly."
I capture her lips in a bruising kiss, swallowing her moan as I grind my hips against hers.
Breaking the kiss, I kiss a trail down her neck, biting and sucking at the sensitive skin. I want to mark her, to claim her as mine.
I release her wrists and reach between us to line myself up at her entrance.
I thrust deep inside her. The wet heat of her tightens around me, drawing a groan from my lips. It's almost too much.
I start to move with slow and deep thrusts that have her writhing and gasping. My hips snap against hers.
"Fuck," I growl, sinking my teeth into the curve of her shoulder. "You feel so fucking good."
"You're so deep," she pants, her nails raking down my back. "God, don't stop."
Like I could stop now if I tried. The way she squeezes around me, like she never wants to let me go … it's intoxicating. Addictive.
Picking up the pace, I bury myself balls deep with every thrust. The force of it rocks the bed, the headboard slamming against the wall.
"Yes!" Ava cries out.
Pleasure coils tighter and tighter in my gut as I chase my release.
My orgasm crashes through me. Every muscle in my body tightens as pleasure explodes behind my eyelids, radiating out to the tips of my toes and fingers.
Ava clenches around me, milking me for every last drop as I bury myself inside her one final time.
"Fuck, Ava," I groan, my voice hoarse from exertion. I collapse on top of her, careful not to crush her with my weight. My heart hammers against my ribs, threatening to burst out of my chest.
We lay tangled together for several long moments, our chests heaving as we struggle to catch our breath.
I nuzzle into the crook of her neck, inhaling the soft scent of lavender from the bath. Slowly, reluctantly, I ease myself out of her and roll onto my side next to her. She curls into me immediately, draping an arm over my waist.
I reach down and pull the blanket over us. I’m so damn tired and sated. She murmurs something unintelligible.
“Goodnight,” I whisper.