by Zoe Ann Wood
The short ride in the elevator was excruciating. The light scent of her perfume was usually indistinguishable because he rarely stood this close to her, but in the enclosed space, it was all he could think about. That, and unraveling that silky knot of hair she’d put together. He stifled a groan as he imagined how her long curls would feel against his fingers.
The elevator arrived on their floor with a muted ding, and Daniel strode ahead to their suite’s door, unlocking it, then stepping aside to let Ava through. She dipped her head at him, then stopped in the middle of the room, her fists on her hips.
Daniel couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t look like an ephemeral siren now, but rather an angry goddess.
“Tell me what happened,” she demanded.
He took a deep breath, then another, and stepped closer. “They were rude and obnoxious.”
She snorted, some of the tension going out of her. Depositing her purse on the dining table, she leaned her head to the side and took out one earring. Daniel fixated on her pale neck, so graceful and inviting. He was going straight to Hell for this, but he wanted nothing more than to nibble on it, see if she tasted as good as she smelled.
“So the deal is off?” she asked, breaking him from his thoughts. She removed the other earring and placed them on the table.
Daniel imagined how she would fit in his home. They would arrive at his apartment after dinner, she’d remove her earrings and kick off her heels, and he’d step up behind her to help her with her zipper.
His face flushed, and he forced himself to answer. “Their attitude toward you was the last straw.”
She frowned. “Did they say anything about me?”
Oh, man. He hadn’t meant to tell her about it, had wanted to protect her from their vulgar comments, but his mouth was saying things his brain hadn’t approved of because he was too busy staring at her.
Rubbing his face with his palms, he said, “Nothing you need to hear. They’re never going to bother you again.”
She clicked her tongue. “I agree that their manners were atrocious. But, Daniel, you need to be sure that it’s worth killing this connection over—”
He dropped his hands to his sides, fists forming. Did she really not see? “Of course it’s worth it. They insulted you. No one gets to—” He swallowed, then forced out the truth, though his stomach churned. “You’re worth everything.”
She froze, looking up at him with her lips parted, her beautiful eyes huge.
He groaned, stepping closer, and cupped her face with his palms. “Ava.”
He thought she might push him away, free herself, and run to her room. He’d apologize and promise her it would never happen again. Beg for her forgiveness.
But she wasn’t running. No, her hand came up to clasp his shoulder, and she slid her palm up, over his neck, and into his hair.
Lowering his head, he brushed his lips over hers, just once, and kept his gaze locked on hers to gauge her reaction. At the slightest indication that this wasn’t what she wanted…
Ava’s eyes slid shut, and she tugged his head down for another kiss. Their mouths met in perfect harmony, and her warm breath touched his lips, her hands gripped him tighter, one on the nape of his neck and another on his back, fisting his jacket.
He pulled her closer, embracing her, and she fit him so right. This was light-years better than anything he’d imagined. He deepened the kiss, finding the pins in her hair, and he tugged them out, one by one. She gasped, breaking away, and he gently angled her head to the side to kiss her neck, to trace the freckled trail down to her shoulder. He speared his fingers through her hair, luxuriating in its heavy weight, while she clung on to him with surprising strength.
They kissed until her lips were dark pink and they were both breathing hard. Her hair was a mess, and he guessed his wasn’t much better, given how she’d clutched it.
He put his forehead against hers, laughing, but the sound was hoarse, more a groan. “Um. Wow.”
She giggled, equally breathless. “Yeah.”
“Do you think we should stop now?” he asked. He knew what his body was telling him, but this was the start of something great—and he was a patient man. He’d waited four years for her and could wait some more if it meant that their relationship progressed without rushing.
“Mm,” she said, stealing another kiss. “Probably.” She sighed, then released him, stepping away from him.
They gazed at each other for a moment. Then Ava tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a shy smile. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep just now. Do you want to…watch a movie, maybe?”
Daniel glanced at the big TV. “Sure. Give me a minute to change?”
She nodded and disappeared into her bedroom. Daniel blew out a breath, grinning like a fool. He’d taken that first step, and it had paid off. They’d need to figure out what would happen next, sure, but Ava had kissed him. Well, he’d kissed her, but she’d kissed him back.
Finding a clean t-shirt and his pajama bottoms, he changed quickly from his tux, eager to get back out, but Ava still beat him to the couch. Remote control in hand, she sat on the leather with her legs tucked under her, wearing her Soft Ava uniform. Daniel suppressed a groan at the thought of sitting next to her through an entire movie, not being able to touch her. Take it slow. That was the way to do it, he was certain of it. His impulse to drag her back to his bedroom would have to wait.
An hour and a half later, Ava was sitting half in his lap, clutching his arm so hard her fingernails sank into his skin. They were watching Angels and Demons—a movie she’d picked because it was set in Rome—and he’d quickly discovered that his fearless colleague had a soft spot after all. It was thrillers. He’d put an arm around her when she’d first jumped in the air, and she’d clung to him ever since.
“We can stop watching,” he murmured into her hair, though in truth, he wanted nothing more than to keep holding her. “If it’s too scary for you.”
“Nooo,” she wailed, lifting his hand to half cover her eyes. “We can’t stop now. I need to know how it ends.” She gasped because professor Langdon’s fate hung in the balance for a minute. “But the danger music is killing me.”
By the time the illustrious professor had solved all the riddles with the help of his beautiful scientific companion, Daniel’s hand was going numb. His heart was full to bursting, though, and he held Ava close, barely following the resolution of the story. For so long he’d wanted this, and now his mind supplied image after image of how their lives would entwine from now on. He had a couch at home that was much more comfortable than this one. They could watch all the movies they wanted together, and he’d find a restaurant in Boston that served good tiramisu. He’d finally get a chance to spoil Ava.
They’d have to figure out how to handle their relationship at work, but as long as they were on the same team, everything was possible.
The credits rolled up the screen, and Ava slowly released his hand. Daniel shook it out, admiring the half-moon marks left by her nails. Battle scars of the modern man.
“That was fantastic,” she said, yawning. “Can we watch another one soon?”
Daniel gaped at her. “But you barely made it through this one.” He’d thought they might rent something…less violent for their next movie night. Like a romantic comedy. Or a Pixar movie.
“I’m discovering the thrill of a good scary story,” she replied. “Besides, I had you to hold me.”
Her gaze turned soft, and she cupped his jaw with her palm, caressing his cheek with her thumb. The tenderness in her expression moved something inside him, as though a part of him had always been misaligned and now slid gently into place.
“Do you think we could see that castle before we fly out tomorrow?” Ava asked. “I thought about going to the Vatican but I don’t think we’ll have the time. I read it’s a project for a full day.”
Daniel lifted his eyebrows. “What, the Castel Sant’Angelo?” He shrugged. “I can’t see why not. Our flight i
sn’t until six p.m.”
Ava grinned. “Isn’t this amazing? That we can watch a movie, then just go and visit the places we saw in it? We should have started doing this a long time ago.”
Daniel pulled her closer, making her squeak. He peppered her face with kisses, pressing his lips to her cheeks, her forehead, her mouth. “I agree. I have no idea why we waited for so long.”
She giggled, kissing him back. Then she sighed, curling up against his chest. “I meant sightseeing when we travel, but your point is also valid. I wish we’d figured all this out earlier.”
She sounded so sad, Daniel peeled her away from himself to see her face. “Hey. We might have been a little slow, but we have all the time we want from now on. Right?”
A corner of her mouth tugged up. “Right.”
With a great sigh, she slid from his lap and wobbled to her feet. Daniel felt the loss of her warmth, wishing he could invite her to his bedroom. But they both needed to process what had happened. So he tipped his face up as she kissed him once more, then watched her shuffle to her bedroom, yawning.
At her room, she turned back and gave him one last heart-stopping grin before disappearing inside. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard an excited, muffled squeal from behind the door.
Grinning, he headed for his own bedroom. He shut himself in and stepped into the bathroom. He was brushing his teeth when his phone buzzed on the marble counter, displaying the face of the head of his company’s HR department.
He spit out the foam, quickly wiping his mouth, and swiped the screen. “Hey, Laney.”
The middle-aged woman peered at him. “Oh, did I video call you? I’m sorry.”
Daniel chuckled. “That’s fine. It’s good to see you. What’s up?”
She launched into a report on an issue she’d needed to resolve that morning. “I told Stephen this was the fourth time he’d stolen Marcus’ yoghurt, so I needed to bring you into the loop.”
He was full-on laughing now. “Stolen yoghurt? Oh, man, I do not envy you.”
“You can joke all you want,” she said with all the seriousness of a seventh-grade math teacher. “But Marcus is fuming. Not to mention we can’t really have a thief on our payroll.”
“Do you have a solution?”
“Stephen will repay Marcus for the stolen yoghurts and bring him his favorite ones for a week afterward. If he steals one again, he’ll be brought before the disciplinary committee.”
“That’s great.”
Laney narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you have anything to add?”
“Nah.” He thought of Ava and their evening and grinned. He didn’t have it in him to be harsh tonight, not even over a horrible yoghurt-stealing employee.
Laney gasped. “You didn’t.”
Daniel lifted his eyebrows. “What?”
The woman now brought her phone to her face as though she wanted to look at him more closely. “You and Ava… You did, didn’t you?”
“I— What? No!” Heat rose up his neck, and he realized suddenly that accepting this phone call had been a bad idea. “It’s late here, I’m going to—”
“Ohh, I knew it would happen eventually,” Laney was saying, her picture wavering as she stood and walked to a file cabinet. Apparently forgetting they were on a video call, she deposited her phone so all Daniel could see now was the ceiling in her office.
“I have all the paperwork already drawn up.”
Daniel’s mouth dropped open. “What paperwork? And what do you mean, you knew it would happen?”
“Well, that lovely woman looks at you all the time, and you schedule all your meetings and trips so she can accompany you, even when it’s not necessary. And there was the time you brought her a birthday gift and then didn’t give it to her because you thought it might be too much and ordered a cake instead.”
He had…no words. “How…?”
“It’s my job to notice these kinds of things. I know exactly who’s stealing yoghurt, who’s reading romance novels on company time, and also who’s sleeping together. This is what you pay me for.”
This was true, and yet… “We’re not— I mean, we haven’t…”
Laney picked up the phone again, her serious face showing on his screen. Daniel shut the door to the bathroom, afraid Ava would hear his raised voice.
Laney dropped back into her desk chair and sighed. “Look, for what it’s worth, I’m really happy for you. But since you’re her boss, there are some…preliminary measures we need to take before things go much further.”
“Preliminary measures? What on earth are you talking about?” Daniel sank onto the elegant chair that stood in the large bathroom. It was either that or sit on the closed toilet, because his legs suddenly felt very unstable.
Laney sighed. “It’s no big deal. Just a couple of statements that you’re both entering into your, uh, relationship with full consent.”
Daniel dragged his palm over his face. “Way to start a relationship.”
Hey, baby, want to go out to dinner with me? But wait, I need you to sign some paperwork first. That would kill any romance stone-dead.
“If this was about another couple in your company, what would you tell them?” Laney asked, her voice so gratingly calm. “If this was one of your division heads being romantically involved with a woman who is his subordinate, what would you have them do?”
Daniel groaned. “I’d suggest they sign the paperwork.”
“To avoid any lawsuits in the future.” Laney was nodding. “This is for the protection of both of you. Ava’s job will be completely secure.”
Heat shot into Daniel’s face. “Do you think I’d fire her if this goes south? What kind of man do you think I am?” The insinuation burned like acid in his stomach. What was the world coming to?
But he knew why Laney was set on protecting Ava. The horror stories being unearthed in the media… His gut churned at the thought of something like that occurring in his company.
“I know you wouldn’t, Daniel,” Laney said, offering him a sympathetic half-smile. “But we can’t make exceptions. You—and Ava—want us to be a progressive company. To offer equal opportunities to men and women. This is what the ugly underside of that looks like.”
She was right, of course. “I’ll talk to her,” he promised. “We’ll discuss it and…” He trailed off. He hoped she’d agree to signing those papers. It would mean declaring their relationship to the company, and he was ready for that step, but he wasn’t sure she would be.
“I’m sorry I dumped all this on your head. But you’re prepared for Monday now, at least.”
“Yeah, thanks, Laney.”
Daniel ended the call, exhaustion finally catching up with him. After the day they’d had, he needed a good night’s sleep, but he wondered if he’d be able to close his eyes at all. For a moment, he thought of going straight to Ava’s room, telling her what he’d just learned, but he couldn’t make himself do it.
She was probably halfway to being asleep, and he didn’t want to ruin the beautiful evening for her. She’d been so happy, he didn’t have the heart to pierce her bubble, not tonight.
There would be time to talk to her tomorrow.
With a heavy conscience, he flopped on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had an entire night to figure out the best way forward, a plan to keep Ava happy and protected at the same time.
Seven
Ava
Ava woke up just after dawn, wrapped in her luxurious silky sheets. Her first thought was that she really needed to get a set like that for her bedroom at home—and then she remembered the events of the previous evening. Shooting up in bed, she gasped then giggled.
Get a grip. It was barely light outside, so Daniel was likely still asleep. Daniel. Her boss, her colleague, her friend—and now…boyfriend? They hadn’t defined any of the relationship stuff yesterday, and while Ava was eager to do that, she also wanted to enjoy their last day in Rome without serious conversations. She could pretend they’d arrived in Rom
e on a romantic weekend getaway, not a failed business trip. They’d visit that stunning castle, get coffee, and find a nice trattoria for lunch.
Grabbing her phone from her nightstand, she checked for messages from her sister. She’d texted Cara last night, straight after returning to her room. She’d debated waiting and telling her in person, but excitement had bubbled over and she’d shot off a quick: He kissed me! before forcing herself to wipe off her makeup and get in bed. After the day they’d had, she’d known she’d need a full night of sleep.
Now her sister’s responses lit up her screen.
WHAT?!
Wait, we’re talking about Daniel, right? You didn’t kiss some random Italian?
Avaaaaa! Answer me! You can’t write something like that and not elaborate.
How did it happen? Was it good? Oh no, was it bad? TELL ME.
Seriously, I hate you right now.
AVA!
“Oops,” Ava murmured, quickly typing a message.
Yes, we’re talking about Daniel. It was great. I’ll tell you everything later. Wish me luck! We’re flying back tonight. xo
Her sister was likely asleep, so she wouldn’t see the response until morning. Ava grinned, imagining bringing Daniel to a family dinner at Cara’s house. She’d never seen him around kids, but she somehow knew he’d get along great with her nephews. Cara would grill him for the first ten minutes, then try to feed him. Ava couldn’t wait to see it.
It was way too early to wake Daniel, so Ava took a bath in her giant tub, using the hotel’s luxe bath bomb that smelled like jasmine. It reminded her of the lovely dinner they’d shared on their first night in Rome, the one that had felt like their first date. She couldn’t stop smiling, and even pinched herself to make sure she was really awake. What a cruel dream this would have been, finally getting what she’d wanted for so long.
Since she’d only packed for a short business trip, she was back to wearing her green maxi dress, but she plaited her hair in a fishtail braid to change things up. Only then did she crack open the door and peer outside. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Daniel to see her in her pajamas—he’d seen her in leggings and without makeup plenty of times—but she wanted today to be special. It would be like their first official date, since they couldn’t really count yesterday’s disastrous dinner.