Spark: Book 1 (The Heat Series) Read online

  “You can put them in that. I have a few pairs of shoes at your place, so I am all set.” She kissed him goodbye and left the apartment. That was when Xander put his plan in motion.

  Ava got back to Xander’s just before dinner time. She had to knock for him to let her inside since she had forgotten her keycard. He opened the door, and she smelled something wonderful.

  “What is that delicious smell?”

  Xander crooked his finger at her, and she followed him into the kitchen. He had a large pan on the stove with a cover, which he removed.

  “Is that chicken?”

  “It’s Chicken Marsala to be exact. I learned to make it when I was in law school. A guy has to eat, doesn’t he? I made mashed potatoes, too.“

  “I am famished. Dallas put us through a good workout today. I learned a few more techniques to ward off an attacker. Want to try to attack me later?”

  Xander raised his eyebrows but gave her a wide grin. “I have a surprise for you?”

  “No, no more surprises. I can’t take it anymore.”

  He grasped her hand and pulled her along to his bedroom. “Look.”

  What she saw brought tears to her eyes. A large cat bed sat in the corner of the bedroom near the dresser. In it were Riley and Boomer peacefully napping.

  “How did you do this?”

  “When you left I went to the pet store and got the bed, a litter box, some toys, bowls and a bigger carrier for the two of them. Then I came back and packed them up and caught a cab to my apartment. I got them settled a little while ago then got dinner started. I was going to take some cat food from your apartment, but you were low. I made a quick order from Stan’s, and they were able to deliver right away for the bribe I offered them.

  “I can’t believe you did this.” She exclaimed.

  “I thought it would be nice to be able to bring them back and forth, so you don’t have to worry about them if you are here.” She hugged him hard just as the buzzer on the stove went off.

  “Dinner’s ready. Do you want to eat?”

  He poured her a glass of white wine and dished out the potatoes and marsala. She took a forkful and slowly chewed.

  Xander watched her eat from the corner of his eye. If she continued to eat this way she would gain back some weight in no time. Dessert was some of the leftovers that he had taken from her birthday celebration.

  His phone buzzed, and he excused himself to answer it. She read the paper while he was away. When he came back, he had a grim look on his handsome face.

  “What is it?”

  “That was Mike. Forensics found nothing on the third envelope either. The only evidence they have is that it came from Connecticut. They can question Liam, but they can’t charge him. I told Mike it’s better not to alert him that we are on to him.”

  Ava had a panicked look on her face. “So he just gets to keep harassing us without any recourse?”

  “We will get him. He is going to slip up. He isn’t as slick as he thinks he is.”

  Later as they lay in bed Ava, ran through scenarios in her head about the things that Liam could do. Unbeknownst to Xander, she had been reading up on stalking cases that she found on the internet. Some of the details were horrific about what these people did. She hoped that they would get Liam before he got to her or worse Xander. Xander had fallen into this situation because of her, and if he were injured, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

  Monday sped by, and Ava was feeling miserable. She hadn’t slept very well the night before. She and Xander had made love then turned out the lights by eleven. She was restless and even got up to watch TV in the living room so she wouldn’t disturb Xander. She dozed off a few times and went back to the bedroom but didn’t have a fitful sleep. Now her throat was starting to hurt, and her head felt like a balloon. By the end of the day, she felt hot to the touch. She met Xander in the lobby.

  “What’s wrong? You don’t look very good.”

  She coughed. “My throat is hurting, and I think I have a fever.”

  He put his hand to her head, and she felt hot. “I think you are right. Let’s get you home. Do you want me to drop you off at your apartment? I can bring the boys over for a little while.”

  “I think that might be best. I hate being sick in someone else’s place.”

  “I’ll drop you off then. Get right into bed.” Ava felt more horrible as the cab traversed the city. When she got to her apartment, she immediately stripped off her clothes, pulled on a pair of flannel pajamas and fell into bed. Xander arrived an hour later with the boys and a suit for the next day. He came into the bedroom with a digital thermometer he found in the bathroom medicine cabinet. “Open up.”

  Ava groaned in reply.

  “Come on, sweetheart. I want to know if you have a fever.”

  She protested. “You know I do. I feel so hot.”

  “Humor me and let me take your temperature.” She reluctantly opened up her mouth, and he slipped the thermometer under her tongue. When it beeped, he removed it.

  “Hmm, one hundred one point three. You are not going to work tomorrow.”

  “I have so much work to do. Victoria is not going to be happy.”

  “She is just going to have to farm some it out to Mark. You can’t go in with a fever. Do you want me to make you something to eat? How about some juice?”

  “It hurts to swallow. I don’t want anything.” He left the room and came back with some aspirin and a cup of orange juice.

  “You need to take the aspirin to help with your fever. I put some ice cubes in the juice, so it’s nice and cold. It will soothe your throat.”

  She took the aspirin out of his hand and put them in her mouth, taking a swallow of juice, she winced as it went down.

  “I’m so tired.” He tucked the covers in around her and left the room to let her sleep. Several hours later she awoke with a start. She still felt miserable, but she was also disoriented.

  “Xander??” He appeared at the door rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

  “Are you okay? Do you want something?”

  “What time is it?”

  “It’s midnight.”

  “Why aren’t you in bed?”

  “I wanted to let you sleep without disturbing you. I can sleep on the couch.”

  “Please sleep with me. I feel better when you are here with me.”

  “Let me take your temperature again and I will sleep in your bed.” He turned on the light next to her bed and prepped the thermometer. “Well, it’s still elevated, one hundred one point six now. You should take more aspirin before you go back to bed. Do you have chills?”

  “A little but not bad.”

  “Drink some juice. You need some fluids in you, and you haven’t drunk much tonight.”

  “My throat hurts too much. It’s hard to swallow.” He left the room and came back with a bottle of Gatorade, straw, and two more aspirin tablets.

  “Drink this; it might be easier with the straw.” He watched as she sipped some of the Gatorade. “Drink more.”

  “It hurts, leave me alone.” She pushed herself under the covers and buried her head. He put the Gatorade back in the refrigerator and got into bed next to her. He could feel the heat of her fever emanating off her. During the night she moaned and talked in her sleep. Xander knew it was the fever, but something told him it might be something more. The next morning when he got up for work, she looked horrible. Her face was flushed, and she was still very hot. Her throat was even worse, and she sounded muffled when she talked. He showered and woke her again to take her temperature.

  He checked the thermometer it was over one hundred two degrees. Over her protestations, he told her he was going to stay home to take care of her. She needed to get to the doctor. He made an appointment at the Urgent Care and checked her in online.

  They were one of the first ones in the office that morning. Ava had a bad case of swollen glands and a sinus infection. The doctor prescribed her antibiotics and a nasal spray. He adv
ised her that she should take the entire prescription for the full ten days even if she felt better before then. Xander got her back up to her bed and went out to fill the prescriptions. He called the office to tell his father and Daniel that neither one of them would be into work that day. His father gave him a hard time until he revealed that Ava was very sick with a high fever.

  When he got back to the apartment, Ava was fast asleep. Her cheeks were flushed and even in sickness she looked beautiful. He hated to wake her, but she needed to start the antibiotics right away to help with her fever. She grumbled when he woke her but in a couple of minutes, she was back to sleep. He settled on the couch with Boomer and Riley flanking him while he typed up some notes on his laptop. Every hour he kept checking on her. He touched her head to see if she felt cooler and surprisingly she did. She woke up three hours later asking for something to drink. He removed one of the Gatorades from the freezer and gave it to her.

  “That feels so good. It’s nice and cold.” She looked up at him lovingly.

  “You always are taking care of me.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “I always will. Don’t you forget that.”

  She slipped under the covers and went back to sleep. Xander checked his email again and found that more than likely he would have to go into the office tomorrow. He had received an email from one of his new clients asking to have an afternoon meeting. He supposed he could go in for the meeting and leave after. He didn’t want to leave her alone for the whole day because she was still sick.

  By dinnertime, Ava was feeling well enough to take a quick shower. She didn’t have the energy to blow dry it, so Xander did it for her while she sat at the vanity. An hour later, she was asking for something to eat. He made her some tea and toast.

  “If you can handle that I will get you something more substantial.”

  She did. He was thrilled that she wanted to eat more, and he gave her a tangerine and a bowl of soup. She only ate half of each, but at least she was eating. He still had concerns about her weight and being sick was not going to help her gain any. She slept more soundly with two doses of antibiotics already in her system. When she woke the next morning, her fever was hovering at one hundred point two.

  “Sweetheart, I need to go to work for a little while. One of my new clients needs to discuss some issues with his contract. Will you be alright?”

  “You can go for the whole day.”

  He took his time before answering her. “I don’t want you to be alone while you are still sick.”

  “I managed for twenty-three years without you. I’ve had flu, colds, earaches, headaches, toothaches and more.” “

  He protested until she glared at him.

  Xander must have called her ten times during the day. She was getting hoarse just speaking to him that many times. Finally, she told him that she would be fine and not to call her until he was on his way home. She spent the day watching sitcoms and playing with the boys. Riley for one was happy she was home. She hadn’t given him much attention since Xander came into the picture. Now that she had Boomer, he was getting even less attention. Riley sat on her lap most of the day napping while Boomer curled up next to her between the pillow and her leg. That was how Xander found the three of them when he came into her apartment. He stroked Ava’s cheek to wake her.

  “What time is it?” “It’s 4:45. I got out just a bit early after I was done going over the contract with the client.”

  “I think I will go in tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “My temperature is down to ninety-nine and has been for most of the day. If it’s normal tomorrow, I will go to work. My throat still hurts a little but its better.”

  “Oh, Sam didn’t want to bother you, but she hopes that you are feeling much better. She said you probably are having too much sex and that is why you got sick.”

  “She didn’t?” Ava covered her eyes with her hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I expected as much from her. But she grows on you doesn’t she?”

  “Yes, she does. She means well. I owe her a lot because she was one of the few people who pulled me out of my shell in college. When I got to NYU, I was very shy, even shyer than I am now.”

  Xander knew that Ava being shy was part of her nature but was the added embarrassment of what happened at Cameron part of it, too? Had it made her more reluctant to get involved with new people? Xander made up his mind to tell Ava about his part in the incident at Cameron several years ago. He would do it this weekend and hope that it didn’t ruin their life together.

  The next morning Xander took Ava’s temperature.

  “I’m going to work even if I have a slight fever. I have work I need to do.”

  “You’re not if you have an elevated temperature even If I have to tie you to the bed. Now stop talking so I can take your temperature.”

  Fortunately for Ava her temperature was normal, and she was able to go to work. Victoria was not in a very good mood when she went to speak to her. She piled a bunch of files in her arms with instructions.

  Ava went back to her desk mumbling, “Good morning to you too.” She got right to work and by lunchtime, she had finished a good amount of her assignment. Her phone chirped, and she checked for a text. It was Xander.

  Lunch?

  I’m not sure I can get out. Victoria gave me a ton of work to do, and I want to finish before she gives me more.

  Ava, you promised you would eat lunch. You just spent two days in bed barely eating. You need to have something. We can go downstairs and get a quick bite.

  Ava knew if she promised to eat and Xander found out she didn’t, he would be angry.

  Okay, Just a quick bite. I’ll meet you in the lobby near the elevators in five minutes.

  Xander did not return her text, so she headed to the lobby. He was already waiting, and they went to the café. She got a protein smoothie and half a turkey wrap. Xander got a cheeseburger and fries. She headed to the small tables near the café but Xander steered her out the large front doors. The steps were busy with lunchtime sunbathers, but they were able to find some space on the far end which was shaded.

  “What is with you and those smoothies? You seem to have them a lot.”

  “I love them. I used to drink them a lot in college when I was trying to lose weight, and when I was busy with school and work. It gave me energy.”

  “You can’t just drink those things. Have some of your wrap.” She scowled at him but took a bite of her wrap just to humor him.

  “You eat like a teenager. How do you maintain your muscles? I haven’t seen you workout since we have been together.”

  “I know, you are a bad influence and I need to get back to running each day and working out in the gym. We can go together this weekend. I go to NYSC and can bring a guest.”

  “I go to Robert’s gym, Sunset. We can just go workout separately at our own gyms.”

  Xander didn’t want that because he was concerned about her being alone. He didn’t want her to be a sitting duck for Liam.

  “I can go with you to Sunset. When I picked you up last week, I noticed they have a pretty good set of workout equipment, free weights and running track, too.“

  “You only saw what he had from the lobby area. He has two spinning rooms, a small gym, a sauna, a physical therapy suite upstairs, a few rooms for dance classes and self-defense.”

  “Do they have showers there?”

  “Yes, in fact, he just finished renovating the men’s side with new lockers and newly tiled showers.”

  Ava checked her phone. “I have to go. We have been out here for almost a half hour.

  “You are allowed a lunch hour which entails an entire hour or at least forty five minutes. Stop worrying about Victoria. How much more work do you have to do?”

  Ava started tapping her foot with anxiety. “Please just let me go upstairs.” She started to get up, and he pulled her back down.

  “Kiss me. You know how hard it is to be near
you and not kiss you? I sometimes sit in my office wondering what you are doing two floors below me. I hate not seeing you all the time so if I steal forty-five minutes of you away from Victoria, then so be it.”

  He fixed his hazel eyes on her with a hard stare. She pressed her lips against his, and he let out a sigh. He moved his mouth to her ear “I love the way you smell even when you don’t wear perfume.”

  “Stop, Xander, someone might see.”

  “We were told we couldn’t carry on in the office, but this is not in the office. We are on our own time.”

  She tugged at her hand so he would release it. “I have to go.” She stood up and gathered her leftover lunch. He followed her into the building and to the elevators. They were the only ones in the car, and he pulled her to him as the elevator ascended.

  “Never forget this” He pulled her right hand up tapping the ring with his finger. The doors opened on sixteen, and he let her hand go.

  “I love you, Ava.” He whispered as she stepped out.

  She turned to him and mouthed “I love you.”

  Chapter 21

  At home that night, Xander made sure that Ava ate a larger meal than she had at lunch. They had no more leftovers from the birthday celebration so Xander cooked eggs and they had them with some bagels Ava had in the freezer. For dessert, he sat on the couch feeding her Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia while Boomer and Riley snuggled up on the corner of the couch. The little red ball of fur figured out pretty fast that there were much better places to sleep than the cat bed.

  “Thank you for taking care of me. You always seem to be taking care of me.”

  “You always seem to need it. I’m going to start calling you ‘Calamity Ava’.”

  She playfully slapped his arm, but she knew he was right. Lately, her life was a bit of an unorganized mess. She hoped that starting off with the gym this weekend would help get her back into a normal schedule. A schedule she had known before she got involved with Liam and Xander.

  Though it was still early, they got into bed just after eight. Xander flipped the channels while Ava laid her head on his chest. She listened to his steady heartbeat and dozed off. She woke up almost two hours later. Xander was watching the Yankee game, in the ninth inning. She felt frisky and slid her hand down to cup his balls. She felt his instant arousal at her touch. He reached down and removed her hand.