by Hope Carter
GETTING AVA
Hope Carter
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Falling For His Best Man Sneak Peak
About The Author
More Books By Hope Carter
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © Hope Carter, 2019
First published June 28th, 2019. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Chapter One
“You’re shitting me, right?”
Ava Jacobs stared in disbelief over the thick pile of papers on the edge of the cluttered desk. Greg Warner, the Editor-in-Chief of The Florida Times, glanced away from his computer screen. Irritation flashed in his eyes.
“Excuse me?”
Heat flooded Ava’s cheeks at her outburst. She loved her job as a columnist, but the last thing she wanted or had ever expected, was to be assigned to cover a protest in New York City with Sawyer Watts of all people.
It wasn’t Sawyer’s cynical and snarky writing that made Ava nervous. He was a well-known controversial writer and the reason why the mail room was sometimes flooded with angry letters. His cold arrogance and reputation as a serial womanizer made her nervous.
Her stomach twisted at the thought of them spending time together in New York City. Sawyer, from what she had gathered earlier on from the office gossip, kept his affairs out of the office and off company time. Still, he rarely spent a weekend without a woman in his bed.
Not that Ava blamed any woman for ending up in his bed.
Sawyer Watts was a female’s walking wet dream. He reminded Ava of the muscular and fiercely passionate men that you find on the cover of cheesy romance novels. The kind of men with stormy and mysterious gazes that instantly hooked you in. Sawyer kept himself well-groomed with his chocolate brown hair smoothed back from his face and a smooth jawline. His eyes were a stormy blue color no matter the occasion. His suits fitted perfectly against his muscular body and were pressed free of wrinkles. There wasn’t a time that Ava could recall him ever looking exhausted or disheveled. He was also wealthy from his extensive career as a freelance writer and a self-proclaimed bachelor for life. Instant female catnip.
“I’m sorry,” Ava said, backtracking when Greg frowned. “I’m just surprised that you want me to cover this protest since this is more of Sawyer’s field of writing.”
“It is,” Greg agreed. “I’m sending you along with him because you are an untapped resource in this office.”
“Untapped resource?”
“Yes. You’re a talented writer, Ava. Readers adore your columns, but I want to push your boundaries a bit.”
“I’m flattered. I really am, but--”
Greg’s office chair screeched loudly when he swung around to face her. A frown spread across his wrinkled, but compassionate face.
“I sense that you’re uncomfortable with something.” His glasses slid down to rest on the bridge of his nose. “And if I have to take a wild guess, it has to deal with Sawyer.”
Ava tucked her hands beneath the backs of her thighs to keep herself from twitching underneath Greg’s gaze. She didn’t know how to tell him that she was uncomfortable with spending time alone with a man that she fantasized about. Despite avoiding Sawyer at all costs in the office, which she did a damn good job at, she still found him creeping into her head when she was lonely at night.
“It’s not that,” she said. “This is a huge protest that will be broadcasted all over the news, but there are serious threats around it.” She swallowed against the dryness in her throat. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You’re going to be fine,” Greg said, waving her concerns away. “I assigned Sawyer to travel with you. The two of you are my top writers here. There will be a generous bonus included if that interests you at all.”
“I appreciate the confidence, but—”
A sharp knock interrupted them. The door opened and then shut quickly behind her.
“You wanted to see me?”
The air in Ava’s lungs stilled at the sound of Sawyer’s deep voice. Bouncing her leg anxiously, she didn’t trust herself to get up with him standing right behind her chair.
“Yes,” Greg said, and he looked away from Ava. “I’m glad that you’re here, Sawyer. I was just informing Ava about the assignment in New York.”
The hair on the back of Ava’s neck stood on edge. She could feel Sawyer’s eyes fixated on her while he approached, threatening to melt holes into the back of her head.
“I see,” Sawyer said. “Is there a problem?”
A few seconds ticked by before Ava realized that Sawyer had addressed the question in her direction. She glanced up to find him standing a few inches behind her chair. Sawyer stared at her in an unnerving way that made her think he was either trying to read her thoughts, imagine her naked, or even both.
She tried to regain her composure. This was a potential job promotion. While she loved writing weekly columns, she sometimes hated being stuck behind a desk. Pushing her reservations away about Sawyer, she managed a small shake of her head.
“No,” she said. “No problem.”
Sawyer’s lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything.
“Great,” Greg said. He rifled through a pile of papers on his desk before handing Ava printed tickets, a flight itinerary, and their hotel reservations. “Here’s what you both need. I suggest you both get to packing this afternoon.”
Ava’s knees wobbled when she stood up from the chair to exit Greg’s office. She didn’t dare brave another glance in Sawyer’s direction, but she could feel the weight of his stare on her again.
The second she was back in the safety of her small cubicle that served as her tiny office, she let out a shaky breath. She didn’t like the idea of working closely with Sawyer while they covered this protest. She preferred having a safe distance between the two of them at all times to avoid the temptation.
Ava chewed on the inside of her cheek while waited for her laptop to power down. It didn’t matter. This was a work trip. Nothing would happen between the two of them.
Chapter Two
Sawyer Watts couldn’t help the irritation that swept through him when Ava stood up from the chair across from Greg’s desk. Two years ago, Ava Jacobs had entered The Florida Times doors as a fresh-faced college graduate looking for a job. She was a sharp and witty writer. Her columns were a favorite among readers, and he even enjoyed them during his morning coffee.
What irritated him was Greg’s decision to assign her to come along with him to cover the anticipated protest in New York City. This particular protest that was gaining a lot of polarity in the media was between two opposing and extreme political groups that were known for their violent clashes in cities all over America. The last time Sawyer had traveled to Chicago to cover one group’s protest, he had seen buildings and cars burn to the ground along with bloodied hands and faces from violent fights.
His anxiety levels had nothing to do with the fact that they would be alone and spending time together. Sex and work were two things that
he kept separate, but for reasons he didn’t even understand, he felt protective over Ava’s soft and innocent nature. She did her job and went home. He didn’t see her at work parties or socialize with many of their co-workers. She took the “no office romance” strictly.
Which suited Sawyer just fine. The thought of another man touching Ava made his blood boil in jealousy. He didn’t fool himself into thinking that Ava wasn’t attractive. Fuck. There were several times that Sawyer found himself in bed with a woman wrapped around him, but imagining that it was Ava squirming in pleasure underneath him.
He took in her petite, but curvy frame beneath the pair of grey trousers that fit her toned thighs and white blouse that hugged her ample breasts. Her short ash blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail that bounced with each hasty step she took out of Greg’s office. She was perfect and tight in all the right ways.
Ava’s spine went rigid beneath his gaze, but she didn’t turn to look back at him with deep green eyes. The door to Greg’s office clicked shut, blocking his view of Ava’s backside.
“Sawyer.”
“What?”
“I asked if you had any problems with this assignment.”
Sawyer sucked in a deep breath through his nose to calm the rush of arousal that had swept through him. He turned his gaze to where Greg sat behind his desk with hands folded over the curve of his stomach that spilled over his belt.
“Yes,” Sawyer said in a leveled voice. “I don’t think Ava is the best writer to tag along with me for this assignment.”
“Why is that?” Greg asked, frowning. “She is a brilliant writer. People enjoy her columns.”
“And she’s great at being a columnist,” Sawyer agreed, pausing to run a troubled hand through his hair. “These protesters are violent. Remember what happened in Chicago?”
“That’s why I want you to keep an eye on her.” Greg’s eyes narrowed at him in suspicion. “You’ve never had issues with controversy and violence. What’s the problem now?”
Sawyer clenched his hands together, shoving them into the pocket of his pants. “No issue. I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“Good. Get out of my office and get packed.”
Greg nodded at the door, indicating that their conversation was done.
“Oh, and Sawyer…” He waited until Sawyer looked back at him. “I know that you tend to keep your personal affairs out of the office, but I am going to warn you that this trip is strictly business for you both. Not a personal vacation. Understand?”
“No need to remind me,” Sawyer said, coolly.
He stalked out of Greg’s office in a foul mood. A headache pounded in his temples while he weaved in and out of the cubicles to his own office. He paused for a second to glance over at Ava’s desk that was empty, but her laptop was open and the screen bright.
Curiosity got the better of him. Approaching her desk, Sawyer inhaled the faint scent of mint and cucumbers. He spotted a lone framed photograph at the corner of her desk and picked it up. A woman with matching blonde hair stood next to Ava in the photograph with her arm draped lovingly around Ava’s shoulders. Both of them were smiling widely into the camera in front of a pink rose bush.
“What are you doing?”
Sawyer set the photograph back on the desk when he heard Ava approach from behind him. “I was waiting for you.”
She glanced at the photo he had been looking at but didn’t offer any information. A frown spread across her full pink lips. He wondered what her lips would taste like if he kissed her before he shoved away that impulsive thought.
“Why?” she asked.
He leaned up against the cubicle wall of her tiny office and desk that shielded her away from everyone else.
“I wanted to make sure that you are prepared for this,” he said, a partial truth. “This protest can and will get violent. It won’t be easy to write about and cover.”
She lifted her chin up to look at him but didn’t dare try to squeeze past him to sit down at her desk.
“I can handle it,” she said, tightly. “Thank you for your concern though.”
“You’re welcome.” He gave a sharp nod. “I need your address for the cab.”
“I can get my own cab,” Ava said, color flooding her face. “No need to trouble yourself--”
“It’s not any trouble. It’ll save you the time and money to get to the airport during rush hour.”
Ava dropped her gaze to hide her torn expression.
“I suppose,” she said reluctantly. “Let me write it down for you.”
He moved away to give Ava room to sit down, watching the nervous tremble in her fingers while she scribbled her address down on a piece of paper. Their fingers brushed briefly when she held the paper out for him to take.
It took everything in Sawyer to not grab her soft and delicate fingers, to feel them against his own skin. Ava snatched her hand away with wide eyes and tucked it behind her back.
“I’ll see you later,” he said.
He turned around without saying a word to head back to the privacy of his office. There was no doubt in his mind that he needed time to prepare for this assignment, but to guard himself against his desires for Ava. He needed a cold shower, or anything to cool the heat building inside of him.
Chapter Three
Ava rose early the following morning to meet Sawyer in the restaurant of their hotel. Walking across the marble floors, she bit back a yawn while she followed the smell of coffee and bacon through a set of thick doors. She spotted Sawyer sitting in a small corner booth next to a window that overlooked the city street with a cup of coffee in hand already. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a black hoodie that contrasted with his stormy blue eyes.
She approached the table, ignoring the flutter in her stomach, to find a cup of coffee already poured and waiting for her.
“I thought you might want some coffee,” Sawyer said when she slid into the booth across from him. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted cream or sugar.”
“This is perfect.” She offered a small and grateful smile when she picked up the coffee cup. “Thank you. I was dying for coffee when I woke up.”
Sawyer’s eyes flicked over her.
“We both had a late night.”
Sippin
“No kidding.”
Silence stretched between the two of them. Sipping at her coffee, Ava kept her gaze outside on the crowd of people that lined the city street. She didn’t want Sawyer that she had slept shit last night. After arriving at their hotel late last night, she had read through a few other pieces surrounding the protest, and sleep evaded her after that.
“Are you nervous?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Your knee is bouncing,” Sawyer stated, nodding to the table that hid her knee bouncing up and down.
Ava cursed inwardly while she stilled her knee. She was surprised when Sawyer offered a thin, but understanding smile.
“A little bit,” she admitted, “I’ll be fine though. I did some research last night.”
“That explains why you’re nervous,” he said, nodding. “Just stick close to me once the protest starts. We’ll maybe do some interviews with protestors if we can, but I wouldn’t recommend you trying to talk to anyone on your own this time.”
“Why not?”
“These protestors aren’t interested in talking to us. They’re interested in the cameras right now because their message will get out quicker.”
“We’ll have to find a willing person to interview,” Ava said. “Maybe a bystander if we need it.”
“I’ve been covering these protestors for a while since the election,” Sawyer said, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “They aren’t going to believe a beautiful woman like you is interested in hearing what they have to say.”
Her heart skipped at the compliment, but from how Sawyer’s eyes flashed possessively. She didn’t know how to respond.
“I’ll be fine,” she said with more confidence than she felt.
They finished up their coffees before heading outside. She followed Sawyer as he weaved in and out of people that were lined along the streets. The chill of Autumn clung to the air, and it seeped through the light cardigan Ava wore. Standing on the corner, she glanced nervously at the line of police officers that were a safety bumper between the crowd and protestors marching down the street chanting.
Sawyer scanned the street before looking at Ava. “I don’t think we can get any closer,” he shouted over the noise. “The police are keeping everyone separated.”
Fear trickled up Ava’s spine. She took a step closer to Sawyer who turned back to watch the stream of protestors with various signs in their hands. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. She tried to focus on the details of the protest, but the angry outbursts of curse words grew louder. The crowd around them shifted in excitement before all hell broke loose.
The crack of gunshots echoed between the buildings. A chorus of screams followed by bodies rushing by them in fright. A man, covered in blood, pushed himself between Ava and Sawyer as he sprinted away. She found herself on the ground on her hands and knees, gasping in pain while feet stampeded by and over her.
Strong hands hooked themselves on her elbows, hauling her up to her feet. An arm wrapped protectively around her waist.
“Are you hit?” Sawyer yelled, pushing Ava forward. “Someone’s shooting behind us! Run!”
She didn’t get a chance to answer his first question when a bullet whizzed by them. The person in front of them collapsed to the ground while a spray of blood covered the sidewalk. A scream tore through Ava’s throat. Sawyer yanked her to the right and pushed her forward. She followed the current of frantic people with Sawyer’s arm secured around her waist.
“In here!”
He didn’t give Ava a chance to look before yanking a door open and pushing her inside. Stale and cold air filled her lungs. Sawyer pulled the door shut behind them before turning to look at her.