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Back This Woman Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise For Jodi Ellen Malpas
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. About Jodi Ellen Malpas
  44. Also by Jodi Ellen Malpas

I lean over to my nightstand and grab my phone, going straight to the picture gallery. The grid of images that greet me is all Ava. I scroll back to the beginning of the album. To the day she walked into my office. The day my heart started beating again. The day she became mine.

I swallow and cast my eyes back to her, and still when she murmurs and turns, snuggling into my side, her hand resting over my scar. I point my phone down my torso and catch the moment. The moment I decided that tomorrow, I will start sharing my secrets little by little. My time swinging from ignorant bliss to stark, fearful reality is over. I dip and kiss the top of her head, my eyes squeezing closed. “Please don’t leave me.”

32

My eyes spring open at the crack of dawn, and I immediately search for her, my speeding heart rate recovering the moment I find her curled up in my side. I drop my head back to the pillow relieved. Scared. Unsure.

Today.

Today I give Ava my truths and hope to fuck her love for me will allow her to accept me fully.

But before I wake her and set the wheels in motion, there’s something I need to do. I peel her hands away from my torso and edge carefully to the side of the bed, not wanting to wake her. I don’t think I have anything to worry about. She’s dead to the world.

I pull on some shorts, stuff my feet into my running shoes, and throw on my T-shirt as I head downstairs and grab my keys. I close the door quietly behind me and then hurry to the elevator.

The fresh morning air sticks to my skin as I jog across the car park to my Aston, and I’m soon speeding across town, on a mission. The roads are clear, my journey quick. I park and run up the path, hammering on the door when I get there.

It swings open a few moments later, and Kate glares at me, her look fierce as she knots the tie of her dressing gown. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly.” I push my way past her and head upstairs, finding Sam standing in Kate’s bedroom doorway, bollock naked, squinting.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Collecting a few of Ava’s things.” I let myself into her room and get to packing.

“Does she know?” he asks, dropping to Ava’s bed as I hurry around her room, grabbing anything and everything.

“What do you think?”

“I think she’ll cut off your balls when she finds out you’ve taken it upon yourself to move her into your apartment.”