In bed with Havoc

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

AVA

The afternoon sun was out, the grounds were quiet and the pool was empty. Everything was perfect. I dropped my towel on one of the loungers, sat down then tipped my face up to the sky and breathed for the first time in what felt like days.

In the corner, I spotted the red blinking light from the cameras which were in the perfect angle to see everything I was about to do.

I knew for certain that he would be watching.

Good.

The guard posted near the gate was the same one from the hallway yesterday. I studied him closer, he had an honest looking face and the kind of build that said he was a frequent gym goer.

If I didn't have any interest in dating, I'd have wanted him. Too bad. But right now he was useful to me.

He was doing a very poor job of looking at anything except me and I noticed that immediately, a smirk pulling at the corners of my lips.

I gave it ten minutes and then I spoke to him.

"Hey," I said, with a friendly but breathy tone, "what's your name?"

He straightened like I'd startled him then cleared his throat and said, "Marcus, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am," I said, smiling at him and watching his ears go slightly pink. "It makes me feel like someone's grandmother. I'm Ava."

"Right," he said and then, "sorry, I mean, yes—okay," and he stopped talking, pressing his lips together and I could see him telling himself to get it together and it was genuinely endearing.

How cute.

"How long have you worked for Ryder?” I asked, leaning back on my hands to angle myself so the sun kissed my skin, Marcus visibly shivered then fixed his eyes on my forehead with so much effort I could visibly see him straining.

Such a weak man. I thought. But exactly what I needed.

"About two years," he said and his voice was more even this time. He was trying to be confident and impress me. "I started right out of the service."

"Military?"

"Yes ma, yes. Two tours." His chest inflated with ego.

"That's impressive," I drew it out with a silly giggle that made his eyes drop to my boobs momentarily before coming back up.

“Which reminds me.” I reached into the bag I'd brought out and pulled out the sunscreen, turned it over in my hands and then looked at him with an expression I kept very seductive. "Would you mind… helping me?" I said, holding it out then nodded at my shoulders.

His eyes darkened slightly as whatever inappropriate thought went through his head.

"I, um." He looked at the bottle then at me then at the bottle again. "I'm on duty so I shouldn't really—"

"It's just sunscreen," I interrupted him with a pout, tilting my head slightly, "not a security risk."

He took the bottle.

His hands were hesitant and professional for the first five seconds then I felt them slow down, feeling my body. I kept my face forward with a neutral expression which threatened to break into a smile with the thought of Ryder watching this with a frown on his face

"You've been here a few days," Marcus started, he tried his best to keep his voice steady but there was still a certain breathlessness in it. "Are you, I mean, are they treating you okay?"

"Depends on your definition of okay," I replied, glancing over my shoulder at him. To my surprise he was leaning in so close that our nose brushed, he instantly went red then redirected his focus to the task at hand. "I'm alive, fed and thoroughly surveilled."

He made a sound that was almost a laugh and then caught himself. "Mr. Kane's pretty serious about security."

"Mr. Kane's pretty serious about everything."

Marcus's hands paused for just a moment on my shoulders and I felt the exact second he remembered himself then he straightened, handed the bottle back and took a small step away and cleared his throat. "Yeah," he said, "he is."

Fuck.

I stood up, turned to face him and reached past him for the towel on the chair behind him, close enough that my arm brushed his as well as my boob and he went absolutely still. I picked up the towel, wrapping it loosely around my waist then looked up at him.

"Thank you Marcus," I said, smiling up at him. His breath hitched. “I would love to hang out with you again.”

I got a little bit closer. Thanks to a slight breeze, my n*****s hardened against his arm. His eyes dropped, throat bobbing as he swallowed.

"Sure," he said breathlessly "anytime."

I turned back to the lounger, sat down and picked up the book I'd left then opened it and didn't read a single word. After about ninety seconds I heard the radio on Marcus's shoulder crackle.

A pause.

Then: "Copy that." His voice was different now, clipped and back to professional. Then I heard him move. "I've been reassigned," he said toward me and I could hear the confusion in it, "someone's coming to replace me."

I looked up from the book.

Then I looked directly at the camera mounted on the post at the corner of the pool enclosure and I held eye contact with the lens for a long moment then I smiled with all my teeth.

I hope the view was good.

I went back to my book.

***

Dinner was set in the small dining room off the kitchen. I was used to eating alone at this point so when I walked in and saw him already there I stopped for just a second before I kept moving because I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me shocked.

Ryder sat at the table with a plate in front of him and a glass of water with no expression. I sat down across from him, picked up my fork and started to eat. We didn't speak but I was fine with that because silence was a game I was getting better at.

I ate and he watched me. I could feel his eyes burning into me but I refused to look at him, making sure to eat slowly without a care in the world.

When I finally looked up he was still watching me with his jaw was set and his eyes.. he was trying to conceal it but I saw the fire behind it.

He held my gaze for a moment and then said, "Marcus has been reassigned to the north perimeter. Just so you know."

I smiled innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."