Laura Pavlov's Blog - Posts Tagged "laurapavlov-excerpt-comingsoon"

“I had it handled,” I said, as I looked over at Hawk.

“I don’t think so, Ever. I gave him more room than I should have,” he said, reaching for his beer casually, like he didn’t just throw a man across a table.

“Are you not phased by the fact that you just chucked a grown man across a bar?” I gaped and everyone was looking at me with ridiculous smiles on their face.

“That’s a bit dramatic, yeah? He was groping you and I stopped him. He’s lucky I didn’t put his head through a wall for the way he kept coming at you.”

“I don’t need your help, Hawk!” I shouted, startling everyone around us. “I was fine.”

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you stop acting like you’ve got everything figured out and just admit that sometimes you need fucking help.” He ran a hand through his hair and studied me.

How dare he act like I’m some damsel in distress. I grabbed my purse and stormed out of there. I didn’t need Hawk to defend me. I didn’t anyone.

And I liked it that way.

I huffed down the street when an arm wrapped around my bicep, and I whipped around. My chest slammed into Hawk’s hard body and I glared.

“How dare you!” I shouted.

“Stop being a stubborn ass, Ever.”

I pushed the hair out of my face and yanked my arm free of him. “I’m not the stubborn ass. That title belongs to you.”

He stepped forward and I backed up. My back hit the brick building and I looked up at him. His green gaze locked with mine and the corners of his lips turned up.

“You think I’m a stubborn ass?” His voice was gravelly and his hand cupped the side of my face.

“What was that back there? You think I can’t take care of myself?”

“Shouldn’t have to, Ever. He’s an arrogant tool. Dilly was right. And I know you can take care of yourself. That’s not why I pulled the prick off of you.”

My hands found his hard chest and they tingled at the contact. Itching to move and trail down his muscular body. My breaths were coming fast, as his closeness did something to me. I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand on my cheek. “Why’d you do it then?”

“Because I didn’t like seeing him paw all over you. Hell, I didn’t like it even when he didn’t have his hands on you. I don’t like seeing you with another man.”

My eyes flew open.
“Why?” I whispered, my tongue coming out to wet my lips.

“I don’t know Ever. Same reason you didn’t like seeing me with Darrian.”

He was right. I hated it. Hated her. Hated the way she touched him. Looked at him.

“Maybe it’s just old feelings coming up,” I said, my voice low and filled with need.

“Maybe it’s new feelings coming up,” he said, his mouth moving closer to mine.

“This can’t go anywhere. You’re my client.” Fear gripped me, but the need to feel his mouth on mine was stronger.

“You worried I’m going to tell Coach Hayes that my dick has been having a meltdown since I laid eyes on my sports psychologist?” he said, his lips grazing mine and I squeezed my thighs together.

“Hawk,” I said, shaking my head. “We shouldn’t do this.”

“Definitely shouldn’t. But you already kissed me once, Ever.” My breaths were growing more rapid, and my thoughts were blurring. “You’re going to need to tell me what you want.”

“I just want to kiss you,” I said, and the need in my voice made it unrecognizable.

“I want to kiss you too, baby.”

“Hey,” Lila said, standing in the doorway, holding a plate. “I missed you this morning and thought you might be hungry. I brought you some banana pancakes and bacon.”

My dick twitched at the sight of her in the white sundress with skinny straps on her tan shoulders. I could see myself pushing those straps down and kissing my way down her neck to her perfect tits that I ached to touch.

To taste.

Fuck me.

This is why I was staying away.

Every fucking time I saw her, this is what happened.

“That sounds great. Thank you.”

She stepped in and set the plate down, along with a napkin and some utensils before dropping to sit in the chair across from me. “Are you avoiding me?”

I could hear the hurt in her voice. I was avoiding her because we needed some distance. I was doing it for her.

For Travis.

I pulled the foil from the plate and looked up at her. “Yeah. I am.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Well, at least your honest.”

“You know I’ll never lie to you. And I’m doing it for you, so don’t look so hurt.”

She rolled her pretty eyes. “Don’t take the moral high road and then claim it’s for me. You’re not doing it for me or for yourself. You’re doing it for my brother, who isn’t involved at all.” She pushed to her feet and moved to the doorway. “You know what… I take that back. You’re doing it a little bit for yourself because I think you’re terrified of the way you feel, Bear. I just never would have pegged you for a coward. I’ve got to get to work.”

Shots fired.

What the fuck was that about?

A coward? I’d been called a lot of things in my life.

A player. An asshole. Noncommittal. Cocky.

A coward? Never.

I was not afraid of Lila James.

I wasn’t afraid of anything.

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So maybe I’d expected him to end it a week ago, when he’d set out a very romantic picnic on the boat for me.


Or the day we’d returned from New York, when he’d invited me over for dinner.


I was a girl who’d had the rug pulled out from beneath her feet a few times before. I didn’t want to be caught off guard.


This was why I used a gratitude journal and vision boards. It was an effort to stop myself from expecting people to let me down.


“Fine. This isn’t doomsday. I’m just letting you know that when that day comes, I’m going to be fine.”


“So you keep telling me. Now get your ass out of the car so I can show you something.”


“This place is abandoned. We could get arrested for trespassing.”


“Just get out of the damn car, woman.”


He came around to the passenger side of his rented car just as I pushed my door open. “Why do you seem so nervous, then?”


He huffed out a breath and whipped around, and my chest slammed into his. “Maybe because this is new for me. Has that ever dawned on you?”


My eyes widened. “What’s new for you? A fling that lasts a few weeks?”


“I see you every single day. You’re in my bed every single night. It’s a bit more than a fucking fling, yeah?”


Why is he so angry? He’s the one who made the rules. I just agreed to them.


“Fine. I misspoke. It’s a relationship that ends in three weeks. When you move away, and we don’t see one another anymore.”


He shook his head and cursed under his breath. “Can you just stop analyzing it, and let me give you a goddamn surprise?”


“You’re so touchy today.” I chuckled and then tried to catch up to him as he stormed toward the old farmhouse.

“You don’t make surprising you very easy.” He paused when we walked up the few steps to the front porch. “Now close your eyes and prepare to be dazzled.”


I squeezed my eyes shut. “Fine. Dazzle me, Moneybags.”


He took my hand and walked me forward a few steps. “Open your eyes.”

“You two have always been close, huh?” I asked. It was impossible to miss the way they adored one another when you were around them. I’d always noticed it. Maybe it was because my relationship with my mother was lacking in so many areas.

He was quiet for a few seconds after I asked the question, which made me wonder if it was too personal. But he asked me whatever the hell he wanted, so why did I have to hold back? And it wasn’t a difficult question. Obviously they were close. Anyone could see it.

“Yes.” He cleared his throat and reached for his beer bottle, taking a long pull. “Are you and your mother close?”

Oddly, we’d both asked questions that we already knew the answer to, and now I was the one feeling awkward.

“No. We aren’t particularly close. I don’t think she likes me very much.”

He gave me the slightest nod of understanding, but I decided to continue.

“My mom is a perfectionist. She doesn’t like the way I dress, the food I eat, the men I date, the profession I chose—one that I am now secretly doing because she won’t approve.” I shrugged as I reached for my fork. “I don’t expect you to understand. You have the perfect family.”

He finished chewing. “She doesn’t like the men you date? Who are you dating, Emilia?”

“That’s what you took from that whole statement? She food shames me, career shames me, clothing shames me, but you want to know who I date? And then you say it all broody with my name at the end, like I’m in trouble.” My tone deepened once again as I tried to imitate his voice. “‘Who are you dating, Emilia.’” My head tipped back in laughter, but he just stared at me like I had three heads.
“I think it’s all terrible. I’m just curious. Seeing as you’re working here, I want to make sure you aren’t sneaking any dudes into my home.”
I gasped. “You’re so full of it. You’re just curious. I’m obviously not sneaking any dudes in here. And for the record, I am not dating anyone. I was making a point that she doesn’t approve of anything I do.”

“Good to know.”

That’s it? “Good to know”?

Whatever. He was a frustrating man.

Sexy and beautiful and confusing as hell.
But I had bigger things to focus on tonight.
I was flying to Paris in the morning with the broody billionaire who continued to turn my life upside down.