Chapter 26: A New Path

AVA

We stayed in our little not-~quite~-having-sex bubble for as long as we could, but at the end of the day, Cyrus had to leave.

I hated how heavy it made me feel, how quickly I’d grown attached. I sat on my couch in just my panties, watching Cyrus get dressed.

He buttoned up yesterday’s dress shirt, and I felt a little heartbroken as I watched him pull his pants over his bulge.

He tucked in his shirt and fastened his cufflinks, a mundane action that turned me on immensely all of a sudden. He looked at me as he put on his suit jacket.

He whistled through his teeth. “My pretty girl.”

I blushed and covered myself with a couch pillow.

“Put that down.” He leaned back against the table. “Let me look at you.”

I buried my face in the pillow instead.

“Now, Ava.”

I looked up and bit my lip.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

He loosened his tie slightly. I swallowed and put the pillow down beside me. Cyrus rolled his neck and walked over. He crouched down in front of me.

“Tell me you’re mine again, baby.” He took my hands in his.

“I am.”

He closed his eyes. “Say it, Ava.”

“I’m yours, Cy.” I stroked the side of his face.

He suddenly looked so tired. He put his face in my lap, and I ran my hands through his thick, tousled hair. He inhaled deeply and then kissed the scar on my thigh.

“I wish I could stay,” he mumbled.

“Me too. So stay.”

Cyrus got up and pulled me to my feet. He bent down to grab the backs of my thighs and then lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist.

I rested my arms on his shoulders and buried my hands in his hair again, softly massaging his scalp as he kissed my shoulders and breasts.

“I can’t,” he said. “But I’m taking you out on that date tomorrow.”

He carried me into my bedroom and set me down on the bed. He pulled his suit jacket off the hanger on my closet door and put it on me.

“Wear this for me. The thought of you naked in my jacket is what’s going to get me through tonight.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, pulling the fabric against my skin.

“That’s it, baby.” He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. He took my chin in his hand and slowly put his lips on mine. “Think of me when you touch yourself tonight.”

I felt the blood rush to my face once again. He let go of my chin to put his hands on my knees and ran them up my thighs, prying them apart a little. He lowered himself down in between my legs.

“Actually, scratch that,” he said. “Leave the touching to me.”

He pushed me back on the bed, hooked a finger behind the lace of my panties, and pulled them down enough to expose his mark. He nuzzled into it, making me gasp.

“All mine.” His lips brushed the sensitive skin, and I squirmed in response.

Then he got up, pulling me to my feet and wrapping me in his arms, my back to his front. He walked me to my front door like that and then turned me around to face him.

I got up on my toes to reach his lips, and I kissed him softly. He grabbed the back of my head and deepened the kiss.

“All yours,” I whispered.

“I’m all yours too,” Cyrus said into my hair as he hugged me tightly. “See you tomorrow, baby.”

And out he went, taking a piece of my heart with him.

***

CYRUS

I closed the door behind me, and for a second, I contemplated just barging back in and throwing Ava on her bed and ravaging her.

I adjusted my cock, which was straining against my slacks, and started walking away. I glanced at my watch and let out an annoyed sigh. Now I had to hurry.

I got in my car and was pleased to find Ava’s sweet scent still lingered there.

My mind flashed back to her image, sitting on the couch in just her panties, looking so beautiful and innocent as she stroked my face.

I shook off the thought and bit my knuckles to distract myself. This was going to be a long night.

I drove straight to the restaurant, no time left to change out of yesterday’s clothes beforehand. I walked in, and a hostess came up to me, batting her eyes dramatically as she asked for my name.

“I’m joining him.” I pointed to a table in one of the private rooms at the back of the restaurant.

“Oh, Mr. ~Brentstone~!” The girl started twirling her hair in her fingers.

Always the same reaction to my fucking last name.

I shot her a stiff smile as I basically pushed her out of the way on my way to the table.

~“They’re all the same,”~ I heard my father’s voice say in the back of my mind, and I hated that he was proving himself right again.

Well, all but one, hopefully.

I entered the room, and my father looked up from under his brow.

“You’re late.”

“I was held up. What’s going on?”

I took a seat. A waitress entered to take our orders.

“We’ll have the lobster.” My father did not bother to open his menu or even look up at the girl.

“The veal for me, actually.”

I was thinking back to my lunch with Ava. The thought of ordering her my favorite meal and her enjoying it made me feel proud. And God, those lips as she ate.

I shifted in my seat, trying to keep from getting turned on too much. My balls hurt enough as it was.

“What is this about?” I sent my father a death stare.

“The company.” He was unbothered by my hostility. “Publishing is up and running. It’s time for you to move on.”

I stared at him. “What?!”

He took a sip of his wine. “No need to linger. We broke even the year before last and were profitable last year. So start something new.”

I just stared at him, at a loss for words.

“Dominic is already at his third branch, and you’re still at your first. You want to grow our empire, don’t you?”

I took my glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. I raised two fingers and called the waitress over. She was in our room almost instantly.

“Whiskey, please. And keep them coming.”

We talked business after I’d gotten over the initial shock and had at least my third whiskey. I started to relax a little, thinking of what type of branch I could start next.

Marketing…finance…technology…I did enjoy new challenges, and publishing was doing well indeed.

My mind suddenly flashed back to Ava and seeing her strut through the office daily, and those legs in her tights…legs that I’d finally been able to touch after waiting so long.

I thought about bending her over my desk, then cleared my throat and loosened my tie some more.

“Who would take my place?”

“What’s his name? Robertson?” Roald took a bite of his food.

“Robinson.”

I did like Robinson. He was a good guy and had helped me make some good decisions in the past.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea. I would just have to find a way to keep an eye on my girl—or the men around her, mainly.

Then I thought about what she had said to me. ~“You were kind of being a dick to me before.”~

I couldn’t blame her. I knew it was true. All out of jealousy. Maybe I should take a step back.

I just felt very territorial when it came to her, more than I ever had before. From the moment I’d seen her carrying that box of ornaments that snowy day.

She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. And talented too. I didn’t even have to lie to her when I told her I was impressed by her work on Harrison’s book.

I ~did~ have to convince my team we needed another illustrator, but I was more than happy to jump through some hoops to get to see her in the office every day.

“Where’s your mind at, son?” Roald’s voice cut through my thoughts like a rusty mechanical saw.

I swirled my whiskey around in its tumbler. “I might look into marketing.”

Roald tilted his head back, sending me a suspicious look. “You seem distracted. Hope you’re spending your time thinking about useful things.”

I scoffed. “About marketing.”

“Well, good to see you’re getting so excited about it. You’ve already adjusted your hard-on three times since you got here.”

I stared at him in disbelief for a long moment. Then I got up, downed the last of my whiskey, and walked out.

“Fuck one of those waitresses to clear your mind, and then focus on important stuff,” I heard him call out before I pulled the door closed behind me, suppressing the urge to punch his smug face.