Spark: Book 1 (The Heat Series) Read online

  She sat down on the alcove couch and opened her laptop waiting for it to boot up. By the time it was up and running, she heard footsteps coming down the hall and keys rattling as Xander’s office door opened. She was quiet because she didn’t want him to know she was there. She was unsure about working in his office with him nearby. She felt that their relationship was evolving very quickly, maybe too quickly. They had just started to become friends after a tumultuous two weeks together. She was sure there were some other emotions taking hold, not just from him but her. She was growing fond of him something that might be frowned upon in a boss to employee relationship. But she had to admit that he was very nice to her lately, and she hoped it continued.

  Xander entered his office with the full intention of not working very hard. He was tired and fed up with his behavior the night before. Even in college when he had several one night stands he would never treat a woman the way he did Christina. He would never throw a woman out of his bed, but after he had fucked this one, he wanted her just to go away. She wasn’t Ava, and there was no use prolonging his delusion. He could have handled it a lot better but he just wanted her out, and the best way he could do that was to be rude. He probably was going to have to be careful the next time he was in Charlie’s because he might encounter her again. If he did see her, then he would apologize for his behavior. He sat down in his chair and turned on his laptop.

  He had his eyes closed and was tipped back in his chair. When he opened them the screensaver with the photo scroll was going. The picture he opened his eyes to was of himself and Abby at a barbecue. They looked happy, and his memory offered that they were at the time. He made a note to delete all the pictures of her from the scroll. The next picture was the one he had taken from Ava’s laptop. She looked gorgeous in her purple dress. She was standing by the window, and the lights of the city could be viewed in the background. Her hair and makeup were so elegant. He thought about what it would be like to take her to a party dressed in his tux and her in that purple dress. Could they be happy together? Maybe, they were only friends, and she had a boyfriend but maybe, just maybe.

  He wondered where she was. He had stopped by her desk and her coat was there but she was not. Her laptop was missing too. He stepped out of his office and rounded the corner to the alcove. He heard the tapping of her nails on the keys before he saw her and when he did; he just stood there. She was dressed down compared to her usual outfits. The green of her sweater was close to the color of her eyes. It didn’t matter what she wore because he was hopelessly in love with her. She could make a burlap bag look stunning. He watched her for a couple of minutes before he said anything.

  “Hi.”

  She looked up at him, “good morning.”

  It is now that I can be near you, he thought.

  “Would you like to work in my office? My couch is far more comfortable.” He watched as she chewed her full bottom lip.

  “Thank you for the offer, but I am okay here.”

  He sighed heavily. “Okay. I will be in my office if you need me.” It was hard for him to hide his disappointment, at least if she was sitting in his office while he worked he could occasionally look at her.

  As Xander walked away, Ava thought to herself, why did I say no? He is right; his couch is much more comfortable than this one. What could it hurt to sit in there and work? Maybe now would be the best time to discuss the kiss we shared? She got up, picked up her notes and rounded the corner to his office. When she looked in he was not at his desk. His laptop was open and from the couch, she was able to view his screen. She watched as it scrolled randomly selecting pictures to display. And then hers appeared.

  “So you decided to join me after all.”

  Ava was startled by Xander’s entrance into his office. He had a cup of coffee and a bottle of water which he handed to her. “I thought you might like this. I notice when you are busy working that you don’t eat or drink anything. You must take care of yourself better.”

  She accepted the bottle and jokingly said, “Yes, dad.”

  He smirked at her. “Can’t I worry about your well being?”

  Ava blushed. “I guess so,” she mumbled and went back to working on her transcription. Xander sat in his chair and noted that the air had the scent of her perfume. He felt happy that she was so near, and he rolled his chair up to his desk and started to work on his laptop.

  Ava continued to work but wanted to pose the question about the kiss. It had bothered her for several days, but confrontation was not her strong suit. When she had typed the same line from her notes four times, she knew she had to ask the question.

  “Xander?” He looked up from his work.

  “Yes?”

  “I need to talk to you about something.” Ava’s stomach started to knot, and her throat was dry. She got up and closed the door. Xander’s heart started to pound when he saw her shut the door. He was worried that she had found out what he had been hiding before he was ready to tell her. He watched as she sat back down on the couch. He closed his laptop so all his attention would be on her.

  “I know we had a rocky situation last week, but I want to know why you kissed me?”

  Xander swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure he could answer that question without lying to her. What was he to say, I’m so desperately and hopelessly in love with you that I find women to fuck but fantasize it’s you under me. Of course, he would never say that, but it would be to the point and put his feelings out into the open. No, he would have to be more tactful than that. He didn’t want to scare her away or worse, have her ask to be reassigned. So he thought of something on the fly.

  “Well, you know when you have a situation where your emotions run high, and you just want to make it right?” She cocked her head at him as if she was confused. “I just felt so badly about what I said to you and the look on your face. I just wanted to diffuse the situation as best I could. When I saw you had come back after me, I thought that maybe a kiss between friends would help.” Xander knew he was reaching by thinking she would believe it. With all his litigation skills that was the best he could come up with on such short notice. She was patient and let him finish.

  “I realize that you were leading with your emotions that night but why a kiss? Why not a hug?”

  He took a deep breath “I wasn’t thinking very well that night. I was upset; I was full of emotion. I hope we can get past what happened, everything.”

  She smiled at him “I think I can if you can.” He watched as she walked to the door and opened it then went back to her place on the couch. Xander went back to what he was doing but kept an eye on her.

  Does he think I am buying that story about emotions running high? I might be less experienced than him when it comes to sex, but I’m not stupid. That kiss meant something to him. I just need him to admit it. She tried to put his excuse out of her mind, but it bothered her. At noon they had both been working for three straight hours, and she was hungry.

  “Are you going to get some lunch?”

  “I probably will have a smoothie again. I’m not very hungry.”

  He looked at her and pursed his lips “You need to eat better. Do you want to go to dinner with me tonight? Just friends?”

  She didn’t know what to say. She looked at her shoes, “Do you think that is a good idea?”

  Xander coughed. “We are friends, aren’t we?”

  She hesitated before she answered unsure of what their relationship was. “I guess so.”

  “And friends go out to lunch, dinner, shows, don’t they?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “C’mon, I am craving a bulldog burger and beer from The Half Pint. Don’t make me eat alone.” She hesitated but finally relented. The Half Pint was a burger place that she had frequented a lot during her college days at NYU. It was on West Third Street which was close to NYU and her apartment on West Ninth.

  “So, it’s a date?” His eyes pleaded with her.

  “Yes, it’s a date. Well, maybe not a date in
the literal sense but figuratively.”

  Xander rose from his chair and went to get some lunch. Ava sat wondering what just happened. Did she just agree to have dinner with him? She wondered what he was like when he wasn’t in the business setting or being a nurse to her.

  She got up to go to the break room for a smoothie. The halls were quiet. It seemed that a lot of the staff had taken off for lunch. It was a warm spring day so most might be sitting on the stairs outside the building. It was set up like a small amphitheater to the right and left of the stairway into the building. On warm days it was frequented by many people looking to escape the dreary electric atmosphere of inside or just to catch some rays. She opened the refrigerator door and selected a mango smoothie. She went to the drawer and got a straw which she inserted into the bottle.

  When she got back, Xander was sitting at his desk working on a sandwich and a small bag of chips that he had gotten at the café in the main lobby.

  “Another smoothie? You love those things.”

  “They are delicious, low fat and full of protein.”

  Xander noticed that she had a straw in the drink, and he edged closer to his desk in case he had the same reaction as the day before. He watched as she sucked some of the drink through the straw. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her lips wrapped around the straw. He felt himself getting aroused and he forced himself to concentrate on his food. God help him if she ordered something to drink with a straw tonight. He would have a hard time controlling himself. Thankfully, she finished the smoothie and discarded it in the garbage. She went back to her work without saying a word to him.

  He didn’t get much work done the rest of the day. He was too busy looking over the screen of his laptop and watching her. She had her head bent down and was intent on her transcription. He committed as much to memory of her body as he could. Her long thick eyelashes, her soft, smooth ivory skin, full lips, long neck. He wished she wore more revealing clothing. She rarely wore anything that showed cleavage and he was intrigued by what she had hidden beneath her clothing. He knew she had shapely legs and muscular calves from the skirts and dresses she wore. He wanted to see more; he hoped to see more.

  At the end of the day, Ava sat up and stretched. She was tired, and her neck hurt. Xander yawned at his desk, and it was contagious.

  “Are you still up for going out for dinner?”

  He was not going to say no to a chance to have her to himself sans sickness.

  “Of course. Do you mind if I pick you up at your apartment? I would like to go home and change out of this suit and tie.”

  She nodded. She was curious what he looked like out of the business setting. Dressed in casual clothing and not coming over to care for her. The last time she saw him in casual clothing, she was miserable and hardly in any state to get a good look at his body.

  “I’m going to pack up my stuff and get ready to go home,” she said. “What time do you want to come by to pick me up?”

  Xander thought for a minute. “How about seven?

  Ava arrived home before 5:45 PM. She had an hour and fifteen minutes to figure out what to wear. Should I take another shower? She decided against it because she wouldn’t have time. She chose a black pair of jeans that fit her snuggly along with a gray v-neck sweater that was one of her favorites. Matching the outfit with a pair of boat shoes, she hoped she gave the appearance of casual but not too casual. She washed her face and applied a fresh coat of mascara and lip gloss. Her hair was still in the ponytail, and she chose to leave it that way rather than fiddle with it. Lastly, she gave herself a few dabs of perfume on her neck and wrists. When she was done, she sat on the couch to wait.

  Xander tried to hurry to his apartment from the office so that he would get to hers on time. The cab he had taken got stuck behind a city bus and a broken down van. When he was still several blocks from his apartment, his impatience got the best of him. He tossed a twenty over the seat and stepped out of the cab stopped at a traffic light. He jogged the rest of the way to his place and needed a shower. It was already past six, which gave him little time to get to her apartment especially on a Friday. Traffic was a nightmare, and it would be faster to walk the several blocks to her apartment rather than take a cab.

  He stripped off his suit and jumped in the shower. He wondered what the night with her would bring. His cock started to harden as he thought about the day he had spent with her. His mind drifted to her drinking from the straw, and he began to stroke himself. He continued to stroke and think about her body, her soft full lips, her breasts and he ejaculated quickly. Hopefully, that would hold him for the night, and there would be no embarrassing bulge to hide. He rushed out of the shower, drying himself as he walked. He selected the same slacks he wore the night before then thought better of it. He didn’t want her innocence exposed to anything associated with his evil deeds. He instead chose a pair of light colored blue jeans that fit him loosely, a burgundy sweater and a pair of argyle socks. He had a bit of a quirky side when he wasn’t at the office. Few people knew about it but close friends, family, and Abby. He didn’t like to reveal such things because he didn’t want to appear vulnerable.

  Since Gage was at the desk, he sent Xander right up. He was prompt: 7:02. She opened the door, and he was dressed casually, his thick sandy brown hair was still damp from a shower, and it curled at the back collar of his sweater. He smiled at her and asked if she was ready to go.

  Xander noticed that Ava was dressed casually. The sweater that she was wearing was surprising compared to the less revealing clothing she wore to the office. She showed more than a little cleavage, and he wondered how he was going to be able to avoid looking at it most of the night.

  She took a jacket out of her foyer closet, pulled it on and zipped it to her neck. Xander was a bit disappointed that she would be hiding her lovely cleavage, but it was only temporary. They walked to The Half Pint. It was a cool night with a light breeze. He offered her his arm, and she wrapped her hand around it. He would have loved to hold her hand, but they were supposed to be friends, not lovers. The Half Pint was very busy because it was Friday, so they had to wait for a table to open. They waited by the bar and Xander ordered a craft beer. He let her try a sip.

  “It’s pretty good as far as beer goes.”

  Xander laughed, “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I am not much of a beer drinker. I don’t like most of them.” Ava said while wrinkling her nose

  “What do you drink?”

  “I like martinis, cosmos, and mojitos. In the summer, I like gin and tonic with lime.”

  The hostess called Xander’s name, and they were escorted to a table by the window. She handed them menus and told them a server would be there shortly.

  When the waitress came, they ordered and then fell in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Ava looked out the window, and Xander fiddled with his phone pretending to read his emails. The waitress interrupted their silence by bringing their drinks. Ava sipped the mojito she had ordered.

  “This is delicious, do you want a taste?”

  “No thanks, I never had a taste for mojitos.”

  “If I drink anything besides beer it’s usually scotch.”

  Ava raised her eyebrow. “Oh, the hard stuff, huh?”

  “Not really.” Xander wanted to change the subject. He wanted to know as much about his competition for her heart as he could.

  “So, where is your boyfriend this weekend?”

  Ava’s face looked pained, and he wished he hadn’t delved into her personal life.

  “He’s in London teaching a seminar.” She looked down at her hands, and Xander caught her wringing them together. She does that when she gets nervous.

  “Ava, is something wrong?” She spoke while still looking at her hands.

  “He has been away for almost a week, and I have only heard from him once. He told me he missed me, but I wonder. If you miss someone, then you would contact them each and every day.”

  Xander felt
pity for her, but he also felt elation. If this guy wasn’t going to care about her, then he would. The door was open for him to move right in. He didn’t want to seem like a jerk, though, and he kept the conversation light.

  “I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”

  Ava looked thankful. “I don’t, thanks for understanding.” She had put her hands back on the table, and he reached out to stroke the back of one of them.

  The smells of the restaurant were making Ava hungry. She had been eating so light this week that finally having a decent meal would be heaven. She was looking forward to the sandwich she ordered. When the waitress finally brought their food, she was famished, and she picked up one-half of her sandwich and took a dainty bite. Xander took a huge bite of his burger; juices leaked down his arm. Ava reached out with a napkin to catch it before it stained his sweater.

  Xander gave her a closed mouth grin and continued to eat. His fries looked tempting, and she sneaked a few off his plate. He slid his plate towards the middle of the table so she could eat some more. They had little conversation because they were both busy eating. Xander was on his third beer, and she was on her second mojito. When they finished, the waitress cleaned off their table, and they sat nursing their drinks for awhile. Ava glanced at her watch.

  “It’s only nine. Do you want to do something else?” She was in no hurry to get back to her lonely apartment. Liam had not called, emailed or texted her. She didn’t want to spend the whole rest of the night wondering why. She needed something to take her mind off of him.

  “Do you bowl?” Xander asked.

  “I’m not sure you can put what I do into the same category as bowling. But yes, I bowl. What do you have in mind?”