Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
He loved the snow, but he also didn’t have a death wish. Riding home, he made sure to take care. Pulling up to his home, he saw they were the only house on the street without any decorations up. He’d purposefully done this because he wanted Ava to be pissed at him, but also to see the effort he’d put in at the clubhouse.
Climbing off his bike, he headed home, only to find that the house was quiet, so very quiet.
“Ava,” he said, raising his voice. “Babe? You home?” He tensed up as he felt something bad had happened. He still had many enemies, and Ava was a weakness, which was why most days, he had one of the club brothers on her ass so he knew she was okay.
Nothing could happen to her.
Ava came out of the kitchen. “You’re going to wake up Umberto.”
“Shit, babe, I fucking panicked then,” he said, moving toward her.
“Why?”
He went to kiss her, and Ava turned her head, presenting him with her cheek.
Smokey paused.
What the fuck?
****
Ava didn’t know what to do. She had driven home, and for a good half an hour, she stayed in her car with the engine running. Should she go indoors and pretend nothing was going on? Should she go back to the clubhouse and confront him?
Smokey was surrounded by semi-clad women all day long, but she had never felt threatened by them, at least, apart from the obvious. Smokey had shown them no interest. Harlow was different. She was her employee.
He’d always been there for Harlow, and she had assumed that was because of Big Dick.
Ava was tempted to just leave. When it came to Smokey, it seemed that she had to constantly settle for the chance of heartbreak, and she didn’t want to go through with that.
The thought of him cheating hurt so damn badly. She didn’t want to even think about it. Not even for a second. Not even for a single moment.
Staring at him now, Ava still didn’t know what to do. She hated being this way and detested not knowing what to do.
“Ava, babe, what’s wrong?” Smokey asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Ava stepped away without him kissing her. She disappeared back into the kitchen, where she’d been doing nothing but cleaning. That was all she did. Clean. She hadn’t been able to handle food.
In fact, she hadn’t even cooked them both food. She felt sick to her stomach.
Was this why he never wanted to fuck her? He was getting his kicks elsewhere? She wasn’t sexy enough for him?
Not good enough in any way.
“Ava, what’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m not feeling too good,” Ava said.
“Are you doing too much?” He took a step toward her, and Ava immediately stepped away.
“It’s nothing. I think I just need an early night.” She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and glanced around the kitchen. “I didn’t make you anything to eat. There is food in the fridge or you can order takeout.”
“Ava, what is going on?” Smokey asked.
“You didn’t pull the decorations from out of the attic,” Ava said.
“No, I, er, I got busy.”
“Right, of course.” You were screwing my friend?
She didn’t even want to say the words out loud.
I saw them hugging. Is that really proof?
“Do you know if there is anything going on with Harlow?” Ava asked. This time, she forced herself to look at him, to see if he gave any signs that he was lying or keeping secrets from her.
His jaw ticked. It was just slight, but she saw it.
“She works for you.”
“I know, but she, er, she said she was out running errands or something today. Did you see her? Did she seem … odd to you?”
“No, I haven’t seen her.”
Ava gritted her teeth. “You didn’t see her? Not even in passing?” He was lying! Why was he lying?
“No, I didn’t see her. Besides, isn’t she odd to begin with?”
She looked at him and wanted to beg for him to stop whatever he was doing because it was breaking her heart.
Smokey was lying. Ava wanted to scream at him that she saw the two of them together, but the words never left her lips. She didn’t say anything to him. “I-I’m sorry,” she said, taking a step back.
Tears stung her eyes as she left, heading back toward the stairs.
“Go and take a long hot bath. I’ll be up in a minute to wash your back, and I’ll take care of you.”
“No, that’s fine. I’m just going to go and lie down.” Ava didn’t look back. She rushed upstairs, but rather than go to her bedroom, she eased herself into her son’s bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Smokey would come to their bedroom, and there would be no hiding. Sleep wouldn’t come to her, not easily.
There was a small night light in their son’s bedroom. Ava tiptoed toward his crib, not wanting to wake him but to see him. To look at her son and to feel the love that consumed her so quickly and easily when he was born, and that had only continued to grow with every passing month.