MY MAN

The following morning, Ava Taylor stirred before squinting her eyes and saw the bright sun that penetrated through the window, illuminating the all-encompassing bedroom.


Yawning and stretching energetically, she rolled to the other end of the bed but bumped into something halfway.

 No, it wasn’t just something. It was a body.


A tall and built sleeping body that belonged to no other person than the man who’d done wonders to her last night.

Thinking of last night, she felt her cheeks flushed terribly as she could still feel his taste on her tongue.


Beaming, she hurled herself closer to him, admiring his sleeping beauty.


Black long lashes protected his eyes in sleep. His pale-white beautiful features relaxed in sleep while his breaths came steadily.


Unable to keep her hand to herself any longer, she raised a finger and caressed his long eyelashes.


From there, she trailed to his tall nose, to his thin sexy lips and stayed there for a long while- feeling his soft lips against her finger.


And like that, she went even closer and pressed her lips to his cheek passionately, to his eyes, nose. She even pulled his nose gently but the giant man was still not moving.


“Open your eyes now, I know you’re awake,” her low voice launched into a scolding. Yet, no reaction was coming from him.


This time, she leaned her face even closer and captured the sleeping broad man lips in her mouth and just as expected, he reciprocated the kiss immediately.


His powerful hand reached her waist and heaved her to lie above him. Ava smiled between the kiss when she made to pull away but he held her still in his arm.


The touch of her bare breasts to his chest made everything worse. The fire burnt holes from his lips to his chest, down to his groin. His tongue plunged past with hers, groaning as the taste of her burst through his senses.


It was a struggle to keep his eyes open as he kissed every corner of her mouth, his tongue licking and sucking her cute little tongue until a moan slipped from her throat.


“Z-a-c,” Ava muffled into his mouth as she forcefully tore her lips away from his, panting heavily.


She nudged his broad chest playfully and planned to get off him again but he didn’t allow her to, clasping his hand around his waist.


“Is that how you greet your man?” Zac reprimanded, a playful scowl fleeting behind his handsome face.


“What was that trick you just played? Since when have you been awake?” Ava glared at him and he just shrugged.


“Long enough to have caught you staring at me and also toying with my eyes, nose and mouth,” Zac responded simply and before Ava could react, he’d made a flip and buckled her waist on the bed.


Their eyes met and the whole world fell away.


“What’s wrong?” Ava couldn’t help the anxiety overflowing her chest anymore and as she asked him.


She averted her eyes from his overbearing handsome face but he’d seen this coming as he quickly held her cheek so that she would meet his eyes.


“I love you, Ava,”


He was sincere. He was telling the truth. He truly loves her and she could see the sincerity boldly written across his angular face.


God!
 She fucking loves this man more!


She wrapped her hands around his neck spontaneously and kissed his nose momentarily and then pulled back and stared into his beautiful golden eyes.


“I love you more, My Man,”


“What did you just say?” Zac murmured, something very close to a shade of red tinting his cheeks.


Ava grinned widely, knowing fully well that he loved the sound of that.


“I love you more, My Man,” she repeated, this time, she raised her voice.


A broad happy smile covered Zac’s lips in an instant as he took her lips into his mouth, sucking on the lower lip gently.

_

_

Ava pulled to a halt in the school parking halt and a loud sigh of relief fell out of her lips with her chest still heaving up and down slowly.

Grinning, “I did it!” she exclaimed excitedly, raising a fisted hand.

Soon, she collected her bag and cellphone from the passenger seat and then got down from the car.


However, the number of gazes her eyes collided with almost compelled her to run back into the car and locked herself in there.


Locking the car and stepping away from it, she’d become extremely uneasy and she couldn’t understand why they were staring at her this morning.


She wasn’t dressing out of the ordinary, just a jean skirt and a sweatshirt.


However, it didn’t take long before she realized most of the gazes were staying on her car and she sighed a bit in relief before moving away from the parking lot completely.


They were busy drooling this one she’d thought that it wouldn’t bring attention, what if she’d driven the car Zac had chosen for her? Then they would probably be taking pictures by now.


And it was as if someone from the small crowd heard her thoughts just now because the young dude fetched his phone from his jean pocket and took a picture of Ava and the car.


Ava was speechless. She parted her lips to say something when she noticed the camera shots were now coming from every angle.


“You’re just so lucky, Ava,”


“Please allow me to meet Zachary Gonzalez once, please,”


“Ava, would you mind becoming our class representative?”


“How did you meet Zachary Gonzalez in the first place?”


“You’re so beautiful, Ava. I love you,”


Ava shut her eyes in a fit of frustration as she listened to the boys and girls comments while they kept taking snaps of her.


 God!
 Heaven knows that she hated attractions for herself but look what she had landed into, courtesy of the man she loves.


In any case, she would have to find her way out of this place and it would be outright rude if she just walked out on them without saying anything. So, she put on one of her best smiles and waved at them as she walked away.


She had barely walked out of the school garage when someone blocked her path all of a sudden, it was a lady.


A lady Ava would never forget her face.


“I refuse to believe what I’ve been hearing. Zachary Gonzalez can never notice a lowlife bitch like you let alone take you along to a party, right?” Layla shot at Ava, looking furious like an angry lion.


“Is that all you heard?” Ava’s eyes went wide as saucers, sticking a knuckle into her mouth- looking surprised.


Layla brows arched in confusion.


Ava clicked her lips repeatedly while shaking her head slowly.


“I’m really disappointed in you, Miss. You see, the truth is…” she moved closer and whispered into her ears, “I’m Zachary Gonzalez’s woman now,”


She then stepped back to inspect her face and as anticipated, Layla’s face had marred with shock.



Ava smiled, “You’re surprised, aren’t you? Well, so was I,” she taunted, her lips curving more and more into a mischievous smile.


“Zachary Gonzalez is my man while I’m his woman,” she said, sounding serious and firm now as all the smiles and playfulness wiped away from her face like they never existed just a sec ago.



“I remember that day when you’d slapped me because I spilled water on his image. Who could have imagined that same man would be right there to pay you back that same day?”


Layla’s chest constricted. Not because she was being affected by Ava’s words but because she remembered the day Ava was talking about and each time she recalled that moment Zac had pushed her away like she was some kind of dirt, a knot tightened in her chest.



“Who would have thought that the same man you were begging just to have a chance with had fucked me a number of times just this morning?” Ava continued, eyes sneering.


“No!” Layla shrieked in pain and then raised her hand in an attempt to slap Ava but she was quick to hold back her hand in the air.


“That’s not true, you bastard! My Zac will never stoop so low. He will never stoop so low with someone like you!” Layla ranted, her eyes bulging outwards.


“I’m sorry, but he did, he stooped so low” Ava said indifferently, “And let this be the very last time you’ll ever raise your hand at me. I promise you, you’ll regret it the next time,” that said, Ava tossed her hand away.


And after shooting her one of her deadly glares, she walked out on her.


“No, this can’t be happening,” Layla seethed, her hands clenching so tight that her fingers were hurting her palms but she didn’t realize it.


*********


Ava stared at the white envelope in her hand while she listened to her friends talk beside her as they all ambled in the not-too-quiet hallway with few people hanging around there.


 “Why exactly do you keep staring at this paper, Ava? Don’t tell me you’re worried about submitting your application letter to your boyfriend’s company?” Freya was the one who spoke first after she noticed Ava's pensive mood.


Ava’s lips curved to a small before turning her head to look at Freya’s face.


“No, Freya. I’m not doing my IT at any of Zac’s companies,” she declared and Freya’s eyes instantly opened wide in disbelief and Caleb too.


“Why, Ava? Is there a problem?” Caleb inquired curiously.


“Everything is fine, Caleb. I just don’t want more attention for myself,” Ava responded. “Moreover, what if I don’t know Zachary, I’ll submit my letter to some other company, won't I?”

Freya tucked the loose strands of her hair behind one of her ears as she shared a glance with Caleb and together, they nodded their heads in full understanding.


“You’re right about that, Ava, but do you think Zac will agree with your decision?” Freya pressed on, more or less knowing the kind of a person they were talking about.


Ava was silent for five seconds before she replied with a soft smile, “I hope so, Freya,”


Soon, they reached the departure juncture and they separated after sharing a parting hug.


Watching her friends walk away, Ava quickly turned back into her car, grabbed her cellphone and placed a call through Hazel for the third time.


“Come on, Hazel. Where are you or do you want me to come and meet you there?” Ava asked impatiently, her nose flaring.


And to her surprise, the beep tone of the line disconnecting met her ear and she frowned.


Just as she dialed the number again, a distinct honk ceased her action and she looked up to see Hazel’s car parking right beside hers.


 “What could be so urgent, Ava? I literally ran into an accident while rushing here, you know,” Hazel groused while coming down from her car and closing the door.


Ava then shut her eyes briefly and exhaled loudly.


Gulping, “I need your help, Hazel,”


The anxiety covering her face got Hazel worried now so she moved closer and held her face.


“Calm down, Ava. Tell me, that’s why I’m here. Is it between you and Zac again?”


Ava nodded curtly and answered, “Yes.”


“Oh my God! I thought you guys are cool now. What…”


“Yes, yes, Hazel, we’re good.” Ava cut in, holding Hazel’s hands.

“The thing is...” she itched her hair, “It’s just that…”


Hazel just stared at her crimson cheeks, waiting for her patiently to say whatever that got her so worked up like this.


“We… we had un-unprotected sex,” she tumbled out, itching her nape and looking everywhere but Hazel’s face.


Hazel cracked up, tossing her hand over her mouth to try to cover it.


“There’s nothing to be shy about, Ava. Zac is your man,” Hazel reminded, still swallowing down the amusement that kept bouncing around her chest.