he came in his pants like a teenager, he’d be mortified.
“All right then. Settled. Your clothes should be dry by now, Ava. Let’s go get your stuff and have some dinner then we can play.”
*****
“Do you need some help packing?” Sam asked her from across the bed.
Truthfully, while she appreciated the offer, she wished they'd let her come up by herself and pack a few things. After all, it wasn't like she needed much; she'd be back here Monday afternoon. Just some toiletries, a change of clothes and stuff for work. Her small apartment felt tiny with the two of them here and she didn't like the way Roarke studied everything.
“I'm fine. I'll be out in a sec if you want to wait in the living room.”
Thankfully, Sam just nodded and left the bedroom.
Ava stepped outside to hear Roarke on his cell phone. “Yes, an alarm. Uh-uh, Apartment 2B, I'll send someone with the key to meet you here Monday morning. Good. Thanks.”
He ended the call and looked over at her, reaching for her bag. “All done.”
Ava stepped back, pulling her light suitcase with her. “What was that all about?”
“Give me your bag, Ava,” Roarke ordered. She found herself handing it over before she even thought about it. Her hands landed on her hips as she stared at him suspiciously.
“What have you done?”
He shrugged, a surprisingly elegant movement for such a large man. “I've ordered you an alarm system. This area isn't the best and anyone could easily break that excuse for a lock that you have.”
“This neighborhood is just fine,” she said between gritted teeth. “And I don't need nor want an alarm.”
He simply stared at her. “I'm not going to argue with you about this.”
“Good, I don't want to argue either. I don't need an alarm. I can't afford an alarm. Therefore I won't be getting an alarm.”
Roarke smiled. It wasn't a happy looking smile and she gulped, somewhat worried.
“Is this all you live on?” Sam asked from the small kitchen. God, didn’t these guys understand the word privacy?
Sam held up one of her microwave meals and a head of lettuce. “Microwave meals? Diet microwave meals?” he questioned disapprovingly. “You won’t be eating any of these with us.”
Ava frowned at him. “Stay out of my cupboards.”
“Come on,” Roarke ordered. He turned and walked towards the door. Sam grabbed her hand, still muttering about the evils of microwave meals, and pulled her along with him, pulling the door shut behind them. It was an automatic lock.
“You know you're getting that alarm, don't you?” he whispered.
Yeah. She'd kinda figured that.
Chapter Five
Ava stepped nervously into what Sam called the playroom. There was only one window and the curtains had been pulled across that. Lights set at intervals along the walls were dimmed, lending it a softer look. She gazed around at the assortment of equipment, holding on tight to Sam's hand. Roarke had sent them in here together, as though sensing her nerves and wanting to give her a chance to ease into things.
“Well, what do you think?” Sam practically bounced on the balls of his feet with excitement and she couldn't help but smile.
“You really enjoy it, don't you?”
He nodded. “I do. I couldn't live without it. I know it might seem weird to vanilla types, but giving myself over to Roarke is like, letting someone with a chocolate addiction have free rein in a chocolate factory. It’s my drug of choice. It rocks my world, floats my boat, tickles my pickles, cranks my-”
“All right, all right, I get it,” she said, laughing. “You really, really like it.”
He nodded like an excited puppy wagging its tail.
“So you want to explain this equipment to me?”
She followed Sam around as he explained everything, really impressed by his patience and knowledge. This wasn't really play or a hobby, this meant something to him. When he gave himself into Roarke's care, he handed over every part of himself. And she was
“All right then. Settled. Your clothes should be dry by now, Ava. Let’s go get your stuff and have some dinner then we can play.”
*****
“Do you need some help packing?” Sam asked her from across the bed.
Truthfully, while she appreciated the offer, she wished they'd let her come up by herself and pack a few things. After all, it wasn't like she needed much; she'd be back here Monday afternoon. Just some toiletries, a change of clothes and stuff for work. Her small apartment felt tiny with the two of them here and she didn't like the way Roarke studied everything.
“I'm fine. I'll be out in a sec if you want to wait in the living room.”
Thankfully, Sam just nodded and left the bedroom.
Ava stepped outside to hear Roarke on his cell phone. “Yes, an alarm. Uh-uh, Apartment 2B, I'll send someone with the key to meet you here Monday morning. Good. Thanks.”
He ended the call and looked over at her, reaching for her bag. “All done.”
Ava stepped back, pulling her light suitcase with her. “What was that all about?”
“Give me your bag, Ava,” Roarke ordered. She found herself handing it over before she even thought about it. Her hands landed on her hips as she stared at him suspiciously.
“What have you done?”
He shrugged, a surprisingly elegant movement for such a large man. “I've ordered you an alarm system. This area isn't the best and anyone could easily break that excuse for a lock that you have.”
“This neighborhood is just fine,” she said between gritted teeth. “And I don't need nor want an alarm.”
He simply stared at her. “I'm not going to argue with you about this.”
“Good, I don't want to argue either. I don't need an alarm. I can't afford an alarm. Therefore I won't be getting an alarm.”
Roarke smiled. It wasn't a happy looking smile and she gulped, somewhat worried.
“Is this all you live on?” Sam asked from the small kitchen. God, didn’t these guys understand the word privacy?
Sam held up one of her microwave meals and a head of lettuce. “Microwave meals? Diet microwave meals?” he questioned disapprovingly. “You won’t be eating any of these with us.”
Ava frowned at him. “Stay out of my cupboards.”
“Come on,” Roarke ordered. He turned and walked towards the door. Sam grabbed her hand, still muttering about the evils of microwave meals, and pulled her along with him, pulling the door shut behind them. It was an automatic lock.
“You know you're getting that alarm, don't you?” he whispered.
Yeah. She'd kinda figured that.
Chapter Five
Ava stepped nervously into what Sam called the playroom. There was only one window and the curtains had been pulled across that. Lights set at intervals along the walls were dimmed, lending it a softer look. She gazed around at the assortment of equipment, holding on tight to Sam's hand. Roarke had sent them in here together, as though sensing her nerves and wanting to give her a chance to ease into things.
“Well, what do you think?” Sam practically bounced on the balls of his feet with excitement and she couldn't help but smile.
“You really enjoy it, don't you?”
He nodded. “I do. I couldn't live without it. I know it might seem weird to vanilla types, but giving myself over to Roarke is like, letting someone with a chocolate addiction have free rein in a chocolate factory. It’s my drug of choice. It rocks my world, floats my boat, tickles my pickles, cranks my-”
“All right, all right, I get it,” she said, laughing. “You really, really like it.”
He nodded like an excited puppy wagging its tail.
“So you want to explain this equipment to me?”
She followed Sam around as he explained everything, really impressed by his patience and knowledge. This wasn't really play or a hobby, this meant something to him. When he gave himself into Roarke's care, he handed over every part of himself. And she was
Similar Books
