Read Online Learning the Hard Way by Bridget Midway - Free Book Online Page A

line.
    “You ready for your coffee?” He held up the cup.
    “No, I’m ready to go.” She tucked her purse under her arm.
    “Wait. You said dinner then we would go.” He held her hand to keep her in her position.
    She stared at him with a mixture of anger and regret filling her gaze.
    “Don’t let them win.” Troy kept his voice low.
    “They’ve already won. I’m here.” She shook her head. “I hate myself like this. Lying. It’s not me. None of it is. And you.” She swiped her hand under her nose. “You pity me.”
    “No, I don’t.” He swallowed hard.
    “You wrapped your arm around my waist like I needed saving, and I let you.” She pounded the heel of her hand against her forehead. “What is wrong with me?” Ava shook her head. “You probably think I’m some sort of phony bitch, don’t you?”
    Damn. Now she read him like a book.
    “Um, no. I don’t.” Troy squeezed her hand, but she pulled out of his grip.
    “Liar. Doesn’t matter. I’m going home.”
    Before Troy could talk her out of it, she headed to the door. He sat the saucer on the closest table and ran after her, a feat in the tux and slippery dress shoes.
    When he caught up to her, he spun her around to face him. “You mind telling me what just happened back there?”
    Ava said nothing as she searched for their limousine. Once she located it, she stomped to it. Watching her, Troy waited to see if a heel on her pumps would snap off at any moment. He also simply enjoyed watching her tight frame sway back and forth.
    She pounded on the driver side window, waking up the poor driver and probably giving the man the start of a heart attack. The driver powered down the window.
    As soon as he got it low enough, Ava said, “I’m ready to go.”
    “No, she isn’t.” Troy held her arm and turned her around.
    As hard as he tried not to let his inner Dominant come out, she forced his hand. As soon as he saw her storming away from him, a switch turned on in his head. He needed to take control of this situation. The way Ava looked, she wanted him to manage her, steer her in the right direction.
    “Listen to me.” He crouched down and got in her face. “The way you show strength is by not backing down when a challenge hits you. Fight back.” He turned to the slow-blinking driver who looked like he wanted to go back to sleep. “We’ll be back later tonight.” He took Ava’s hand. “We’re going back into that party.”
    “Why? I don’t need to—”
    “Yes, you do.” It didn’t matter what Ava said at the end of her sentence. Troy knew she needed to be strong. He squeezed her hand. “Are you right or left-handed?”
    “Right.”
    As soon as she answered, he released her hand. “Come around to this side.”
    Ava paused before moving to his right side. When she did, he held her left hand.
    “I’ll hold your hand throughout dinner. When you need to talk, I’ll make circles in your palm like this.” He swirled the tip of his index finger over her smooth hand. “When it’s appropriate for you to remain silent, I’ll give you a slight squeeze like this.” He compressed her hand. “I say when we leave, understood?”
    She stared at him. He thought for sure that she would have run away from him, from the situation again. It shouldn’t have surprised him when she nodded. His instincts in spotting someone with accommodating tendencies hadn’t been off.
    He headed back to the building. When he noticed Ava slowing her stride, he stopped. “No.” Troy shook his head. “You always walk next to me. Never behind me.”
    “Yes, um, yes.” She nodded again.
    Like in any new relationship, vanilla or otherwise, names had to be established. “Call me Troy. I want you to use my name at least five times tonight, understand?”
    “I know your name.” Even in the hot summer night, Ava trembled.
    Whether her reaction had stemmed from fear or excitement, he didn’t care. She reacted.
    “I know you know it. I want you to say it.”