Page 14 of Ties That Bind Us

“Just Bells.” I smiled. “Max is out of town, and she felt the need to make an appearance.”

“Bring her around before you leave!” He smiled before taking an order from someone else. “See you later, Ava!”

“Bye, Rick!” I gathered the drinks in my hands and started to turn around. I wasn’t looking, and as I turned, I fell right into something, or rather, someone.

“Oh my gosh! I am so—” I looked up at the man I had run into and quite possibly spilled my drinks on. When my eyes met his, my heart nearly leapt into my throat.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

It was him. Him, him.

He looked shocked to see me at first, but it didn’t take long for a huge grin to spread across his face.

“You know, you’re a hard person to track down. Ava, is it?” I could already feel my body betraying me in response to him. If it was possible, he looked even more incredible than when we first met. The stubble on his chin was a little longer and his hair slightly disheveled.

“Yes, oh, my name is Ava,” I stuttered, darting my eyes away. A deep blush washed over my cheeks. Why did I suddenly forget how to speak in his presence?

“And here all this time I was looking for a woman named Juliette,” he teased, piquing my interest. He had been looking for me?

“Right.” I let out a sharp laugh, loosening up slightly. “Like your name is Romeo.”

“It’s Nick, actually.” He dragged his thumb over his upper lip seductively. “I’ve been trying to find you since you snuck out of my hotel room a few weeks ago.”

“Sorry about that.” I blushed feverishly.

“Why don’t you make it up to me and let me take you to dinner?” he said, brushing his hand against my shoulder, moving me out of the way for someone to get to the bar. Even the small gesture sent shivers through my body as I remembered how he had handled me that night.

“Nick, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. Second dates aren’t really my thing,” I tried to explain without sounding to crazy. I barely knew this guy, and with any luck this would be the last time I saw him. He clearly had a hold on me, and I couldn’t afford to get involved with a guy like that. We both liked to be in control too much, and it wouldn’t end well.

“But fucking strangers in hotel rooms is?”

“Would you keep your voice down?” I hissed. “Didn’t we agree on a one and done thing anyway? Wouldn’t dinner be breaking one of your rules?”

He got an amused expression on his face and crossed his arms.

“Ava, I’m used to getting what I want, and I won’t stop until I do.” His voice was low and guttural as he spoke, sending fire through my veins. “I haven’t stopped thinking about how your legs felt wrapped around my waist or the way your sweet voice screamed my name, even if it was a fake one, into the morning. Fuck the rules.”

I was rendered nearly speechless, and searched desperately for the right words. “Nick, I—” I started to say right at the moment a drunk guy bumped into him from behind. Nick whirled around with an angry expression on his face, as if this guy had squashed whatever moment we had going on.

“Hey, man . . .”

This was my chance. I had to leave right now or I would have no hope of getting away from him. The more time I spent standing here, the less likely I was to walk away. He was absolutely gorgeous, and seeing him in person again catapulted me right back to that hotel room. I couldn’t take any chances, though, especially with a man like Nick.

He was dangerous and domineering; everything I didn’t need right now. Unless, of course, I wanted to wind up married to some old sleazebag as part of one of my father’s business deals. Taking my opportunity, I ducked away and tried to find Bella as fast as I could.

“Bella, we’ve got to get out of here!” I practically threw our drinks down on the table and grabbed my jacket from the seat next to her.

“What? We just got here, what’s going on?” she asked, confused.

“I’ll explain everything later. We just have to go. Now,” I spat, tugging at her arm and pulling her toward the dock.

She looked at me suspiciously but started to stand up. “Ava, I don’t know what it—”

I didn’t even give her a chance to finish. He’d start looking for me soon and if he found me, I wasn’t sure I would have the strength to deny him again.

Bella resisted at first, but when we were both off the yacht and on the dock, she took her shoes off and ran alongside me.

“Would you slow down?” She was breathing heavily.

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