After dismissing the eleventh female bodyguard he'd brought home, Eric was utterly exasperated.
He couldn't understand why all these bodyguards seemed like they came from escort services, while Ava had been both resilient and captivating.
Exhausted, Eric leaned back against the sofa.
"Ava, water." His hand reached out automatically, but after a moment, he jolted back to reality, fingers clenching as he withdrew it. He'd forgotten again that Ava was gone.
Eric zoned out. How many times had this happened?
The first time, he'd walked in as usual, shrugging off his coat without looking back, because he knew she'd be right there to catch it and hang it up. The next morning, he'd found it still lying on the floor. He'd cursed and picked it up himself.
The second time, drunk, he'd climbed s
