His husky voice murmured in my ear, "How long do you plan on avoiding me?"

"I'm not..." I tried to defend myself, but as soon as the words left my lips, I felt I had misspoken.

We were already so familiar with each other, both physically and emotionally. Any intimacy between us was a tempting lure.

"Thank you for saving my Ava," I said, hoping to shift our awkwardness.

"Not just your Ava," he replied, his eyes gleaming affectionately. "Ava has a good heart. It's you who's a little heartless