Exposé

35. Ava

35

Ava

A tremor ghosted through my fingertips, hovering above the keyboard.

I’d finished?

It's done?

I stared at the screen, scanning the words one last time—every line more damning than the next, every paragraph a sentence of life for the public.

Knock-knock, knock, knock-knock.

The signature rhythm made my pulse quicken, grounding me in the routine of the past two weeks.

I pushed back from the desk, standing from the chair that, for once, didn't squeak with each bit of movement like the seven others had.

Small mercies.

Reaching for the door, I exhaled before sliding the chain and twisting the lock. The door swung open and Nate stepped inside with a large black backpack slung over his shoulder.

"You're late."

"I thought I had a tail."

My stomach revolted, my pulse spiking into my temples. "And? Did you?"

"No." He shook his head and dropped the new bag on the bed. "I drove around for a bit and ditched the vehicle." He put his hand on my waist and kissed my cheek before pulling me into his arms with a groan. "Did you miss me?"

Butterflies swarmed in my belly, and heat flushed my cheeks. "Maybe."

He pressed a chaste kiss to my cheek again and stepped away, opening the bag stuffed to the brim. "Well, I brought us some goodies." He glanced toward the computer. "How close are you to finishing?"

I clamped my hands together, the warmth of him fleeting, and smiled. "I'm finished."

His eyes brightened, and a grin crossed his face. "Yeah?" His hands paused on the zipper.

A shaky breath hitched in my throat as I nodded, the weight of this finalizing moment pressing against my chest. Never before had I felt this raw, this exposed, with my work.

My fingers twitched, the phantom sensation of typing still lingering. This story wasn’t just words on a screen—it was a loaded gun, and if it misfired, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Oh my God.

What if I made a mistake?

"Do you want to read it?"

He sidestepped me and sat in the chair, his hand touching his side before sliding the laptop into his lap.

"Are you still hurting?" I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands tucked between my thighs.

"Just a few twinges now and then." A faint smirk played on his lips. "Nothing like when I had the infection."

My lips formed into a firm line, and he deflected back to the screen, scanning each line with an unreadable expression. His face remained impassive, his posture rigid, giving nothing away.

His jaw clenched.

A finger twitched.

What is he thinking?

Does he like it?

Do I need to start over?

Muscles in his forearm flexed with each movement, tension carving lines into his skin, making something deep inside me tighten. His brow arched. Every measured movement pulled me in with an unshakable force.

He chose me...

Not because he had to...

But because he wanted to...

For me...

Each day, the ice inside me cracked, thawing under the heat of his presence. The anger that had once gripped my chest loosened its hold, leaving something far more dangerous in its place—what I had felt for him before the truth shattered us.

What if tomorrow ended it all?

A misstep.

A shadow in the wrong place, and we'd be gone.

They had eyes everywhere, and walking into town was like stepping into an open grave.

We have no choice.

We're running out of time.

The words hovered on my lips, a confession that could change everything or mean nothing at all.

If I die tomorrow, will I regret not telling him?

If he dies...

My lungs squeezed tight, the answer wrapping around them like a suffocating burial shroud.

"Wow." Nate glanced up, our eyes locking. "This is perfect. You managed to shame them and expose them in one move." He gave an approving head nod. "Very impressive."

Heat crawled up my neck, an involuntary smile betraying me. "Am I missing anything?"

He put the laptop on the desk. The faintest scent of his cologne—something that fit him too well, wafted between us as his smirk deepened—his eyes flicking over my face. "You know I don’t mind being the unsung hero. But if you insist on making it official, I’d settle for a footnote. Something subtle." He waved his hands in the air like smoothing out a banner. " Special thanks to Nate Barlowe, the man who saved my ass."

I let out a low, sarcastic laugh, crossing my arms with a lopsided smile. "Oh, so now you're looking for recognition? What happened to thriving under pressure ?"

He tapped his fingers against the desk. "Thriving, surviving—" he shrugged, "same thing, right? Besides, I figure if I keep you alive long enough to publish this, I deserve at least a free drink out of the deal."

"Hmm. A drink and credit in the article? That’s pushing it."

"Tough negotiator." Nate let out a mock sigh, shaking his head. "Alright, fine. Just the drink. But I’m choosing the place."

I arched a brow. "So you’re assuming I’m saying yes?"

"Nope." He stood with a grin. "I know a sure thing when I see one."

Damn him.

He winked, and the heat in my cheeks grew into a fiery blaze. "I'll give you credit if you get us out of here alive."

The air around me thickened, pressing in like invisible hands squeezing my throat. My pulse slammed against my ribs, breath stuttering as my mind spiraled, each thought darker than the last.

Tomorrow, everything will unravel.

Tomorrow, we either escape or die.

My stomach clenched, nausea curling in the pit of my gut, my playful smirk crumbling into something fragile and raw. The edges of my vision blurred, my lungs pulling in sharp, useless gasps as the room seemed to close in.

Too tight.

Too loud.

Too much.

"Hey, hey, hey." Nate’s voice cut through the chaos, tethering me to reality. He stepped toward me, his brow furrowing. "What just happened?"

"I... We're going to—"

"You're thinking too much, Ava."

"How the hell am I supposed to stop?" The jagged words ripped from me without thought. "We're exposing everything. We both know they'll come for us. If we survive, I'm disappearing. Running . With you . And I barely even—" My breath choked off, my throat closing like a vice. My hands shook, my chest heaving, my body betraying me as panic swallowed me whole.

But what if I lost him before I ever really had him?

Nate let out a slow breath and pulled me into his firm arms. "You do know me."

I pressed my forehead against his shoulder. "I know Nate Reynolds, not Nate Barlowe."

He tilted his head, his breath warm against my ear, before his lips brushed through my hair. "They're one and the same." His arms tightened around me, his heartbeat steady beneath my palm.

"So you didn’t lie to me about your parents?"

His hand traced small circles against my back. "I told you—I never lied to you. Except that I wasn’t really a handyman, and my real job was to infiltrate your life and make it as miserable as possible."

I let out a sharp laugh. "Well, consider that mission accomplished."

"I tricked you and manipulated you for my mission, but I didn't come out unscathed. I tricked myself, too. I got too close to you." His thumb traced my spine. "The moment I started caring for you was the moment I failed my assignment." He tightened his hold on me, his voice low. "Now I have a new mission—to keep you safe, make sure you survive, and spend every second after proving that no one in this world will ever love you the way I do."

His forefinger brushed beneath my chin, a barely-there touch that sent a shiver racing down my spine. My breath hitched, the warmth of his skin branding mine, seeping deep into the places I’d kept locked away. His stubble, a little rougher than before, scraped against my jaw as he leaned in, his scent wrapping around me. A trace of mint lingered in the air between us.

He loves me.

The words detonated inside me, the impact rattling through my ribs, stealing the breath from my lungs.

He wanted me—wanted us —and the simplicity of it shredded through every carefully built wall I'd erected.

I'd spent my life sprinting from love, dodging it like a bullet meant to take me out. It had ruined my mother, gutted her, turned her into a ghost of herself.

She'd been powerless.

But with him, escape didn’t make sense.

The familiar pull to run, to self-destruct before someone else could, didn’t sink its claws into me. The air was different, charged, heavy with something I couldn’t name.

Nate was the only thing that felt real.

The irony tasted sharp on my tongue.

Was that why he felt inevitable?

Maybe that was why, despite every instinct screaming at me to disappear...

I wanted to stay.

"I—" I swallowed, the urge to utter those three words held in my throat.

"You don't have to—"

"I love you too, Nate."

The tightness in his jaw eased—a grin pulling slow at the corners of his mouth, sending a heatwave through me. His fingers tangled in my hair as he pulled me closer, his possessive grip, firm. Our lips crashed together in a demanding force as though he'd branded his name onto my soul.

I leaned into him, our kiss drawing a twisted desire in my lower stomach, driving me wild with need.

Will this be our last time together?

Nate brushed his thumb over the crease in my brow as he pulled away. "Stop thinking."

"Help me." I breathed out the words, my hands trailing up his strong chest, wrapping around his neck.

"Gladly." Nate surged forward, pushing me down onto my back, then crawled over me. He leaned down and buried his face in my neck, his lips latching onto the crease between my neck and shoulder, his teeth sinking into my flesh. I hissed, his mouth lingering near my ear. "You're all mine."

A shiver raced down my spine as I yanked at his t-shirt, the fabric bunching in my fists before slipping free. My fingertips trailed over hard muscle, tracing every defined ridge, every taut line. Heat radiated from his skin, seeping into my palms.

My breath hitched, my pulse thrumming. "Nate…"

His lips pressed under my ear, one hand planting itself near my head and the other snaking its way under my shirt. "Talk to me."

My fingertips traced over his skin, pausing as they dipped into the faint ridges marring his side. "Your wound."

He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "That wasn't what I meant."

I gave him a pointed look. "I'm serious."

"So am I." Nate glanced down at his chest and abdomen, where my shaking fingertips hovered. "I'll be fine."

His grin twisted something sharp inside me, a dangerous mix of charm and recklessness. My stomach coiled, the weight of everything sinking into my chest like lead. My pulse pounded, my breath uneven. "What if you're not here tomorrow?" The words slipped out, raw, exposing the fear I'd tried so hard to bury. If he left, if something happened, if I lost him—after finally letting myself have something real...

How could I survive that kind of wreckage?

Nate cupped my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek, his touch warm, steady. His lips hovered over mine, breath fanning against my skin. ""I wouldn't leave you like that." The words wrapped around me, soothing the panic curling in my chest. Then, his mouth claimed mine, taking his time to let his words sink in.

A slow, molten ache unraveled inside me, tightening my chest, stealing my breath. He was ruin and salvation, a blade wrapped in silk, and I wanted every sharp edge. My fingers threaded through his hair, fisting the strands as I pulled him closer, tasting the heat of his devotion. His hands, rough and certain, skimmed my waist, catching the hem of my shirt.

"I need all of you, Ava." With one sharp tug, the fabric tore away, leaving nothing between his touch and my skin but the electricity humming between us.

"You have me." The moment the cool air kissed my skin, his hands were there, warm, possessive, claiming. A low hum rumbled in his throat as his fingers curved over me, kneading, teasing, his thumbs gliding over sensitive peaks. My back bowed, instinct surrendering to sensation, breath catching as heat coiled low in my belly. He watched me, eyes dark, consuming, like he wanted to memorize every reaction, every sound. And God help me—I wanted to give him everything.

His mouth covered my nipple, tongue flicking.

Sucking.

Claiming.

A breathless gasp escaped me as he slid his knee between my thighs, pressing hard. My body arched against him, chasing the friction my center craved.

His mouth swallowed my cries, then left trails of heat against my flesh, tormenting me.

My thighs clamped around his knee, grinding against him, as my nails dug into his shoulders, seeking purchase.

Nate worked his way down, ripping off my pants and panties, burying his face between my thighs. He pulled my legs over his broad shoulders, his mouth pressing flush against my center.

"Oh God." My head snapped back, strangling a moan. My spine bowed, body tightening, chasing the ecstasy surging like wildfire beneath my skin.

His hand splayed across my belly, keeping my hips in place with each stroke of his tongue.

How?

What is this...

He pushed a finger inside of me, thrusting at a slow, torturous pace while his tongue continued to brush against my clit.

I released a shaky exhale, my chest rising and falling at a faster rhythm than normal. He added another finger, thrusting them faster and deeper, the knot in my stomach tightened.

"Don't stop… please , don't stop."

Nate released a sound that bordered on a groan and a growl, the vibration making my body tense. The fire within me burned hotter and hotter, a hot flush adorning my cheeks. Then, I succumbed, giving in to the heat.

The bliss.

The pressure.

Everything.

I let it all consume me, reducing me to a shuddering, moaning mess.

Nate gripped me tighter, anchoring me down, drawing out my orgasm until I shivered. Before my body stilled, he sat up, tearing at the button and zipper of his pants.

I leaned up on my elbows as he freed his hard length.

He grabbed my legs, and I gasped as he tugged me closer to him, his body slotting itself between my thighs—his erection pressing against my clit.

Nate grinned as I whimpered. "Such a sweet sound. I've been dying to hear you moan for me again."

I peered up at him, a needy ache echoing throughout my entire body as I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Please."

With a guttural growl, he thrust inside of me, claiming and stretching, filling me to the brim.His palm slammed against the mattress near my head, muscles flexing, forearm caging me in as his forehead dropped against mine. A single breath passed before his lips stamped over mine, all heat and hunger, so raw it bordered on desperation.

He thrust deep, causing heat to coil low and tight, the tension building like a wire pulled too tight and ready to snap.

My nails raked down his back, over the ridges of his shoulders. I anchored myself as he drove me down into the bed, our bodies slick with sweat. Electricity danced through my veins. "Feels so good," I gasped, voice shaking, breath stolen between thrusts.

" You feel perfect." His grip tangled in my hair, tugging just enough. "So fucking perfect."

Nate snapped his hips and stilled, wrenching a cry from me, my body jerking as I tipped over the precipice and rode the waves of ecstasy.

"Knew you’d break for me." A satisfied chuckle rumbled in his chest, his fingers tracing the length of my spine. "And fuck, you’re beautiful when you do."

The words hit something deep inside me, a final trigger that sent me spiraling anew. My head dropped back, pleasure tearing through me, raw and all-consuming, a current too strong to fight. I shattered, a hurricane of bliss dragging me under, my cry filling the room without restraint.

Screw the thin walls.

Nate swallowed my whimpers and moans with another kiss, his lips devouring me as he buried himself deep one last time. Our bodies locked with tremors rippling through us in the aftermath, breaths heavy matching our racing, synced hearts.

"I don’t want this to be the last time," I whispered, fingers curling around his wrist, feeling the frantic drum of his pulse beneath my touch.

His palm cradled my cheek, his thumb brushing my lips, slow and reverent, as if memorizing the feel of me beneath him. "It won’t be." His gaze burned into mine, something dark, something unshakable settling in his expression.