My cock hardens at the thought and the sound of the desire in her voice. “Yes.”
She shakes her head slightly. “What’s changed? I’m still his sister.”
I’m grateful she didn’t drag his name into this. I’ve thought about him and her for days. I’ve listed the pros and the cons over and over in my mind. I’ve replayed the beginning of my friendship with Sean and imagined what will inevitably be the end of whatever happens between Ava and me when she returns to London.
There is no long-term future for us. It’s not in the cards, the stars, or wherever soul mates hide until fate throws you in their path.
I want to fuck her. I want to know her. Then I’ll let her go because I have to.
“I trust that we can keep this between us.” I pause to gather my thoughts.
Before I can get another word out, she clears her throat. “You’re saying that if we take this beyond a kiss, we don’t tell anyone about it.”
I nod. “It would be temporary until you go back to London.”
Her gaze scans my face. “You can trust me not to say a word to anyone, Harry. I keep my personal life very private. After what happened to me, I…”
I step closer to her, urgency pushing the next words out of me. “What happened to you, Ava?”
She sucks in a short, brisk breath. “I got involved with this guy. It didn’t end well, so I’m careful now. I don’t talk to anyone about who I’m sleeping with. To me, that’s no one’s business but my own.”
Apparently, we live by the same doctrine.
“Are you sleeping with anyone now?” I ask because I want a clear path to her body. If a guy is waiting for her in London, I need to know.
“No,” she answers quickly. “I like to have fun, so no.”
I read between those lines. If she’s looking for a one night hook-up, I’m the man for the job. If she wants that to stretch over the course of the next few weeks, I’m all in.
“Harry?” she says my name softly.
I glance up at her. “Yes?”
“Will you be able to face him if we fuck?”
My cock swells in my pants at the sound of that word leaving her lips.
“I won’t come between the two of you,” she says. “I love my brother. I trust you to know whether you can handle the baggage that will come with sleeping with his sister.”
The way she’s handling this is making me want her more. She’s in control, level-headed and far less wanting than me, or so it appears.
I would have been happy to leapfrog this discussion to be balls deep inside of her by now.
Her gaze drops to the watch on my wrist. “Your two minutes are up. Think about this, Harrison. I mean, really think about it.”
“You want me, Ava,” I say because I believe it’s the truth. “I want you. I can handle it.”
She closes the distance between us with soft steps. “Give it a day or two. If you still want to ravish me, you know where to find me.”
I huff out a laugh. “I’ll be back, London.”
“I’m counting on it.” She darts up to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my chin. “Bring condoms.”
I grab her chin and tilt her face to steal a kiss. My tongue edges between her lips to savor her taste, to claim what I want.
She pulls back. “Bring lots of condoms, Harry.”
“I will.” I groan. “Goodnight, Ava.”
She steps back and moves to open her apartment door. “Bye, Harry. I’ll see you soon.”
I brush past her and leave, knowing that when I return, nothing between us will ever be the same again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Ava
I walk into the music store on Monday morning, determined to get enough composition paper so I won’t have to return for at least two weeks. I hadn’t planned on spending so much time working on a new piece, but I’ve felt incredibly inspired since I moved into my place.
I instantly come to a complete standstill when I spot a man standing a few feet away from me. He’s looking at a clarinet.
His gaze shifts briefly to my face.
I smile because who wouldn’t smile at one of their all-time idols?
I feel lightheaded when he not only smiles back but turns toward me. “Hello there.”
His voice sounds just as it did the first time I saw him. We’ve never met, but I’ve followed his career for years.
“Hi,” I say. “Nice day, right?”
What? What the hell is wrong with me?
I’m not the tongue-tied type. I met one of the most famous NHL players on the planet two nights ago, and I barely batted an eyelash, but this guy is making me forget how to string words together to form a coherent sentence.
“I mean, it sure is sunny out there.” I awkwardly point at the large window that overlooks the sidewalk.
He laughs. “It is a beautiful day. I’m Alex.”
And I’m once again star-struck. I take a step closer to him and extend my hand. I wish to hell I wasn’t wearing jeans, a blue sweatshirt, and sneakers. This is not how I envisioned my first ever meeting with famed conductor Alexander Donato would be.
My hand continues to bounce in the air as I speed up my pace to get closer to him.
“Forgive me if I’m wrong,” he says as he approaches me. “But I swear you look like a young woman I’m a huge fan of. You’re not Ava Wells, are you?”
My hand drops to my side. “What?”
“I’m sorry.” He laughs, shoving a hand through his brown hair. “You look so much like her. She’s an incredible pianist, but she lives in London, so I should have known that you couldn’t be her.”
I pinch my wrist to make sure I’m not dreaming.
How is this real life right now?
“You know… wait…do you know me?” I stutter through the question. “You can’t know me.”
His left eyebrow perks as a slow smile spreads over his lips. “Are you Ava Wells?”
I nod like a bobble head doll. “I’m her.”
His hand darts in the air. “It’s an honor to meet you, Ava.”
I stare at his outstretched hand before I drop mine into it. “No. It’s an honor to meet you, sir. You’re such an inspiration to me.”
He glances at the store clerk, who has her gaze pinned on us. “I need to finish up here, but I have a favor to ask. It involves someone very special. Give me a minute, and then if you have time, can we grab a cup of coffee?”
Coffee with the Alexander Donato?
I nod again. “I’d like that, sir.”
“Alex,” he corrects me in a soft tone. “It’s Alex.”
I glide down the sidewalk as if I’m floating. It feels that way. I spent three hours not only having coffee with Alex, but I accepted an invitation to visit the school where he helps children and adults nurture their love of music by learning to play instruments.
Walking into The Anna Donato School of Music felt like an awakening. There may not have been any classes happening while I was there, but many people were milling about.
Most of them were music teachers who were preparing their weekly lesson plans. I also met Alexander’s wife, Olivia, via video chat. He initiated it after telling me that his wife was just as big of a fan of my talent as he is.