The CEO(4)

The perfect man. She let the words roll around in her head. No-one was perfect, she knew that, of course.

There was nothing perfect about the wave of his light dark brown hair. Or the cords in his neck. Or the silver ring he’d always worn on his right hand, middle finger. And there had absolutely, definitely been nothing perfect about the way he’d loved her sister; that was for damn sure.

From the day Lulu had brought him home on her arm, introducing him to their parents as her boyfriend, Ava had been completely, utterly and infuriatingly in love with Callum Malone.





Chapter Two




‡


Ava wiped her tears with a wadded-up tissue, breathed deep and tore herself away from Callum’s penetrating gaze. He was staring at her as if he’d caught her out and it shook her. She’d made an art of hiding from him over the years, putting as much physical and emotional distance between them as humanly possible, and the easiest way to do that had been to wear a mask, to create a disguise for herself. So she had become the bitchy sister-in-law. And she’d played it damn well. Oscar worthy, in fact. She’d even convinced her sister. Lulu had asked her, numerous times, why she disliked Callum so much. Ava knew that it hurt her sister not to have that closeness, that Ava hadn’t welcomed Callum into the family like a brother. It ached to lie, but the truth could never be said. Ever.

‘Why should I like him?’ She’d tossed the words back at her sister with something resembling a snarl. ‘He’s your husband, not mine.’

‘For that precise reason, Ava. He’s my husband. Can’t you understand why I would want my big sister and my husband to actually get along, to occasionally have a civil conversation?’

Ava had always replied with a tirade about how he was so rich and entitled and private schooled and Busy and Important and Sydney waterfront and clubs and that couldn’t possible mean he was a nice guy … blah blah blah. They were such clichéd excuses to hide behind and she’d used them as a shield.

Damn, she wished it would stop raining.

She looked down at her dress, which was now clinging to her like plastic wrap, and closed up her umbrella. Rivulets of water ran into her shoes and her arms were goosebumped from the wet and the ocean breeze. It was fitting attire for how she felt inside. Cold and awash with tears.

Ahead of her, the few mourners who remained had gathered around Cooper Malone, the youngest brother by a few minutes, no doubt basking in the glory of his latest surfing win. He’d been an international surfing superstar for years and had the tan and the build to go with it. Other people might have found it well-nigh impossible to tell him apart from his slightly older twin, but not Ava. She would know Callum anywhere. And it wasn’t just because Cooper’s hair was longer and messier, quite different from Callum’s neater, shorter, more businesslike style, which was obviously more fitting for someone who wore bespoke suits, handmade leather shoes and who was CEO of Malone Enterprises. She could tell them apart because looking at Cooper had absolutely no effect on her whatsoever.

‘Ava?’ Lulu was waving her over and she reluctantly joined the group.

‘Hey, Ava,’ Cooper called as soon as she was closer and he jogged forward to give her a hug, throwing his big arms around her. ‘Good to see you.’

She held on tight and he held her tightly in return. ‘Good to see you, too. I’m so sorry about your father,’ she murmured into his damp suit, holding back the sob that was catching in her throat. It was so much easier to say any of this to Callum’s twin than to say it to him. So much easier.

‘Thank you for coming,’ he said and when he released her from his bear grip he looked down at her with a sad smile on his tanned and handsome face.

‘How long are you back for, Cooper?’

‘Not long. I’ve got to get back to California as soon as I can. Hey,’ Cooper said as he slipped an arm around Ava’s shoulders. She got the distinct impression he was changing the subject. ‘We’re all going to have a bite to eat at Callum’s tonight, seeing as I don’t often have a chance to catch up with my brothers. You should come,’ he said. ‘It would be good to catch up. It’s been a long time.’

Ava gulped. Lulu hadn’t mentioned this very important detail. This excruciatingly important detail. She’d agreed to go to the funeral to support her sister, but socialising afterwards? Oh no, that wasn’t going to happen. It couldn’t happen. She had to continue to stay as far away from Callum Malone as humanly possible.

‘Oh, I …’ her heart thudded. She glanced at her sister, who was giving her a please for God’s sake, come, I can’t do this on my own look. Then Ava flicked her eyes, for just the slightest moment in Callum’s direction. He was watching her intently, his mouth drawn, one hand slipped in to the pocket of his trousers, the other gripping the umbrella.