Spark: Book 1 (The Heat Series) Read online

  He continued to watch her as the car made its way through midtown. He was caught in a daydream when they arrived. The building was on his side of the car, so Ava touched his sleeve.

  “Can you get out? It’s not safe for me to get out on the traffic side.”

  Xander slid out of the seat and exited. He held his hand out so she could grasp it when she was getting out of the car. Feeling her hand in his was like heaven. He felt elated. After he had helped her out of the car, he released her hand. He didn’t want to hold on to it longer than appropriate, but he really did. He felt she was already suspicious of his actions over the past few days.

  He placed his hand firmly on her back as they walked to the building and he kept it there as they entered the elevator. Ava said her goodbye to Xander, and they walked in opposite directions as they exited the elevator. She went to her desk and prepared herself for the day.

  “Well don’t you look smart in that ponytail!” Sam had ducked her head around the cubicle wall to talk to her.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen you for days.”

  “Are you excited for the Hamptons this weekend?” Ava asked.

  “Yes, the weather is going to be nice but still a bit cool to hit the beach. I thought we’re going to be all alone in the house. Justin told me his parents are coming with his brother and aunt. I guess it could be worse. We might not have a nice house to stay in at all.”

  Smiling, Ava had to stop chatting and get to work. “I have to go. I need to get some files from Xander’s office.”

  Sam sat back down in her cubicle and Ava headed to get the files she needed. Hopefully, with the grace of God, Xander had left for court. She didn’t want any more awkward silences. She made her way down the hallway to his office. The door was open, and she bit her lip. She went in, and Xander was at his desk, jacket off, shirt sleeves open and rolled on his forearms.

  “I thought you had court today?”

  “The clerk called me and said Judge Hopper has the stomach flu, so we are in postponement until they reschedule. So I am here all day.”

  Ava felt her stomach tighten. She hoped she wasn’t still sick. “I need the files that you wanted me to research.” Ava watched as he shuffled through a stack of case files and pulled out two from the bottom. He handed them to her, and she headed out the door.

  “You know you can work in my office if you like.” He gestured to the large couch and coffee table in the corner.

  “Thank you, but I would rather work in the research room.” She saw the pained look on Xander’s face and realized she used the wrong choice of words.

  “What I mean by that is that all the case volumes are there. It would be easier than me having to run back and forth.” She turned to leave, and he watched as her ponytail bobbed up and down as she walked out. He wished she would work near him. He loved how she smelled, and he was comforted by her being close. He knew he had it bad.

  Ava made her way to the research room. She felt horrible about making it seem as if she didn’t want to be near him. She would never want him to think that she didn’t want to be in the same room with him. She sat down at the long table and spent the next few hours working on the files. Her phone chirped, and she saw that Sam had texted her about ordering lunch. She declined because she was worried about eating too heavy since she just got over being sick.

  Ava checked her watch, and it was going on noon. She needed to find something to eat. She left her work on the table and went to the break room. It was Thursday, and everything should have been restocked in the cabinets and refrigerator. She was happy to see they had her favorite papaya smoothie. She took one from the refrigerator and went to get a straw from the drawer.

  “Is that is all you are having for lunch?” Xander stood in the doorway and startled her causing her to spill some of the smoothie on the counter.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Ava took a paper towel and wiped up the smoothie. “I just wasn’t expecting you to be behind me.”

  “Oh, me or anyone?” Xander said with a smirk.

  “Anyone. Everyone went to Filipos.”

  “Why didn’t you go?”

  “I’m afraid my stomach might not be able to handle it just yet so I opted for this,” as she held up the smoothie. Xander watched as she sucked up some of the liquid through the straw that was wrapped by her beautiful full lips. It was too much for him to bear watching her suck the straw. His mind started to drift about her sucking something else. He felt the tightness in his pants again.

  “That is protein so I guess it’s good. Back to work, see you later.” He had left the room before his erection was more visible. She is making me crazy. When he got back to his office, he sat in his chair and leaned back. She was making this complicated for him and what was so bizarre is that she had no idea. He grew nauseous thinking about his secret. He had to find some way to explain it to her, make her understand it was just something that happened. He didn’t mean for it to happen to her specifically, but it did. There were other things she didn’t know about him and would eventually find out. He felt the loss of her, and she wasn’t even his yet.

  Ava finished her smoothie and went back to the research room. She was a bit bewildered by Xander’s behavior. He had rushed out of the break room so quickly. Had she done or said something to offend him? He was turning out to be a very strange guy indeed, but there was still something about him she found endearing. He had a soft side, and he had given her a glimpse of it when he took care of her on Tuesday. She wanted to be friends with him and hoped this would be the start of it. Hopefully, the distasteful situation they had earlier this week was finished.

  A few hours later she found herself yawning. It was nearly time to leave for the day, so she cleaned up all the items she had used for her research, picked up the files and her notes and went to her desk. Tomorrow she would transcribe them on her laptop while she sat in the alcove. This week had been tough, and she was glad that tomorrow was Friday. But she also had nothing to do.

  Sam and Justin were leaving for the Hamptons tomorrow afternoon; Liam was still in London, and her uncle’s family was off to Maryland for a wedding. Maybe she should go for a light run around the park. She jogged to the gym but hadn’t gone running since last fall, and they were predicting the temperatures in the sixties for Saturday. It would be nice to get out in the fresh air. She got up to leave and ran into Xander just before the elevators.

  He waved and told her, “Goodnight.”

  She waved back and told him goodnight in return. She stepped into the open elevator and pushed the M button. She made her way out of the building and headed to the train. She felt exhausted and was pretty sure it was because of being sick for two days. Her train ride home was uneventful though she was pretty sure she got stuck near the same guy that was adverse to deodorant. She was happy to exit the train and go up and out into the evening air. This time of year was her favorite. Not too warm and not too chilly. But coat weather was becoming few and far between.

  She greeted Frank who was on desk duty and pressed the up button for the elevator. When the doors opened, Mrs. Tremaine was exiting. She stepped aside to let her out.

  “Dear, wearing shoes with heels like that can cause damage to the lobby floor. Please keep that in mind when choosing daily footwear. Perhaps a sensible flat would be better.”

  Ava, ever polite, held her tongue and entered the elevator.

  “Yes, Mrs. Tremaine. Thank you.”

  The doors closed and Ava held up her middle finger. If just once that woman would ever mind her own business, Ava would be amazed. She entered her apartment to a foul odor. A mix of rot and a flowery scent. During the time she was sick she had completely forgotten about the roses, Xander had sent her last week. The water had been sucked up, and the vase was dry, but the flowers were dead, and some of the petals had crumbled and fell on the table. It was time to get rid of them. However, she took the best looking rose and placed it in the middle of her hard bound copy of �
�Crime and Punishment.” She didn’t know why she felt compelled to save one of the roses, but she did. The rest she threw away, removed the bag and went out to drop it into the incinerator chute. Back in her apartment, she kicked off her shoes and went to her bedroom to change into more comfortable clothing.

  Riley was as naughty as ever, scratching the carpets and tearing around the apartment meowing. I need to get him a playmate. He is all alone during the day and probably missing a companion. To calm him she prepared his dinner. He greedily ate the food. Ava was exhausted but needed to eat something for dinner. She decided on a can of soup. When she finished eating, she lay on the chaise and flipped the channels on the TV. She checked her phone for an email from Liam, but there was none. She was disappointed. She missed him, and it didn’t seem like he missed her as much. It was only 7:30, but she had had a long day and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. She crawled into bed and fell asleep shortly after her head hit the pillow.

  Xander paced his apartment wearing nothing but his boxers and dress socks. He was restless, and it was early. He made up his mind to head to Charlie’s. He quickly dressed in a pair of slacks and a sweater, slipped on his loafers and grabbed his keys. In less than fourteen minutes, he was sitting at the bar, sipping scotch and perusing the crowd for someone that looked like her. It was pretty crowded for a Thursday night, probably because it was Ladies Night and would be that way until at least nine.

  He felt like a hunter looking for his prey. Then he spotted her, a young, petite woman with thick, curly auburn hair and blue eyes. She wasn’t an exact match, but she would have to do. She was with several other young women, probably straight from the office for half-priced drinks and appetizers. He kept his eye on her until she looked at him. She smiled at him and headed over to the bar. The stool next to him had just been vacated by an older man who had been nursing a warm beer for the last forty-five minutes.

  She extended her hand, “Christina.”

  “Please to meet you. Xander.”

  They chatted for a few minutes and then she went back to her friends. He continued to watch her, but she never looked up at him again. He ordered another scotch and nursed it just as the old man had done to his beer. He wanted to fuck someone other than Christina, but he hadn’t located a suitable match. He sucked down the last few drops of his scotch and prepared to go home, unsuccessful in his quest. As he was about to exit through the doors, he felt a tap on his arm. He turned to see Christina.

  “Leaving without me?” She purred.

  “I wasn’t planning on it, but you seemed uninterested.”

  “I am interested. Do you live close?” He offered his arm, and she tucked her hand around his elbow. When he arrived at his apartment with Christina in tow, he offered her another drink. She declined, unzipped his pants and reached to release his cock. By the time it was out he was sporting an almost full erection. “You have a nice sized cock,” she remarked. She wrapped her hand around it and led him to the couch. She pushed him down, got on her knees and started to suck. He watched her with fascination as her head bobbed up and down. Her bright red lipstick smeared onto him as she sucked. He played with her hair, and it wasn’t her face he saw, but Ava’s. The thought of her sucking on his cock pushed him over the edge and without warning the woman, he started to come in her mouth. She indicated no aversion to his cum and swallowed each spurt he provided.

  When he was done, she licked him clean, smiled sweetly and sat next to him on the couch. His cock was now limp and laying in between the teeth of his pants zipper. But Xander could go all night, and his condition was only temporary. He stood up and extended his hand to lead her to his bedroom. His master bedroom was quite large and painted in a masculine shade of dark blue. He had floor to ceiling windows flanked by heavy drapes that were open at the moment. He started to remove his clothing, throwing each article in a pile near his dresser. She followed his lead but placed her clothes on the upholstered bench at the end of his king sized bed. She was taking too long, and Xander was growing impatient, so he assisted her.

  She was totally naked, and he stepped back to view her body. She was pretty and thin but no Ava. Her body was not as shapely as Ava’s and her breasts not nearly as full. He laid her on the bed and got between her legs. She was cleanly waxed. Xander had fucked enough women to know it had to be a wax job, not a hair in sight and smooth as a baby’s bottom. He began to lick and finger her. She started to moan, and he inserted first one, then a second finger into her. She was wet, and he was hard as a rock and primed to fuck. He kept Ava’s face in his mind. Christina would be a far second to her. He got up from the bed and got a condom from the bedside table. She watched as he tore it open and expertly rolled it on himself. He pulled her up from the bed and guided her over to the full-length windows. The lights of the city and far across the Hudson River in New Jersey lit up the skyline. He picked her up and she shuddered when he pressed her back against the cold glass.

  “Maybe the bed would be a better place for us. I don’t want to be an exhibitionist you know,” Christina said.

  “Do you want to do this or do you want to go home?” Xander chided.

  “I was just saying…” Xander ignored her and lifted her up, so his head was pressing against her entrance. In one swift move, he lowered her down and slipped through her slick folds. He wrapped his hands under her ass and pressed her hard against the glass for leverage. Her moans were loud and insistent as he worked in and out of her. She leaned her head on his shoulder which was good for Xander because he wanted to block out her face. Ava was all he saw. He grunted as he continued to work. He was ready to come, and he wanted to get this over with and have her leave his apartment. His arms were burning from holding up the weight of her while they fucked. A few more strokes and he released his load into the condom continuing to work until his balls were fully drained. When he was finished, he put her down and his semi hard cock slid out of her.

  “Hey, I haven’t come yet.” Without a word he used his fingers to work her clit until she had her own release. He went to the bathroom to take off his condom and flush it. He stayed in there longer than he needed to, hoping that she would be dressed and ready to go. Unfortunately, she was lounging in his bed naked hoping for another round. He hated these situations, and he didn’t want to make small talk.

  “I have an early meeting tomorrow, so I would appreciate if you left.” She gave him a sour face.

  “Wow, you are ever the gentleman.”

  “Look, you knew what this was and so do I. You don’t come home with a guy at the end of the night and expect pancakes in the morning.”

  Without saying a word she got up from the bed and began pulling on her clothes. He pulled on his boxers from the pile in the corner. She finished getting dressed and finally spoke.

  “The least you can do is give me some cab fare.” Xander picked through the clothing pile and found his wallet in his pants pocket. He flipped through the bills and pulled out a twenty that he shoved into her hand. She took it and left his bedroom. He followed her to the door, and he opened it.

  Her parting words to him were, “You’re a real jerk. You know that?”

  “I never claimed to be anything else.”

  After she had left, he turned on the shower as hot as he could stand. He pulled off his boxers and tossed them in the hamper. The water was hot, and the spray felt nice on his body. He scrubbed himself, washing the stink of her perfume. He was hoping that her scent would not linger in his bed. He finished showering and toweled off. He went to his bed and pulled back the covers slipping in naked. Her perfume had indeed lingered on his quilt. He would have to send it to the dry cleaners tomorrow. He was thankful that he hadn’t pulled the covers down, or he would have had to change the sheets. His only wish before he fell asleep was that it had been Ava that he had pressed against the window. He wanted her perfume to linger on his body and his bed. It was his last thought before sleep claimed him.

  Chapter 9

  Ava sat d
own at her desk and got ready to start her day. It had been a busy morning for her. She spent the next forty-five minutes in the building gym. They had a respectable amount of work out equipment, and many of the tenants used it.

  She finished using the elliptical, and she went upstairs to shower. She put a large dollop of body wash on her hand and started working her way down. When she got to her sex and began soaping it had caused her to feel aroused. The happenings of the past few weeks had thrown her off her game. Ava had a very healthy sex drive and normally got herself off several times a week. She was hoping that Liam would help her in this area. Her fingers worked clockwise on her sensitive nub until she was close. It felt so good that she backed off and then started again. Usually, this would produce an extra hard orgasm and when she finally released her legs felt weak, and she had to sit for a few minutes as the water cascaded over her.

  After she was finished with her shower, she dressed in a conservative crewneck sweater, wool slacks and a pair of flats. She was in no mood to dress up. She had not heard from Liam in two days and was beginning to think that he had lost interest in her. She knew that this was new to her, and maybe she was overreacting. If she had asked Sam about it, she would have threatened to cut Liam’s balls off again so she would keep it to herself. The train wasn’t nearly as crowded as normal as it was on a Friday, so she was able to get a seat.

  The office was quiet for week’s end. Usually, people were bustling about to complete their tasks before the weekend. Ava looked for Samantha at her desk, but she wasn’t there. She was leaving after lunch today for her trip. Ava got her laptop and notes and headed down the hall to the alcove. When she past Xander’s office she noticed that the lights were off. He probably isn’t in yet. She thought. A check of her watch told her it was just before eight. Normally he was in the office along with the other attorneys between seven and seven-thirty. Her uncle came into the office early; all of the partners did. He had been doing it for years but today both Jacob and her uncle were out. They had decided to make the drive to Maryland early in the day so the whole family could attend the rehearsal dinner.