Page 8 of Keeping Ava

“Call me Eli,” I interrupt with my eyes on hers, asking that she use a nickname that with everyone else I hate.

“I wasn’t alone, Eli. You were here, too.” Christ, the way my name sounds coming from those pouty lips is indecent. Provocative. Another mistake on my behalf. Keep it impersonal.

Wes gives a loud cough then, breaking our moment. He’s looking at Ava. “Why don’t you come help me bring your things up? I’d like to have a word about—”

“Sure.”

“No.” We answer in unison. At once, his subtle grin turns into a full smirk at my flat-out refusal to let her leave with him. Weston is enjoying this, and I’m becoming more tense by the second.

“I need my belongings, Detective.” Ava doesn’t share his amusement. She looks perplexed by my reaction. “Promise it’s not much, and—”

“I’ll get them for you.”

“But—”

“Go inside, sweetheart.” Fuck. The term of endearment slips past my lips before I can stop it. The ranger opens his mouth, while she just looks, but I carry on as if I’m not tripping over her arrival. “I need to have a word with the ranger—”

“That might be best, actually.”

I give him a nod, but my eyes stay on hers. “We’ll be right back.”

“Are you sure?” Gone is the blush and embarrassment. Now, there’s a hint of panic in her voice, and my heart clenches. Assuaging her fear will be my new priority.

Taking the remaining steps between her body and mine, I grab her hand and walk us inside my condo, ignoring Weston. We don’t stop until we’re outside on the balcony overlooking the bay. Standing side by side, our eyes survey the beauty all around us:

The busy city.

The water.

The clear blue sky.

And it’s in this moment of silence, fingers intertwining, that her body loses its rigidness. That she lets out a shuddering breath, and her lips quirk up into a soft smile full of relief. “This is beautiful.”

“It is.” Nothing more is said for a while. Could be minutes or hours, I wouldn’t know as my focus stays on her. How she breathes in deep and then exhales slowly, calming herself. She’s fighting against the small bought of panic that’s trying to take her under.

Her fingers in mine are a bit sweaty, but no longer clinging tight. Instead, the stiffness slowly becomes languid, and her mild shaking stops the longer we just stand here.

At that moment, the phone inside my pocket vibrates, and behind us the front door closes softly. Yet, instead of turning around to look, I take out my phone and read the text from a number that is familiar from the file atop my coffee table.

I’ll bring her things up. ~Weston K.

Thank you. ~Ford

“You probably think I’m being ridiculous,” Ava says from beside me then as I pocket my cell. Her voice is low, a gentle hum.

“Not at all.” My eyes study her profile, how beautiful she is. How delicate her features are, from the small button nose to her pouty lips—she’s what I imagine a living doll would be. “After everything you’ve seen and endured, I expect you to panic. Not trusting your surroundings and the people in it is normal.”

“I feel safe here,” she mumbles, and it’s almost too low for me to hear, but I do. Moreover, it causes a weird sensation to overtake my chest, and I rub the spot. There’s pride mixed with confusion and lust.

Christ, Ford. Get a hold of yourself. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Miss Perry. You’re safe inside my home and with me. All I ask is that while this mess gets righted, you don’t go out alone. Please don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger.”

“I won’t, but I have to ask—”

“How long before we catch him?”

“Had you let me finish...” She gives me a mock glare that pulls a chuckle from me.

“My apologies. Go on.”

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