Page 72 of Second Chance Mates

I arch a brow in utter surprise. “Did she?”

Lucy nods as she stuffs her face with leftover dinner from last night. “Yeah, it was fun. I wish I had filmed it. You would have died with laughter, Jaxon.”

Lucy helps the girls off the floor. I turn away from them, head back upstairs, and I walk straight towards Ava’s bedroom.

The door is slightly ajar, but I knock anyway. “Come in!” a muffled voice echoes. I step inside to find Ava struggling to put on a jumper. She can’t quite find the head hole. I smile to myself as I approach.

“Here,” I say, pulling down the material.

Her head bursts through the hole, her hair poking in every direction, eyes bloodshot. “Thank you!”

I blink at the loudness of her voice and the bright grin that doesn’t leave her face for a second. My gaze studies her makeup to find her eyes slightly smudged and her cheeks rosy.

All that alcohol hits me in one wave. Goddess.

“Are you drunk?” I ask, cocking my head.

Ava waves a hand in front of her face. “Pfft. Noooooo.”

She takes a step back which results in a stumble, so I lean forward to catch her before she hits the floor. I narrow my eyes at her playfully. “You’re not drunk?”

Ava nibbles on her lip and shoots me a finger. “Okay, you got me.”

I glance down at the heels that are still on her feet.

“Sit down.”

She doesn’t protest.

I kneel in front of her and take her ankle in my hand. I tug at the strings before pulling the shoe off her heel. My gaze hardens on the scars around her ankles, red and jagged. I breathe through my nose sharply and press a delicate kiss to the skin. Goddess, I’ll never understand how anyone could lay a finger on her.

“These hurt so bad,” she murmurs. “Why do people wear heels? They’re torture devices.”

I smile at her words. “Because they look good—especially on you.”

What I wouldn’t do to have them over my shoulders, I think to myself.

I shake my head and scold my wandering mind.

Her eyes roll playfully. “You would say that.”

My fingers start to undo the next heel, and I match her ankle with another kiss. I swipe my thumb along the tender flesh before placing them down on the floor. I glance up at her to see pure adoration in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“Let me get you some water.”

I push onto my feet, and Ava follows. I reach down to take her hand, but she moves it away and wraps her arms around my middle instead, snuggling her face into my chest. My head tilts down at the surprising action before I lace my arms around her.

“I missed you,” she whispers, leaving my heart a puddle on the floor.

My head rests down on hers, and I leave a kiss on the crown of her head. I press my other hand to the nape of her neck. Her heart beats into my chest. I could live by that beat; it might just be the only thing keeping me alive. “I missed you, too, baby.”

When she lets my body go, I do the same. “Stay here for a second, okay?”

Her face falls immediately. “Where are you going?”

“To get you some water to help with your head in the morning.”

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