Chapter 2

The movie ended, and the lights flickered on.

Ava jerked upright in her seat, her fingers frantically smoothing down the rumpled hem of her dress. A lingering, flushed glow washed over her cheeks, and when she stood up, her knees buckled, trembling visibly beneath her.

The seat right next to her was already empty.

I scooped up our sleeping son into my arms. "Let's go."

When we made it out to the parking garage, Ava looked at Ethan and asked me again, "Why don't we drop Ethan off at my mom’s for the night? She's been begging to see her grandson anyway."

As she spoke, her eyes took on that same heavy, suggestive look.

Watching her pull this act, a dark, bitter laugh broke from my chest. "What's the matter? Didn't get enough back in the theater?"

I pointed straight behind her, letting every single word land with deliberate weight. "If you're still hungry, you can always ask him for second helpings."

Ava frowned, totally clueless, and turned around.

The moment her eyes locked onto Henry Foster standing right behind her, her entire body went rigid as a board.

"Henry?!" Her voice pitched up into a sharp, panicked squeak. "What are you still doing here..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, she turned toward me. The color drained from her face, leaving her deathly pale.

She sucked in a sharp breath, immediately going on the defensive and screaming right in my face, "Noah, what’s wrong with you? Do you own this movie theater? Are you the only person in the city allowed to buy a ticket?

"We just happened to be watching the same movie! Are you seriously starting rumors about us right now?"

I nearly laughed out loud at the absolute absurdity of it. I had seen people tell on themselves before, but I had never seen someone tell on themselves and completely lose their mind in the exact same breath.

Exposing them right here in a public parking garage did nothing for me, though.

I gestured casually at the giant tub of popcorn in Henry's hands. "I meant, if you're still hungry, you could ask him for some popcorn to fill up your stomach."

I paused, locking eyes with her while a faint, mocking smile touched my lips. "Where exactly did your mind just go?"

Ava’s face flushed from pale white to a furious, blotchy red. Her lips trembled, but not a single word came out.

Henry, on the other hand, stayed completely calm. He strolled over with a relaxed grin and waved. "Hey Ava, what a coincidence. I had no idea I'd bump into you here."

He turned to me, putting on a fake, embarrassed smile. "Ava gives me rides home from work all the time. Do you mind if I catch a lift with you guys tonight, too?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Ava ripped open the back door of the SUV. "It's my car. He doesn't get a say in who rides in it."

A second later, my phone buzzed with a text from her.

[Babe, he’s the intern I’m managing at work. It's just a small favor, I can't really say no. Let's just go.]

I nodded. "Fine. It's on the way anyway."

A smirk of triumph flashed across Henry's eyes. "Thanks a ton, man. Ava is honestly the best boss ever. She doesn't just help me get used to the job, she buys me dinner all the time, too.

"Sometimes when I work late past midnight, she even drives me all the way home. She takes such incredible care of me."

Was that right?

Funny, because whenever I worked crazy overtime until three in the morning, she never showed up once. It wasn't that she was too tired to care. She just didn't love me.

Listening to Henry brag, Ava didn't show a single drop of guilt. If anything, she looked proud of herself. "I just think it's important to help out the new guys. Henry, if you ever need anything else, just let me know."

"Get in," I chimed in, shutting her down as I buckled Ethan securely into his car seat.

Ava hesitated for a second. "Ethan's fast asleep. I'll sit in the back to keep an eye on him."

Seeing her move, Henry casually pulled open the door on the opposite side. He grinned and said, "I'll sit in the back too, then, just to help her out."

Looking at the slick, predatory look in Henry's eyes, how could I, as a man, possibly miss what he was planning?

Sure enough, we weren't even five minutes down the road when I caught it in the rearview mirror. Henry’s hand was sliding quietly underneath the fleece blanket on her lap.

Ava put up a pathetic, half-hearted token resistance before giving in completely.

Underneath the blanket, the movement grew faster, wilder. Ava’s cheeks burned a deep crimson, her entire frame quivering against the leather seat.

Finally, she broke, panting softly into the quiet cabin. "Noah, I almost forgot. I have a document I need to review with Henry tonight. You can just drop us off up ahead. I'll get an Uber home later."

I acted completely understanding, even stepping out to politely pull the door open for her.

What she didn't know was that while I was helping her out of the car, I slipped a tiny, magnetic listening device straight into the side pocket of her purse.

They had barely walked through the front door of his place when the audio stream on my phone cracked to life with a breathless moan.

"Henry, stop, you're driving me crazy... Are you really that desperate to have me?"