On the night of ecstasy after presenting his future submissive with his gifts, he and Ava made love into the wee hours of the morning. The next morning he left quietly and returned home with a smile on his face, finding his drunken stepmother still lying on the couch with a drip of drool rolling from her lip. After sleeping much of the day, and chatting with Ava online, his spirits were good.The next day back to work, Ava slipped into Hunter's office, smiling from ear to ear as she showed off her ankle. "I love the surprise. The best thing was this. It’s like a promise ring, and I couldn’t be happier. I know we said we can’t be together right now, but I love it just the same.”Slightly looking up from his laptop, he smiled. "I know you would, you dirty little minx. One day you’ll be wearing the real thing. At least for now, I can know you’re wearing it, even if we need to keep things on the down low."As he went back to his work, she went to her knees, rubbing her hand over the bulge

After a few hours of searching for Ava, Hunter was at a loss. His stepmother humiliated her, and it wouldn't surprise him if she had already hopped on a plane and left town. In fact, he wouldn't blame her in the least.After work hours, and spending the day searching for Ava, he sped down the highway toward his home, ready to confront the older woman once and for all. Ava was right, Eveline was destroying his company and his reputation. To make matters worse, she was standing in the way of him being truly happy again.As he pulled his luxury SUV with the blacked-out windows in front of his home, he had to take a deep breath. The sun was still bright in the evening sky, and he just looked at it as if it was all just a ruse. He wondered if he had really been lied to his entire life. Was the doctor at Sizzle Island right all along? Was his stepmother a fraud?Stepping from the car, he didn't even bother pulling his jacket hood up as he normally would. Letting his head fall back, he took

Evaline stomped into her office after being forced out of the board room early that morning. Throwing a coffee cup at the door, she almost clipped a man’s head who had followed her as he peeked his head in.“Mrs. Contsantine, may I come in?” asked a short, hefty man as he stepped inside.“What do you want, Alvin?”“I’m sorry about the board members. I don’t know what’s gotten into them. I thought I had them convinced that Hunter wasn't ready to take over fully.”Flopping down in her chair, she glared up at him, waving him to sit. “I’ll need to call my partner about this. I can't believe they are going to go along with Hunter’s project as a test of his leadership competence, and then throw me out like trash. How could they?”“Well, you’re not exactly officially on the board yet, Evaline. You’re just an acting voice for Hunter’s father, and with him dead, Hunter holds majority shares.”Tapping her nails on her desk, she thought for a moment. “Yes, but you could have stood up for me in t

“Lights out, bitch!”Turning toward the voice, Ava ducked, avoiding a blow to the head by a metal bar, just inches from her head. “Ah! Get away! Hunter! Help me!”“You’re boy toy can’t help you now.”Taking another swing, the man made contact with Ava’s ribs, making her tumble to the floor. As blow after blow came, she pleaded for help, wishing Hunter would be there to protect her. At that moment, she wondered if he was there at all. Was he the one in the room? Was he alive?When a boot came hard to her side, she was sure the man had broken a rib. Rolling to the side, his next kick sent him off balance, allowing Ava to scurry free, taking off into the dungeon room on her knees. Slamming the door behind her, she locked it, hearing the man trying to bust through the door from the other side. Unfortunately for her, a dungeon room had no windows, and nowhere to go. Her cell phone had fallen from her hand in the scuffle and she was trapped.Looking around the room, she struggled to get aro

Hunter and Ava made love throughout the night, taking care of her injured state. Sometime in the night, they ended up in the master bedroom, falling asleep in each other's arms and discussing dreams of a future together. Maybe it was too soon to consider marriage, but Hunter was never one to drag his feet. He knew what he wanted and he went for it. Lucky for him, Ava wanted a relationship, too.The next morning he was humming a tune in the kitchen as he made them breakfast in bed while Ava rested. Whistling on his way back into the bedroom with their breakfast, he quickly stopped in his tracks when he found her crying with a phone in hand on the edge of the bed.“Baby, what’s wrong?”Handing over the phone, Ava was sucking back tears as she held her ribs. “They’re not going to stop.”When he read the threats on her life, he had enough. Setting the food try on the nightstand, he went to his overnight bag and pulled on his clothes.“Stay here.”“No, please. I can’t be here alone. I’ll g