“I’m waiting, Ava.”
“I … stowedawayonthechopper.” She rumbled the sentence off in a soft whisper.
Parker’s lips thinned to keep his smile at bay. She looked adorable as she bored the toe of her sneaker into the floor, while doing her best to appear brave and unafraid of the consequences of her defying him. Then the anger he’d experienced when he’d first saw her with the knife clutched in her hand resurfaced. He yanked the offending weapon from her loose grasp and threw it on the counter.
“You know the danger you’re in and still you ran off with no thought to your own safety. What the devil were you thinking?”
She winced as his voice thundered through the kitchen. He had a point, but similarly, she had a good reason for doing what she did. She slammed her fists onto her waist and took a step back.
“Don’t you dare browbeat me, Sinclair. I’m not an idiot. I’ve lived under the radar since I was fifteen years old. I know how to disappear into the shadows even in broad daylight.” She took a deep breath and stabbed a stiff finger against his chest as he opened his mouth to speak. “No, you listen to me. I’m the one he wants and because of that, it also places you and everyone on the island in danger.”
“So, what? You came back here to play bait and get killed? Goddammit, Ava, the island is more secure than Fort Knox! We even have security measures against airborne attacks. There is no place you, or anyone else for that matter, could be safer.”
“Unless they manage to crack my redirect servers. You forget, Parker, my laptops are linked to that IP address, specifically to ensure I have more freedom to live a normal life. Yes, it’s been secure for years but there’s always someone who’s better than you … you proved it by finding me.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “I couldn’t take the chance of putting you all in danger of being exposed if that should happen.”
“And running away … from me, from our relationship is the plan you came up with?”
Ava rolled her eyes. She quickly retreated another step as Parker’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I came here to increase my security measures. To ensure it’s airtight. Once I’m done, I had every intention of going back.”
“Really? Why should I believe you? You have no idea where the island is. Our NanoTechnology disables all electrical equipment on the island’s tracking and location abilities.”
“Well … I would’ve phoned you to come and fetch me.”
“I’m not so sure I believe you, Ava.”
“It’s the truth!”
“Why didn’t you discuss your concerns with me when I told you?”
“I suppose because I’m used to solving my own problems. I’ve been making my own decisions since I was fifteen years old, Parker. It’s not a habit that’s ever going to change. The quicker you get used to that, the better.”
“And the quicker you get used to the fact that you are now my responsibility to protect and care for, the better it will be for your tender ass.”
Ava stamped her foot in irritation. “Stop being such a Dom! I might be your submissive, Parker Sinclair, but I’m not your slave. I am my own person; I have my own mind and I can take care of myself. You’re not going to lay one of your big ass hands on my tender ass for that!”
Parker clamped his hands around her shoulders and shook her. He leaned forward but surprised her by countering in a deeply passionate voice, “Yes, Ava, you are my submissive but you are also the woman I love, deeply, and I’ll be damned if I’ll allow you to jeopardize our future by being hard-headed and not accept that I will always protect you.” His eyes darkened. “Even if I have to pay the ultimate price in the process.”
Ava stared at him as his words sunk in. She shook her head and cupped his cheeks. “No, I’ll never let you do that.”
“Why not, Ava? Isn’t that exactly what you’d do for me?” His voice grated from barely moving lips, his eyes bored into hers, searching … waiting.
“Yes, I would.”
“Why?”
“Because you are my Dom, but also, without me realizing it, the man who captured my heart. It happened so quickly that I’m still staggering under the heavy weight of it inside me. I … don’t know how to love, Parker and I’m so scared I’m going to fuck this up.”
He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. A fluttering brush of lips that meant more than anything deeper and passionate.
“We’re two peas in a pod, love. I know how to love my family but you are the first woman I have given my heart to. Fast as lightning, yes, I know, but I trust my instincts, and together, we’ll guide each other through the obstacles we’ll face in future. Love will be our guiding light, the miracle that will keep us together, no matter our past hurts and failures. None of that matters, Ava … only you and I do.”
“I hope you have the patience of Job, Parker. I’m not an easy person to live with.” She laughed. “Hell, no one has ever lived with me for the past seventeen years.”
“I don’t want to change you, my love. I chose you for who and what you are. I love your sassiness—it lands you in such delicious trouble and I’m in awe of your passion for your work. I will always support you, don’t ever doubt that.”
“You’re not going to expect me to stop doing what I’m doing?”
“Why ever would I do that?” He feigned a look of horror and glanced around the apartment. “You have damn expensive tastes, my love, and you better keep bringing in the loot or we’ll be bankrupt in a year.”
Ava’s laugh echoed through the apartment.
“So, that’s where you disappeared to. Get your ass back here, pup. I don’t want to be lambasted for inadvertently fucking something up.”
“Danton?” Ava peeked around Parker’s shoulder at the large man leaning against the door frame of her operation’s room. “You’re here too?”
“Unless I’ve turned into a ghost, yeah, I am.”
Ava tsked at his response and bored a slicing gaze at Parker. Her toe rapped on the floor again. “Exactly what is it that he might be fucking up, pray tell?”
“We’re moving your operation’s to BSE.”
Her eyes widened. She dragged in a slow breath to try and calm the rapid increased hammering of her heart. “You’re what?”
“You heard me.”
“I did but I don’t understand. I thought you said you won’t stop me from doing what I do.”
“And I meant it. I’ll never prevent you from doing what makes you happy and what you excel at, Ava. We all agreed that it would be easier to ensure your safety and ours if we gave you your own space in our BSE bunker offices. We readied the office suite across from mine for you.” Parker gestured to Danton. “We’re here to dismantle and move everything over there.” He flashed a boyish smile. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”
Ava blinked, trying to compute the swift change in her life. Not entirely unpleasant but still completely unexpected.
“What about my routers and redirection links?”
“You’ll have our NanoT at your disposal, Ava. I promise you it’s a thousand times better than what you’ve set up.” He shrugged. “I’ll help you set everything up using the technology but it’s up to you how you do it. If you still wish to link your system via the IP address in Manhattan, it’s your choice or we can set it up so that it keeps bouncing all over the world without one final location.” He pinched her chin. “We’re just giving you the same workspace you have here, honey. What you do with it, is in your hands.” He smiled broadly. “Oh, and you’ll have a couple of staff members as well.”