I disclaim, I only own Avery.

Chapter Three

"…this is Avery Bergen reporting." Dave and Mark watched the news report from the conference room with several others from the management team. Mark knew Dave harbored a crush on the curly haired reporter and made it his sole purpose to torture him. Mark purposely held everyone in the conference room to go over advertising strategies they could use as a result of the free exposure Avery was giving them. He noticed Dave was looking at his watch every two minutes and at first it was funny, now it was annoying.

"Something better to do, Dave?" Mark asked knowing damn well what the answer was.

"I need to make some calls, please excuse me." Dave responded rising from his chair. He hadn't spoken to Avery in four long, torturous days. Four agonizing days. He found himself Tivo'ing the news just to see her. As he walked back to his office he dialed her number on his cell. Voicemail. He called the station.

"Avery Bergen." She answered half paying attention, half searching for a pen.

"I saw the news tonight." He said wondering if she'd know his voice. She did and she smiled.

"Mr. Bautista. How are you?" He could hear her smile through the phone and was glad she wasn't hanging up on him or dismissing him.

"Are you busy for dinner?" He asked nervously.

"Dinner, dinner when?" This is a damn office and I can't find a fucking pen. Where's my laptop?

"Dinner tonight. You do know what time it is don't you?" He laughed at her obvious obliviousness to the time.

"Um, I'll be honest with you. I can't even find my laptop much less a pen or my phone. My office is a nightmare so no, I have no clue what time it is." She rolled her eyes when she sat down and in her chair was something cold and a metallic rectangle about the size of her laptop. "I found my laptop."

"Where was it?" He asked wondering how such a well kempt woman could have a disorganized office.

"Under my ass." Where you should be.

Dave chuckled. "I'll pick you up in an hour."

"For what?" She asked forgetting the beginning of the phone call.

"Dinner." And Dave hung up.

Avery took a deep breath and sat down. One hour to straighten this hideousness. No chance in hell would that happen. A pen!

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Dave knocked on her office door and smirked at the exasperated look on her face. "You need a break." Avery saw behind Dave and all the whispers and sudden interest in her office was amusing. She hated the rumor mill and never took part, but when a good looking man, correction, a beautiful specimen of a man is in your office taking you to dinner, what's a little gossip to feed the packs of wolves.

"Five more minutes and then we can go…where are we going?" She replied straightening papers and searching for her purse.

"Downtown." He said as he reached into her desk drawer and pulled out her purse.

"Could you be more vague? We are downtown." She said as she shut down her office for the night.

"Yes I could. We're having dinner and then meeting Mark and Sara for drinks." He helped her put on her coat and when her phone rang he laughed as she looked all over for it. He pulled it from her purse and answered it. "Avery Bergen's office….let me see if she's in, Mrs Bergen…" Avery violently shook her head. "She's gone for the evening may I take a message?...Yes, ma'am…I'll see she gets it…this is Dave…her assistant…No ma'am, I'm not married." Dave smiled at Avery as she rolled her eyes and they walked to the elevators. "I'm going to lose you Mrs Bergen, I'm getting into the elevator…goodnight to you too." Dave handed her back the phone and laughed again.

"I am so sorry and you didn't have to do that." She was mortified by what her mother probably said.

"She thinks you should find a good man and settle down, she asked if I was single." He let her step out first as they walked to his car.

"I was born late in my parents lives so thy want grandbabies and want them now." She replied with a touch of annoyance. "So she inquires about every man who has ever said one word to me."

"She sounds very nice and I'm sure she does it out of love." He answered thinking it was cute.

"It's not nice it's aggravating. She obviously watches too much Nick at Night and thinks I should be a stay-at-home wife and mother who has dinner on the table promptly at 6." Avery said getting into his Mercedes.

Dave thought it was best to change the subject. "You left your hair curly today." He said ad let his hand run through it. So soft and shiny, I bet her skin is too, and those lips.

"The weather dominated my hair today. How's work for you?" She asked changed the subject yet again to him.

"Very busy. We got another multi-million dollar project in another city. This one's not commercial though, residential. We're not fans of residential, but who could resist custom homes in an exclusive neighborhood." He winked to her as she smirked.

They made small talk as they headed to the other side of downtown. "I love it at night when all the lights are on, the city looks great." She said observantly and he agreed. Avery didn't say anything when they pulled up in front of an upscale restaurant that was virtually impossible to get a reservation in much less on a moment's notice, which Dave had to have done this afternoon. "Nice choice."

"I know the owner." He said nonchalantly as he tipped the valet.

They were immediately seated in an intimate area towards the back and she had to admit she was so excited to be here. Wait until she told her girlfriends she ate here. With Dave. Not only would Trish and Torrie freak out, but Victoria would too. She smiled as she thought of their squeals of excitement and desire to know every detail.

"What's got you smiling?" He asked smiling in return. It was hard not too.

"Just thinking of something girly and silly." As if that would deter him.

"You plan on sharing or keeping it to yourself?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know but her smile lit the room and he wanted to know what put it there, since it obviously wasn't him at this moment.

"It's silly really…oh look at the steak selection." She replied grabbing her menu.

"Fine, I'll drop it for now." Dave said and saw his friend approaching.

"Well, well, look who we have here. Ms Bergen, a pleasure to have you in my restaurant. Order anything you wish and I'll bring out my personal favorites for your wine selection. Dave…you're looking shitty as ever." Dave had to laugh in response.

"Avery, this is my longtime wrestling rival and owner of this alleged restaurant, Shawn Michaels." Shawn took Avery's hand and kissed it as he winked at Dave. "He was my friend until just now."

Shawn had to laugh. He knew Dave was kidding but he also knew Dave was a pitbull when it came to the women he dated. Protective, yes, easily jealous, definitely. It didn't take much to set him off and running on a rampage. The only thing saving Shawn from total annihilation was his wife, Rebecca. Dave knew Shawn was without a doubt completely and utterly in love with his wife. This was also the reason Shawn knew he could push Dave.

"Enjoy your dinner, ladies." Shawn said as he walked away chuckling and Dave had to smile.

"Is there a back story to your comraderie?" She said through her own smile.

"Of course. Another time." He said winking again.

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Dinner was fabulous and Avery found herself softening towards the big man. She fought tooth and nail to stay away from him, she fought tooth and nail to lead her own life, but all be damned when she looked in those eyes. Drinks with Mark and Sara Callaway were just as entertaining and fun. Mark and Dave, having had one too many shots, were coaxed into singing for the crowd at the bar. Out of nowhere came a karaoke machine and the two men were laughing their way through country and pop songs. Women flocked to the mock stage and flirted and touched the two rather hulking men belting out love songs and dance mixes.

Avery felt that pinch in her belly as Dave ignored each and every woman in the room and held her gaze with his as he sang Justin Timberlake's SexyBack. Avery wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact he knew the words or the fact that she wanted to pull out dollar bills and beg him to strip for her. Mark sang the backup, Timbaland's "yeah" and that in and of itself was hilarious. Sara could barely sit still as her husband, the mass of man she married, the man who loved tattoos and motorcycles, who would rather do shots of tequila than drink water, was singing Justin Timberlake.

She could barely stand it anymore so Avery grabbed her wallet and dug out some singles. Sara saw her and grabbed her own as the girls pushed through the groupies and waved their money. It almost caused a riot, but most just watched. When the song was over Dave grabbed Avery and held her as close as he could. "Are you bribing me to take my clothes off?" He said into her ear, his lips grazing her skin. He heard the sharp intake of air and the soft moan that escaped.

"I'm sure the strip show would be worth more than a few singles." She whispered back as her hand held his head close to her face and her other hand tucked a few singles into his front pocket. Avery had had a few shots of her own and was feeling a little carefree as she pushed the singles to the bottom of his pocket.

"Get your wallet, baby, the show begins in 30 minutes." Dave grabbed her hand and rushed her from the bar. She had to jog to keep up the pace and he almost threw her into the car. She was so shocked and buzzed that she had no response and they rode in silence out of the city to Dave's home.

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Dave was out of the car and opening her door before she had her seatbelt off. He once again had her jogging to keep up and before she knew it they were in his foyer and he had shoved her against the front door. His hands held her face as his forceful and intoxicating kisses were clouding her brain. His tongue was like warm water as it languidly played with hers. Either her brain was melting or she was switching from alcohol buzz to sex buzz. His mouth on her neck, his hands under her shirt drifting dangerously close to her breasts had her knees buckling and her hips pressing into him.

"Dave, please. I can't…we can't…too soon…oh…ooh…aaaahhh, Dave, no." Did I just say no?

"Avery, baby." Dave responded with a husky voice. "If you're serious, tell me now." His hands stopped on her ribs just below her throbbing breasts, but his mouth burned holes into her skin.

"I want too, I really do, boy do I, but I can't." What? Shut up! Idiot! Naked man, amazing man naked, naked, making love to you. "Shit."