Ava came out of her room dressed in her gray executive suit and a white dress shirt, with her hair pulled back in a bun at the bottom of her head. She checked her watch. It was ten minutes to eight in the morning. She went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Alice and the kitchen girl had already left for work. When she finished drinking her glass of water, there was a knock on the door. Ava hurried, thinking that her boss might have sent for her. When she opened the door, the man who had accompanied her earlier appeared, holding a black bag with the "Seasons" hotel logo on it. "It's for you, Miss Gray," the man said. Ava's brow furrowed. "Mr. Hoffmann sent it to you. When you're ready, we can leave." She took the bag and looked inside, pulling out a box. To her surprise, she discovered it was a new cell phone. She looked up, almost refusing to accept it. "I..." Ava started, but the man interrupted her. "When you're ready, we can leave. I'll wait in the buggy," he nodded. Then t
"Well, let's order lunch," Björn announced as he saw that the employees' regular lunch break was about to end. He turned to Ava, who was finishing up some notes on her new iPad, and asked, "What would you like to eat, Ms. Gray?" "Would you like me to order from the menu?" she asked helpfully, and Björn declined. "What would you like? I know the menu every day, so I'm not in the mood for anything. Shall we go into town?" Ava raised her eyebrows in surprise, as it was a couple of hours' drive. "To the city?" Björn nodded at her surprised look. "I have a new helicopter, so it will be less travel time. Have you tried the imperial salmon?" Björn asked Ava, but she declined. "Well, you're going to love it, so I'll take advantage of the trip to pick up my guest. Grab whatever you need, and I'll meet you in the lobby in five minutes." Ava got up from her place and thought about what to bring. She only had her purse, where she had her IDs and a copy of the house keys, but it was in the empl
"Another view..." whispered Björn, leaning back in his chair and looking carefully at Ava, who was oblivious to his gaze. "Impressive..." said Ava without looking away, then looked back at her boss. "Is the food here good?" she asked as she felt a little more relaxed. Björn nodded slowly. "Quite good. Years ago, I used to come here all the time. To make a reservation at this place, they take up to six months to give you one. "Oh, that's quite a long time," Ava murmured, surprised by what he was telling her. "Yes," she accepted the menu the waiter handed them. "Good afternoon, I'm Ever, your waiter. Would you like something to drink? An appetizer? "I want three glasses and the best vintage of wine you have. I'm waiting for someone else," Ava didn't know. "Perfect," Björn nodded, and the waiter left. "Are you expecting someone else?" she asked without a filter. "Yes, my guest we're bringing to the hotel. "Oh," then Ava looked at the scenery, lost herself in it for a few more mi
Ava's heart fluttered so hard that she swore it would stop at any moment. "Mr. Hoffmann, you've had enough wine," Björn broke away from her a little to look into her eyes. He noticed the rim of both irises dilated, in a thin line, then her words echoed loudly, bringing him back to reality: he was the boss and her assistant. Björn stepped back, leaving Ava leaning against the door, her cheeks scarlet and panting. He had no right just because he bought her at the auction to save her, and he had no right even to feel jealousy or attraction for her. He shouldn't cross that fine line between the two of them. He wasn't allowed. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..." he ran a hand through his hair, he wrinkled his brow, Ava couldn't help but lower her gaze to his pants at the same time Björn covered his erection with both hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he subtly tugged Ava's arm to pull her away from the door and out to the men's room. Ava was shivering, but not like two years a
"I'm not going to answer that question," Björn answered sharply, and that didn't surprise Carter. "Fine, have it your way," he got up and poured himself more whiskey from the cabinet, then returned to his seat. There was a long silence in the suite, with only fleeting glances, until finally, Björn decided to break the silence. "I have discovered things that I didn't like at all," he said, rarely opening up about personal matters to anyone, not even Oscar, who was part of his family and the only person he trusted. Carter paid close attention, knowing this was significant. Björn finished his drink in one gulp and left the empty glass on the glass table in the center of the room. "Is it something here at the hotel?" Björn nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" Björn shook his head. "It's better to stay out of it, but it's been bothering me since yesterday. Somehow I have to talk about it, not all of it, but voicing it might help me stop feeling this way," Carter frowned. "It must be
Saturday had arrived, three days since that lunch in the city with her boss and the guest. That morning, Ava sat on the edge of her bed, feeling a bit lost in her thoughts. While bathing, she had noticed a couple of bruises on her arms and legs, but she couldn't remember how she got them. After checking the time, she finished getting ready for work. She had been restless during the nights, unable to sleep properly. The scene of Björn with her in the ladies' room kept replaying in her mind, causing her to question her own reactions. She compared it to a similar situation two years ago and realized how different she felt now. The day proceeded as usual, with the security man escorting Ava to the employee entrance door. There, she met Alice, her best friend. "What time do you get off today?" Alice asked, checking the entry time. Ava sighed. "I don't know. I don't have a set time," she frowned and looked at her friend. "Why?" They walked toward the employee locker area. "The group of
Ava glanced at herself from head to toe in the mirror. With Alice's help, her hair had been perfectly straightened, giving her brown locks a longer and sleeker appearance. "I can't believe how much my appearance has changed," Ava murmured, unable to tear her eyes away from her reflection. Her fingers ran through her newly straightened hair. She was already wearing makeup and only needed to put on her outfit to go to the nightclub in town. "What do you need?" Alice's voice echoed from a distance as she walked towards the living room in her high heels. Upon entering, she noticed her friend. "You look stunning," Ava remarked, taken aback by the dramatic transformation. She had never seen Alice dressed like that before—wearing a short golden sequined dress, her hair also straightened, and elongating her legs with platform heels. "I just need to get dressed, and then I'll be ready." "Come on, it's a two and a half-hour drive to the city," Alice urged. Ava hurriedly put on a black dress—
Björn held a crystal glass of the finest whiskey in his hand, his heart fluttering as he heard his name spoken by Ava. "She said my name." He disliked being called by name by people who weren't close to him. "Excuse me, I meant to say, Mr. Hoffmann," she quickly corrected herself, but Björn promptly dismissed it. "Don't worry," he leaned toward her, so she could hear. "I said your name, you responded the same way, and besides, it's not working hours. So you can call me Björn..." Ava felt her breath hitch, and she had to part her lips slightly to take a sly breath. Björn straightened up and, without taking his eyes off her, took a sip of his drink, observing her every reaction. "And your guest?" Ava asked, avoiding eye contact. Björn felt irritated, removed the crystal glass from his lips, and licked a drop from his lower lip with his tongue. That carefree and straightforward gesture evoked strange sensations in Ava, as if she was thirsty. Björn glanced downstairs and spotted Carter