away.
Rampant desire tore at her. “Will, it’s time to say good-night. We’ve come back to life like it was. I’m committed to Caroline and then leaving for my teaching. I don’t want to complicate my life with an affair.”
“I’d say you already have,” he whispered, caressing her cheek. She caught his hand to kiss his palm, her actions denying her words.
“Good night,” she whispered and moved away from him. “You have to go now,” she said.
The force of the desire in his expression shook her. As they locked gazes, tension grew until he turned away. He closed the door quietly behind him.
She touched the necklace around her throat. “I love you, Will Delaney,” she whispered. She walked to the mirror to look at the magnificent necklace he had given her. She couldn’t imagine the cost of it. Touching it with awe as she stared at it, she found it impossible to realize it was actually hers.
Placing it carefully on the dresser, she looked at sparkling diamonds and the glittering emeralds that glowed in brilliant green. She unfastened the watch to place it beside the necklace. Both pieces of jewelry were gorgeous, lavish and breathtaking. It was impossible to grasp they were really hers, especially the fabulous necklace.
Keyed up, she crawled into bed to be enveloped in memories of hours earlier with Will and their lovemaking.
The room was growing light when Ava fell asleep and then she overslept. She rushed to get dressed and grabbed a hasty glass of orange juice with a piece of toast before she left to search for Caroline, expecting to find her with Rosalyn, who usually left Will’s mansion as soon as Ava took charge.
Ava hurried toward the playroom. Just outside the open door, she paused when she heard Will’s voice. Her heart skipped at the sound of Caroline’s laughter.
“Muffy’s cute, Uncle Will.” Caroline giggled. “Thank you for Muffy.” Ava started to enter, but stopped when Will spoke.
“Remember Miss Ava is the one who first thought you might like a puppy, so you should thank Miss Ava, too.”
“I will. Miss Ava is my friend,” came a childish voice Ava had rarely heard. Caroline’s statement gave Ava joy. “Is she your friend, Uncle Will?”
“Yes, she is, Caroline.”
“I don’t want her to leave,” Caroline said and then squealed. Ava heard Muffy’s growl and knew the pup was playing with either Caroline or Will.
Ava walked quietly into the room. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in chinos and a black knit shirt, Will pulled on a dog toy held by Muffy, who shook it. He was laughing along with Caroline. Suddenly he let go and Muffy sat on her haunches, staring at them with the toy hanging in her mouth.
Caroline grabbed the toy and the tug-of-war began again. Once more Ava was touched by Will’s care for his niece.
“I overslept,” Ava said, feeling her cheeks grow warm at Will’s knowing smile.
“Imagine that,” he said and she gave him a look.
Caroline squealed when Muffy jerked the toy out of her hands. She laughed, getting up and running to Ava to hug her. Startled, Ava picked up Caroline. She smelled sweet and was soft, her skin as smooth as rose petals. “Thank you, Miss Ava, for wanting me to have Muffy.”
Ava hugged her. “You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you like Muffy.”
Caroline played with a long lock of Ava’s hair. “I love Muffy.” She looked at the pup and Ava set her on her feet. The minute she touched the floor she ran to play with the pup. Muffy chased her and Caroline ran away with Muffy nipping at her heels.
Will stood and crossed to Ava. “Good morning.”
“Thanks for letting me sleep.”
“I wanted to wake you, but I didn’t.” He ran his finger along her cheek. “You look as if you had a full night’s sleep. There are all sorts of things I’d like to do this morning, but I know I can’t,” he whispered, still in a thick, husky tone that kept her thinking of their night together.
“Just as well, Will,” she said, trying to get her breath.
“It’s been a fun morning with Caroline. Ava, she’s coming out of that shell completely. At least when she plays with the dog. You see how she does with her reading. It’s just fantastic what a difference one little mutt can make.”
“That little mutt means so much to her,” Ava said,
“I’ll leave you with her and the pup. I think the baby is getting tired,” he said. She looked around to see Muffy stretched on the floor and Caroline petting her. The little dog blinked and closed her eyes while Caroline tried to entice her to play more.
“See you later, Will,” Ava said.
“It’ll be more than just ‘seeing,’” he said in a husky voice.
She couldn’t wait.
Will left for his office to make two calls, the first to Zach, to tell him the news about Caroline, the second to Ryan.
“Zach, it’s Will. I know you got the attorney’s letter about the will—the reading is scheduled for two weeks from now.”
“It’s on my calendar,” Zach answered. “How’s Caroline?”
“She’s coming out of her silence. I mean really out.”
“Hallelujah,” Zach yelled loudly enough Will had to hold the phone away from his ear as he laughed.
“I wanted to shout, too. It’s fantastic.”
“That’s the best possible news, Will. That’s the greatest. I haven’t been any help, but I care.”
“I know you do.”
“What happened? Was it the new teacher you hired?”
“Yes. Ava suggested I get her a puppy. A pup is hard to resist. It was almost instant.”
“Damn, that’s good news.”
“You’re going to be surprised when you see her, Zach.”
“I’ll go get something for her and this pup.”
Will leaned back to talk to his brother, next calling Ryan, happy to tell each of them about Caroline. When he finished his calls, he sat thinking about Ava. He wanted to whisk her away, somewhere he could be alone with her and make love to her endlessly. Last night had been spectacular. No woman had ever excited him the way she did, and he didn’t want to let her go. Instead, she didn’t even want to go out again. He raked his fingers through his hair. He wanted to be alone with her to make love to her tonight. But it wasn’t going to happen, he was certain. She was driven, determined, bright, accustomed to getting her way—unfortunately some of the same qualities he possessed. It was his stand on commitment and marriage that held her back. Would commitment to Ava be a silken trap the way Adam’s marriage had been for him?
Will thought about life with Ava, and it appealed to him in a way the thought of a long-term—actually lifetime—commitment had never appealed before. Was Ava changing him? Or was he changing to keep her in his life? He didn’t want to think about life without her. He was like Caroline: he didn’t want Ava to leave. Did he want her badly enough to think about marriage?
Or was this the kind of fuzzy, blinded-by-love thinking that had tied Adam into a rotten marriage?
During dinner on the veranda, Will asked, “How were the books and reading today?”
He saw Ava and Caroline exchange a look, and he put down his roll and butter knife. “What’s this?
“Caroline read so very well today,” Ava said. “She answered my questions correctly, read a second-grade book and she told me she’d read to you tonight.”
Will’s