Blown Away (15 page)

Brent felt as though
his future hung in the balance, his happiness contingent on Ava’s
next words.

“You still
scare me,” she said, looking down at their joined hands.
“Everything has to be your way, and I don’t think I can live like
that.”

Her concerns
were justified. He was over-bearing, opinionated, and controlling.
That could cost him the one thing he finally realized had been
missing from his life: Ava
.
“Tell me what I need to do. I’ll
do anything.” A year ago, he couldn’t have imagined making
concessions to please a woman, but she wasn’t just any woman. She
was the one his heart had been leading him to for years.

“You can’t
change who you are any more than I can change who I am.”

“I can try.”
Or die trying.
He refused to consider the possibility that
his chance at happiness was slipping away. “Ten years. I’ve loved
you for ten years. I didn’t even realize it. I’ll be honest, I
didn’t think of you every day or even every week, but there was an
emptiness I couldn’t shake. No matter what I did, where I went, who
I dated, how much money I earned, I still felt empty.”

“It seems you
still do.”

“Since you
walked back into my life, I’ve felt more unfulfilled than
ever.”

She laughed
through her tears. “And that’s a good thing?”

He smirked.
“No, it’s not. It sucks.” He returned her smile. “That’s what made
me realize I can’t go on like this, Ava. I don’t want to keep
working just to make money. I don’t want to harbor this grudge
that’s been eating me up inside anymore. I just want to find some
happiness and peace… with you.”

“Trust is the
foundation of every solid relationship, Brent. Are you telling me
you could learn to trust me?”

Trust.
Brent knew Ava was nothing like his mother or Jamie. She would
never betray him the way his mother had betrayed his father. Family
meant everything to Ava. She would never abandon him and their
children the way
that woman
left him and his brother.
“Yes.”

She looked
uncertain. “Are you sure about that?”

“Sweetheart, I
won’t pretend I know anything about making a relationship work. I
don’t, but I’m willing to try.” He’d do anything for her, sacrifice
anything to make it work.

She narrowed
her eyes as though trying to gauge his sincerity. “Are you telling
me you won’t lose it when we’re out and some guy looks at me a
little too long?”

“I’m not going
to lie, baby…” Exposing his fears was the hardest thing he’d ever
had to do, but if he didn’t, it would be the end of the road for
them, and his sanity wouldn’t let him risk that. “The thought of
losing you to someone else scares the hell out of me. Maybe it
always will, but I’m willing to do everything I can to make you
happy, so you’ll never want to leave me.”

A wary look
clouded her eyes. “Brent, I’m not ready to start thinking about
forever. We have to get to know each other all over again.”

He didn’t want
to rush their relationship, but he refused to downplay his
feelings. “You take all the time you need to figure out what I
already know, sweetheart. Fate brought us back together for a
reason.”

She raised an
eyebrow. “Fate?”

He grinned.
“Okay, maybe it was Keith who brought us back together. Same
difference.”

She laughed as
she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know there’s a story
there. You’ll have to tell me someday.”

Brent
surrounded her face with his hands. “Someday.” Their kiss lasted
long enough to remind him, all over again, why he needed her. Every
day without Ava had been a missed opportunity, and he didn’t want
to go on pretending he was fine without her.

“Wow,” she
whispered. Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes glazed with
passion that simmered like a live wire between them. “I could get
used to that.”

“You’ll have
to.” He grinned as he pulled her to her feet.

She leaned into
his chest. “Where are you taking me?”

“Like you have
to ask.” That night could only end in one place, and every second
they wasted talking was another added to those they’d already
wasted.

He walked
backward and led her down the hall, his mouth never leaving hers.
“I know how lucky I am,” he whispered between kisses. “Having you
back… getting another chance to get it right…”

She lifted his
shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor behind them. “Maybe
the third time will be the charm.”

It took him a
minute to follow her train of thought. They were about to make love
for the third time. A baseball analogy popped into his head, but he
forced it away. He wouldn’t be striking out with her. It was a new
beginning for them, a chance for him to make up for all the
mistakes he’d made, all the women he’d wronged, by finally getting
it right with her.

Clothing fell
away, leaving a trail behind them, and they fell into the welcoming
cushion of his luxury mattress. They were surrounded by darkness
until he hit the light switch beside his bed. He dimmed it so he
would have just enough light to witness her expression as she gave
herself to him.

Brent took his
time exploring her body, treating his mouth to a journey his mind
and body would never forget. Loving her after he’d allowed himself
to admit that’s what it was was surreal
. Love
. It wasn’t
infatuation or a guy who couldn’t stand to lose trying to recreate
his past with the girl who got away. It was love. The kind he’d
always been afraid to surrender to because it could leave him
broken and alone.

“I love the way
you make me feel,” she whispered when they finally came together.
“I forget everyone and everything else.” She closed her eyes on a
moan when he shifted positions. “It’s just you and me.”

He discovered a
sensitive spot on her neck and took full advantage, licking and
kissing the tender skin until her nails and teeth bit into his
flesh. “That’s the only thing that matters, baby.” He looked into
her eyes, committing that picture to memory. He didn’t ever want to
forget how it felt to pleasure her when that was the only thing in
the world that mattered. “You and me. The hell with everything
else, it doesn’t matter.”

Ava gave
herself over completely, trust in her eyes when he brought her to
the edge and back. She never pleaded with him to take her there.
She knew he would because her satisfaction was and always would be
his first priority.

When he
couldn’t stand the teasing and taunting any longer, he let go and
let his body pilot the rest of the ride. He closed his eyes and
enjoyed the slow, slick slide as she milked him, proving she could
give as good as she got. He could barely breathe when she squeezed
him mercilessly in the throes of her second orgasm.

“Let go,” she
whispered. “Just let go.”

He realized
he’d been trying to give her what he thought she needed without
thinking about what he needed. He’d never put a lover’s needs
before his own. He’d always wanted them to enjoy the experience,
but with Ava it was different. Her pleasure came first.

“Oh, God.” His
whole body trembled and he collapsed on top of her. He was careful
not to crush her, but it wasn’t easy. He was thankful he’d had the
sense to reach for protection, but he wondered whether his legs
would support him while he made his way to the bathroom to dispose
of it.

Ava giggled in
his ear. “Are you okay?”

“No, I think
I’m gonna pass out.”

She slapped his
back. “I thought that was supposed to be my line. How do you keep
getting better and better, Armstrong? Have you been
practicing?”

Her tone was
light, but Brent knew the question was sincere. “No.”

“Good to
know.”

He rolled onto
his side, taking her with him. “I’m serious. I haven’t been with
anyone else, baby.”

“I believe
you.”

She trusted him
without reservation, but he didn’t feel he’d earned it yet. He
asked, “I have an event tomorrow night. Will you come with me?” If
he could have bowed out, he would have. Armstrong’s was one of the
homeless shelter’s largest benefactors, so he was expected to make
an appearance on behalf of his company. He didn’t give back for
praise. He gave back because people were still suffering the way he
had been. It was his way of paying it forward.

“I wish I
could,” she said, gliding her hand down his stomach. “I have a
meeting with a new client. The only time he could meet me was
seven.”

Brent didn’t
know if he would ever get used to Ava meeting handsome, eligible
men intent on finding a partner. He knew the first question in
their minds would be about her marital status.

“It would mean
a lot to me if you could be there, sweetheart.” He wasn’t trying to
interfere with her business. His mother and stepfather would be
there, and he could really use Ava’s support. Besides, he wanted
the world to know he was officially off the market.

“Why is this so
important to you?”

The words
“trust” and “honesty” echoed in his head. “My mother and stepfather
will be there. I don’t want to deal with them alone right now.” He
could handle them, but he hadn’t yet decided how to proceed with
the deal. He could pull out of the acquisition or find a way to
save their company, but he didn’t know if he was willing to extend
an olive branch and he had no intention of being influenced by them
one way or the other. When he saw them, he could just walk away or
instruct them to stay out of his way, as he’d done a dozen times
before, but he meant what he’d said to Ava. He wanted to let go of
the animosity so he could move on. With her.

“In that case,
I’ll ask Tara to take the meeting. She’s sat in on dozens of intake
interviews. She can handle it.”

He didn’t know
how much he’d been hoping she would accompany him until she agreed.
He didn’t just want her by his side, he needed her. “Thanks, hon.”
He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. “I owe you
one.”

“I’ll remember
that,” she said, trapping his legs with hers. She yawned. “We
should get some sleep. I don’t know about you, but I have an early
morning.”

Brent was
grateful she hadn’t asked him to take her home. He didn’t want to
engage in a battle of wills tonight. He rolled over, curling into
her back. “Sweet dreams, beautiful.”

***

Brent looked
out over the land he loved as he waited for Tucker and Ava. He was
excited to start the construction. He knew what and who he wanted,
but he was dependent on other people to turn his dream into a
reality. That made him uneasy. He liked being in control, but being
with Ava meant he had to share his dreams and hope she would want
the same things.

Tucker arrived
first, parking his pickup truck at the peak of the hill next to
Brent’s Hummer. He shook Brent’s hand before admiring the view.
“Wow, this spot is incredible. Look at that view.”

“Yeah, I think
so too. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it.” He chuckled.
“Of course, I couldn’t really afford it back then. I was dumping
all my money back into the business and helping my family.” Brent
looked down at the clear blue water below. “This was the first
really big thing I ever did for myself.”

Since then,
he’d accumulated properties all over the world, cars that cost
millions, and business holdings that rivalled any tycoon’s, but
that piece of land would always be special because when he’d closed
on it, he was one step closer to his dream.

Tucker looked
at Brent a long time. “I admire what you’ve accomplished, man. I
did a little research before our meeting. You came from nothing and
now…”

He had it all.
Except for one thing: a family of his own. “I’ve been blessed.”
Brent shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. He
hadn’t gone into work again that morning. He needed more time to
decide how he wanted to handle the acquisition.

“Let’s be
honest, you worked your ass off,” Tucker said, laughing.

“That too.”
People didn’t get where he had without hard work and
determination.

“I may be out
of line, but are you sure now is the right time for you to be
taking on this project? It’s gonna be a big commitment, and you
seem… a little distracted.”

“I’m sorry,
I’ve just got a lot going on with my business.”

“And your
personal life?” Tucker shot him a side-long glance. “We couldn’t
help but notice things seemed a little tense when you and Ava left
last night.”

“I feel like
I’m at a crossroads in my life.” He didn’t know why he was
confiding in Tucker. He’d never trusted anyone outside of his
brother and father, but he couldn’t talk to them. They had their
own opinions about his mother and his revenge plot. They were all
too close to it, too invested, just like Brent.

“How so?”
Tucker asked, ignoring his cell phone when it buzzed.

Brent
appreciated the gesture. He knew it was Tucker’s way of telling him
he had his undivided attention. “I’ve been working toward this one
goal most of my life. I’m almost there, so close to having it, and
I’m not sure I want it anymore.”

“That’s why we
have to take stock of our goals from time to time, to make sure
we’re still on the right path.”

Brent slid his
sunglasses up and looked at Tucker. “Yeah, but how do you know if
you’re still on the right track or if you’re just too damn stubborn
to give up on something you should have let go of a long time
ago?”

“You listen to
your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.”

“Maybe you’re
right.” Brent had been tense since his mother left his office. He
had a hunch it may be time to let go of his resentment and them
live their lives in peace so he could do the same.