Lone Star Legacy: Relentless Pursuit

“That’s all I ask.”

Hours later, when she unlocked the door to her condo, Will stepped inside. He took her arm lightly and turned her to face him.

As she looked up at him, her breathing altered.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with your working for me,” he said in a husky voice. “It’s simply a man and a woman he’s attracted to.” Her lips parted as she drew a deep breath. He leaned down to kiss her, covering her mouth with his before she could answer.

Her heart thudded and she stood still, unresponsive for a heartbeat, and then she melted against his hard frame. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him in return. His fingers wrapped in her hair a few moments as he leaned over her and kissed her passionately.

His tongue thrust deeply into her mouth. His kisses were more devastating than before. Desire blazed, threatening her peaceful world. She stepped back. “This isn’t part of the bargain, Will. It just can’t be. I’ve got my life all lined up and you’ve already turned it upside down for the summer. I don’t want a big emotional upheaval on top of that.”

“I don’t, either,” he said solemnly. “It’s kisses and wanting to dance with you and hold you, nothing deep or involved. Get back in the world, Ava. You’re too full of life to withdraw into a shell.”

“You barely know me or what I do or how I am.”

“I’m beginning to know you, and I know that much about you already,” he whispered, showering kisses on her temple and cheek, brushing them lightly across her lips. She closed her eyes and in seconds they kissed again until she stopped him.

“I have to say goodbye now, Will. I’ll see you a week from Sunday afternoon.”

He smiled at her, running his fingers lightly on her throat. “See you at three next Sunday.”

She watched him climb back into the limo and leave. Dazed, she moved through her condo, feeling as if she had been caught up in a whirlwind and now dropped back to earth.

She got out her iPad to check her calendar and begin listing what she needed to do before she saw Will again on Sunday. Then she sent a text to her sister. In an hour, Trinity was at the door.

“Tell me what you’re doing and where you’ve been and about William Delaney!” Trinity exclaimed, rushing inside, her sandy curls bouncing. “I brought pizza,” she said, waving boxes with enticing smells.

“It’s good to see you and to be home,” Ava said, smiling, knowing an explosion was coming. “What would you like to drink?” She headed to her small kitchen while Trinity followed and set the pizzas on the table.

“Water. I have veggie blast and artichoke, basil and onion pizza.”

“Thanks. Let me pay you.”

“My treat, and you talk. What’s he like? Does he look like his pictures? Does he have a woman in his life? Is he nice?”

Ava laughed. “Trinity, slow down. One question at a time. He’s nicer than I thought he would be. He is more handsome than his pictures,” she said, remembering his kisses. “As far as I know there’s no woman in his life right now, but I really don’t know for sure. He was nice. He has a little niece whose dad was killed in a plane crash, and he’s worried about her because she’s sort of closed off the world.”

“That’s dreadful and sad,” Trinity said, her smile vanishing. “How old is she?”

“Five.” Ava set two glasses of water on the table and told Trinity about Caroline’s situation.

Trinity looked horrified. “Poor little thing. So is he going to interview the tutors you recommended?”

Ava braced herself. “No. He’s hired me for the summer to work with her.”

“You’re going to work for him and give up all your plans?” Trinity asked, her eyebrows arching as she stared at Ava.

“Yes. He gave me an incentive.”

Trinity squinted her eyes and tilted her head to study her sister. “You didn’t fall in love with him, did you?”

“Of course, not,” Ava snapped, while a twinge of guilt about the kisses she’d shared with him plagued her. “He made an offer I really couldn’t refuse.” She withdrew the piece of paper from her purse. “You might want to sit before you read it,” she added, bracing again for her sister’s reaction.

With one more long look at Ava, Trinity took the paper to read. Her mouth dropped open and she looked up at Ava. “Is this real?”

“Very. I’ll have money for my dream and be able to help you and Summer through school.”

Trinity looked at the paper again and read it aloud, suddenly screaming as she jumped up and down.

Ava smiled and held out her hand. “Now you see why I postponed my plans until fall. Give me back my paper. I want to keep it.”

To Ava’s amusement, Trinity reacted in typical fashion and it was an hour before she calmed. They called their youngest sister, Summer, to tell her the change in Ava’s plans, and then Ava spent the next several hours with Trinity. The only topics of discussion were Will, Caroline and summer plans.

It was almost nine before Trinity left. Ava felt wound up, filled with excitement, trying to ignore the constant simmering prospect of spending the summer with Will Delaney. To tell someone else about Will’s offer, actually show Trinity the amount written by Will, made it seem slightly more real.

At ten, a violin rendition of a Strauss waltz played faintly and she rushed to answer her cell phone to hear Will’s voice.

“Did I call too late?”

“Of course not,” she answered, her pulse speeding simply over the sound of his voice. She sat in a cherrywood rocker, rocking slightly. “My sister Trinity just left a little while ago. She’s very excited about my new job and we called our youngest sister and told her.”

“I hope they’re happy about it.”

“That’s a huge understatement. It’s a wonder you didn’t hear Trinity screaming for joy.”

He chuckled. “I told Caroline. In her own quiet way I think she’s pleased.”

“I’m sure she didn’t say anything.”

“No, but I got a little response because she nodded. That’s more than I usually get, so I took that as a positive sign. She also gave me a long look and I think that was another affirmation.”

“I hope so.” She thought about the little girl and grew somber after the evening with Trinity.

“We already miss you being here” he said in a deeper tone of voice that caused another flurry to her heartbeat.

“I’ll be back soon enough.”

“No, not soon enough. If you wind things up there sooner, give me a call and I’ll send someone to get you earlier. If I can do anything to help you move, let me know.”

“Thank you. It’s just a matter of putting things on hold for the summer.”

“Are there really no guys to say goodbye to?”

“There are really no guys,” she said, smiling. “I meant what I said about that.”

“You’ve been shut out of life long enough.”

“That doesn’t go with the job, remember?”