The cute guy with a mop of curly, blond hair was the most attentive, and as soon as some bimbo sidled up and plastered herself against Nick, Ava latched onto the blond’s hand and told him she wanted to go somewhere less crowded.
It was all the invitation he needed, and he was off as fast as the racehorses. When they reached what she assumed was his car and he broke out his moves—hands straight on her arse, and slobbering like a happy puppy on her neck—she knew she was kidding herself. She didn’t want this. She’d known that as soon as she’d gotten to the races and the men came flocking. But she’d put her plan in motion anyway, hoping to be wrong.
Before she could knock Lassie and his slurping tongue away, the deep tone of Nick’s voice cracked around them.
“Take your fucking hands off her.”
The curly, blond guy must have had a death wish, because he clung onto Ava’s hip and pulled her closer to his side. She wanted to flick him off, but she needed Nick to know this was what she wanted. Sticking to her plan was her only choice. Better for Nick to believe she wasn’t someone who could settle for a white picket fence and two-point-five kids.
“She’s happy where she is. So why don’t you get lost.” False bravado peppered the blond guy’s words.
“Ava, come with me,” Nick demanded.
The anger vibrating from his command was palpable. A chill shot up her spine. “I’m fine where I am,” she said.
Nick took an intimidating step closer. Curly, blond guy gasped. The death stare Nick was projecting was enough to scare the bravest of men. “Get your hands off her, and Ava, come with me.”
“I’m not yours to control, so back off. I’m not going anywhere with you.” Slapping her hands on her hips, she gave him a threatening glare of her own. “Come on.” She swung around to take the blond guy elsewhere only to find him stepping away, shaking in his boots. Crap!
“Umm, I’m gonna go back to the races.” And he went scuttling toward the track. Nick’s glare had worked.
“Let’s go.” Nick started to take hold of her hand, but she snatched it out of his reach.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
Blowing out a long breath, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It’s your choice. Let’s go. Now.”
“No, Nick. Who do you think you are ordering me around…my father? Not even he can tell me what to do, so I’m not going to start listening to you.” She shoved past him to go back to the races. Not that she wanted to be there, but anywhere was better than standing in a carpark arguing with Nick.
“It’s the hard way then.” Pulling her to a stop, he bent at the knees and slung her over his shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing?” she screeched.
“Stopping you from ruining everything.”
The gravel under his boots crunched, and all she could see was his arse. Not that it was a bad view, but she was too mad to appreciate it right now.
When she tried to kick her legs to free herself, a shoe fell off. “Stop. I dropped my Manolo Blahnik.” But Nick kept moving, the shoulder jabbing into her stomach knocking the breath from her lungs.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Williams?”
Hearing a voice of a potential rescuer, she yelled as loud as she could with the little air she had left in her lungs. “Yes, there is a problem. I’m being detained against my will. And he’s lost my extremely expensive Manolo Blahnik. Do you know how hard they are to get? So I’m going to kill him.”
“No, Riley, there’s no problem. Do you mind getting my car?”
“But…the lady said…” There was uncertainty in the man’s voice.
“Avi-baby is a little annoyed at being manhandled. Everything’s fine.”
“Yes, Mr. Williams, I’ll get your car.”
The sound of scuttling feet eased away, and she assumed he’d done what Mr. Williams asked.
“Put me down!” She gritted her teeth and pounded clenched fists against his back. He didn’t even flinch at her punches, but dammit, she’d hurt her hand. Of course he had to be built from solid stone, he had a heart to match.
“Stop squirming,” he demanded.
The command only made her wriggle and kick more, not caring that her arse was probably exposed to anyone who happened to walk past. She might not be able to break free, but she wasn’t going to make it easy for him to hold her.
A heavy hand flattened on her butt. She immediately stilled. Damn, even as mad as she was at him, his palm sent a surge of heat through her body. But she couldn’t melt into putty in his hands, so she dropped her head and took a bite of his arse through the black, tailored pants.
Nick yelped. “What the hell?”
“If you don’t put me down, I can make things uncomfortable for you too.”
A car drove up beside them as Nick was putting her back on her feet. Her movements were jerky as she straightened her clothes. Glancing back from where they came, she spotted the missing shoe, and went to hobble after it only for Nick to put a restraining hold around her wrist.
Through a clenched jaw, she said, “I want my goddamn shoe.”
“Riley, can you get the shoe please?” he asked, not taking his eyes off Ava.
“Sure, Mr. Williams.”
“We said no other people while we were together.” Nick’s lips pulled back in a snarl.
“Yeah, well, I changed my mind. I never was good at being monogamous.” She threw that at him, hoping he would realize there could never be anything between them.
He shook his head. “Sorry, that wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Sue me. But I know a few people that will help me out with that. You’d only lose.”
“I never lose. So stop fighting and get in the car.”
The muscles in her jaw ached from clenching it tightly as she glared at Nick. He opened the passenger side door, gesturing for her to get into a black Porsche—a big step up from his old farmer’s truck. She guessed he probably had many more.
Crossing her arms, she refused to do what he wanted.
Sighing, his shoulders slumped. “Just get in the car and stop acting like a two-year-old.”
The parking attendant jogged over and hesitantly passed her the shoe. Maybe he was concerned she’d use it as a missile and aim it at Nick’s head. The thought was appealing. But she cradled the soft leather in her arms like a baby. She loved it too much to cause it any harm.
“Ava, get in the car or I’ll hurl you in.” And by the pinched expression on his face, she had no doubt he’d do what he threatened.
A few people had come into the carpark, looking at them curiously, and she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of them. With her chin held high, she slid onto the warm leather bucket seat.
Nick climbed in next to her, started the car, and sped out of the racecourse carpark.
While she sat fuming, the town flew by in a blur. She didn’t say a word, and neither did Nick. She didn’t think he could with his lips pressed so firmly together. If anyone should be pissed off, it should be me. They weren’t back in the stone ages where men threw their women over their shoulder like their latest kill. And if looks could kill, curly, blond guy would’ve been dead from one blast of Nick’s lethal glare. But when he gazed at Ava, it wasn’t anger, but disappointment that shot her way. It was for the best; it would make it easier to walk away.
The silence in the air was thick and pressed heavy on her chest. If she was honest, there wasn’t going to be anything easy about walking away. But in time, when her heart and head removed the ‘L’ word, all would be good again in her world. Right? She had to cling onto the belief that it would or she’d crumble. And this time she didn’t know how she would pick herself back up.
Soon trees and scrub took the place of buildings, and Ava had no doubt where they were heading. “I’d rather you take me back home.” She couldn’t be alone with him, because they’d probably end up in bed together, and that wouldn’t help her pull away.
When did dressing up and flirting with good-looking men become so exhausting? Maybe since the shine of her old life started wearing off. And thinking back on the last few months, the glitz and glamour had no longer appealed to her.
The car stopped, and when she opened her eyes, they were already parked in front of Nick’s house. The trip went too fast, and the nerves kicked in.
Opening the car door, he got out and walked up the front steps onto the veranda, expecting her to follow. She should stay in the car, but he’d already accused her of acting like a two-year-old, and if she refused to get out, that’s exactly how she would be behaving. Pushing the door open, she reluctantly followed him into the house.
“Have you finished playing your games?” His calm tone belied the fierce expression he wore as he stood with hands on hips in the middle of the living room.
“I wasn’t playing any games. I was out having fun. The way I live my life.”
“Bullshit!” he spat. “You were trying to damage what we have between us, because you’re too scared to face what’s so damn obvious.”
“What’s so obvious between us? That we’re good in bed? That’s all we have…had, nothing more. Whatever we had going on is over. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
He barked out a mirthless laugh. “God, Ava, stop fucking lying to yourself.” He stepped closer. “Something is happening. Own up to it and stop running away.”
The words slammed into her like a train. Running away. Over the years that was all she’d been doing. Running from her family, from anything that could potentially be a relationship, and running away from Nick.
Would she really have gone with the blond guy if Nick hadn’t stopped them? Her heart skidded to a stop at the thought of how it would’ve hurt him. Christ, he didn’t deserve to be treated that way. But he’d seen through her bullshit theatrics.
“It’s not that simple,” she said quietly. The thought of surrendering to him sent fear rocketing through her veins.
“Yes, it is.” The pad of his finger trailed along her jaw. “I want you, Ava, not just for a few days, but in my life forever. And if you weren’t too scared to admit it, I know you want me too.”
Her heart squeezed as he searched her face with intense blue eyes. A tightness in her throat prevented her from speaking.
“I love you, Ava. I’ve always loved you.”
She sucked in a quick gasp of air. As much as it thrilled her to hear him say those words, the ‘L’ word sat heavy in her heart, trying to bulldoze its way out. And with Nick staring at her with such emotion, she wished she could say it back.
“This is all too much. I can’t think straight.” She took a step back and began to pace, pressing her palms on her chest like she was trying to stop her heart from spilling onto the floor.
“Maybe that’s your problem. You think too much, you need to let yourself feel.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her from wearing a hole in the rug.
She shook her head. “I can’t…”
He placed a light kiss on her lips. “Just feel.”
And that was the problem—she did feel. How could she not? All the emotions swirling through her body were too much to separate. But the one that screamed the loudest to be heard was the one she couldn’t set free.
With her heart pounding, she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. A kiss so deep and so passionate she hoped he could feel what she couldn’t yet say. When the kiss broke, she felt him quiver against her.
“Give me time,” she said. He opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly added, “Please.”
He clenched his jaw and nodded, not looking happy with her decision, but accepting she needed space to sort out her feelings.
“When you’re giving yourself time to think, ask yourself one question.” He paused and drew in a deep, shuddery breath. “Can you see a life without me? Because I sure as fuck can’t see one without you.”
With that, he marched out of the house.
Chapter 18
The next day, Ava went in search of Bella. It was time to say goodbye. She found Olivia in the kitchen. “I’ve been looking everywhere for Bella. Have you seen her? I’m leaving soon.”
“She took one of the horses out for a ride. She won’t be long.” Olivia wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Would you like a cup of tea while you wait?”
“Sure.” She sat down at the table and wished she had time for one last ride.
“It’s been wonderful having you back home.” Pouring boiling water into two mugs, Olivia carried them to the table and sat down. “Isabella has been so excited having her big sister home, and I haven’t seen Bernardo this happy in years.”
“I find the part about me being home making Dad happy hard to believe,” Ava scoffed.
“You two are both as stubborn and pigheaded as each other, and too proud to show each other how you’re really feeling.”
Ava twisted the warm mug in her hand. “We’ve never had a problem showing each other how we feel.”
“No, you say things you don’t really mean. Lash out at each other. But what you’re really feeling is locked away. Bernardo’s ashamed of his past and knows he should’ve handled things differently but hides behind a gruff, overbearing exterior. And you...” Olivia slid a hand across the table to clasp Ava’s. “You act defiant and angry, but what you’re really feeling is hurt and alone.”
Ava pulled her hand away to push shaking fingers through her hair. How did a woman who hardly knew her see through to the core?
“Isabella told me you’ve promised to visit more often. I’m glad. You and your father have a few wounds to mend.”
“Don’t get too excited. It might take some time, but he has explained his relationship with my mother. Maybe I can start getting past it now.”
Olivia slumped back on the chair with a hand over her heart. “Oh, thank goodness. That secret has been burning a hole in your father’s chest for years. He loved your mother. When he caught her having an affair and she told him she was pregnant with her lover’s baby, he told me it broke him.”
The tea in Ava’s stomach churned like acid, threatening to burst out and spill on the table. All the blood in her body froze to ice as Olivia’s words buzzed in her head.
Olivia stopped talking, a stricken expression on her face. “You didn’t know all of that, did you?”
Scraping back the chair, it tipped and smashed onto the terracotta tiles. The sound rang out like a gunshot, and Olivia jumped.
“I have to go,” Ava choked.
She left with Olivia begging her to stay and calm down, but Ava ignored her pleas. Turning her back on the sobbing woman, she stormed out of the kitchen.
* * * *
“Were you ever going to tell me you’re not my father?”
Bernie was in the on-site vet room talking to Dr. Meyer when she stormed into the room. Her father’s face drained of color, and he asked the vet for a moment of privacy.
When they were alone, he turned to her. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Stop lying!” she shouted. “You’ve been lying my whole damn life. Why didn’t you tell me I’m not your daughter?”
Ava never thought her father—or who she thought was her father—looked his age. But now, as he stared at her, he looked every bit of his sixty-eight years. Taking a few steps, he tried reaching out to her, but she stepped back and shook her head.
“Tell me,” she demanded.
His arms fell heavy at his sides, and his shoulders hunched. “You are my daughter.”
“God, enough!” She flung her arms in the air. “I know the truth.”
His face screwed up as if he were in pain. “The truth is you are my daughter. Look in the mirror, you look exactly like me.”
All her life she’d been told she resembled him, she’d even thought so herself. But Olivia said her mother had been pregnant with another man’s baby. “Did Mum have an affair?”
He blew out a long breath. “Yes.”
“And she told you that the baby—me—wasn’t yours?”
He rubbed a hand over his sad eyes. “Yes. But when you were born I knew she’d lied. Not about the affair, but about you. Your eyes were exactly like mine. You can get one of those DNA tests if you need proof. I don’t need a test to tell me what I already know.”
“All this time I thought you were the one having affairs, but Mum was too?” Christ, how messed up was their marriage?
There was a brown leather lounge in the room and her father sat down, but Ava was too agitated to sit.
Bernie continued, “Your mum only had the one affair...that I know of. To be honest, I drove her to it. I was so busy creating a successful stud farm I forgot I had a wife that needed me at home.” Putting his elbows on his knees, he dropped his head into his hands. “She cried and begged for me to be home more often, but I was chasing the money. Then she threatened she’d have an affair because I wasn’t paying her enough attention. I didn’t believe her and wasn’t worried. It was stupid of me to assume she wouldn’t. She wanted my attention, and it worked. But I couldn’t look at the woman I once loved the same way again. And when she told me she was pregnant with another man’s baby to hurt me even more, something inside me snapped and I wanted to break her as much as she broke me.”
“Why didn’t you just leave?”
“I should have, and many times I wanted to. She could’ve left too, but no one wanted to take that first step. It was like the love we once had for each other gripped on and wouldn’t let go no matter how toxic things became.”
“You should have ended it. It ruined Mum, it killed...” Her voice hitched and she couldn’t finish.
Chasing Trouble Page 18