~ Ava

Six Months Later

“Best thing that ever happened to you.”

At my suggestion, Ares merely rolled his eyes, choosing to pillow his head on my bare breasts rather than answer me. “Come on,” I teased with a grin, running my fingers through his mussed hair. “You know I’m right.”

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” He groused, tugging at a nipple with his teeth so I yelped. We were supposed to be up hours ago, but due to Ares ravenous appetite, we were still in bed around noon. Not that I was complaining. In a bid to get him to actually let me up, I brought work into the equation. It was a no-fail methodology.

“Sandy’s a close second. She’s worked with dozens of high-profile clients. Everything she touches turns to gold.”

Ares merely grunted before looking up at me. He reached up to drag a thumb over my kiss-swollen lower lip fondly. “I only hired her because you recommended her.”

“And she’s single-handedly saved your company.”

Ares tugged me into his arms in an unexpected move that made me squeal. “Not single-handedly. I have a pretty kick-ass charity chair.”

At that, I rolled my eyes. “I’d get more work done if you weren’t coming down to my office to bend me over my desk every lunch break.”

At that, he chuckled darkly, his hand drifting up to take my messy ponytail in hand. “Hush. You fucking love it.” The moment he grabbed my hair, I went all soft and slick between the legs. No matter how exhausted I thought I was, and I was run ragged working for the man, Ares always found ways to renew my hunger for him. Sometimes he dominated me, and I fell at his feet like a compliant little puppy dog. Other times, he brought me to tears with the tenderness of our lovemaking.

But it was all him. All mine.

“We should get up.” I murmured breathlessly, even as his mouth descended onto mine. I was even more exhausted than usual this morning, and strangely sensitive all over. Ares, of course, exploited the hell out of this, driving me wild with his kisses and caresses.

“We will.” He promised huskily. “After.”

I moaned in a combination of anticipation and aroused exasperation “After?”

“Yes. After.” I expected that he might roll me under him and slide home – into me. Why not? There was almost never any resistance. The man kept me in a constant, blissful state of arousal twenty four seven. Instead, however, he rolled off the edge of the bed to open a bedside table drawer.

Almost immediately, I attempted to follow him. Whenever Ares opened that drawer, it meant that things were about to get wonderfully kinky…and I was always curious as to what he had in store for me.

As always, however, I should have known better. Ares merely pushed me back onto the bed before I could catch a glimpse of what he meant to retrieve.

“On your belly.” With a delicious shiver of anticipation, I followed his order, rolling onto my stomach to glance over my shoulder at him. Ares met my expectant gaze with a wicked grin. “No peeking.”

I immediately faced forward, training my eyes on the headboard that had become my lifeline over the past few months. “Close your eyes.” Every command Ares gave me flowed through me like liquid heat. He had taught me just how good it could be to obey…or to not obey. This time I heeded his words, shutting my eyes automatically.

Instantly, a strip of cool silk slipped around the upper half of my face and a low moan of excitant escaped me as Ares knotted it at the back of my head. When I couldn’t see, every sensation was heightened tenfold…which meant that the man I loved very likely meant to kill me.

It would be a death story for the ages.

“Now, Ava…tell me. Do you want to be my good girl?”

**

~ Ares

I’d grown to like charitable work. It wasn’t my forte, but Ava was helping me learn the ropes, and every donation made me feel a little more like I was worthy of my billions. After all, there was no way in hell I was going to spend all that money. Better it went to someone who needed it.

After a particularly trying week in which I watched Ava jump through several hoops despite a stomach bug that was plaguing her, I put on my biggest event of the year, a dinner to benefit New York City’s thousands of homeless. Every penny we brought in went directly to shelters around the city. Ava had worked tirelessly to make sure not a cent of it would be mismanaged. In the wake of the charity auction’s success, the occasions got bigger and bigger. Along with Sandy’s expert management, public perception of me and my company had changed almost overnight, and stayed steady for months. In a way, Ava was right, Sandy was one of the best things that had ever happened to me.

But she had only happened because Ava brought her to me.

Yet another thing I owed her.

As I gave a speech about the importance of charitable giving from my position on stage, I glanced at the woman who stood next to me. As usual, she was breathtaking. There was a glow about her—a flush that came from sheer happiness... and I knew that now was the time.

“It’s times like these when we reflect on those who influenced us,” I finished with a genuine smile, “and contributed to a future where others can give of themselves as selflessly as we have... and as lovingly as one woman, in particular, has given to me.” When I turned to face Ava, her face flamed. I caught her completely off guard, and I grinned in triumph, even as my heart hammered in my chest.

“Ava Parker... you taught me what it’s like to truly live. To give everything of myself and to receive everything in return. To let go and to let the light in where I never expected it to shine.” When I went down on one knee, her eyes widened, filling with tears. “You’re my light... and I can’t imagine my life without you. So, I’m asking you, Ava... I’m begging you to be my wife.”

For almost a full minute, you could have heard a pin drop in the immense ballroom. Ava had covered her mouth with her hands and I could tell she was trying not to sob uncontrollably. As long as those tears were happy ones, I didn’t mind being the cause. I could do it forever; would do it forever.

“Yes,” she finally gasped on a hitching breath. “God, yes.”

Everyone assembled erupted into cheers. I pulled the velvet ring box from my pocket to slide a slender diamond band onto her finger before pulling her against me. It had taken an entire decade for me to rediscover what it was like to love... and now, I’d cling to it. Cherish it. Nurture it until it flourished.

Which, I found, would be far sooner than I might have imagined.

In the aftermath of the proposal, and hearty congratulations from both Josiah and Sandy, Ava pulled me aside, still sniffling.

“Are you all right, sweet?” I brushed my lips across her forehead. “Your eyes are all red. And your mascara’s long gone.”

“Oh, hush.” She slapped my shoulder playfully before drawing away to twirl finger through her loose curls. “Ares... I have something I want to show you.” My ring glinted on her hand, filling me with pride.

“Show me, honey.”

Ava took a deep breath before reaching into the rhinestone bag at her side to draw out a single photo. When she handed it to me, it took a moment for me to process what I was seeing. The image was blurry—black, white, and gray, with a tiny concentration of pigment in the center.

And then, all once, it clicked.

My eyes flew wide as I looked from her to the image and back again. “God. God!” I reached to tug her into my arms, struggling with the words as excitement threatened to render me illiterate. “It’s a baby. You’re pregnant. Pregnant.”

Ava laughed, sobbing anew. “I was feeling off so I went to the doctor. Surprise.”

“A baby.” I kissed her fiercely. “We’re going to have a little baby. Fucking God, Ava, a baby!”

“So... Good news then?” She tried, breathless with anticipation.

“Amazing news. God, I love you.” I kissed her again, vowing to be everything I could be both for her and the child. “And I’ll love our baby. You can never imagine how happy this makes me, Ava. How happy you make me.” Squeezing her close, I knew that after a long ten years, I had finally found my heaven.

I was home.

THE END