Briefly Yours, page 11
He scratched his chin, his eyes roaming up and down her body. “If you’re gonna make me choose…”
“I am.”
She loved the hazy look in his eyes.
He swallowed. “Off. Definitely.”
She grinned with delight and stripped her jacket off. “That’s what I was hoping.”
Justin gave out a deep groan as he pulled her into his arms and brought his mouth to hers. This was too much fun, she thought, sinking her tongue between his lips. Her hands reached up to stroke his back, the clean smell of him invading her senses as she pressed her body to his, her breasts crushing against his chest.
“I love the way you kiss me,” she murmured, her lips brushing across his.
“Yeah?” he asked, gently licking her upper lip with his tongue.
An ache between her thighs threatened to overtake her. “Mmmm…”
He sure made this whole seduction thing easy on a girl.
“Let’s get you out of this,” he said, reaching between them for the buttons of her blouse.
“You first.” She unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and tossed it onto a chair. Her hands moved over his warm flesh, feeling his hard muscled arms, the contours of his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, then leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his ear. “How about we give page thirty-six a try,” she murmured.
She pulled away to catch his reaction.
He furrowed his brow, as if trying to remember which page that was. After a pause, his face brightened and he reached for her. “Hell, yeah.”
“So you’re up for the challenge?”
“Oh, I’m definitely up,” he assured her.
While her mouth pressed against his again, she reached her hand down and pressed it against the hard length of him through his pants. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and smiled up at him. “Umm. So I see.” She reached for the top button.
“Don’t you want to talk first?” A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye, giving his teasing away.
He unbuttoned her blouse and ran his fingers inside her bra, cupping one breast in his hand. “We could eat.” He nodded toward the dining room table. “That food you brought smells really…” She reached inside his boxers, taking him in her hand, and he shut up. He squeezed his eyes shut and brushed his mouth against her hair.
She pulled the zipper of his jeans down, trying to push them around his hips.
While his fingers splayed across her, Justin’s thumb stroked her hardening nipple. She drew in a little breath and pressed her mouth against his.
Stripping off her blouse, he revealed the sexy little white lace bra she’d designed one day at lunch that week.
His eyes roamed over her breasts. “What are you trying to do to me?”
Dropping to his knees, he slid the pantyhose down her legs. She shivered with delight as he planted little kisses on the flesh he slowly revealed.
“Step out.” She obeyed the request and lifted one foot while he pulled the hose off one, then the other, while she balanced herself with her hands on his shoulders.
When she joined him on the floor he unhooked her bra, then kissed her breasts one by one. He palmed one while he drew the other in his mouth, teasing her with his tongue.
He slid her underwear off and turned her around, leaving her naked and alone on her hands and knees.
“Don’t move.”
Embarrassed at her awkward position, and frustrated at the loss of his touch, she looked back. “Justin, are you going to leave me like this?”
“Protection…” he mumbled, halfway across the room. “It’s in the other…”
“In my purse,” she said, trembling with anticipation while she waited.
“Sorry for the delay,” he said a moment later, sidling up behind her. She noticed that he he’d also brought the Kama Sutra book. “Where were we?” he mumbled, flipping through the pages. She chuckled. How could he make her laugh despite the fact she felt as if she’d die if he didn’t enter her that second?
She didn’t have to wait much longer. He thrust into her, moving slowly at first, then increasing his pace while she moved with him. When he reached his hand around her belly and between her thighs, stroking her, she quaked and shook and couldn’t stop herself from crying out.
He climaxed moments later, stilling inside her.
Ava sighed, collapsing on the floor, unable to prevent a grin from coming over her face. “I think I…like page thirty-six.” She brushed a damp lock of hair away from her flushed face and tried to catch her breath.
Justin collapsed beside her. After a minute, he looked over at her and growled hungrily. “So. You ready for thirty-seven?”
Later, Ava lay on her side next to Justin, one leg hitched up over his. A couple of Chinese food containers lay empty on the nightstand in the dark bedroom. She lay her head down on the pillow, feeling sleepy and lazy and completely satisfied. She stroked Justin’s torso, enjoying the feel of him under her hand. Very mysterious, this guy next to her. Somehow she’d discover all his little secrets.
Never in her wildest dreams had she thought anything would happen between them. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe she’d imagined this whole thing, and in reality she lived for designing full-coverage bloomers and bras, no man in sight.
But the very real male lying next to her told her otherwise. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, you know,” she murmured.
Justin ran a hand over his forehead. “Do you have any idea how glad I am you came over tonight? That boring dog and pony show at Fielding’s house just about killed me.”
She ran her lips across the faint trace of stubble on his chin. “I thought you liked those things.”
He took a deep breath. “Only so much a guy can take.”
“Really.” Ava reached down between his thighs and caressed him, wrapping her fingers around him. She laughed. “You sure about that?”
He gave out a groan of pleasure. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”
“Mmmm…that’s the idea,” she replied. She moved her hand up and caressed his stomach, feeling the taut, warm muscles under her fingers. She settled her head against his chest.
“I thought about you all day.”
She smiled, watching him. Her thoughts always ended up on him, too, despite trying to concentrate on her work. Truthfully, she thought about him all the time. “What did you think about?”
He turned to her. “Doing you on the couch in my office.”
An incredulous grin came over her face. “Are you serious?”
“Dead.”
Her cheeks flushed as an image of his little fantasy floated through her brain. “Mine might be more comfortable than yours.”
“Want to try it tomorrow?” When she didn’t answer, he laughed. “I’m not kidding.”
She nudged his arm. “I’m serious, too. You know…I never planned for us to get involved like this.”
He settled himself closer to her, wrapping one arm around her. “Me, either. You made me break my rule.”
She lifted her head, fascinated. “What rule is that?”
“Never get involved with someone I work with.”
Surprised, she stared at him. “You’ve never?”
He shook his head. “What about you?” He looked away. “Nah, don’t tell me. I don’t want to think about you with some other guy.”
“Hmmm…would it make you jealous?” she asked.
His eyes met hers, the most serious look on his face she’d ever seen. “Yeah.”
Melting, she put her chin on his chest and grinned. “So this rule of yours… does that mean Leslie never had a chance?”
He shook his head. “If you hadn’t been irresistible…”
“I wouldn’t have either, huh?”
She hoped this little thing they had going wasn’t clouding his judgment. If he’d never done this before with someone he worked with, how would he know if she could really pull this off? Was it just because of what had happened between them?
“Justin, you’re not doing this for me, are you? There’s a rumor going around that you’re keeping the company alive when it’s falling apart. Do you really think we can pull Cupid’s Beau off?”
“We? You’re the one who’s done the hard part.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“I know it will.”
She thought about that. She wondered if anyone actually believed in her when they’d given her this project, or if they’d set her up for failure right from the start. It seemed like no matter what anyone else thought, though, she had Justin on her side. Justin. Still a mystery she intended to solve.
She leaned up on one elbow. “Justin?”
“Mmmm?”
“What were you like when you were younger?”
He shifted uncomfortably beside her. “What do you mean?”
“You never talk about your family.”
“Not much family to talk about. I was an only child.”
“Yeah, me, too, but…your parents, then. Where do they live?”
He sighed and fidgeted with the cup in front of him. “Uh…well…it’s not that interesting. My story’s not that great, believe me.”
“I’d like to hear it,” she murmured.
“Maybe later. I’m exhausted. Okay?”
Disappointed, she nodded. She didn’t want to force it. But somehow…one day she’d get the truth out of him.
Justin stroked his hand across the softness of Ava’s naked hip and watched her sleep. He’d never get enough of her, even if he had her a thousand times. Every time he made love to her he thought it would ease the ache inside him, and bring him closer to letting her go, but instead it just made him want her more.
He admired her more than anyone he’d ever met. He knew she had her doubts about herself, but he wasn’t kidding thinking she could pull this off. Sell the company off piece by piece? Nah, that would be a waste. Not when she’d given something that would take them into next year and the years after that.
For once, he dedicated himself to the plan. He wasn’t sure he could follow through, but for Ava, he’d give it his best shot.
Fielding poured himself a second glass of wine at Ali’s Cafe the next afternoon. He tried to pour some in Justin’s glass, but Justin covered it with his hand.
“Thanks, but…it’s gonna be a long afternoon.”
Fielding settled in his chair. “I need feedback on Cupid’s Beau.”
Justin savored a bite of shish kabob. “I reviewed the line so far. It looks incredible.”
Fielding dipped a piece of pita bread into some hummus. “And the costs?”
“After careful research…I believe if we increase the units in the line…expand distribution by twenty percent…profits will soar.”
Fielding raised one eyebrow. “Increase the units? Has Ms. Parker even completed the minimum yet?”
“She’s well over the projected number of garments. I think when you see them, it’ll be hard to exclude any from the line. Giving more choice to the customer will turn more of a profit overall.”
Fielding shook his head and grimaced. “It’s a risk.”
“I’ve found some areas we can make cuts. That should help alleviate some risk if we increase production costs.”
Fielding pursed his lips. After a long pause, he relaxed in the chair. “Sounds like you’ve done your homework.”
Justin gave a wry smile. “I’m working on it.”
“Look, we gave the line to Parker unsure of what the results would be. She was our best bet, but there was no guarantee…she’s still a risk.”
“That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?” Justin said, giving Fielding what his mother used to call his thousand-dollar smile.
Sure, she was a risk. When he first took this position he’d thought the company had set itself up for failure, but that was before he met Ava. Somebody knew what they were doing when they’d decided she was the one to take over Cupid’s Beau.
Justin sliced into a grilled red pepper. “If you’d like to see a sample of what she’s come up with, I’m sure I could persuade her to…”
“Tell her I’ll need to see her samples this afternoon,” Fielding replied. “But first, I want to know if you think she can pull this off.”
“Thomas, I have no doubt that she will. Not only that, but we have a big surprise in store for you.”
Fielding swallowed the last bite of pita bread and pursed his lips. “Glad you’ve been there to help her through this. Could have been a disaster. Hiring you was the best idea Matheson ever had,” he growled under his breath.
Help Ava? Justin thought. Her name and “disaster” didn’t belong in the same conversation. All he’d done was sit sat back…okay, all he’d done was stand there… naked…and watch her line come to life. Not a lot of effort on his part.
“She’s done an amazing job all on her own.”
“Don’t be modest, Barrett. I heard that about you. Modest.” His plate empty, Fielding wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it on the table.
Wait until the gala, Justin thought. It would be her night to finally show them all. He was sure after that they’d give her respect instead of torturing her, and she could work on that insecure thing she had going on, the one that didn’t need to be there in the first place.
He sat back in his chair. Whether everyone admitted it or not, this project was Ava’s and hers alone.
9
“I’ll be right there. Yeah. Hang on, Mom.”
Ava watched Justin fold up his cell phone and place it beside him in the jeep while they drove home from dinner in Santa Monica.
“Shit.” He pressed the gas pedal hard.
Ava’s heart started racing. Not like him to get upset about much of anything. She’d heard the stress in his voice during the call, and figured it must be something serious with his mom. “What’s wrong?”
Justin headed toward the freeway entrance. He glanced over at her. “Do you mind going with me to the Valley? My mom got hurt and I need to check on her.”
“Of course I don’t mind. Is she all right? Should…should we call an ambulance or something?”
“I don’t think so. She said she was cooking and cut herself with a knife. Said she’s okay, but she gave herself a scare. I don’t know, though. She doesn’t usually call me unless she’s in trouble.”
“Where…where does she live?”
He sighed as he merged onto the freeway, focused on getting there. He cleared his throat. “Roscoe Hills.”
She nodded. “Shouldn’t take us long to get there.”
Justin was silent, and feeling the tension in the air, Ava let him focus on driving, hoping everything would be okay once they got to his mother’s house. They headed north on the freeway, way out into the Valley. In the silence, she secretly hoped she’d catch of glimpse of his old house, his old life. And the woman who gave birth to him might shed some light on him, she thought with a little smile. She hoped his mother was okay.
Justin finally pulled up into the driveway of a small, modest house at the end of a residential block. He undid his seatbelt and gave her a sheepish look. “Well, this is it.”
She got out of the car and followed Justin as he rushed into the open front door of the house.
“Mom?” he called.
“I’m in the kitchen,” a distraught female voice called.
A woman who could only be Justin’s mother, dressed in a flowered robe with her hair in pink curlers, sat at the kitchen table, her hand resting in a red plastic bowl filled with ice water.
Justin rushed over to her. “What happened?”
“Just sliced my finger, is all. I was cutting up some veggies and the knife slipped.” Her eyes brightened when she glanced up and noticed Ava. Her tone brightened. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Ava smiled.
“You didn’t mention you were bringing a girlfriend over.”
Justin cleared his throat, and Ava was surprised and the unusual look of embarrassment on his face. “Mom, this is Ava. Ava, this is my mom.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ava said shyly, noticing that his mother and Justin had the same dark hair and the same long, dark eyelashes. She recognized that full set of lips, too.
Justin nodded toward his mother’s hand. “Did the bleeding stop?”
His mother pulled her hand from the bowl and examined her cut finger. “I think so.”
Justin took her hand in his and examined it. “The cut’s deep.”
“It’s not that bad. Not deep enough to need stitches.”
“We should take you to the hospital, just to make sure.”
“How many times did I take care of you when you got hurt? Trust me. I know when something needs stitches. I’m fine. I just…scared myself more than anything. I called you during the worst part. Just panicked, I guess.”
“I can get some gauze or band-aids,” Ava offered, trying to make herself useful.
“In the bathroom medicine cabinet, dear,” his mother said.
Ava went down the hallway, returning to the kitchen with a package of band-aids and a small first aid kit. Justin opened the kit and washed her hands with some antiseptic, and then wrapped his mother’s finger in some gauze.
“There, that’s perfect,” his mother said, examining her bandaged fingers. “Good as new.”
“Does it hurt?” Justin asked.
“It’s not that bad.”
He stood up straight, his mouth forming a straight line. “I’ll get you some aspirin.”
“I already took two.”
Ava looked on, touched by the attentive, gentle way Justin treated his mother while he looked her over. He looked so intense and worried about her.
“You two young people go on. I didn’t realize I was interrupting your evening,” his mother said, a sly smile coming across her face. “I’m glad to see that my son has someone…”
Justin put one hand on her shoulder. “You sure you’re all right, Mom?”
“I’m fine. My poker friends are on their way.” She patted her head. “Got to take these curlers out and get dressed.”
“I could stay with you tonight…”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Everything’s fine. When I saw the blood I thought it was worse than it was and I needed you for moral support. You’d better go before they get here and rope you both into staying to play Texas Hold ’Em.”
“I am.”
She loved the hazy look in his eyes.
He swallowed. “Off. Definitely.”
She grinned with delight and stripped her jacket off. “That’s what I was hoping.”
Justin gave out a deep groan as he pulled her into his arms and brought his mouth to hers. This was too much fun, she thought, sinking her tongue between his lips. Her hands reached up to stroke his back, the clean smell of him invading her senses as she pressed her body to his, her breasts crushing against his chest.
“I love the way you kiss me,” she murmured, her lips brushing across his.
“Yeah?” he asked, gently licking her upper lip with his tongue.
An ache between her thighs threatened to overtake her. “Mmmm…”
He sure made this whole seduction thing easy on a girl.
“Let’s get you out of this,” he said, reaching between them for the buttons of her blouse.
“You first.” She unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and tossed it onto a chair. Her hands moved over his warm flesh, feeling his hard muscled arms, the contours of his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, then leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his ear. “How about we give page thirty-six a try,” she murmured.
She pulled away to catch his reaction.
He furrowed his brow, as if trying to remember which page that was. After a pause, his face brightened and he reached for her. “Hell, yeah.”
“So you’re up for the challenge?”
“Oh, I’m definitely up,” he assured her.
While her mouth pressed against his again, she reached her hand down and pressed it against the hard length of him through his pants. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and smiled up at him. “Umm. So I see.” She reached for the top button.
“Don’t you want to talk first?” A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye, giving his teasing away.
He unbuttoned her blouse and ran his fingers inside her bra, cupping one breast in his hand. “We could eat.” He nodded toward the dining room table. “That food you brought smells really…” She reached inside his boxers, taking him in her hand, and he shut up. He squeezed his eyes shut and brushed his mouth against her hair.
She pulled the zipper of his jeans down, trying to push them around his hips.
While his fingers splayed across her, Justin’s thumb stroked her hardening nipple. She drew in a little breath and pressed her mouth against his.
Stripping off her blouse, he revealed the sexy little white lace bra she’d designed one day at lunch that week.
His eyes roamed over her breasts. “What are you trying to do to me?”
Dropping to his knees, he slid the pantyhose down her legs. She shivered with delight as he planted little kisses on the flesh he slowly revealed.
“Step out.” She obeyed the request and lifted one foot while he pulled the hose off one, then the other, while she balanced herself with her hands on his shoulders.
When she joined him on the floor he unhooked her bra, then kissed her breasts one by one. He palmed one while he drew the other in his mouth, teasing her with his tongue.
He slid her underwear off and turned her around, leaving her naked and alone on her hands and knees.
“Don’t move.”
Embarrassed at her awkward position, and frustrated at the loss of his touch, she looked back. “Justin, are you going to leave me like this?”
“Protection…” he mumbled, halfway across the room. “It’s in the other…”
“In my purse,” she said, trembling with anticipation while she waited.
“Sorry for the delay,” he said a moment later, sidling up behind her. She noticed that he he’d also brought the Kama Sutra book. “Where were we?” he mumbled, flipping through the pages. She chuckled. How could he make her laugh despite the fact she felt as if she’d die if he didn’t enter her that second?
She didn’t have to wait much longer. He thrust into her, moving slowly at first, then increasing his pace while she moved with him. When he reached his hand around her belly and between her thighs, stroking her, she quaked and shook and couldn’t stop herself from crying out.
He climaxed moments later, stilling inside her.
Ava sighed, collapsing on the floor, unable to prevent a grin from coming over her face. “I think I…like page thirty-six.” She brushed a damp lock of hair away from her flushed face and tried to catch her breath.
Justin collapsed beside her. After a minute, he looked over at her and growled hungrily. “So. You ready for thirty-seven?”
Later, Ava lay on her side next to Justin, one leg hitched up over his. A couple of Chinese food containers lay empty on the nightstand in the dark bedroom. She lay her head down on the pillow, feeling sleepy and lazy and completely satisfied. She stroked Justin’s torso, enjoying the feel of him under her hand. Very mysterious, this guy next to her. Somehow she’d discover all his little secrets.
Never in her wildest dreams had she thought anything would happen between them. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe she’d imagined this whole thing, and in reality she lived for designing full-coverage bloomers and bras, no man in sight.
But the very real male lying next to her told her otherwise. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, you know,” she murmured.
Justin ran a hand over his forehead. “Do you have any idea how glad I am you came over tonight? That boring dog and pony show at Fielding’s house just about killed me.”
She ran her lips across the faint trace of stubble on his chin. “I thought you liked those things.”
He took a deep breath. “Only so much a guy can take.”
“Really.” Ava reached down between his thighs and caressed him, wrapping her fingers around him. She laughed. “You sure about that?”
He gave out a groan of pleasure. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”
“Mmmm…that’s the idea,” she replied. She moved her hand up and caressed his stomach, feeling the taut, warm muscles under her fingers. She settled her head against his chest.
“I thought about you all day.”
She smiled, watching him. Her thoughts always ended up on him, too, despite trying to concentrate on her work. Truthfully, she thought about him all the time. “What did you think about?”
He turned to her. “Doing you on the couch in my office.”
An incredulous grin came over her face. “Are you serious?”
“Dead.”
Her cheeks flushed as an image of his little fantasy floated through her brain. “Mine might be more comfortable than yours.”
“Want to try it tomorrow?” When she didn’t answer, he laughed. “I’m not kidding.”
She nudged his arm. “I’m serious, too. You know…I never planned for us to get involved like this.”
He settled himself closer to her, wrapping one arm around her. “Me, either. You made me break my rule.”
She lifted her head, fascinated. “What rule is that?”
“Never get involved with someone I work with.”
Surprised, she stared at him. “You’ve never?”
He shook his head. “What about you?” He looked away. “Nah, don’t tell me. I don’t want to think about you with some other guy.”
“Hmmm…would it make you jealous?” she asked.
His eyes met hers, the most serious look on his face she’d ever seen. “Yeah.”
Melting, she put her chin on his chest and grinned. “So this rule of yours… does that mean Leslie never had a chance?”
He shook his head. “If you hadn’t been irresistible…”
“I wouldn’t have either, huh?”
She hoped this little thing they had going wasn’t clouding his judgment. If he’d never done this before with someone he worked with, how would he know if she could really pull this off? Was it just because of what had happened between them?
“Justin, you’re not doing this for me, are you? There’s a rumor going around that you’re keeping the company alive when it’s falling apart. Do you really think we can pull Cupid’s Beau off?”
“We? You’re the one who’s done the hard part.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“I know it will.”
She thought about that. She wondered if anyone actually believed in her when they’d given her this project, or if they’d set her up for failure right from the start. It seemed like no matter what anyone else thought, though, she had Justin on her side. Justin. Still a mystery she intended to solve.
She leaned up on one elbow. “Justin?”
“Mmmm?”
“What were you like when you were younger?”
He shifted uncomfortably beside her. “What do you mean?”
“You never talk about your family.”
“Not much family to talk about. I was an only child.”
“Yeah, me, too, but…your parents, then. Where do they live?”
He sighed and fidgeted with the cup in front of him. “Uh…well…it’s not that interesting. My story’s not that great, believe me.”
“I’d like to hear it,” she murmured.
“Maybe later. I’m exhausted. Okay?”
Disappointed, she nodded. She didn’t want to force it. But somehow…one day she’d get the truth out of him.
Justin stroked his hand across the softness of Ava’s naked hip and watched her sleep. He’d never get enough of her, even if he had her a thousand times. Every time he made love to her he thought it would ease the ache inside him, and bring him closer to letting her go, but instead it just made him want her more.
He admired her more than anyone he’d ever met. He knew she had her doubts about herself, but he wasn’t kidding thinking she could pull this off. Sell the company off piece by piece? Nah, that would be a waste. Not when she’d given something that would take them into next year and the years after that.
For once, he dedicated himself to the plan. He wasn’t sure he could follow through, but for Ava, he’d give it his best shot.
Fielding poured himself a second glass of wine at Ali’s Cafe the next afternoon. He tried to pour some in Justin’s glass, but Justin covered it with his hand.
“Thanks, but…it’s gonna be a long afternoon.”
Fielding settled in his chair. “I need feedback on Cupid’s Beau.”
Justin savored a bite of shish kabob. “I reviewed the line so far. It looks incredible.”
Fielding dipped a piece of pita bread into some hummus. “And the costs?”
“After careful research…I believe if we increase the units in the line…expand distribution by twenty percent…profits will soar.”
Fielding raised one eyebrow. “Increase the units? Has Ms. Parker even completed the minimum yet?”
“She’s well over the projected number of garments. I think when you see them, it’ll be hard to exclude any from the line. Giving more choice to the customer will turn more of a profit overall.”
Fielding shook his head and grimaced. “It’s a risk.”
“I’ve found some areas we can make cuts. That should help alleviate some risk if we increase production costs.”
Fielding pursed his lips. After a long pause, he relaxed in the chair. “Sounds like you’ve done your homework.”
Justin gave a wry smile. “I’m working on it.”
“Look, we gave the line to Parker unsure of what the results would be. She was our best bet, but there was no guarantee…she’s still a risk.”
“That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?” Justin said, giving Fielding what his mother used to call his thousand-dollar smile.
Sure, she was a risk. When he first took this position he’d thought the company had set itself up for failure, but that was before he met Ava. Somebody knew what they were doing when they’d decided she was the one to take over Cupid’s Beau.
Justin sliced into a grilled red pepper. “If you’d like to see a sample of what she’s come up with, I’m sure I could persuade her to…”
“Tell her I’ll need to see her samples this afternoon,” Fielding replied. “But first, I want to know if you think she can pull this off.”
“Thomas, I have no doubt that she will. Not only that, but we have a big surprise in store for you.”
Fielding swallowed the last bite of pita bread and pursed his lips. “Glad you’ve been there to help her through this. Could have been a disaster. Hiring you was the best idea Matheson ever had,” he growled under his breath.
Help Ava? Justin thought. Her name and “disaster” didn’t belong in the same conversation. All he’d done was sit sat back…okay, all he’d done was stand there… naked…and watch her line come to life. Not a lot of effort on his part.
“She’s done an amazing job all on her own.”
“Don’t be modest, Barrett. I heard that about you. Modest.” His plate empty, Fielding wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it on the table.
Wait until the gala, Justin thought. It would be her night to finally show them all. He was sure after that they’d give her respect instead of torturing her, and she could work on that insecure thing she had going on, the one that didn’t need to be there in the first place.
He sat back in his chair. Whether everyone admitted it or not, this project was Ava’s and hers alone.
9
“I’ll be right there. Yeah. Hang on, Mom.”
Ava watched Justin fold up his cell phone and place it beside him in the jeep while they drove home from dinner in Santa Monica.
“Shit.” He pressed the gas pedal hard.
Ava’s heart started racing. Not like him to get upset about much of anything. She’d heard the stress in his voice during the call, and figured it must be something serious with his mom. “What’s wrong?”
Justin headed toward the freeway entrance. He glanced over at her. “Do you mind going with me to the Valley? My mom got hurt and I need to check on her.”
“Of course I don’t mind. Is she all right? Should…should we call an ambulance or something?”
“I don’t think so. She said she was cooking and cut herself with a knife. Said she’s okay, but she gave herself a scare. I don’t know, though. She doesn’t usually call me unless she’s in trouble.”
“Where…where does she live?”
He sighed as he merged onto the freeway, focused on getting there. He cleared his throat. “Roscoe Hills.”
She nodded. “Shouldn’t take us long to get there.”
Justin was silent, and feeling the tension in the air, Ava let him focus on driving, hoping everything would be okay once they got to his mother’s house. They headed north on the freeway, way out into the Valley. In the silence, she secretly hoped she’d catch of glimpse of his old house, his old life. And the woman who gave birth to him might shed some light on him, she thought with a little smile. She hoped his mother was okay.
Justin finally pulled up into the driveway of a small, modest house at the end of a residential block. He undid his seatbelt and gave her a sheepish look. “Well, this is it.”
She got out of the car and followed Justin as he rushed into the open front door of the house.
“Mom?” he called.
“I’m in the kitchen,” a distraught female voice called.
A woman who could only be Justin’s mother, dressed in a flowered robe with her hair in pink curlers, sat at the kitchen table, her hand resting in a red plastic bowl filled with ice water.
Justin rushed over to her. “What happened?”
“Just sliced my finger, is all. I was cutting up some veggies and the knife slipped.” Her eyes brightened when she glanced up and noticed Ava. Her tone brightened. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Ava smiled.
“You didn’t mention you were bringing a girlfriend over.”
Justin cleared his throat, and Ava was surprised and the unusual look of embarrassment on his face. “Mom, this is Ava. Ava, this is my mom.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ava said shyly, noticing that his mother and Justin had the same dark hair and the same long, dark eyelashes. She recognized that full set of lips, too.
Justin nodded toward his mother’s hand. “Did the bleeding stop?”
His mother pulled her hand from the bowl and examined her cut finger. “I think so.”
Justin took her hand in his and examined it. “The cut’s deep.”
“It’s not that bad. Not deep enough to need stitches.”
“We should take you to the hospital, just to make sure.”
“How many times did I take care of you when you got hurt? Trust me. I know when something needs stitches. I’m fine. I just…scared myself more than anything. I called you during the worst part. Just panicked, I guess.”
“I can get some gauze or band-aids,” Ava offered, trying to make herself useful.
“In the bathroom medicine cabinet, dear,” his mother said.
Ava went down the hallway, returning to the kitchen with a package of band-aids and a small first aid kit. Justin opened the kit and washed her hands with some antiseptic, and then wrapped his mother’s finger in some gauze.
“There, that’s perfect,” his mother said, examining her bandaged fingers. “Good as new.”
“Does it hurt?” Justin asked.
“It’s not that bad.”
He stood up straight, his mouth forming a straight line. “I’ll get you some aspirin.”
“I already took two.”
Ava looked on, touched by the attentive, gentle way Justin treated his mother while he looked her over. He looked so intense and worried about her.
“You two young people go on. I didn’t realize I was interrupting your evening,” his mother said, a sly smile coming across her face. “I’m glad to see that my son has someone…”
Justin put one hand on her shoulder. “You sure you’re all right, Mom?”
“I’m fine. My poker friends are on their way.” She patted her head. “Got to take these curlers out and get dressed.”
“I could stay with you tonight…”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Everything’s fine. When I saw the blood I thought it was worse than it was and I needed you for moral support. You’d better go before they get here and rope you both into staying to play Texas Hold ’Em.”
