Catching Ava (Spring Training Book 3) Read online

  Xavier surprised her by sitting on the coffee table facing her. He still didn’t touch any part of her, but his knees were inches from her, straddling her thighs in an obvious effort to avoid skin-to-skin contact.

  She lifted her gaze to his, knowing she needed to get to the point. “Your father…”

  He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Is a jackass,” he supplied. “I’m sorry he burst into the restaurant and made a scene. He’s always been a bit of a pain in the ass, but lately he’s gone over the top.”

  “You didn’t really make that abundantly clear.”

  “Yeah. That’s why. He nearly always embarrasses me, and he rarely comes to Florida. So he’s not someone I like to talk about if I can avoid it.”

  “Seems to me like you have a laundry list of things you prefer to avoid discussing.”

  He furrowed his brow. “Not really. I’m a pretty open guy. You can ask me anything. I’ve never lied to you.” He looked thoroughly confused.

  “Except by omission,” she pointed out.

  “No. Not even by omission. I’m afraid you’re going to have to spit it out if you have something to say, Ava, because I’ve spent three days trying to figure out why you left town without a word and stopped taking my calls. Frankly, though I’m elated to see you here tonight, I’m a little pissed too.”

  “You’re pissed?” She stiffened, half of her considering jumping up and fleeing his condo without another word. He obviously had no interest in sharing the fact that he had a fucking baby on the way in another country, and she was beyond pissed that he wouldn’t come clean, essentially forcing her to blurt out his own transgressions.

  He leaned back, running his hands through his hair until the dark curls fell around his forehead in disarray, making her bite the inside of her cheek to ignore how damn sexy he looked. “Ava, you’re going to have to give me something else here. At least a crumb. I’ve got nothing.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you’ve got nothing. From where I was sitting at the table, it sounded to me like you had your cake and were eating it too. A whole slice, not just a crumb.” She was stunned to find him still staring at her in confusion. “I was right there, Xavier,” she shouted. “And, little side detail about me I failed to mention—though in the grand scheme of things not nearly as big as some of the things you failed to mention—but I minored in Spanish.”

  He flinched. “Okay… So you speak some Spanish. I’m still fucking lost, Ava.” He looked like he was one second from losing his temper.

  But she was closer to the edge of that cliff than him. And she finally couldn’t wait for him to come clean on his own any longer. Was he fucking dense? “I understood every word your father shouted, Xavier. Specifically the parts about you having a fiancée and a baby on the way in Puerto Rico that you’re conveniently ignoring while you play around with some stupid little blond bimbo in Florida.”

  The shock on his face spoke volumes.

  She continued, louder now. “Apparently, your father thinks your obligations toward your fiancée and kid outweigh your dalliances with me, though I can’t say I disagree with him. Now I understand why he came to me first, warning me off you. Did you know he even offered me a huge sum of money to stay away from you?”

  She yanked her hand from under her thigh and dipped her head to rub her temples. Her head was pounding from the stress of the last three days and her outburst.

  Xavier jumped up and put several feet between them, surprising her. “That son of a bitch came to see you?”

  That was the part of the story Xavier chose to hone in on? Ava leaned back against the couch, flinching at Xavier’s reaction.

  He spun in a circle, looking for all the world like he might punch his fisted hand through the wall and then thinking better of it. Which was probably a good thing because he needed his hands to play ball. “Motherfucking…”

  She waited, not moving a muscle.

  Finally, he calmed down enough to face her. “Well, at least now I understand everything more clearly. I spent the last three days wracking my brain trying to figure out why you ran away from me.” He rubbed both hands over his face and took several breaths, each one slower than the last.

  She pursed her lips, unsure if she should stay or go.

  Apparently, he was simply trying to gather his thoughts, because eventually he spoke in a much calmer voice. “First of all, I do not have a pregnant fiancée in Puerto Rico. My brother does.”

  She winced. “Your brother?” That had never once been in her imaginations.

  “Yes. My brother is another person I don’t often speak of. I told you I had a brother in Puerto Rico though, right?”

  She nodded, unable to form words.

  “Yeah, well, he’s a piece of work. He’s currently in jail for the final strike against him for dealing drugs. He’s not going to see the light of day again for a long time. But before he got himself locked up this time, he got his girlfriend pregnant.”

  A lightbulb went off. “And your father thinks that woman and child are your responsibility? He wants you to marry her?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Shit.” She felt like a total bitch.

  “Don’t beat yourself up over this. I remember exactly what my father said when he got to the table, and now that you’re pointing it out to me, I can see how there was room for misunderstanding.” He turned around again, putting his back to her, and cussed a stream of profanity in Spanish.

  Ava waited for him to face her again before uttering, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed—”

  He cut her off. “It’s not your fault, but, hon, you need to communicate with me better. You never gave me a chance. You assumed the worse and ran from the restaurant.”

  She bit her lip and then released it. “I’m so sorry. You’re absolutely right. I guess since we’d spent most of our time together having sex and little time talking about important things, I freaked. Besides, Carlos had already tried to get me to leave you.”

  “About that—”

  She held out a hand before he could interrupt her. “And I need to apologize for not telling you that, either. Again, sex. It’s a horrible excuse, but every time I’m with you I forget everything else in the world. And I always intended to tell you. I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.”

  “When did he visit you? Where?”

  “Here. He stopped by here last Tuesday after you left that morning. He wanted me to leave you alone. Said I would mess with your game and ruin your career. He also said you had family obligations that didn’t include me. Then he tossed a check at me and left.”

  “And that’s when you left town too.”

  She nodded, biting her lip and feeling foolish.

  “Jesus, hon.” He rolled his neck back, stretching his face toward the ceiling.

  “Your dad is pushy. I was freaking out.”

  “Pushy?” Xavier chuckled sardonically. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “Nevertheless, if there was any merit to his concern, I didn’t want to get between you and your game. It seemed sort of logical at the time.”

  “But if you had told me, I would’ve explained things, and none of this misunderstanding would’ve happened.”

  Her face heated. “Yeah. Well, you showed up at my apartment, and we got carried away, and the thing with your dad slipped my mind when you slid your tongue in my mouth and all sane thought fled the apartment.”

  Xavier returned to his spot sitting in front of her, straddling her knees, but this time he didn’t avoid touching her. Thank God. He set his hands on her legs and spread his fingers so he covered nearly every exposed inch of skin, setting her on fire. “What did you do with the check?” he asked.

  “Tore it into tiny pieces and threw it away.”

  He smiled. “Of course you did. Did you even look at it?”

  “Yep. You don’t want to know.”

  He groaned. Then he held her gaze, going completely serious. “Ava, I’ve never even met my brother�
��s fiancée. I’m sure as fuck not going to marry her.”

  “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.” She stiffened, wanting to kick herself in the ass once again.

  “You said you were sorry, and I understand why you assumed I was engaged. My dad is manipulative.”

  “Nevertheless, I should’ve talked to you instead of running.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you that.” He lifted a brow. “That’s twice my asshole of a sperm donor has chased you away. Let’s not let him do it a third time.”

  “Promise.” She dipped her head, trying to quit wallowing in her own spiral of shame.

  Xavier tucked his finger under her chin and lifted her face again. “Is there anything else I need to know? Any ex-girlfriends come to visit you with tales of my past liaisons?” He smirked.

  “Just the one.”

  His eyes widened.

  “Kidding. But if there’s anything in your past you think I should know, please, tell me now. I’d rather not read about it in the tabloids or hear about it from a disgruntled ex-girlfriend.”

  He scrunched his face and glanced to the left, thinking. Then he returned his attention to her. “I’ve dated a lot of women. Not going to lie. But I don’t think any of them were pissed enough to come after me later. It’s been a while since I broke up with my last girlfriend.”

  “What about that club in Miami, Zodiac? You go there, don’t you? Any BDSM partners that might think they belong to you exclusively?”

  He leaned forward to kiss her lips briefly. “Nope. I’ve been to that club several times. But I’ve never brought anyone home. I’ve never had sex with anyone I met there. It’s kind of a thing. Dominic and I talked about it once. It always made us nervous what people’s motives might be, so we never slept with anyone we played with.”

  “What?” Her voice was a little too loud, a bit too high-pitched, making her cringe.

  He pinched her thigh. “You’re so incredibly sexy when your innocence leaks out your eyes.”

  She closed her eyes, wincing further. Innocent wasn’t really a term that made her feel all warm and fuzzy, but when Xavier said it, he meant it as an endearment.

  He kissed her forehead. “BDSM isn’t always about sex, hon. Some people enjoy various aspects for the release. The endorphins. Your sister went to Zodiac once. Didn’t she tell you about it?”

  She shook her head. “Specifically no. And I wouldn’t want to have a discussion about sex or BDSM with my sister. Although, I’ll have you know I was the one who knew about Zodiac and encouraged her to go there. So if you want to see innocence, my thirty-four-year-old sister has me beat.”

  “Mmm. I’m gonna stick with the younger sister and avoid any images of Dominic’s woman submitting altogether.”

  “Good plan. I don’t want any images of my sister either, see?”

  “Yes. Point made. Anyway, a lot of things happen at Zodiac. I’ll take you sometime if you’re interested, although I’m not thinking it really suits you.”

  “How do you mean?” She tipped her head to one side. How did the conversation veer so far into this realm so quickly?

  He stroked her thighs, his fingers making it difficult to concentrate on anything he said as they stroked too close to her sex. He lowered his voice. “Sit still, Ava.”

  She froze at the tone, his dominance taking over her body.

  “That’s it.” He leaned closer, his eyes taking on that glassy sheen they got when he wanted her.

  She licked her lips and lifted her hands from her sides to his shoulders.

  “As I was saying,” he continued in a low tone, “some people crave the sting of a whip or a flogger or even a palm across their skin. Some need to experience bondage to help them sink into a submissive state. Many like the exhibitionist aspects.”

  She shuddered, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

  He smiled. “My Ava needs nothing more than the tone of my voice.” He kissed her lips gently and continued with his face so close to hers that she was mesmerized. “You submit to me gloriously, and it gets you off sexually. You don’t need or crave a spanking.”

  She gasped. He was right. She hadn’t really considered that side of things.

  Another slow grin. “Though I might treat you to one someday, just so you know what it’s like.”

  The flush always right beneath the surface of her skin spread out without her permission, and she bit her lower lip hard. Why did the mention of spanking her like she was a naughty child make her wet?

  His laughter was deep and gravelly. “I’ve created a monster.” Suddenly, without warning, he stood and lifted her in his arms. He carried her through the living room and up the stairs to his bedroom. When he deposited her gently on his bed, she scrambled backward and reached for the hem of her shirt.

  Xavier set a knee on the bed and grabbed her hands. “Don’t. We’re not going to have sex tonight.”

  Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Why the hell not?

  He crawled onto the bed, straddling her until she fell onto her back, trying to catch her breath. Then he eased onto her side, tossed one leg over hers, and set his cheek in his palm. He stroked her face, angling her to meet his gaze. “I want to know everything there is to know about Ava Phillips.”

  “What? Now? Why?”

  His smile reached deep inside her, warming her in places she needed to ignore if he truly didn’t intend to sleep with her tonight. “Because I never again want us to experience a misunderstanding like we have repeatedly in this relationship so far.

  “We have proven we’re beyond compatible in bed. Now I want to know every detail and share my life with you too.” He leaned forward. “Because, Ava, I’m falling hard for you, and I don’t intend for you to slip away from me.”

  She totally stopped breathing when he finished, her eyes unable to blink for fear she would miss even one second of the sultry look in his. She wanted to memorize this moment forever.

  Chapter Twelve

  It was late when Ava fell asleep—after midnight.

  Xavier continued to stare down at her, counting his blessings and praying his damn father would leave her the hell alone and stop meddling in his business. First thing tomorrow morning, Xavier intended to call his father and put a stop to this madness.

  But for tonight, he hadn’t wanted to lose one minute of time spent with Ava. They had talked for hours. And he loved her more with every passing minute. She was so damn sweet and funny and bright. Not to mention sexy and responsive to his every touch.

  That last part was what drew them together in the first place, and her reaction to his every word only increased with time. He couldn’t find a single flaw. She was perfect for him. Her youth no longer made him flinch.

  Her inexperience should’ve scared him away long ago, but he found that even though she hadn’t had sex before or even dated much, that lack of experience didn’t extend to other aspects of her life. She was educated and knowledgeable about many subjects.

  She looked like an angel asleep in his bed. Still wearing the thin pink tank top and tiny white shorts he hadn’t let her remove, she had one hand tossed over her head, and her hair was fanned out like a halo. Her cute bow-shaped mouth was open slightly, and it took every ounce of his energy to avoid kissing her awake.

  She needed sleep. For that matter, he did too.

  Finally, he let his head fall onto the pillow next to hers and closed his eyes, half of him worried she was an apparition that would be gone when he woke up. To avoid that possibility, he kept one leg draped over hers and a hand on her belly. At least she couldn’t escape without his knowledge.

  It seemed like only moments passed before a pounding noise jerked him awake. He bolted to sitting, rubbing a hand over his face as Ava moaned into the pillow next to him. “What is that?”

  “The door, I think.” His voice was rough from sleep, and it may have affected Ava because she lifted her cheek from the pillow and smiled slowly.

  When had she flipped onto her be
lly?

  The pounding started again, and Xavier flinched before glancing at the clock. Six fifteen. Jesus. He leaned over and kissed Ava’s forehead. “Stay in this bed. Got it?”

  She smiled broader. “What if I don’t?”

  He rolled his eyes, his cock jumping to attention. “Ava. Hon…” He stroked a finger down her bare arm.

  She sighed as she lowered her face and snuggled deeper into the pillow. “Yes, Master.”

  At her tone, he groaned. “Ava,” he warned. A moment ago he had suffered from lust at her teasing. Now? He dipped into full dominance mode, and he didn’t have time to do anything about it with someone banging on the door.

  He kissed her again as he climbed over her body, and then he padded from the room wearing the jeans he’d slept in.

  When he made it downstairs and looked through the peephole, he groaned. His father. Great.

  He opened the door, his brow furrowed, praying Ava did as he asked and stayed in his room. The last thing he wanted was for her to take another tongue lashing from Carlos Monreal before the sun had a chance to rise.

  “Xavier,” his father stated in his no-nonsense tone as he waltzed into the condo.

  “What the hell are you doing here at the butt-crack of dawn?”

  “Came to talk some sense into you before you leave for today’s game.”

  “If by ‘sense’ you mean pleading with me to marry Juan’s girlfriend, forget it. We’ve been through this over and over. I’m not marrying my drugged-out brother’s girlfriend just because she got pregnant and he got sent to jail. Forget it. End of discussion.”

  Carlos ambled around the living room, looking at the décor as if he’d never been there before. “You’re being pigheaded.”

  Xavier slammed the door finally and spun around. “Pigheaded? You’re acting like a madman. What’s gotten into you?”

  “That girl is alone in this world, and she’s close to delivery. In this family, we step up to the plate and take care of our own. Including you, oh mighty one.”

  Xavier flexed his hands at his sides, hoping he could manage to keep from reaching out and punching his own father in the nose. “Fuck you. Don’t you dare insinuate I’m too good for this family just because I made it playing baseball. If you can’t speak civilly to me, get out.” He pointed at the door, hoping Carlos would take the hint.