“Be serious.”
“I am. I’ve got your back one hundred percent as you build something real. You’ll do great. I’ve got you, Montgomery.”
I held his gaze, those three words echoing in my mind, words he told me often when we were younger. Somehow, they held more weight now. I exhaled, the panic ebbing and replaced by certainty.
“Okay,” I whispered.
30
AVA
Some days, I felt as if I were drifting on a raft at sea after quitting my job. I had no compass to guide me—just floating in the unknown. But then there was Lincoln. My support system. I’d been in LA for months after upending my stable life, and he didn’t make me regret it for a minute.
He was my anchor when I needed it. A strong voice of reason when I was about to freak out. The man continuously showed up with caffeine for my late-night sessions, connections I could only have dreamed about, and quiet faith in me when I started doubting myself.
I glanced at him now, straightening his tie, getting ready to head to the office.
“Lincoln?”
He glanced at me as he shrugged on his jacket.
“You’re my hero,” I said.
He paused and stared at me. “Really? Okay… That’s…” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not having one of those freak-out moments, are you?”
I chuckled. “No.”
He grinned. “In that case. I love being your hero.”
I put my laptop aside and shuffled off the bed to walk over to him. “I mean it. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
“You would have started your own thing eventually, Ava.”
“Maybe, but you gave me the encouragement and resources I needed to get started earlier.” He gave me a place to stay. He knew how to make things happen in this world because apparently, money and status spoke volumes. “You gave me the push that I needed.” I fiddle with his tie. “Thank you for all your help.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured, peering down at me.
“You are a girlfriend’s dream come true. You don’t complain about me eating all your snacks…”
He chuckled. “You snacka lot, woman. But it’s my pleasure to feed you.”
My grin got wider. “You don’t complain about me taking up your closet space or cluttering your bathroom with all my stuff, and you roll with it like a trooper when I sleep like a starfish and take up all the bed space…”
His low purr of laughter made my stomach flutter. It was so smooth and sexy. “Baby, you have no idea how happy I am to have you take upallmy space. I wanted this. Living in your chaos ismydream come true.”
My laughter floated around us. “See? You’re perfect.” I tugged on his tie, and he leaned in for a kiss. His lips met mine leisurely, as if we had all the time in the world. My hands slid over his chest and up to his shoulders, so our bodies were pressed closer. The deeper he kissed me, the hotter I got. His mouth moved with more urgency, making me weak in the knees. He was intoxicating.
He groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating through me. Then he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine.
“If we keep going,” he murmured, “I’m never making it to the office.”
I pouted. “So don’t go.”
He chuckled, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “Tempting. But don’t you have someone to meet?”
I blinked, then groaned. “Nyla.”
He nodded, stepping back with visible effort. “Right.”
