Avery's POVI stared again at the message displayed on my phone screen.[Hello Red, I am sorry for not making it to your sons birthday, and I would like to apologize for how our friendship has turned. I really want to make it up to you. Let's meet at your favorite eatery by four.The treat is on me.]I scoffed. “How unbelievable! Did he think just sending me a text would resolve everything?” I muttered and resolved not to meet him.The birthday party had been the talk of the estate for a week, or at least what Lawrenta and Anita had told me since I didn't care about keeping up with the gossip and whatnot. I had a great time, and later that night, when we had gone to put Carlos and Lucas to bed,I had given them my own birthday gift—handmade stuffed teddy bears—while Ethan presented a painting of the twins as their birthday gifts. They had both been more than excited about the gifts, and it was almost impossible to put them to sleep that night. My heart warmed with happiness each time I
Avery's POVDarkness. It was all my brain could register, and I found myself fighting to regain consciousness.“She looks better up close. Did you see those curves? That da Coastia boss has been enjoying all this time!” I heard an excited voice exclaim.What is happening?“I bet he did so much. They even have twins to prove how hard they must have gone at it.” Another added,Loud howls of laughter filled my ears, and I struggled hard to open my eyes.Maybe it is a wrong idea to force my eyes open,not with the way my head was pounding.“Did you—I think she is regaining consciousness,Inform the boss.”My eyes slowly open, and a hiss escapes me as my eyes adjust to the brightness of the room.“You decided to wake up,pretty face." A rough voice sounded from above me. I look up, and I am met with the sight of a tall,burly man with an intimidating scar that runs down from his left eye down to his chin and a menacing gaze that literally sends chills down my spine.That is when it all comes r
I looked up at the intruder, and my eyes widened from surprise. “Ethan?”“I am sorry for coming late,kitten.”He muttered,his hands reaching to cup my face as his eyes searched mine. “Are you okay?”I nod wordlessly as tears fall from my eyes, and he sighs before putting his arms around me in a heartwarming embrace. The feel of his hard chest and masculine scent make a sense of security envelope me. It was real! I am not hallucinating, and Ethan is here with me.Ethan chuckles. "Sweetheart, as much as I love holding you close,this is not the right place for it.”I have to admit,he has a valid point. I straighten up and meet his gaze. “How do we even get out of here? Are the police outside?”Ethan immediately shifts his gaze when I mention the police, and that action of his only sends the alarm bells ringing in my head. That Dimitri guy was lying,right?“Sweetheart, let's get you covered. I will explain everything to you the moment we are out of here.” He assures me, pulling off his lon
Avery's POVI stared at the city from the view of the living room. It has become almost a routine for me in my almost three days of staying in this place. Staring at the busy movement of cars and people from up here takes my attention away from my constant thinking.The front door opens, and even without turning,I am very aware of his unignorable presence, which is announced by his footsteps and cologne.“Sweetheart,your lunch is still on the dining table.” He said in an obvious attempt to start a conversation, but I ignored him and continued looking out the window.I hear him sigh, and I resist the urge to turn around to see his expression. I have been ignoring and avoiding him for the past two days, and today isn't going to be different.“Do you not like the chef?or do you prefer some doughnuts from your favorite eatery?”Ethan asks,his voice unable to hide his frustration as he steps closer, making it harder for me to pretend to be unaware of him.I finally scumble and face him. Our
We all see Nana off to the door, where her maid takes over and accompanies her to the elevator.The ladies settle on the couch while I surf through the various TV channels for something entertaining. I settle on a new reality show before joining the others on the couch in the hopes that it will distract our attention.“So Gavin, huh?”Well, certainly not Anita's attention. I almost scold her, but one look at Estella's blushing face is enough to pique my curiosity, and I find myself reducing the volume of the TV so I can hear what she has to say.“Uh,yes. And Brandy likes him too,so yes.” Estella answers with a wide smile, like a teenager talking about their high school crush. Gosh,she is surely in love!It's obvious she is shy about talking about it when her son is twenty-four years old, but that doesn't stop us from teasing her.Marcella grins with a naughty look in her eyes. “So was it that time in the spring?”“Or maybe the after party when you both were missing.” I tease with a wi
Avery's POVMarcella’s wedding—a beachside wedding—was more than I ever envisioned. Unlike Marcella, Marcus has a huge network of friends who were in attendance. If it were before I discovered Ethan's ‘other side', I would be surprised at the network of Marcus's friends and the level of wealth he has, but given the fact that he was not just Ethan's secretary and right-hand man but a second in command in the da Coastia, he was no simple person. So unlike the small, intimate beach wedding my dear friend had in mind, her husband's friends made it look like a mini carnival. However, it was a beautiful and memorable wedding ceremony.To my surprise, Ethan walked Marcella down the aisle. Nobody saw it coming, but it felt beautiful and natural watching him walk her down and hand her over to Marcus with even a warning to treat her right! For one thing I could give to Ethan, he had many surprising sides to him.And yes, Marcus’s jaw-dropping reaction to Marcella's look in her wedding gown was
Our lips brush lightly against each other in a simple kiss, but like fire on dry grass, it soon grows hotter and more urgent. Ethan hoists me up against the wall, and I wrap my legs around his strong waist. The feel of his erection only intensifies the feeling of pleasure. I moan into his mouth when his erection presses against my center.He rests his forehead against mine. “Open your eyes, kitten.”I manage to smile when I hear him call me kitten and slowly open my eyes. In the dim light of the bedroom, his blue eyes shine with so much desire in them that it makes me shudder with pleasure. “Are we back?” I ask,my voice low and breathless with desire.His eyes turn serious. “Fuck!”The feeling disappears, and a sense of dread starts to settle in the pit of my stomach. “W..What is it?” I am unable to hide my fear from my voice. Surely he didn't regret kissing me too,right?A small frown appears on Ethan's face. “We were never away, or whatever that's supposed to mean.” A grin appears o
Avery's POVMy excitement after sending my response to Callier Accessories is hard to contain. It feels like a dream, but one look at the invitation sent to me by the company for a cruise ship party is all I needed to be fully aware that my dream is coming true. The only issue on hand is how to keep it away from Ethan until my designs enter the market. I want to surprise him and also be able to hold my head high beside him. No matter how I tried not to notice, I could feel the judgmental stares whenever we were outside. Maybe, like Belle, they just thought of me as a bedwarmer and someone with no talent of her own who was lucky enough to give birth to the Kings Group heirs.I am more than that, and I am going to prove that I am worthy of a man like Ethan.That's why, in the safety of my bedroom this afternoon, I am transforming from Avery to Jane. Jane is the name I used when sending out my sample designs. I decided to hide my identity as Ethan's wife because that's as good as all the