silent.
“Ava.” Her name was torn from his lips. “Christ, stop. Please. Let me talk to you. Let me hold you.”
His words went unacknowledged.
“I won’t hurt you, baby. I swear, I’d never hurt you.” It came out as a harsh, heartfelt whisper. He was desperate to engage her, to comfort and reassure her.
Ava’s steps slowed until she came to a stop. She dropped her head in her hands.
Jared circled to face her, leaving enough space between them that she could run if she needed to. “No matter what happens, I would never hurt you. If you believe nothing else, believe that.”
Her shoulders heaved in time with the sound of her sobs.
“Come here. Come to me.” He held his arms out, keeping his hands open, visible if she looked. “Let me hold you. Comfort you.”
“Jared…”
“Believe me. Believe I’d never harm you.”
“I do.” She stared at him, her face ravaged with tears.
“Show me.” God, he ached for her. “Please.”
Jared said no more after that, waiting instead. Giving her the time and space to respond. He held his breath, frightened that even the smallest sound might scare her.
And Ava walked right into his arms.
He released that pent-up breath in a ragged sigh. As Ava touched her head to his chest, he wrapped her against his body, holding her loosely in his embrace. It wasn’t enough.
“Can I hold you tighter? Pull you in closer?”
“I… I’d like that.”
Jared tugged her in, holding her as close as he dared. For the first time since his lips had touched hers, he found his lungs functioning properly again. He rested his chin on the top of her head and ran his hand along the length of her hair, up and down, soothing the woman he loved. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”
“I’m sorry I panicked.” Her voice was thick with tears. “I…know you’d never hurt me.”
Never. Not in a million years. And yet she’d still felt threatened.
With each moment that passed, Jared’s suspicions about Anthony increased, as did his fury. The bastard had hurt Ava.
Jared had never experienced a murderous rage, but he was coming close now. God help Anthony if Jared—or his brother, or any of the Dinner Club, for that matter—ever got their hands on him.
For long moments they stood there, shrouded in silence. Jared struggled to keep his wrath under control, anger and disgust for her ex boiling in his veins. He had no proof, and his rage would only scare the woman he loved, so he shoved it aside, focusing on his desire to hold and protect her.
“I know you won’t believe me,” she murmured quietly when her tears had subsided and her breath had evened out, “but I…I liked your kiss.”
Jared closed his eyes against a rush of emotion. “I liked it too.” So damn much.
She kept her face burrowed against his chest. “Do you think, maybe, we could try it again sometime?”
He laughed softly. “I think we might be able to arrange it.” He’d kiss her all day, every day given the opportunity. “Do you think, maybe, the next time we try it, we do so without the death grip on my balls?”
“Um, about that…”
Jared waited, but Ava said no more on the matter. Her shoulders, however, grew rigid.
He refused to let the tension to build between them again. They’d already gone through the wringer once. That was enough. “It’s all good, Torres. You were only protecting yourself.” One day he’d like to feel that firm grip again—just without her fear and the menacing intent. “Now how about we get to Hurricane’s before they give our table away? I’m starving.”
“You still want to have dinner with me? Even if I’m acting a little crazy?”
“Were you not paying attention earlier? I always want to spend time with you. Even when you’re acting crazy.”
Ava finally looked up at him. “Did you mean what you said earlier? About loving me?”
He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Every word of it.”
She frowned. “And you say I’m acting
“Ava.” Her name was torn from his lips. “Christ, stop. Please. Let me talk to you. Let me hold you.”
His words went unacknowledged.
“I won’t hurt you, baby. I swear, I’d never hurt you.” It came out as a harsh, heartfelt whisper. He was desperate to engage her, to comfort and reassure her.
Ava’s steps slowed until she came to a stop. She dropped her head in her hands.
Jared circled to face her, leaving enough space between them that she could run if she needed to. “No matter what happens, I would never hurt you. If you believe nothing else, believe that.”
Her shoulders heaved in time with the sound of her sobs.
“Come here. Come to me.” He held his arms out, keeping his hands open, visible if she looked. “Let me hold you. Comfort you.”
“Jared…”
“Believe me. Believe I’d never harm you.”
“I do.” She stared at him, her face ravaged with tears.
“Show me.” God, he ached for her. “Please.”
Jared said no more after that, waiting instead. Giving her the time and space to respond. He held his breath, frightened that even the smallest sound might scare her.
And Ava walked right into his arms.
He released that pent-up breath in a ragged sigh. As Ava touched her head to his chest, he wrapped her against his body, holding her loosely in his embrace. It wasn’t enough.
“Can I hold you tighter? Pull you in closer?”
“I… I’d like that.”
Jared tugged her in, holding her as close as he dared. For the first time since his lips had touched hers, he found his lungs functioning properly again. He rested his chin on the top of her head and ran his hand along the length of her hair, up and down, soothing the woman he loved. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”
“I’m sorry I panicked.” Her voice was thick with tears. “I…know you’d never hurt me.”
Never. Not in a million years. And yet she’d still felt threatened.
With each moment that passed, Jared’s suspicions about Anthony increased, as did his fury. The bastard had hurt Ava.
Jared had never experienced a murderous rage, but he was coming close now. God help Anthony if Jared—or his brother, or any of the Dinner Club, for that matter—ever got their hands on him.
For long moments they stood there, shrouded in silence. Jared struggled to keep his wrath under control, anger and disgust for her ex boiling in his veins. He had no proof, and his rage would only scare the woman he loved, so he shoved it aside, focusing on his desire to hold and protect her.
“I know you won’t believe me,” she murmured quietly when her tears had subsided and her breath had evened out, “but I…I liked your kiss.”
Jared closed his eyes against a rush of emotion. “I liked it too.” So damn much.
She kept her face burrowed against his chest. “Do you think, maybe, we could try it again sometime?”
He laughed softly. “I think we might be able to arrange it.” He’d kiss her all day, every day given the opportunity. “Do you think, maybe, the next time we try it, we do so without the death grip on my balls?”
“Um, about that…”
Jared waited, but Ava said no more on the matter. Her shoulders, however, grew rigid.
He refused to let the tension to build between them again. They’d already gone through the wringer once. That was enough. “It’s all good, Torres. You were only protecting yourself.” One day he’d like to feel that firm grip again—just without her fear and the menacing intent. “Now how about we get to Hurricane’s before they give our table away? I’m starving.”
“You still want to have dinner with me? Even if I’m acting a little crazy?”
“Were you not paying attention earlier? I always want to spend time with you. Even when you’re acting crazy.”
Ava finally looked up at him. “Did you mean what you said earlier? About loving me?”
He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Every word of it.”
She frowned. “And you say I’m acting
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