Page 25 of Taming Her

“No. You’re staying here, Ava. To get some healthy habits under your belt, and have a proper think about where your life is going.”

“But—” Anger swarmed in her belly. “Why? No. I can’t.”

“Call it an intervention if you like, but something has to change. Twice last night you were nearly killed because you stepped into the road, and before that you’d set yourself up for sexual assault.”

She stared at him. Bradley… yes, he’d come on strong despite her saying no. But the road, she’d been upset, that was all, not thinking straight; the cars would have swerved.

“So you’re here,” he said, “with me for as long as it takes. You’ll do as I say, everything I say, and you’ll learn to respect your body and your soul. I can’t stand by and watch you self-destruct.”

“What?” She clattered her knife and fork down and stared at him.

“You heard me.” He carried on eating.

“You have no right. You have no… no…”

“I think I do.”

“Why. Tell me? Why do you have any right to interfere in my life?”

“Because once upon a time, Ava Sontag, I worshipped the very ground you walked on. You left me and it broke my heart.” He paused, frowned. “But what’s broken my heart more is seeing you wasting your life like this, no direction, no self-care. I can’t sit back and let it go on.”

“Wow, you really do think you can take me in hand.”

“I don’t think, I know.” He stabbed a chunk of avocado, popped it in his mouth, chewed, swallowed. “But first tell me one thing.”

“Go on.”

“Are you happy?”

“What kind of question is that?”

He didn’t answer.

She spun to the huge windows and stared into the garden. Several butterflies danced over tall daisies, a wooden bench in need of a lick of paint with a wild rose winding around it, and in the distance a majestic silver birch quivered in the summer breeze.

She had a sudden urge to get out there. Breathe deep, inhale the myriad scents, touch the soft petals, explore, marvel, become one with the ramshackle garden and its contents. Nature really was taking over and she wanted to learn its tricks. “Your garden is a mess.”

“I know; it’s my next project now the house is finished. My grandmother let it go to ruin the last few years of her life. It’s nearly an acre. Too much for someone in their nineties.”

“Mmm.”

“So you’re staying,” he said. “It’s decided.”

“It is not.” She spun back to face him.

“You will never be happy, Ava, until you’ve addressed your issues.”

“But—”

“And I’m going to help you do that. You will trust and obey me.”

“Trust and obey!”

“Yes, and what’s more, you’ll soon discover that you want to.” He scooped the last of his omelet into his mouth.

“I’ll go home when you go to work.” She pointed at his vest.

“I won’t be on duty for a while.” He shrugged.

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