The air seemed to whoosh from Ava’s lungs. Love? Love? The word was like a foreign concept to her. No grown person had ever loved her before. Not her parents. Not Joseph. What was love anyway? An emotion people used to gain the upper hand over someone else. A flowery word that was supposed to make everything all right.

“Love.” She laughed. “You fling that word around like it means nothing. I’ve never met a man that would cop to loving a woman so quickly and with such ease.”

His dark eyebrows dipped down. “Would it please you, if I acted like every other man?”

“You know that’s not what I mean, Dominic. I just find it hard to believe that you could be in love with me, considering who I am to you.”

He shrugged. “I think I’ve known for awhile.”

“A while? How long have we known each other? A little over three weeks and now you’re throwing the word love around? It’s absurd.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened. His green turned dark. “I’m not throwing it around. Telling a woman that I love her is not something that I take lightly, Ava. My mother is the only woman I’ve ever said that to,” he said. He pulled away from her and got out of bed, going to stand in front of the window.

Way to go Ava. You just don’t know when to quit, do you?

She swallowed. “I wasn’t trying to make light of what you said. I just…this is all just happening so fast. I don’t even know how to process it all.”

“Everything in life doesn’t have to be thought through and overanalyzed, Ava. If I tell you I love you, then damn it, I mean it.”

“But I don’t understand why? I haven’t exactly been the nicest person to be with.”

“No, you haven’t. You’re pigheaded and feisty. You will go toe-to-toe with anyone who gets in your way or disrespects you. You’re a fighter. You’re passionate. An incredible lover. But most of all you have a strength that I’ve never seen before and I want to be the person you can lean on. Who you can draw that strength from.

“Who you can wake up to each morning and know that there are no others but you and there will be no others but you. If you want me to be completely honest I think I fell in love with you the moment we finally came face-to-face.” He smiled. “Before that, it was just lust. I can admit that now.”

Ava smiled. “Love at first sight? It sounds like something you hear in a movie. A fairy tale.”

“Dreams do come true, Ava.”

“Not for people like us. Not in this lifestyle.”

Turning from the window, Dominic crossed his arms, smirking. “And what lifestyle is that?”

“Don’t play coy.”

“I’m not. I’m not in ‘the life,’ and you sure as hell aren’t. We’re just two regular people. Well I take that back. I’m a regular person. You’re the businesswoman extraordinaire.”

“And what about the difference in our ages?”

Dominic shrugged. “What about it?”

“One day I’m not going to look so hot and then you’re going to wish you had a younger model. I am thirty-eight, you know.”

“I’m not that fickle, Ava. Give me some credit.”

“I’m not saying you’re fickle. I’m just trying to consider all the possibilities.”

“There’s nothing to consider. Now what you need to do is stop thinking. Stop worrying. Stop trying to convince me that I don’t know what I want. You aren’t going to change my mind.”

Ava lay back against the pillows on the bed. “Fine. I give up. You want me. You love me enough to throw away an opportunity at a multimillion-dollar estate because if you get crazy enough to propose marriage you will sign a prenup so what else can I say?”

Smiling, Dominic came and laid down next to her. “Nothing. Don’t say anything. Just enjoy the moment and stop worrying.”

“I’m a worrier by nature.”

“I know. I picked up on that.”

“You know everything that’s happened has been so crazy. It still hurts like hell that Gina’s gone. You don’t just get over losing that kind of friendship.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling.”

“Thanks. You know, I guess the silver lining in all of this is that if it weren’t for Gina, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

“Forget silver, we’re talking about a platinum lining here.”

They laughed together. Dominic’s hand cupped her cheek. Ava smiled at him, a real, carefree smile. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually done that. It felt good. Real good. Her lover leaned closer and kissed her, his lips meeting hers in a kiss of ardent passion. Unable to help herself, she grabbed his T-shirt to bring him closer. Dominic’s lips trailed down her throat, as he covered her body with his.

“Why do you do this to me?”

“Do what?” he asked, lips against her neck.

“Make me want you this way.”

“The same reason you do it to me.”

His lips found their way back to hers, his tongue slipping between them. Ava touched her tongue to his as they kissed. She grew wetter with each kiss. Dominic’s hand found the waistband of her panties and he jerked them down her body. Ava lifted up to give him better access. When her panties went flying over his shoulder, his finger delved inside her.

“You are so ready for me,” he said looking into her eyes.

“Don’t wait.”

She caressed his shoulders as he hurriedly removed his boxers. Freed and jutting up like a proud battalion, Ava couldn’t resist touching him. Dominic growled, hissing in the back of his throat.

“Baby, if you keep that up, we’re not going to make it to the finale.”

Ava pouted when he removed her hand. His lips crashed down on hers at the same time his body joined them together. He grabbed her legs, wrapping them around him. They were frantic together. This would be no languid lovemaking. His body moved in and out of her, as both of them fought to show dominance. Ava gripped his shoulders, her teeth tugging his lip as he plundered her hidden depths.

His grip on her waist tightened as they continued to kiss greedier than they ever had been before. With every slide of his body into hers, Ava moved closer to orgasm. Closer to a completion she’d never known before Dominic. In perfect tandem, they moved together. Thrusting hips meeting receiving ones and then it happened. Ava’s world broke apart. The force of the orgasm rocked her from her head to her feet. The waves of pleasure continued to cascade over her as Dominic groaned his own release into her ear.

Her legs trembled, falling away from his body. They held each other tight as their ragged breathing slowly started to slow. Ava blinked tears away as she held Dominic to her. She didn’t know why she felt like crying all of a sudden.

“Ava?”

“Hmm?”

Dominic moved inside her. He was hard again, just that quick.

“Again?” he asked.

She nodded, then smiled. “New position?”

“What did you have in mind?

Dominic eased off her body. Ava took the opportunity to push him flat against the mattress. She straddled him and easily took him into her.

“Does this answer the question?”

“Ab-so-damn-lutely.”

Ava smiled. Dominic’s hands circled her waist and then she was riding him. In control again, just the way she liked it.

Ava awoke. She looked at the bedside clock. It was almost two in the morning. She and Dominic were entangled together, her head on his chest, his leg between her thighs. Arms wrapped around each other. It felt so intimate, so comfortable. Something she could get used to. With a smile, she carefully eased herself from his embrace. Her throat was parched. She donned her robe and headed down the stairs. The house was silent as she made her way to the kitchen.

Going to the refrigerator, she grabbed a bottle of sparkling water and drank it greedily. She’d consumed it before she even realized it. Thirst sated, she turned to make her way back upstairs to Dominic. As she entered the hallway to the living room, Ava stopped dead in her tracks. A shadow passed over one of the large, glass windows. Moonlight illuminated the shadowy figure. Ava could clearly see the outline of a gun, firmly clutched in the intruder’s hand. Someone was in her house. Someone with a gun. Death had come to try again.