Page 18 of Here Be Dragons
"Hi," she said with a small smile.
"Can I come in?"
She casually moved out of the way to let him pass. The room was a little darker than when he was here an hour ago. The sun had set and Ava had turned off some of the lights, leaving only the lamp next to her sofa still on. There were papers strewn all over her coffee table, more than when he had left earlier.
Her room was quiet and soft. It felt different than his. It felt different than the first time he walked in here, mad and ready to pick a fight. This time wasn't the same. Ava had shown him a different side to her, one that proved she was on their side in a way of speaking -- at least on their side when it came to wanting to get this deal done. She was determined and knew what she wanted, just like the night they slept together.
As he stood there, he started to realize that for her, sleeping with him that night wasn't personal. She knew what she wanted, and that night she wanted him. But now, he kind of wished it was personal. He almost wished she wanted him for more than just the sex.
"Can I help you with something?"
Shane turned to see Ava giving him a quizzical look. He hadn't realized he had been so quiet since walking in.
"I just uh... I wanted to let you know that I talked to that reporter in Cleveland."
She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Oh, good," she said. "How did that go?"
"Fine. It worked out fine," he said. "I think he's going to start working on something tonight."
"Good."
He couldn't help but stare at her, her features soft in the light, shadows accentuating her curves. A few stray hairs had fallen out of the bun piled on her head, making her look almost angelic. But he knew that wasn't the case. He knew that she wasn't delicate. There was a strong woman under there and he couldn't underestimate her.
"What?"
"What do you mean 'what'?" he asked.
"You keep staring at me."
He took a deep breath and put his hands on his hips. He wanted to ask her so many questions, but the one that came out of his mouth surprised even him.
"Why are you helping us?"
She smiled and shrugged. "We both want the same thing, don't we?"
He knew she was asking about the league's lock out. He knew she wasn't asking if he wanted her again, despite his better judgment because he did want her again. He could just say, "Yeah, we want the season to start," then a quick thanks, and leave.
Instead, Shane took two steps towards her, and when she didn't step back, he moved another two steps closer. He was invading her personal space now, he knew that, but she wasn't pushing back. She stood her ground, staring up into his eyes as he tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.
"Do we both want the same thing?"
He could hear the huskiness in his voice, could feel the sound catch in his throat as if he wasn't sure he wanted to ask that question because he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.
Ava's hand reached up, her fingers brushing against his biceps. He wasn't trying to show off when they flexed against her palm, but her touch was driving him crazy.
"Sleeping with you again wouldn't be a good idea," she said.
"No, it wouldn't."
He closed his eyes, trying to get control of his body, hoping she would take her hands off of him. But instead, he could feel her closer to him, her breasts pressing against him, her breath so close to his cheek.
"What are you really doing here, Shane?"
Her voice was soft and breathless. Her body was so close to him now that she had to feel how this was affecting him. Those stupid track pants were giving him away. The moan that escaped his lips was low and impulsive, but he couldn't help it. It only seemed to encourage Ava, who let her hands trail down his arms and move to his abs. Again, his muscles tightened under her touch and he could hear her breath hitch in her chest as she pushed herself against him.
"Ava."
He sounded so desperate and weak, but he couldn't help it. He knew why he walked down here, and it wasn't to give her a status report about some writer in Cleveland. Shane wanted her. His mind was fighting him though, was over-thinking all of it. But dammit, he was here for a reason and he knew exactly what it was.
