I pull Ava into my chest, slamming my hungry mouth onto hers for a few mind-spinning moments. It’s going to be a long, long day. “Breakfast?”

“I’ll grab something at the office,” she says, freeing herself of my clutches. “Can I have some water?” she asks, and I tense. I can’t help it.

I turn away, cringing, warning Jake to keep quiet. “Knock yourself out, baby.” I dip my peanut butter and shove my finger in my mouth, following her path to the fridge where she places her bag on the side and starts rummaging through. She huffs. Puffs. Sighs. Starts pulling everything out.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.” She stills for a moment. I can practically hear her asking herself what she’s done with them. “Fuck,” she hisses, starting to dump everything back in her bag with heavy hands.

“Watch your mouth, Ava,” I grumble, screwing the lid on the jar. I’m a disgrace. “Come on; you’ll be late.”

“Sorry,” she says, making me feel even worse. “This is your fault, Ward.”

“Mine?” I gawp at her, my mind telling me to shut the fuck up but my ego preventing me. Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Do not ask. “What’s my fault and how?” Twat. Is she suspicious? God, I can’t quite believe I’ve stooped to such a low myself. Does she think I’m capable of such an underhanded act? And if she does, why the fuck is she still here?

Because she loves you, you fool, and that may be the only thing that saves you.

“Nothing.” She shakes her head to herself. “But it’s your fault because you’re distracting me.”

Distracting her. Like, stopping her from thinking of anything else but me? That makes me a very, very happy man. “You love me distracting you,” I say around a smile.

What the fuck am I playing at stealing her pills? It’s betrayal of the worst kind. It’s yet another lie I could get caught in. But I know the truth. Keeping this amazing woman isn’t my only objective. A lost part of me would also do anything to right my wrongs as a father.

It’s no excuse. Nothing would make this okay. I take little comfort in the fact that I’m aware of that.

My plan is a simple one. Get her to work fast, hope she gets all of her work done fast, get her back in my bed fast.