Falling For Ava (British Billionaires 2)

Staring at it as if it was going to burn me, I hesitated. “What are you doing?” Though I appeared to be bothered, deep down, I was far from it. Everything about this man demanded attention, and I admit, his admiring eyes weren’t unwelcomed.

“First, I’m taking you back to your hotel. Then I’ll resume my evening, presumably dining with my date tonight.”

Drive me back to my hotel? I think not.

“No need. I’ll be fine.” Scrambling to my feet, I ignored his outstretched hand. “I can manage pretty well on my own.”

“You interrupted my night; this is the least you could do for me. I promise no harm will come to you.”

It wasn’t because I’d thought he’d harm me. Of course not. It was me. I didn’t trust myself to be around him. Now that I had told him the rundown of things, there wasn’t much to explore other than how blatantly he oozed confidence and outright sex appeal. Nor did it help that, each time I glanced at him, my heart sped, wishing he was Reiss …

“I shan’t…” I regrettably said, but he was persistent.

“You have my word, Ava.”

Could I trust him? Again, it was odd that I found myself silently responding that I did, which was surprising since this man was as good as a stranger to me. After realizing this, my hand made its way to clasp his, granting him his wish.

Chapter 6

Ava

His driver was waiting across the street, holding the car door wide open as he nodded towards us. “Good evening, Mr. Chambers.” He then directed his kind gaze at me. “Madam.”

Once secured in the back of the Mercedes and with the driver starting the engine, I rested my hands on my lap, fighting the need to fidget because, even though he sat an arm’s reach, I felt the tension. It utterly crackled between us. It had gone from innocent to sinful in the blink of an eye.

After five minutes of silence, my tensed shoulders started to ache, so I gradually reclined my head against the headrest, sighing as I silently begged for my sanity back. My body hadn’t been the same ever since Craig had appeared in the picture three nights prior. It tingled, every pore sensing everything—from a single touch to one of his dashing smiles, I was profoundly affected by this man.

This heightened state was the cause of my dreams of him, doing some ungodly things a married woman shouldn’t even dare to think about. However, my subconscious did dare, and what dreams they were. They had completely left me wanting. This curling hunger had slowly been building for over seventy-two hours since meeting him, and it kept thriving, growing. As if needing to feed, it wouldn’t stop until I had accomplished what it wanted, what it needed to be satisfied.

Maybe it was that devious, animalistic look he had that trigged this unquenchable thirst within me. Although, as much as it thrilled me to know I was still capable of feeling such sexual intensity, it was frightening that it wasn’t Ashton. It was supposed to be only him, my husband, who should make me feel like I couldn’t live another second longer if he didn’t remedy this ache in my loin.

“Ava.” The sound of my name rasping out of his lips like a caress made my breasts ache.

Bloody hell, could I get a moment without thinking of sex? Not only was it frustrating that I wanted him so badly, but it simply didn’t help when he called to me in such a seductive tone.

“We’re here.”

Slowly and seductively, I lifted my gaze to meet his, immediately feeling the world suspend—stopping. I was hanging on a pendulum that was ticking away, as if I had little time left to make a decision—a decision that would change me, my life, and everything I believed myself to be.

His dark, penetrating gaze traced my lips before he granted me a look that gave me a glimpse of the hunger he’d been holding back. I found myself breathless as he slid out of the car the moment it was opened by the hotel doorman, and I didn’t release the hold of my breath until he was on my side of the car, holding out his hand to help me out of the vehicle. My brain didn’t even register whether I should limit my skin contact with him; my hand went out to meet his without hesitation.

The second I was out of the car, he guided me towards the hotel entrance. Was this where he was planning to say his goodbyes? My mind reeled at the thought that I wouldn’t ever see him again. Yet I knew, deep down, it would possibly be for the best. Having him around me was mystifying because he provoked such an ache that he alone could soothe. Well, on the contrary, Reiss had aroused similar acute, carnal desires from me. As I had rationally thought before, the only explanation for why I was reacting to him this way was because, each time I saw him, it wasn’t really Craig I was seeing but Reiss.

Prepping my final goodbyes in my mind, I was taken aback when I felt his hand tighten around mine, as if to not let go.

“Which room number are you?” His question caught me off guard, unsure if he meant to leave me outside my door and be a gentleman or lead his way inside the room then led himself on to me … into me.

“Ava?” he pressed again.

I snapped out of my funk the moment we reached the elevator, taking half a second before deciding to utter the room number.

Everything happened at such a hectic pace that I didn’t get the chance to ponder over the consequences of what I had just done. My heart had taken over my senses, speedily ramming against my chest as if it was a prisoner in need of escape. Not only did my heart feel like it was about to do jumping jacks, but my body felt like it was wired with some sort of power source, because my hand that was attached to his felt too electrifying to describe.

The deafening sound of the bell, indicating that we had arrived on my floor, felt like a sentence, and at the same time, it was as if someone had raised me from the dead.

“Craig,” I started to say as he guided us towards my room, uncertain of how I’d approach this awkward subject. He needed to know I wasn’t the type of woman who randomly slept with men I barely knew. Or, moreover, the fact that, yes, I was married, and even though I was epically lonely most nights, I had managed just fine and would continue to do so.

Standing right outside of the door, he intently looked at me. “Mind handing me your keycard?”

Entranced by those mesmerizing, intense, green eyes, I found myself handing him the damning thing, hoping I hadn’t completely lost my mind.

“Craig,” I whispered with a lot of hesitation. “Ermm … Thank you for the ride. I truly appreciate—”

The instant the sound of the door unlocking and opening occurred, I was inside my room, right against the wall, pinned by his body and caged by a predatory look that utterly set my body ablaze.