“I never thought I’d see you on your hands and knees. Well, not like this anyway.”

Ava Kincaid rolled her eyes but didn’t turn at the growl of the deep baritone voice behind her.

“Not going to acknowledge me?” He circled the file cabinet and stood directly in her line of vision. “Not even a hello?”

She set aside the stack of invoices she was sorting and forced herself to look him in the eye. Not that she needed to look at him to remember the dark curls she loved so much, the straight line of his nose, or those thickly lashed moss green eyes. Even the delicious heady masculine scent of his skin was familiar. Every detail about Gavin Sloan was burned into her memory.

She sighed and forced herself to focus on the job she’d been hired to do. When she’d first come to an old friend and asked about job openings, she had expected to find something at least sort of interesting. After all, a company known for manufacturing sex toys had to be a fun place to work, right? Her dreams of being paid to compare dildos and vibrators had come to a screeching halt, however, when she’d been shown the dusty file room where she’d been assigned. Even so, she had accepted the temporary administrative job at Desire Incorporated because she desperately needed the money. Not because she was secretly hoping to see her ex-boyfriend again.

“What do you want, Sloan?”

He leaned back against the wall, his gaze traveling over her conservative skirt and blouse. His eyes stopped on the curve of her breast, and his tongue dipped out to wet his lips. She shivered involuntarily. She knew exactly what he could do with those firm, full lips. She took a small step backward and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m just surprised to see you…working. I figured that would interfere with all the other important things you do. Like shopping, getting your nails done, and looking for some poor sucker to pay for it all.”

Ava turned her back and resumed filing. Sure, she’d grown up spoiled and coddled. She’d also thrown her share of tantrums and had more than her share of rich bitch moments. But her entire perspective on life had been challenged over the last few months. She’d found what she needed most in the world, and she had lost it.

She’d changed.

No.

He had changed her.

For the first time in her life, she was living on her own completely free of her parent’s influence. Not that Gavin would care. The one and only time he’d met her parents, they had made it clear he wasn’t what they expected for their daughter. It was the first time she’d been embarrassed by her rigidly conservative family. She’d been embarrassed by herself as well, because before meeting Gavin she’d held views just as elitist and selfish as her parents’.

They’d only been dating for three months, but she still couldn’t believe he’d just walked away after that. Ava sighed when she caught a motion from the corner of her eye. Gavin was still watching her. His hot stare felt like a brand on her back.

“I’m just trying to make ends meet like everyone else in this rough economy. I have to pay my bills somehow.” She shoved another folder into the metal file cabinet, not even caring if it was in the right place. She must have been on glue to think she could work near Gavin and not be affected by him. He was still the most arresting man she’d ever known. The only one who’d ever stood up to her father, too.

Surprise flashed in his eyes before his gaze turned suspicious. “Daddy’s not paying the rent anymore?”

“Well, a few months ago he insulted someone I really cared about, so I told him to go to hell. Apparently he didn’t like that too much.” Ava slammed the metal file drawer so hard the clang reverberated down the hallway. Then she turned toward the remaining stacks of filing. She had to pass him to get there, and he didn’t move. Her body pressed against his, and for a moment they were wedged together chest to chest, thigh to thigh. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation of his hard chest brushing her erect nipples, the solid outline of his cock nestled between her thighs. God, it had been so long.

She opened her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. His harsh “oomph” was only vaguely satisfying.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, sir, I have work to do.”

She sauntered past him and came to stand next to Gabby, the company intern. She glanced over her shoulder and let out a long breath when Gavin went into his office. Finally. She couldn’t concentrate with him glaring at her.

“Girl, I can’t believe you were talking to him that way. I would be scared of getting fired.” Gabby chuckled and handed Ava a pile of empty manila folders. The two women had been working all week to organize the company’s messy file room and had instantly bonded. It was tedious work but they had managed to set up the files and empty out a corner of the room. They’d learned a lot about each other in the short time frame as well. Namely, they both had bad luck with men.

“Oh. You noticed, huh?” Ava hopped up on the heavy metal file cabinet and ran her hands through her hair, gathering the long black strands into a messy ponytail. It was foolish to hope she could keep her past with Gavin a secret, especially when he enjoyed tormenting her so much.

Gabby smacked her forehead mockingly and raised her eyebrows. “Are you kidding? Everyone on this floor noticed. I wasn’t the only one who saw him staring at your ass.”

Ava snorted and nearly tumbled off her seat. “Gabby! He was not.”

“He was looking at you like a starving man stares at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Don’t even try to pretend you didn’t notice.” Gabby twirled a lock of dark curly hair around her finger and gave Ava a pointed look. “He’s fine for a white man, too, so don’t you dare pretend you didn’t want him to.”

“Whatever.” Ava blushed and crossed her arms. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not going there with him again. I don’t have time for his nonsense.”

“Again?” Gabby chortled.

Ava’s blush deepened.

“No wonder you told him off. Ex-boyfriend at the new job. That sucks.”

“You have no idea.” Ava hopped down and shook her head.

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