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“Ava?” I call after her. “You want to be useful?” I rub my throbbing jaw. “Go get some more fucking clothes on and come find Callaghan with me.”
Satisfaction glitters in her eyes as she glances back. Then she turns and stalks off.
Chapter 19
Ava
Jet’s a solid massof tension beside me as we sit in the bar area of the hotel’s open air marble lobby.
I haven’t said a word to the bastard since I slapped him. He deserved it and more. Yet a tiny fragment of empathy still glows in my heart for him. I know a broken person’s outburst when I see one because I’ve had so many myself over the past ten years. Jet is grieving his mother’s passing. He rarely talks about her. Magnus has chosen to let his grief out, bring it into the light with happy memories and gratitude for the time they had.
Jet wears his like a shadow, clouding everything he does.
I get the need for control, at least I think I do. It’s similar to my reasons for not flying for so long. Because in a plane I have no control. Just like the day I lost my father. But it’s the turning his back on love that confuses me the most. Especially when I’ve seenthose old news images of him and Francesca. He can’t seriously expect me to believe he’s never felt anything for anyone. Not when he looked at her like that.
“Do you see him yet?” I take a sip of my pina colada, enjoying the fresh burst of pineapple on my tongue.
“No.”
I sigh. I have a feeling it’s going to be one syllable answers for the rest of this trip. I pray to god that Callaghan is ready to sign a deal, because the longer I have to be in the vicinity of Jet’s foul mood, the more I’m in danger of slapping him again.
I slurp the remnants of my drink through the straw.
“Do you have to?” Jet scowls.
I hold his eyes and give my straw an extra-large suck, making the ice cubes rattle around the bottom of my glass. “Umm, yeah, I do actually.” I do it again, reveling at the tightening in his jaw.
He rolls his lips, his nostrils flaring, before his attention is stolen across the lobby to a man approaching the check-in desk.
“Is that him?”
“It is. Stay here,” Jet barks as he heads toward him like a missile on target.
I head toward the ladies’ room. Callaghan and Jet are standing talking across the other side of the lobby. Callaghan looks amused while Jet, the asshole, looks surprisingly calm, despite his stiff posture.
My eyes rake over his cream pants and white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, showing off tanned forearms. “Why do I have to find moody bastards hot?” I mutter.
“I used to ask myself the same question.”
I look at the woman waiting with a suitcase.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” I give her an apologetic smile and she waves it off with a flick of her fingers.
“I think it’s the passion they have when they want something. It’s thrilling to be a part of it,” she muses, looking at the exchange between Callaghan and Jet with interest. “Although, they’re stubborn as old goats and need reminding you can’t get everything you want by butting heads.”
I laugh as Callaghan and Jet both shake their heads at the same time with matching hands-on-hips stances.
“I’m Ava. You’re travelling with Mr. Callaghan?”
The older woman with soft blonde hair in a chic bob smiles, extending her hand. “Ophelia Callaghan. James is my husband.”
I shake her hand. “Ava Roberts. Jet is my stubborn old goat of a boss.”
She laughs. “I’ve met Mr. Grant a few times over the years. I can’t say he’s ever been anything other than charming.”
My face must give away my surprise because her eyes light up as she looks at the two men again and then back at me.
“I don’t think either of us are going to get to enjoy this beautiful resort until those two sort out whatever business they have to discuss. And I don’t know about you, Ava. But I’d rather my husband doesn’t talk aboutwork the entire time. This is supposed to be our anniversary trip.”
