Page 16 of Yes, Love

Ava emerged from the closet holding a silk table cloth and a box filled with candles. She gave me a cheeky smile and finally admitted, “Okay, I want pizza. The dairy will make me break out, but I seriously had a shit day.”

“Right. Loads to unpack there, but I’m going to order that pizza first.” I ordered two separate pizzas — a veggie one for Ava, and a meat one for myself, then followed her out to her deck. Ava was busy lighting candles and arranging them on a small round table near the pool.

“You break out?” I called over to her.

Ava glanced over at me with a frown. “Yeah. I just have to look at dairy or forget to wash my face once, and then it’s like pimple city.” She stiffened, like she hadn’t meant to say those words aloud, and then snapped at me. “Don’t ever say a word about that to anyone!”

I laughed and made my way over to the table. “Why would I?”

Ava shrugged. “People have exploited smaller flaws and weaknesses of mine for no reason at all.”

“So you’re a bit guarded then?” I slid my arm around her waist without thinking. Something was off with Ava tonight, and I had this strange urge to touch her. Did I want to comfort her, or was I just a horny prick? She really was well fit, and I was aching for sex.

She didn’t pull away from my touch. “You could say that.” Ava turned to face me. I kept my hand at her waist. “You’re weirdly nice tonight.”

“I’m a nice guy, Ava.” I grinned at her and reached up to brush the hair from her face with my free hand. “There’s a reason the fans love me.”

“Oh, gawd!” Ava rolled her eyes and slapped my hand away. “My fucking white knight.” She continued lighting the candles.

Had I said something that wrong? I was only joking. If I pulled her into my arms and told her that, would she let me keep touching her? I had this burning desire to hold her.

It was a sexual desire, wasn’t it? Not emotional. I’d never been such a horny bastard, so it had to be sexual. “Ava,” I began. “I’m sorry, I was joking. Why did you have a shit day?”

Ava raised a single eyebrow at me. “Wait, do you actually care?”

I nodded and reached out to brush my fingers down her arm. I couldn’t stop touching her. Ava’s skin felt fantastic.

Ava let out a deep breath and turned back to the candles, breaking our contact again. “The director of the shoot today told me I looked fat in half the photos. He put them up on a projector in front of everyone and pointed out every single pic where my double chin was showing.”

I blinked in shock and felt an odd wave of anger flash through me. Ava was tiny. How could anyone in their right mind call her fat? And even if she were on the heavy side, what sort of sick bully would point it out to everyone at a photoshoot?

I knew exactly the sort, but I wouldn’t let my thoughts turn to him. I shook my head to clear it and took Ava’s small hand in mine.

“Ava, that’s mad—” I was about to tell her she was gorgeous but was interrupted when she received a notification on her phone.

“Pizza’s here. Will you go and grab it?”

“Course.” I released her hand and made my way back through Ava’s house.

My fake girlfriend suddenly had me burning to know everything about her, mind and body. I collected the pizza from the delivery driver while becoming more and more convinced that sex with Ava tonight was a brilliant idea. We both needed it, really. I’d make her feel beautiful, and she’d make me feel less… well, less like I was going mad from lack of sex.

Ava was blowing out all of the candles and stuffing them back in the box when I reached the back deck. She glanced up at me and sighed. “The lighting is terrible out here. Let’s do this inside.”

I shrugged and followed her back into her kitchen. Mmm… that lovely arse was teasing me. The need to grab it was practically tangible.

I cleared my throat as we made our way into her kitchen. “Ava,” I called after her. “You’re beautiful, and that director sounds like a right bastard. Don’t let him get you down.”

She paused and turned to give me a curious look. “Thanks, Dominic.”

Nine

Dominic

“Well, Ava, looks like you’re officially my bird now.” I gazed at the very staged photo we’d each just posted on our social media accounts. I had my lips pressed to Ava’s neck, and she had her head tipped back with that perfect, fake smile on her face. It only took us eight tries to get the photo right. Ava didn’t think I looked like I enjoyed it for the first three photos, and then her hair was out of place for the next four.

“Yay.” Ava didn’t even look up at me as she scrolled through her phone. “You can leave now. We got the stupid picture.” Her aqua eyes flashed up to meet mine as she moved from the barstool in her kitchen.

“Right.” I slid my phone into my back pocket. I grabbed my keys and then glanced at my pretend girlfriend. Ava’d had a horrible day. I’d told her several times that she wasn’t fat and worked like hell to convince her that she could eat more than one slice of pizza. She looked like she wanted to be alone, but… “You reckon we should celebrate?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.