I pull her top drawer open and nearly drop to my knees with the amount of lace that greets me. Fucking hell. “Ava will pretend she’s opposed for the sake of it. I’m just moving the inevitable along.” I scoop up a pile of lace, piles and piles of lace, and stuff it in the bag.

“Or perhaps you’re making it as difficult as possible for her to leave when you tell her you’re the Lord of the Sex Manor.”

“Lord?” I laugh, going back to the drawer to close it, stalling when I see something in the bottom corner. Look away from the pills. I cast a look over my shoulder as Kate enters the room.

“That’s what she calls you,” she says, falling to the bed with Sam. “The Lord. I’d personally call you a fucking rhinoceros. What the fuck are you playing at?”

I grab the packet of pills and discreetly slip them into my pocket as I turn and face my audience. Lord of The Manor. That’s what most women around there call me. Ava’s no different . . . but so, so different. “Like I explained to your naked boyfriend, I’m just moving things along.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“What if he wanted to be?” Sam counters, and both Kate and I balk at him. Fuck, this is more serious than I thought.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” I slip out with Ava’s things, and the moment I’m on the street, I pull the pills from my pocket and drop them down the drain.

Done.

Gone.

Once in my car, I crank the music up to drown out the sound of Jake and my conscience.

I creep around my bedroom and dressing room like a super sleuth, unpacking her things and setting her cosmetics in the bathroom just so. And it feels right. All of it feels right. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my girl, it’s that she sometimes needs gentle persuasion to do what she really wants to do but won’t do because she’s a stubborn sod. I’m effectively eradicating the potential of a row. I’m doing us both a favor.

I back out of my dressing room, taking one last look at her dresses hanging next to my suits. “My work here is done,” I say quietly, stripping down and going to the bed, crawling up to her, chuffed with myself and my work. I drop endless kisses onto her face, and she starts to stir. “Rise and shine, lady.”

Her eyes open. She frowns up at me. I can see her mind giving her a sordid replay of last night, and I brace myself for the fireworks.