Page 28 of Wild Heart

Now, it seemed I was going to have the opportunity to make Ava being naked with me a reality. I had a decision to make—either go on pretending like she hadn’t just made the offer she had and risk the possibility of never having the chance to do this with her again or walk out of this ballroom and get a keycard for her room.

This night had already meant so much to me. I could have been completely content to just be back on good terms with her. I had intended to find some time before the evening was over to talk to her. I didn’t want her to leave here to head back out on tour for even another day, let alone a week, without making sure she knew how I felt and where I intended to take us when she returned.

Ava had upended those plans, but perhaps I wouldn’t need to say a word to her if I showed up. Maybe that was all it would take. After years of failed attempts on her part to get us to where she demanded we go tonight, simply walking through the door and into her suite would say it all. She’d no longer have to question where I stood. And while a conversation would eventually be necessary—I believed she deserved to know why I’d held back all these years—that discussion didn’t have to happen tonight.

I won’t ask or offer ever again.

I was rattled.

One small part of me still wanted to do this my way, but a much bigger part realized that was no longer an option. I’d had my chance, and it hadn’t gotten me anywhere good.

Ava made it clear where she stood, what she wanted. She was as serious as ever, and she wasn’t interested in talking about any of it. I’d been given an ultimatum, and sixteen months of no contact told me Ava wasn’t messing around anymore. She would go to great lengths to break the connection we had if I didn’t come through for us now.

The only person in the equation who’d withheld and hid their feelings was me. So, I had no choice but to play this her way if Ididn’t want to lose her. All I had to do was show up tonight and give us what we’ve both wanted for years.

Unwilling to waste another second and risk losing Ava completely, I became unstuck and walked out of the ballroom toward the hotel’s reception desk. Our nightshift employee was there helping another guest, so I went to one of the free computers, discovered Ava’s room number, and made myself a key.

By the time I was on the elevator, I stopped thinking about everything that had happened to lead up to this moment. Instead, new sensations had washed over me. Excitement, anticipation, and curiosity about what I’d find when I walked into that room consumed me. I wondered where I’d find her and how she’d react. I allowed my mind to consider what taking this step would be like for the both of us.

When I came to a stop outside her door, I placed one hand on the handle and sucked in a deep breath. There was no turning back now.

I waved the key card in front of the lock, pressed down on the handle, and stepped inside.

As I walked deeper into the suite, I called, “Ava?”

There was no response.

I continued moving, my legs carrying me toward the bedroom. At the open doorway to the bedroom, I ground to a halt.

The air had left my lungs.

Standing at the foot of the bed, wearing a nightie that showed off more skin than it covered, was Ava. Suddenly, this became all too real.

We were going to do this. And it was that realization that had me taking a moment to pause.

All the thoughts I’d had on the elevator about things I wanted to do with and to her tonight flew out the window. This wasn’tgoing to be planned out; it couldn’t be. As I took her in, my eyes making several sweeps over her gorgeous body to ensure I didn’t miss a single inch, I quickly realized the only thing I knew about where this night would lead was that I wanted to savor it, to savor her. We’d have plenty of time to explore the miles-long list I had in my head when she got back from the tour. For now, for tonight, I was going to take my time.

“I didn’t think you were going to come.” Ava’s voice was small and unsteady. She sounded crushed, like she had fully expected to be disappointed by my inaction once again.

I had been busy focusing on the way she looked, but hearing her voice like that, such a stark contrast from what I’d become accustomed to hearing from her, my eyes shot to her face. How had I turned her down all these years? “I’m glad I could surprise you.”

There was a moment of hesitation, an instance of her wondering if she could still trust this was the real deal, before she asked, “So, are we… You’re not here to turn me down in person, are you?”

That stung.

Then again, I deserved it.

Ava had grown so used to me refusing her advances that this came as a bit of a shock.

Hating that I’d stolen her confidence, I decided to do something extraordinary to clear up any lingering doubts she had about my presence here. I stepped fully into the room, closed the distance between our bodies, and watched as she braced herself for what was coming.

A moment later, I hooked an arm around her waist. As I tugged her tight to me, her eyes widening slightly and her hands flying to my chest, my opposite hand drove into her hair. My eyes roamed over her face for just a few tense seconds, my gazelingering on her slightly parted lips before I crushed my mouth to hers in a bruising kiss.

Ava was so stunned; it was as though she’d been frozen solid. But a few beats later, following a bit of coaxing with my lips, she moaned and melted into me.

And that was the moment everything changed. Though it hadn’t been my intention for things between Ava and me to go this way, there was something to be said about delayed gratification.

A kiss. It was only just a kiss, and for the rest of my life, I’d never forget it. Not the way it felt to have her lips on mine, her body inching closer, her hands pressing in firmly, or her moans filling the air around us.