On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3) (10 page)

Chapter 17

Tyler

“Are very happy together,” a deep voice finished Ava’s stumbling.

With a satisfied smirk, Tyler strode confidently across the stage, fully aware the camera was tracking his every move. But then again, so did the presenters’ gaze. Only Ava hadn’t looked up. Tyler knew his girl better than she’d ever willingly admit. She knew he was there. She had to. He could feel the crackle in the air between them and Tyler believed with everything he was that Ava could too.

“Tyler,” Ava whispered breathlessly as he sunk onto the sofa beside her, laying the huge bouquet of white roses in her lap before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He felt her tremble beneath his touch before she sighed heavily and sunk against him. Tyler knew Ava was using his strength right now and that was something he had no intention of denying her. Not now. Not today. Not ever.

“Good morning, Tyler,” the host chirped, dragging his attention from the beautiful woman in his arms.

“Morning, Quinn. Adrian.” Tyler nodded in their direction while his fingers traced circles on the top of Ava’s arm, leaving her covered in a million tiny goose pimples.

“Thanks for joining us this morning.”

“My pleasure.”

“So, we’re guessing that you can confirm the status of your relationship?”

“Absolutely I can. I shouldn’t have to, but I will. Just this once,” he added with a wink.

Tyler found it completely ridiculous that his personal life was open to scrutiny and even worse that as a result Ava’s was too, but he wasn’t about to lose his cool. When he’d planned on crashing Ava’s interview it wasn’t because he had any doubt that she couldn’t do it on her own, but more the fact that she shouldn’t have to. Tyler knew she wouldn’t handle the personal questions well and if he could make that easier for her, then nothing was going to stop him.

He heard Ava suck in a deep breath and stole a glance at her. He’d never seen someone so beautiful. Her cheeks were rosy and her pupils dilated. Beneath the nervous exterior Tyler could see the happiness in her eyes. With a nod that would have been unnoticeable to anyone who didn’t know her, Tyler forced his attention back to Quinn and Adrian.

“The lovely and talented Ava Jacobs and I are just taking things one day at a time right now.”

“So you are officially together?” Adrian clarified.

Tyler wanted to laugh. In all the years hanging around the guys at the pool he couldn’t recall one conversation about being official. Luke and Sam often boasted about their latest conquests and bedroom antics but it was never so politically correct and formal.

“Yes, Adrian. I’m the lucky guy who gets to call the beautiful Ava my girlfriend.”

Squeezing her close, Tyler held on with everything he had and when he pressed his cool lips to Ava’s temple, he knew without a doubt that being there had been the right thing to do. With fascination, Tyler watched as Ava stopped fidgeting and her whole body relaxed against him. He’d done and said the right thing. And the smile that covered her face was proof of that.

“Well, ladies, I’m sorry to say that you heard it here first. Tyler Andrews is officially off the market. We’ll take a break and be right back.” Quinn smiled daintily and waited with a perfect smile covering her face until it was safe to relax.

When one of the cameramen confirmed it, Tyler turned Ava towards him and kissed her properly. He’d been dying to do it since he’d stepped to the side of the stage and watched her begin the interview.

When she pulled away her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, and she was short of breath, “What…are…you…doing…here?”

Tyler’s heart soared. She looked thoroughly kissed, something he was damn proud of. She might not have said it in words, but her whole body was screaming at him. Every thought that was running through her mind was mirrored in his own.

“I have an interview scheduled.”

“Here?”

“Yep.”

“This morning?”

“Yep.”

“And you didn’t tell me because…”

“I thought you’d like the surprise?” Tyler offered, raising a hopeful eyebrow.

Tyler knew he should be embarrassed. He was acting like a love drunk idiot, but he couldn’t summon the energy to give a shit. He was happy. Anyone who wanted to make anything more of it could get fucked.

“Did you now?”

“Yep!”

It came out as a barely audible whisper. “Thank you.”

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that?”

“Thank you, Tyler. For being here. For always being there. For me.”

“Anytime, Short Stack. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.” With another not so innocent kiss shared, a coughing interrupted them.

Adrian was standing there watching their every move, his arms folded across his chest. He was trying to look intimidating and in control, but the light in his eyes gave him away. There was happiness and playfulness there.

“Tyler, you ready to do this?”

“Yep. Let’s do it.”

“All right then. Ava, are you staying?”

Tyler didn’t give her a moment to answer. He wasn’t finished with her yet and he wasn’t about to let her out of his sight. Or his arms. Whether it was the dress, the lighting, the confidence of just Ava being Ava, she looked damn fuckable right now and he wasn’t about to risk having someone else think so.

“Yes. She is,” he growled out as he laced his fingers with hers.

“Okay then.”

Tyler watched as Adrian stepped backwards and out of the firing line. Tyler had just gone all caveman and claimed Ava publicly and he’d never felt better. To Tyler the next ten minutes felt like a waste of time. Answering questions about the upcoming Olympic trials, his times, and his fitness before publicly announcing his latest sponsorship deal—a three year deal with the car manufacturer Jeep.

With a sigh of smug satisfaction, Tyler felt Ava tense beside him at the announcement. Tyler knew he would have some explaining to do and he was looking forward to it.

With a fake smile plastered across her face, Quinn turned towards them and shot Ava a look that Tyler hadn’t been expecting. It was tortured and he felt Ava stiffen beside him. He needed to get her out of there as quickly as possible. “Well, we thank you for your time today Tyler, and of course, Ava. Good luck with your future endeavours. We wish you both all the best.”

Swallowing the sarcastic comment on the tip of his tongue, he forced himself to remain calm. “Thank you, Quinn and Adrian, for having us. I think I can speak for both Ava and myself when I say it’s been a pleasure.”

Glancing down at Ava, Tyler didn’t miss the forced smile she flashed him and he squeezed her hand supportively. It took another few seconds before the cameras stopped rolling and they were ushered off the set. Barely five steps into the deserted hallway, Tyler pinned her against the wall with his hard body, his hands cupping her face.

“You were amazing out there, Ava…”

“No…”

“Don’t. Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Think less of yourself. Convince yourself that you’re not enough.”

“I…I wasn’t.”

“Nice try, Ava.” Tyler’s forehead came to rest on hers and he breathed in her scent. “But you forget, I know you.”

As Ava opened her mouth to protest, Tyler covered hers with his own. The kiss was more than he’d expected and when Ava arched against him, he heard the groan rumble from the back of his throat. Pulling back before he embarrassed himself, Tyler dropped a kiss on Ava’s forehead before he put some much needed distance between them.

“Wow!” Ava exclaimed as she pressed her finger against her swollen lips.

“That’s one word for it,” he countered breathlessly, running his hands down Ava’s arms before settling on her hips. “I need to get you out of here. What time does your training start?”

“Nine-thirty.”

“Perfect!”

“Perfect?”

“Come on, Short Stack. I’m taking you for breakfast!” Tyler declared, intertwining his fingers with Ava’s and leading her down the hall. Without giving her a chance to object, Tyler led Ava down the corridor, offering all those who stared a tight smile.

Pushing open the heavy glass doors, Tyler stepped out onto the busy street, not surprised to see it bustling with people dressed in their designer pinstriped suits, with one hand clutching their phones and the other a steaming paper cup. When Ava dropped his hand he felt a chill. Maybe he’d gone too far. Pushed her too fast. Outing their relationship so publicly seemed like a good idea at the time, but Ava’s silence made him question everything.

Spinning on his heel, Tyler was visibly relieved to see she was simply fishing through her handbag before pulling out a pair of oversized sunglasses. Slipping them into place, she was barely recognizable. Tyler felt a tug of at his heart.

“Should we grab a taxi?” Ava’s voice sung sweetly as she slipped back to his side.

Wrapping his arm around Ava’s shoulders, Tyler dipped his head. “I’ve got a better idea.” The curiosity that consumed Ava’s face made him smile widely. “Trust me.”

“I don’t know…”

“Come on.”

With measured strides, Tyler led Ava across the concrete walkway and into the busy car park. Digging through his pocket, he pulled out a set of keys and clicked the remote. A sleek silver Jeep Compass beeped to life as Tyler opened the passenger door.

“What? Who? What?”

“Come on, Ava. Let’s get some breakfast and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Tyler wasn’t surprised to see reluctance etched all over Ava’s face, but she remained silent as she slipped into the front seat. Once she settled, Tyler pushed closed the door before he scurried around and started the engine.

A few moments passed before Ava said, “Nice car.”

“Glad you think so,” he replied with a wink.

Without another word, Tyler navigated his way through the traffic, taking them to breakfast. He’d planned this. Down to the last detail. He knew exactly where he was going and already had a reservation waiting for them.

Chapter 18

Ava

Tyler was up to something. Ava knew it with every fibre of her being but he was being coy. Or at least trying to be. Stealing a worried glance at her watch, Ava knew she really didn’t have time for this. Being late on her first day of training wasn’t something she was interested in. As her nerves increased, she forced herself to take a deep calming breath and remembered what she’d just done. It was something she’d never wanted to do. Something she’d never intended to do—go on live national television and pimp herself out. That’s how she felt about promotion. Ava wasn’t dumb and she knew that PR was a necessary evil, but she’d naïvely hoped that she’d be able to remain faceless behind the book. Let it be promoted without her.

And then Tyler appeared.

Twenty minutes later, Ava was still more than a little off balance that he’d so publicly and confidently outed their relationship. It was as if he didn’t have a care in the world. If anything he seemed the exact opposite. Proud to have it all out there for the world to see. Sadly, Ava couldn’t feel the same. She shook her head, hoping to dislodge the feeling of dread that had settled over her.

“Ready?”

Tyler’s voice shook her from her own thoughts and she finally saw what was in front of them. He’d managed to score a parking spot with a view. Only Tyler would be able to do that. Had Ava been driving, she’d be circling the car park for an hour and still end up having to walk a mile.

Nodding her head, Ava grabbed her handbag and pushed open the door. The first thing she noticed was the sea air. It just smelt different. Stronger. More refreshing. Or maybe it was the scent of coffee that the breeze carried. As she smoothed her dress down, Tyler appeared beside her and wrapped her up in his arms. Everything else around them faded away and Ava was lost. This man could be the death of her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

Without a word, Tyler led her through the throng of people as they hustled and bustled from the ferries that bounced in the harbor. Ava may have been caught up in Tyler but that didn’t mean she was oblivious to the glances and fingers pointed in her direction. Thankfully, everyone seemed to have enough manners to keep their distance, and for that Ava was grateful. She couldn’t deal with overzealous fans right now. She needed Tyler to herself for a while.

As a seagull squawked with delight as it pilfered an abandoned piece of doughnut, Tyler pulled out a chair for Ava to slip into. “You know I have to be there shortly?”

“I know.”

“Do we have time for a sit down breakfast? I mean, I’m not really hungry. I mean, at all. I could just grab a coffee, so…”

“Ava!” Tyler clasped her hand across the table and locked his steely gaze with Ava’s scattered one. “Just breathe. We’re fine. You won’t be late. See, here’s your breakfast now.”

Two servers appeared in their black and white uniforms, their red aprons hanging low. The first carried a tray laden with coffee and orange juice while the second placed a plate of steaming scrambled eggs and smoked salmon in front of her.

Ava waited until they’d moved to the next table before she started her interrogation. “But how? When? Tyler?”

“I placed our order yesterday when I booked the table. I knew you’d be worried about having enough time, so this just seemed easier. Now, will you stop stressing and just enjoy your breakfast and this beautiful morning with me?”

Stunned, Ava didn’t know what to say. She was so confused by the jumble of emotions overwhelming her that she wanted to scream. Overcome with happiness, Tyler’s thoughtfulness and consideration, she was still slightly annoyed that he’d been so presumptuous as to simply assume she’d have breakfast with him and then to place her order—even though she’d never admit that he nailed it.

“Look at that view,” Tyler sighed.

Unable to answer due to the huge mouthful of eggs, Ava looked around. Tyler was right. Again. The view was stunning. Sydney was turning on its best and it was hard to stay mad at anyone, let alone Tyler right now. With the sun warming her, Ava watched as busy people navigated the walkways, carefully dodging the tourists who’d gathered to take photos of the harbor. With the Opera House on the right and the Sydney Harbor Bridge on the left, it really was a picture perfect post card morning.

“It’s beautiful,” Ava murmured.

“So are you,” Tyler replied, not missing a beat.

Ava felt her cheeks burn under his compliment and frustration consumed her. She didn’t know why. He dished them out so often, one day Ava hoped she’d be able to simply take it in her stride and not be knocked off balance by his kind words. But she couldn’t bring herself to believe them. Surely, he didn’t mean it. He couldn’t. Ava was just Ava. Plain. Boring. Average.

For the rest of their meal they stayed quiet and instead took the time to people watch. Behind her glasses, Ava felt invisible. She was able to simply sit back and watch the world turn. She scrutinized businessmen who appeared too busy and too important to use their manners no matter what. They bumped into someone as they hustled passed, they didn’t excuse themselves or apologise. When they ordered their cappuccino from a nearby vendor, please and thank you seemed to be a foreign language. Then there were those school kids, all dressed alike but trying to stand out at the same time. Some carried designer handbags on their arm, screaming for attention, while others had backwards baseball caps on their heads and earbuds stuffed in their ears as their heads bounced up and down to the beat.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Startled, Ava gasped. She hadn’t noticed the server heading her way once again.

Tyler just chuckled deviously. “Just the bill, thanks.” He waited until the pimple-faced server had moved away before he spoke again. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I was just a million miles away,” Ava admitted sheepishly.

“Thinking?”

“Yeah.”

“Good thoughts, I hope.”

“Always.”

Tyler smiled and instantly Ava was reminded why the whole country was in love with him, and she was most definitely not an exception to that. He had a way of making her feel at ease, special, cherished, and when he smiled like that, Ava swooned. Quickly he handed over his card and paid before leading Ava back to the car. He was always so thoughtful Ava couldn’t help but be suspicious. Most men she’d met didn’t think. Ever. So being with one who did all the time was sometimes overwhelming.

Just as they reached the car, the peace that had enveloped them was shattered. “There he is!” a high pitched squeal called, followed by wild giggles and the sound of shoes clacking on the wooden dock.

Spinning on her heel, Ava turned just in time to see Tyler swallowed up by a sea of over eager teenage girls. “Tyler, can you sign this? Can I get a photo? Wow! You’re really tall.”

Glancing over their heads, Tyler asked the silent question and Ava just nodded with a bemused smile. This didn’t happen often, but when it did she still found it hilarious. Being with Tyler was never boring.

Ava dropped her handbag on the front seat before leaning on the door. Tyler was so patient with them. He signed and smiled and answered their questions without any hint of frustration creeping in. This was the part of his job he didn’t get any credit for. The part he’d always said he’d give up in a heartbeat. Standing there, watching him interact with his fans, Ava knew he was exactly where he should be.

“Tyler, we saw you on the TV this morning. Is that woman really your girlfriend?” A bleached blonde Barbie asked with a pout.

Ava didn’t want to get her back up but she couldn’t help it. This adolescent had her tiny boobs pushed into Tyler’s arm as much as she could and she was staring up at him with wide adoring eyes. Jealousy was not a feeling Ava liked and she had no doubt it didn’t look good on her. Not one little bit.

Lifting his head, Tyler looked directly at Ava and smiled before extracting his arm from Barbie’s boa constrictor-like grip. “Yes. Ava and I are together.” He didn’t miss a beat. And ashamedly, Ava found herself relieved. Every time he declared they were together she felt a little safer. She knew it was something she was going to have to get over and in a hurry before it became a barrier between them, nevertheless watching him confirm it to his adoring public made her fall just a little further.

“Oh,” Barbie sighed heavily as she stepped back, almost as if Tyler’s words were physically repulsive.

Unable to stop herself, Ava snickered. Thankfully, the only person who noticed was Tyler.

“Well, ladies, I have to go now and I’m sure you need to get to school, so have a great day.”

A chorus of “you too” and “we love you” sang out as Tyler found his way back to the car and slipped into the driver’s seat.

Unable to wipe the smirk from her face, Ava remained silent and instead focused on checking her phone. She’d silenced it before entering the studio and had been so caught up by Tyler’s whirlwind appearance she hadn’t bothered to change it back. But the moment she did the messages flooded in.

Jake: Nice performance. :)

Tina: You looked great! Nice dress.

Matthew: Good work, Ava!

Katie: That was great! UR a natural—the camera loves u.

Ava couldn’t hold back the laughter.

“What?” Tyler asked, shooting her a confused glance.

“Katie.”

“Oh shit! What’d she do now?”

Ava read him her message and they both laughed honestly. “She really doesn’t have any filter, does she?”

“Unfortunately not!”

When the phone buzzed again, Ava looked down and saw Amanda’s message blowing up her phone. She exploded. She laughed so hard she snorted. And at the sound of her snort, she found herself laughing even harder.

“Care to share?” Tyler asked befuddled.

“Amanda.”

“That explains it. What’d she say this time?”

Amanda: Whoa! WTF was Tyler doing there? CALL ME…NOW!!!!

Tyler chuckled. Typical Amanda. No nonsense, straight to the point. “You better call her,” he conceded.

“Nah. She can wait.”

Ava had been so caught up on her phone she hadn’t noticed that Tyler had already parked and switched off the engine. Scrambling to catch up, Ava grabbed her things and leapt from the car before looking back and making sure she hadn’t left anything. More than once she’d left something in a rental car only for it never to be seen again.

With long strides and a shit-eating grin plastered across his face, Tyler strode towards her, causing a flock of butterflies in her stomach to go crazy. “You ready?”

“No.”

“You’ll do great. Come on.” Tyler smiled, reaching for her hand.

But as Ava went to wrap her fingers with his, she brushed the cool metal. “What the…”

“Car keys.”

“Funny boy! Why are you giving me your keys?”

“Because they’re not my keys?”

“Stop being a shit, Tyler. What’s going on? What am I missing?” Ava asked, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice. Surprises were not her thing. In fact, they didn’t leave her feeling all bright and bubbly and happy usually because she was so overcome with crippling anxiety.

“It’s your car.”

“Mine?”

“Yep. Yours.”

“No, Tyler. No, no, no!” Ava protested adamantly.

Placing his hands on either side of her neck, Tyler held her still and caught her eyes, which were bouncing about back and forth like a pinball machine. “Breathe, Ava! You need a car. I need you to be safe. So, problem solved. Now you have a safe, reliable car.”

“I can’t…”

“You can. And you will.”

“Tyler…”

“Look, Ava, how about this. Why don’t you drive it for a couple of days and when we get home we can argue about it there?” Tyler tried to reason.

“But…”

“Come on, Ava…Please. I don’t want to argue about this. At least not out here on the street,” Tyler begged. Ava’s heart lurched. She glanced around, and for the first time noticed the audience starting to gather and humiliation flooded her.

“Fine!” Ava huffed, snatching the keys and storming around the car before sliding behind the wheel. As much as she wanted to be angry and annoyed at Tyler for doing something so completely over the top, she was struggling. The luxurious leather seats welcomed her. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, it was a damn comfortable car.

Following her a moment later, Tyler appeared at the driver’s door. Pushing down the electric windows, Tyler casually leant his folded arms on the window before sticking his head through the gap. “Drive carefully, Short Stack! We’ll talk tonight, but please think about it. I love you and I just want you to be safe.” He kissed her like he meant it, completely oblivious to the flashes of cameras catching their private moment. He retreated from the car, spinning and walking away.