Age of Ava by Melanie Moreland

Chapter 3

Hunter

The moment I saw her, I wanted her. There was something so undeniably sexy about a woman in a business suit. Her skirt was knee-length, her jacket done up, and her hair swept away from her face—nothing at all obvious or eye-catching.

Except, with her, everything was.

Her beautiful eyes, creamy skin, the hints of purple I could see twisted into a knot on her head. And that mouth.

That sassy, full mouth that taunted me immediately.

I had been so pissed off coming out of the town hall, needing to get even more damn paperwork from the truck, I hadn’t seen her. I was glad I hadn’t hurt her.

Now, I had her in my arms, and my hips were pinning her against the side of her car as I kissed her passionately.

Her mouth was hot and spicy, the same, no doubt, as mine, but there was something else, something uniquely Ava. It was addictive, and I pushed closer, wanting more.

At six foot four, I guessed her height around five seven or eight. I still towered over her, but she wasn’t so short I had to bend. She made the softest noise in her throat—almost a purr—and I wanted to hear more of it. I wanted to know what she sounded like in the heat of passion.

With me.

I dragged my mouth to her ear. “Upstairs. Come upstairs with me.”

She turned her head, pressing her mouth to mine again, and I let her lead, enjoying the strokes of her tongue and how she explored me. I wanted her to explore every inch of me. I wanted to do the same for her.

Then a car pulled into the parking lot, honking its horn loudly. “Woo-hoo!” some asshole yelled out, banging on the side of his vehicle. “Free show!”

Ava pulled back, startled, looking around, blinking and confused. I couldn’t help but smile at her bewilderment.

I tugged her hand. “Come on.”

She looked at me, her eyes now clear and panicked.

“No,” she said emphatically.

Immediately, I dropped my hands, holding them up. I stood back. “Okay,” I agreed.

I knew no meant no, and I wasn’t the sort of man that thought otherwise.

“I’m sorry. I mean, I can’t. I don’t…” She trailed off. “I don’t do this.”

I rested my hands on my hips. “If it makes you feel any better, neither do I.” I studied her for a moment. “You seem to be the exception, Little Dragon.”

She drew in a deep breath. “It’s just hero worship.”

I lifted one eyebrow. “Beg your pardon?”

“Back there, at city hall. I helped you. It made me, ah, attractive.”

I threw back my head in laughter.

“What happened back there was a spectacle worth seeing. But that’s not what made you attractive. You need to look in the mirror more.”

She furrowed her brow, and I backed up. “You sure?” I teased, knowing the moment had passed. Regretful, but that was how it went sometimes.

“Yeah, I am,” she said, but I heard the trace of remorse in her voice.

“No problem.” I turned and headed toward the stairs. “Nice encounter with you, Ava.”

“Is that what you’ll call it?” she asked, sounding curious.

I paused and looked back at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth swollen from mine. Her hair was no longer perfect, one long strand hanging on the left side to her shoulder.

“No.” I winked before I walked away. “I’ll think about it as one of the greatest kisses that got me nowhere—ever.”

I didn’t wait to see how she would respond. I bounded up the stairs and turned the corner before I could change my mind and ask her again.

I wasn’t the begging sort.

I waited and heard the sound of a door closing and a car backing away. I peered around the corner, watching her leave, the taste of regret strong. I headed to the room I’d had for the last few nights, avoiding my final destination for as long as I could.

Inside the room, my one real constant waited for me. He lifted his head, his tail wagging fast as I walked in. He leaped off the bed, greeting me enthusiastically. I patted his head, his amber eyes gentle and patient.

“Hey, boy. You ready for a walk?”

His tail went faster. I chuckled and reached for his lead. “Let’s go. Have I got a story to tell you.”

* * *

Ava

I leaned against the window, my arms crossed, gazing down at the floor. Behind me, the rain beat on the glass, the cool air outside making the window chilly. I studied my feet dispassionately, unable to settle into my usual routine.

I had tossed and turned all night, replaying my encounter with Hunter. The way his mouth felt on mine. The intensity of his stare. I had never seen eyes that color before now. Gracie’s husband’s eyes were a light blue, but Hunter’s were so pale, they were almost silver at times. With the dark rim in indigo around the irises, they were startling in their beauty. Set in his rugged, handsome face, they were astounding. His mouth, his kiss had been exactly what I expected, yet not. Powerful, passionate, searing. I could feel his strength in his grip, the power of his arms, and the hardness of his body against mine. Yet underneath had been a gentleness. The way he cupped my face, how soft his lips felt on my skin, the way he whispered in my ear.

How quickly he backed away when I said no.

There had been no rancor, no anger. Instead, he teased and accepted my decision.

A huge part of me hated seeing him walk away. I swore I felt the pressure of his mouth on mine for hours afterward. I ran my fingers over my mouth. I still did.

“Ava?”

With a jerk, I stood, realizing I had been leaning on the cool glass the same way I had been pressed against the side of my car by Hunter yesterday. I blinked and cleared my throat, smiling at my brother. “Hey, Liam.”

He pushed off the doorframe, his massive shoulders filling the space. “Hey, you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why?”

“I’ve been standing there for five minutes. You’ve been so lost in thought, you didn’t even notice.” He smirked, his hazel eyes dancing. “And I’m sort of hard to miss.”

I sat, waving off his concern. I looked down, brushing off my skirt to have a few seconds to collect my scattered thoughts.

“Is this about yesterday?”

My head snapped up. “Yesterday? How did—” I stopped and shook my head. “Oh, the clerk in the office.”

He frowned. “What did you think I meant?”

“Nothing. I was thinking about something else. I’m fine.”

He frowned and hunched forward. “You’re distracted. I know you hate shit like that.”

“I do. But I dealt with it, and I expect we’ll be back on track quickly.”

He nodded. “That’s good.”

“So, what’s up? Are you here to plant more stuff or just check on me?”

He rolled his eyes. “I had breakfast with Dad and Maddox this morning. They heard from Mr. Owens’s lawyer, and the offer has been rejected.”

I felt a frisson of sadness in my chest. Mr. Owens owned the last piece of property connected to the BAM compound here in Port Albany. We had lived here all my life, and now our head office had recently moved here as well. They had tried unsuccessfully to purchase it while Mr. Owens was alive, but he rejected every offer. When he passed away in December, the house was closed up, and no one had appeared to move in. BAM had contacted the lawyer with a generous offer to purchase the land.

Despite his gruffness, I had liked Mr. Owens. I was one of the few people he allowed on his property, and I checked on him often. He had a stroke last year but recovered, though he had gotten frailer as the months went on. He refused to leave his house, and unbeknownst to him, BAM had paid for extra staff to care for him. He thought it was covered under the health care system, and I never dissuaded him. I had a feeling he would refuse the help because of who it came from. He disliked most people, it seemed, and especially the BAM boys, thinking they only wanted his property and nothing more.

But everyone remembered him from when we were kids and his wife, Gail, was still alive. He had been friendly and kind. My grandparents recalled a daughter but had no idea where she had disappeared to. Being the men they were, BAM made sure he was looked after. I would spend some time with him when he allowed, but I was never invited inside. I sat on the porch with him, and he would talk about Gail, the sunset, the water that we could watch from his porch, or whatever he felt like discussing. My family was off the table. No BAM talk. Nothing personal, aside from his wife and how he missed her.

I was sad when he passed, but I knew he would be happy to be back with “his Gail,” as he called her. As per his instructions, there was no funeral, and he was cremated.

The news about the offer being rejected somehow didn’t come as a shock. I shrugged. “He was adamant that BAM wouldn’t get the land. I wonder if he’ll sell to someone else.”

“His lawyer says it’s going to family.”

“Oh. Well, maybe the daughter will reappear. Maybe she’ll move in.”

“No idea. Shame, though. I know you love that view. Dad was going to build two houses there, and one was for you.”

“I know. It’s fine. I love my little place.”

I lived in the BAM compound in the smallest house we had. It was still generous, but it was more of a cottage than a house. It was tucked into a small break in the woods and had a simple floor plan. Two bedrooms, a lovely bathroom, an open concept living room/kitchen area, and a wide, screened-in porch I liked to sit in during the warm weather. I could see the water, but not the way you could on the bluff. The scope there was vast and mesmerizing.

He nodded. “Okay. I am off to ‘plant some stuff,’ as you say. Then I need to head home and see my girls.”

“How are they?”

A warm smile crossed his lips, and his eyes were soft. “Awesome. Hal has all the adoption stuff started. Soon, they’ll both be mine legally.”

I smiled at his words. Liam had met Paige when our brother Ronan had started dating her roommate, Beth. He fell hard and fast for Paige—and her little girl, Lucy—and, to everyone’s shock, had married her and moved them into his house at the compound in a short period of time. He had been steadfast in his determination, and I had to admit, I had never seen him happier. He was settled and calm. He loved being a daddy to Lucy, and she adored him. Paige was already pregnant, and he was so excited about welcoming a new baby into their lives. Our parents were over the moon. Grandbabies, Ronan’s wedding, plus two more to follow, I was certain, with Paul and Jeremy both finding women they loved. Our family was expanding rapidly with my siblings all settling down.

That left me the single one of the group. It didn’t bother me, although at times, seeing the closeness Liam shared with Paige, or Ronan with Beth, I felt a little tug in my chest. But the fear of opening myself up again was too great. I liked being single, answering to no one. One serious crash and burn was enough. I’d had a few relationships since then, but they were casual and ended amicably. I never let my heart get involved again.

“I’m happy for you.”

He stood. “Come for dinner one night. Just you. I mean, family is great, but—”

I laughed. When we were all together, it was loud and crazy. Lots of voices talking, raucous laughter, and tons of teasing. And that was just my immediate family. When other households in the compound joined in, it was nothing short of chaotic. It was nice to do the small gatherings on occasion.

“I’ll call Paige. I’ll bring dinner too, so she doesn’t have to cook.”

He grinned. “DoorDash, you mean?”

I laughed with him. I wasn’t much of a cook, except breakfast and spaghetti. Those, I did well. The rest of my repertoire was simple and limited. So, Liam was right. DoorDash and I were great friends.

I held up my finger. “This wields great power.”

He laughed as he walked out of my office.

“That it does, my sister. That it does.”