Four

Flynn

Ava was more dead on than she realized. In a way. Her assessment of my personality might have fit me a couple of years ago–actually, it fit me perfectly back then—which is why it was funny now. Hell, maybe if she had gone home with me last night, I would’ve considered her a conquest and never called or saw her again. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but I highly doubted that.

But there was more to Ava than I’d yet to discover, and like a lost pot of gold—I determined I’d search through the depths of her being, learning all about the woman who mysteriously intrigued me.

“Oh yeah?” she said, raising her eyebrow at me. “So tell me where I’m wrong about you then.”

“That boy you described–and yes, I meant to call him a boy and not a man because that’s what he is–might have been me at one time. In fact, I’ll own up to it and say it was me at one time. But now? No, I’m not that boy. I’m different. I’ve changed. I grew up. Today, I’m a man who wants things in life. A decent woman like me mum, someone to raise a family with one day.”

I tried to suppress a grin seeing the look of surprise that crossed her face as I spoke. She thought she had me all figured out, and then I went and wrecked her entire image of me. Ava sat back in the booth, eyes wide as she stared off into space–looking anywhere and everywhere but at me–as she was quite obviously trying to reformulate her opinion on the fly and think of some snappy comeback to what I’d just revealed to her.

Finally, she looked over and narrowed her gaze on me. “Yeah? You’ve changed, have you? You’re not that boy anymore?” she scoffed. “So you say. But lots of guys say they’ve changed their ways. And yet, they never do. How do I know this isn’t some story you feed to women like me–women you’re hoping are naïve enough to fall for it and sleep with you?”

I shrugged. “Believe what you want. But I can guarantee I’m not going home with you tonight. No matter how much you beg me to.”

Her mouth fell open and a look of disbelief crossed her face. “Me beg you?”

“I seem to have that effect on women.” I winked at her and saw the color creeping into her face as she looked away.

There was something special about this woman, something different. Ava was one of the good ones, I could tell. And a good woman was hard to find, at least when you’re the leader of the Irish Mob. There were women who wanted to be with me because of who I was, and I’d run into plenty of those. Those women were after notoriety, money, and even the danger the lifestyle brought. Most of them were cracked out or alcoholic whores who were looking for more of a free ride than a lifelong commitment. They most definitely weren’t the type of woman I wanted to bear my children. Those types of women didn’t make for good mothers. They weren’t the nurturing type that would sing songs to her sons as she tucked them in at night. Or tell them stories. Or do any of the million other things a good mother would do for her child.

Ava was that type. I could see it in her face, the way she carried herself, and even in the things she said. I knew she‘d be a fantastic mother.

Her eyes twinkled a bit, still amused. The fact that she hadn’t slapped me across the face, stood up, and run off by that point said a lot about her patience. Because I agreed with her–just about everything I said to her sounded like a line. It sounded just like something someone would say to get in her pants.

Which meant I was going to have to avoid sleeping with her. As I caught a glimpse of her pearl white cleavage peeking out from her low-cut shirt, I felt myself grow harder as I entertained the merest idea of fucking that sweet, young thing. Avoid sleeping with her? Yeah, easier said than done. Way easier.

But she was a good woman. A very good woman. And though I was fighting against my very instinct and nature, I didn’t want to screw this up. Whatever this was.

“You’re an alluring man, Ian,” she said with an adorable little laugh.

“So, does this mean you’ll see me again?” I asked. “You know, to give you a little more time to figure me out and all that.”

Ava was quiet for a few seconds longer, seeming to be mulling it over as she bit her bottom lip. Her green eyes sparkled as she stared into mine. It was so hard to walk away from this and not feel her body against mine. There was a large piece of me that wanted–no, needed–to be inside of her right then and there. But I knew I had to play it smart. Had to play it safe.

“Sure, I think I can manage that,” she finally said.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I knew I had business to attend to. Colin and Sean had left to drop some guns off with the Russians, and I’d been waiting for an update. It came late tonight. As much as I wanted to stay there with her for the rest of the night, I knew I needed to run.

“Good, sweet Ava. I’d really enjoy that,” I said, standing up after finishing the last of my Guinness. “I’ll call you soon.”

A look of disappointment crossed her face. It was brief—but it was there. I smiled at her, then reached out and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“You’re a fuckin’ temptation, sweetheart, and since you’re determined not to be a notch on my bedpost, I’ll respect that—I’ll be a gentleman. Most women wouldn’t deny my advances, they’d jump at the first romp between the sheets then get pissed when I didn’t call afterward. But you’re different. You’re honest and pure—somewhat an enigma for a man of my caliber. I keep my promises, Ava, we will see each again, and very soon.”

Ava was flushed, her cheeks pinker than normal as I kissed her hand and dismissed myself.

She could play hard to get all she liked, but I watched her in the mirror behind the bar as I left. And judging by the way she watched my ass as I walked to the door, I knew she was just as attracted to me as I was to her.