Chapter 31

Angel’s bliss

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“I have missed him as well,” Ava said, grinning as she saw her best friend doing the same.

After a tight hug with Gabriel and both of them telling the other how much they had missed each other, they ordered coffee and pic and sat down at one of the corner tables.

“Work is so boring now you aren’t there,” Gabriel told Ava.

“It can’t be that bad.”

“It is. James keeps coming by asking if I have planned a party for you, or if I know if you will drop by to visit. I never knew he had a thing for you,” Gabriel said with a teasing look. Ava glanced over at Tom and Ryder. They pretended to be busy, but their ears were practically twisting like antennas to pick up what she and Gabriel was talking about.

“I didn’t either,” she told her friend.

“But…..”

“But nothing.”

“Oh, come on Ava. My dating life is dryer than the Sahara Desert. I need to live vicariously through you,” Gabriel complained.

“Yeah, I’m not dating either. So tough luck,” she told him.

“Come on, you have a hot doctor chasing you, you are staying in a mansion, a god honest mansion, with a hoard of more or less good–looking men. You need to give me something.”

“If you need spice so bad, why not go on a date yourself?” Ava asked. She saw Gabriel’s eyes dart to Ryder and then back to his coffee.

“I don’t have any good candidates,” he said. Ava sáw Ryder’s eyes dart to Gabriel and then back to the pie in front of him which he was slowly torturing with his fork.

“Mhm.” That was all she said.

*You look good, babe. Life as a private nurse suits you, and it has only been a week,” Gabriel changed the subject.

“I feel more comfortable with it than I thought I would,” Ava confessed, and felt herself blush. She hated she had no control over the pink that spread over her cheeks.

“Really? Is there something going on you’re not telling me?” Gabriel asked.

“No.”

“Sure, sure. And you are blushing because?”

“It’s hot in here. I put on a warm sweater.”

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“Ava, you are a terrible liar. But as you look happy, I won’t pry. Well, not at the moment anyway,” he told Ava. Ava

noticed the smirks on her bodyguards‘ faces. She hated to lie, and Gabriel was right. She was bad at it. “Have you heard anything from your aunt and uncle?” he asked.

“No, not since I told them they needed to pay rent,” Ava admitted.

“Are you Lay?”

“Yeah, I think so. With everything that happened, I feel like I can’t forgive them. Or at least, I can’t trust them again,” she said with a shrug.

“Oh, babe, don’t make that sad puppy dog face. You are breaking my heart.” Gabriel stood up and moved to the chair next to Ava as he drew her in for a hug. He glared at Tom and Ryder, daring them to object. But they sat in silence, pretending not to see or hear anything. “I have always said you at too good for those two. But I understand, family hits in a certain way,” he said. Ava nodded; he had his own battles with family issues. It was one of the foundation stones to their friendship, they understood each other’s pain.

“You should come to the club tonight,” Ava told Gabriel.

“I never thought I would live to see the day when sweet little Ava told me I should go clubbing,” Gabriel laughed.

BON

“It will be fun. I’ll make sure you don’t have to wait in line, and Zane is usually doing business for a couple of hours so we can hang,” she insisted. Ava thought she could make it happen.

“I won’t say no to a night of fun with you, darling. Count me in.” Ava was more than happy at the prospect of spending more time with Gabriel, and she had a little plan in the making as well. She smiled to herself and took another bite of the cherry pie. The sweet and tart taste popped in her mouth. She was in a fantastic mood, she found.

After saying goodbye to Gabriel, Ava, Tom and Ryder headed back to the mansion. As they walked inside, Ava turned to Ryder.

“Could I get a few minutes of your time?” she asked:

“Of course, Miss A,” he said and followed her into the library. Ava looked at him and smiled. She had never done. anything like this before. But this was the day for being brave.

“Is this about me telling the boss about Olivia?” Ryder asked before Ava could speak.

“No, I’m grateful that you did. Thank you. No, I wanted to ask if you would give me your phone number?” Aya asked, unlocked her phone and handed it to Ryder.

“Sure, no problem. I’ll put it under Ryder,” he told her as he entered his number into her phone and handed it back.

“Thank you, Ryder.” She typed something into her phone and his phone dinged.

“You know, you didn’t have to write your number in the message. I got it when you sent it to me,” Ryder told her with

a little smile.

“It’s not my number. It’s Gabriel’s. Do with it what you want, just be kind to him,” Ava said and giggled as she saw the surprised look on his face. She continued to giggle as she walked out of the library to head up to her room. She

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assumed it had been cleaned and it would be okay for her to use it.

“Why are you giggling?” Zane’s voice made her stop and turn around. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen and looked at her.

“It’s a secret.” He cocked one of his eyebrows and looked at her.

“I thought we didn’t have those,” he said. It was Ava’s turn to cock an eyebrow at him. “Okay, fair. I’ll let you keep your secrets, angel,” he chuckled.

“Zane, I might have promised my friend Gabriel he could come by the club tonight. Is that okay?” she asked.

“Of course it is. Text me his name and I will make sure he gets in and the staff knows who he is.”

“Thank you, Zane.” Ava smiled at him. He always made her feel spoiled.

“Not a problem. Where were you heading?” he asked.

“To my room, I wanted to have a look around and maybe get some rest in before dinner and me getting ready,” she told him.

“Anna has sorted out your room. But why don’t you go and lie down in my room for now. It would make me feel a little better knowing you are safe,” he said. Ava didn’t know why she would be safer in his room than in her own. But if Zane wanted her in his room, she wouldn’t object.

“Would you mind me using your tub?” she asked. She had longed to try that thing out.

“Not at all, angel. Go enjoy yourself and I will talk some business with Jax. If you’re not down for dinner, I will come and find you.”

“Yeah, I might get lost in that tub.” Ava smiled at the thought and turned around. But Zane had walked over to her and placed an arm around her waist.

“A kiss before you go to your watery doom?” he asked. She smiled and kissed him. As she walked up the stairs, Ava decided it was a good day indeed.

As she lay in the bathtub, surrounded by warm water and the air filled with the scent of lilacs, she looked out over the amazing view and felt lucky. To be honest, she had had a terrible week in many ways. But at this moment, she felt lucky. Ava was no fool. She knew her experiences had left scars, even if none of them were physical. But the week had also shown her those scars didn’t necessarily mean she couldn’t move on or trust. She was lying in a luxury bathtub, in a mansion, belonging to a sexy man who wanted her in his bed. Things could be worse. That little annoying voice in Ava’s head reminded her she couldn’t fall for Zane. She needed to remember there was no future there. Just a contract that would end. Ava sighed and promised herself she would take what Zane offered for the moment, without taking it for granted or assuming it would last beyond the day.

Angel’s bliss