The Billionaire’s Bride by L. Steele

4

Ava

"Are you comfortable?" I plump up the pillow behind Edward’s neck.

Following his altercation with Baron, Weston had patched him up again, then given him more pain killers. By the time I’d emerged from Edward’s room, Baron had left. I’d been disappointed, but also realized it was for the best. Standing up to one of them takes everything in me. Going toe-to-toe with two of them? That is nearly impossible. Not something I can do. So, when I hadn’t seen or heard from Baron since, I’d taken it as a sign that I should focus on helping Edward recover. Not that it is something I have to do… But I feel compelled to do so… Maybe a part of Baron feels responsible for Edward getting hurt. After all, he had walked into my studio and saved me. I do owe him…somewhat.

Edward had still been asleep when I’d gone home last night, and when I’d returned today, he had seemed much better. So, I’d headed off to the studio, managed to get in the post-lunch dance class, then returned to check in on him. My plan was to head off for my late evening class, if everything went well. I’d cancelled my dance classes the last two days, but if I could get the ones in today, it would definitely help to keep some money coming in.

This time, he is awake.

I tilt my head in his direction. "There’s one thing I want to ask."

"Anything." He smirks.

I frown, "It’s a serious question."

He wipes the smile off of his face. "Is this serious enough an expression for you?"

"Hmm." I huff. "When did you learn to shoot?

"I didn’t?" He raises a shoulder. "I saw the gun lying next to the man on the floor. I picked it up and when I saw him aiming the gun at the both of you, I followed my instinct and shot at the guy. I got lucky."

"Wasn’t that difficult for you?" I swallow. "After all, you were…are a priest."

"Not anymore," he mutters. "Certainly not, after I’ve broken my vows in every form imaginable."

"Don’t you have to tell the Church or something, that you are leaving them?" I frown.

"It’s the first thing I did in the morning, before I left the city. I met the Bishop and spoke to him."

"And they agreed to let you go?"

"Canonical law states that once you are ordained as a priest, the sacrament can never be erased." His lips twist. "But before I left, I asked to be laicized."

"What does that mean?"

"I can no longer function outwardly as a priest."

"Oh, Edward." I twist my fingers together. "Why did you do that? It was so important to you, being in service of the Church and your flock."

"It was," he agrees, "until I found something more important."

He peruses my features and my cheeks heat.

"I can’t accept it," I whisper. "It’s too much of a responsibility."

"It was inevitable." His sighs. "I thought I could use the strictures of the priesthood to find some semblance of normalcy. Turns out, I was wrong. I thought I had overcome the aftermath of the incident, but… I had only been biding my time."

"I am not sure I understand what you mean."

He peers up into my face, "You will…in time."

"Why don’t you tell me now?"

He raises his hand and cups my cheek. "So impatient," he murmurs, "so feisty." He runs his hand down my cheek, and twists a strand of my hair around his fingers. "So soft." He leans forward and sniffs, "I missed this." He peers into my face. "I missed you, Ava. Your touch, your scent, your little moans when you come apart in my arms, the way you kiss, how you get that little line between your eyebrows when you concentrate on something."

"Ed—"

"Let me say what’s on my mind, Eve." He places a finger on my lips. "The weeks I was away, I swore if…when I came back, I wouldn’t wait anymore. The distance I put between us showed me how important you are to me."

Heat spools off of his body, embraces me, cocoons me in a familiar bubble of contentment. This is Ed, remember, the man you fell head over heels in love with? The man who turned his back on everything he held dear, for you. "You still left," I whisper.

"Can you ever forgive me for that?" He winds the strands of hair around his palm and tugs. I lean in closer, until my mouth is poised just above his, until I am sharing his breath.

"I wish I could say that, given a choice, I wouldn’t do it again," he whispers, "but it’s what helped me sort through the thoughts in my head. It’s what made me realize what you mean to me."

"It’s what made me realize that maybe what we had was not completely right for me."

His brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind." I shake my head. "That didn’t come out right."

I rise to my feet and he grabs my arm. "Tell me what you’re thinking, Eve."

"Please don’t call me that," I whisper.

"Why?" he growls, and I glance away.

"Tell me why I can't call you by the nickname I gave you?" he demands.

I bite the inside of my cheek, refuse to meet his gaze.

"Is it because you don't like the name anymore?"

"No," I protest, "it's not that."

"Then?" He scowls. "What is it?"

"It's just that Baron... He..."

Edward's gaze intensifies. "Motherfucker," he snarls. "It's because he calls you by the same name, isn't it?"

When I don’t reply, his jaw hardens. "Yet another thing he took away from me."

"I am not anyone’s to take," I insist. "I am my own woman."

"And you are mine."

"I… I am not sure about that."

"Stop that." He pulls me onto his lap. "You belong to me. That’s it. End of story."

"If only things were that simple."

"It is that simple." He brings his big palm up to cup my face again, in a gesture that is so Edward, so dominant, yet so sweet that I feel like bursting into tears right then.

I glance away. "It’s not, Ed. Things are much more complicated,"

His shoulders tense. "Because of him."

"You can say his name, you know," I chide him. "After all, he is your friend."

"Not anymore."

"You trusted him enough to ask him to look after me."

"Big mistake," he growls. "I wish there had been another way out."

"You could have stayed," I remind him.

"I’d have only destroyed whatever it was you felt for me, if I had."

"You changed what I felt for you."

"Did I, Eve?" He rakes his gaze across my features, "Or are you simply confused because he fucked you?"

"Edward!" Only when his head snaps back, do I realize that I’ve slapped him.

"Shit." I pull away from him, "Shit, shit, shit." What’s happening to me? First Baron, then Edward. I’ve slapped both of them. Before I’d met them, I’d never slapped a single person in my life… If you didn’t count my sister, growing up. But really, I’ve never lost my temper and now… I can’t go a day without striking one or the other.

"I’m sorry," I mutter, "it’s just what you said—"

"No, I’m sorry." Edward sits up against the pillow. "That was wrong. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just, coming back to being shot, then seeing the two of you together…" he shakes his head, "I am making excuses. Nothing pardons how I insulted you." He drags his fingers through his already mussed-up hair. The usually composed Father—no longer Father—the usually unflappable Edward, all riled up and wearing a hospital gown… Not to mention that he’s unshaven. The beard on his chin only adds to his rumpled appeal. And then, he had apologized. Not to say that when he’d been Father Edward, he’d been impolite, but his dominant traits had been tightly leashed. Hidden under a control that had been both thrilling and scary to observe. Now, it’s as if his personality is tumbling out and he isn’t quite sure how to handle it.

He stares at me, then holds out his hand, "Come 'ere."

I glance at it, then back at him, "I don't think that’s a good idea."

"Come here, Ava." His voice lowers to a hush, and damn him, but I can’t stop myself from obeying him. I walk over to him and he, once more, pulls me down into his lap.

"I missed you, Eve."

Something warm pools in my chest. I push the thick silky hair away from his forehead. "I did too," I say honestly.

"I want you to know that I don’t blame you for what happened."

"You don’t?"

He shakes his head. "Baron can be a little overbearing. And you are the most beautiful woman in the world. Of course, he made a play for you."

"It wasn’t exactly like that," I mutter.

"He and I, we have a lot in common. If anyone knows how he operates, it’s me. I know he must have come onto you hard, and before you’d realized what was happening, he’d have moved in."

"Edward, no, it wasn’t all him," I insist.

"It’s okay, Eve." He rubs his thumb across my cheek. "Whatever happened, it’s only a temporary setback. Nothing we can’t recover from."

"Hold on a second." I push at his chest. "Whatever happened was consensual, Edward."

He frowns. "You were distraught, not in the right frame of mind. Baron took advantage of you."

"No, he didn’t," I maintain.

"Of course, he did." He peers into my face. "He must have." His jaw tics. "It’s why you slept with him."

"I fucked him, Ed." I hold his gaze. "I wanted to be with him, and it wasn’t only because I was missing you."

His amber gaze catches fire. A vein beats at his temple. "What are you trying to say?"

"That..." I swallow. No other way out, best to come out and say it. "I was...am attracted to him." I shake my head. "No, actually, it’s more than that, Ed. I have feelings for him."