her vision and struggled to hold in the emotion she felt. She had crossed the line, and broken her own rule. She had fallen in love with Jonas Marks.
****
It had happened. She didn’t want to feel this way, certainly didn’t think it would ever happen. Not to her, and certainly not with Jonas.
Nothing on earth could have been worse than discovering that he’d stolen her heart. She hated herself for it, but she couldn’t stop it from happening. It had crept in on her and now she had only herself to blame. From one day to the next, she kept imagining and even wishing that the feeling would fade away, that he wouldn’t be able to move her as before, that being around him wouldn’t affect her so deeply.
But it did. With each hour she spent around him, she found herself falling harder and deeper in love.
There was only three days left till they’d have to return to the lives they’d temporarily left behind.
“Let’s spend the day together.” His gaze swept over her and he cracked a smile.
“Don’t you have meetings all day?” she asked in surprise.
“I’ll cancel them,” he replied with a shrug. “I want more time with you, Ava.” His eyes held hers piercingly. “As much as I can get.” He grinned suddenly, the flash of white making her breath catch at how gorgeous he looked.
“I do too.” She grinned. “But I really don’t want you to have to cancel everything just for me. I don’t mind being left alone.”
“Ahh, you need your space. I get it.”
Ava looked away from his smile. She didn’t mind his mocking tone; keeping things this way helped insulate her from what was inevitably happening. For him, this was just sex. Great sex, but that was all there was. The last thing she needed was for him to think that she wanted anything more. Besides, the less time they spent around each other, the easier it would be for her to keep pretending she was still in control of her heart.
“How about Carly?” she asked quickly, curious about his assistant whom she hadn’t been seeing as often.
“Actually, I gave her the day off,” he said wryly, and Ava suddenly realized that Jonas really had meant to spend the day with her. Her heart almost began to lift with hope, but then she squashed it down. Jonas was the ultimate charmer; it cost him nothing to be nice. Again and again she had to remind herself, it doesn’t mean anything.
And yet, she couldn’t help feeling a pang as she looked up and met his steady gaze. She wondered what he was thinking, and why he was staring at her like that.
“Ava…” he began, but his sentence was cut off by the sound of her name coming from the entrance.
Ava turned in amazement to find her brother stalking into the restaurant, and she watched, shocked as Jonas abruptly rose, his face expressionless.
“You son of a bitch!” Jeffrey snarled, reaching their table, his eyes fastened on Jonas. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing but you’ve done enough damage to my family. It stops now.”
Nearby diners glanced their way in curiosity, and Ava wanted to sink into the ground. “Jeff, what are you doing?” she hissed, her fists clenching.
Her brother barely looked at her but instead, held Jonas’s gaze angrily as he gritted out, “I want you away from this bastard. I don’t give a damn what he may have offered you, Ava. You’re worth far more.” This time, he turned to look at her, his expression pained. “I’m sorry for the way that I attacked you over Kirk. I never meant to push you into doing something like this.”
“This was never your fault,” she said quickly. “I…” But his earnest words cut her off.
“No, Ava, listen to me. I flew straight here as soon as I could to tell you this. I know why you are doing this and it doesn’t matter. The company, getting it back. It doesn’t matter. You’re coming back with me. I’m not leaving you behind.”
“Jeff, seriously…”
“No, he’s right.”
Ava stopped short,
****
It had happened. She didn’t want to feel this way, certainly didn’t think it would ever happen. Not to her, and certainly not with Jonas.
Nothing on earth could have been worse than discovering that he’d stolen her heart. She hated herself for it, but she couldn’t stop it from happening. It had crept in on her and now she had only herself to blame. From one day to the next, she kept imagining and even wishing that the feeling would fade away, that he wouldn’t be able to move her as before, that being around him wouldn’t affect her so deeply.
But it did. With each hour she spent around him, she found herself falling harder and deeper in love.
There was only three days left till they’d have to return to the lives they’d temporarily left behind.
“Let’s spend the day together.” His gaze swept over her and he cracked a smile.
“Don’t you have meetings all day?” she asked in surprise.
“I’ll cancel them,” he replied with a shrug. “I want more time with you, Ava.” His eyes held hers piercingly. “As much as I can get.” He grinned suddenly, the flash of white making her breath catch at how gorgeous he looked.
“I do too.” She grinned. “But I really don’t want you to have to cancel everything just for me. I don’t mind being left alone.”
“Ahh, you need your space. I get it.”
Ava looked away from his smile. She didn’t mind his mocking tone; keeping things this way helped insulate her from what was inevitably happening. For him, this was just sex. Great sex, but that was all there was. The last thing she needed was for him to think that she wanted anything more. Besides, the less time they spent around each other, the easier it would be for her to keep pretending she was still in control of her heart.
“How about Carly?” she asked quickly, curious about his assistant whom she hadn’t been seeing as often.
“Actually, I gave her the day off,” he said wryly, and Ava suddenly realized that Jonas really had meant to spend the day with her. Her heart almost began to lift with hope, but then she squashed it down. Jonas was the ultimate charmer; it cost him nothing to be nice. Again and again she had to remind herself, it doesn’t mean anything.
And yet, she couldn’t help feeling a pang as she looked up and met his steady gaze. She wondered what he was thinking, and why he was staring at her like that.
“Ava…” he began, but his sentence was cut off by the sound of her name coming from the entrance.
Ava turned in amazement to find her brother stalking into the restaurant, and she watched, shocked as Jonas abruptly rose, his face expressionless.
“You son of a bitch!” Jeffrey snarled, reaching their table, his eyes fastened on Jonas. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing but you’ve done enough damage to my family. It stops now.”
Nearby diners glanced their way in curiosity, and Ava wanted to sink into the ground. “Jeff, what are you doing?” she hissed, her fists clenching.
Her brother barely looked at her but instead, held Jonas’s gaze angrily as he gritted out, “I want you away from this bastard. I don’t give a damn what he may have offered you, Ava. You’re worth far more.” This time, he turned to look at her, his expression pained. “I’m sorry for the way that I attacked you over Kirk. I never meant to push you into doing something like this.”
“This was never your fault,” she said quickly. “I…” But his earnest words cut her off.
“No, Ava, listen to me. I flew straight here as soon as I could to tell you this. I know why you are doing this and it doesn’t matter. The company, getting it back. It doesn’t matter. You’re coming back with me. I’m not leaving you behind.”
“Jeff, seriously…”
“No, he’s right.”
Ava stopped short,
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