Page 54 of Safe and Sound

“And Dare’s sexual healing is what you need.”

“Can we please just drop it and get on the road? The last thing I need right now is Mom and Dad blowing up my phone about why we aren’t at the restaurant.”

“Fine,” Nick said.

When I eyed the girls, they nodded in unison. “Good.”

Without another word to them, I grabbed my bags and headed out the door.

Chapter Twelve: Dare

When I woke up to find Ava gone, pissed didn’t even begin to describe my emotions. It wasn’t because I was a bastard and wanted to be the one to tell her to go. Sure, I played that game from time to time, but last night was different.

Ava was different.

Because she was different, I fully expected her to handle the morning after differently. I thought as a mature woman she wouldn’t be pulling the cut and run bullshit that she had. Considering she’d been able to read me better than any woman I’d met, there should’ve been no question as to how I felt about pursuing more than just fucking with her.

Even though I didn’t want to admit it, her actions hurt. It wasn’t about bruising my ego. It was the fact we’d had such a strong emotional connection. I’d laughed with her. I’d opened myself up more to her than any woman in years. And that was just one night. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like when we got to know each other even better.

The truth was I wanted to see where things went with her beyond the bedroom. It had been close to a year since I’d sought out a repeat performance with a woman I slept with. None of them had caught my interest and imagination like Ava.

No. She didn’t just get to walk away without explaining why. I wanted to hear from her lips why she had taken off without a goodbye. Then I was going to plead the hell out of my case for her to date me.

Rolling over, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. Even though it was eight in the morning on a Saturday, my assistant, Vera, answered. “What can I do for you, Mr. Kavanaugh?”

Vera was pushing sixty, and most days she felt like one of those aunts who was like a mother. Considering all my aunts were back in Belfast, I needed someone stateside to give off that vibe. She was also compensated very well for putting up with my vast array of bullshit.

“Morning, Vera. I need you to pull a credit card receipt from a customer atBandia last night. Ava Carras. If you can’t find one, look for Nick Carras.”

While I had bought Ava drinks after we’d met, she’d told me about buying expensive champagne to toast her divorce.

“Will do. Anything specific you’re looking for?”

“An address.”

“And what else?”

I chuckled. “You know me too well.”

“Aye, I do. I’m assuming you’ll want everything I can find on this young woman.”

“Skip any mafia connections. I checked on that last night.”

“Okay.”

“Give me thirty minutes tops.”

“You are the queen, Vera.”

Her chuckle was deep from not only the early hour, but years of smoking. “Talk to you soon.”

“Good bye.”

After I hung up, I texted Callum and Quinn.

Gym @ 9?

K

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