Make Me Stay II: A Second Chance Romance

by Avant, Amarie

  Donavan’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. His gaze stayed on the manager, who seemed deep in a conversation. He slipped his phone out to see a text message from Alexander.

  ALEXANDER: Your time is almost up. Open the envelope.

  He cleared out of the text application and slipped the phone back into his pocket just as the manager turned around.

  An imaginary brick wall had cemented between them. Frowning, the manager asked, “Mr. Hardy, have you ever served time?”

  Donavan exhaled deeply. The person on the other end of the call the manager had just ended was screwing with him. “Yes.”

  “Fort Leavenworth. You put your entire team’s lives on the line, well I can’t have you doing that out there with over a billion dollars’ worth of oil at your disposal.”

  Outside Donavan pulled the tie away from his Adam’s apple. He pointed a stiff finger up into the sky. “Do You want me to take care of my family or not?” He growled.

  He climbed onto his Kawasaki, driving at the speed of light on the long stretch of a peninsula with the ocean to the right and left of him as he went. It was only once he was on the stretch of land that led to Baudelaire did he stop giving his guardian angel a heart attack and ride at a swift pace. He noticed Avery off in the distance, with an African American couple and their daughter. They were heading toward the house from the bridge. He veered off the main road and onto the gravel moving slower still until he was about twenty yards out.

  “Donavan!” Avery waved at him.

  He took off his helmet and headed over.

  She glanced him up and down, probably noticing that he was wearing a button up that he hadn’t put on before leaving this morning.

  Once over, Donavan placed his arm around Avery and extended his hand.

  “This is my fiancé that you all didn’t meet last night when checking in.” She gave his hip a bump.

  “How are you liking the rooms?” He asked, still working on developing a hospitable trait.

  “Wonderful,” the woman said. “I was telling Avery that my ancestors were traced back to this rice plantation.”

  The woman’s husband patted her shoulder. “My wife is a history buff at Garland University. She’s taken pictures of every single inch of your property for her students.”

  He tried to stay tuned into them, but all he wanted to do was take Avery down and kiss the silk of her skin all over her body and forget that today had just happened.

  “I believe Carly has gooey buns fresh out of the oven by now,” Avery said, patting the child on her head. “You should head over.”

  When the trio walked away, his hand skimmed down over her ass, squeezing softly.

  “Wow, you couldn’t have been more obvious,” she gasped, pushing him away. Before he could yank her to his chest, Avery did him one better and sunk into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What’s wrong, Donnie?”

  “I missed you.”

  “Ha! I’d like to believe that.” She folded her arms. “You woke up at the crack of dawn. And why are you so dressed up?”

  “Does a button up constitute dressed up in your book?”

  She grabbed his jaw, kissed him hard on the lips then bit him.

  He let her go and signed, “Fuck, what was that for?”

  “Answering a question with a question. But you liked it.” She winked.

  “Tonight, I get to fuck, or should I make love to you?” he asked, grabbing her hip and pulling her closer again.

  “Do me however you like.” She dipped her tongue into his ear.

  When he laughed, she snorted a chortle and pushed back against him again.

  “Where’s the baby?” He ground his cock against her.

  “Oh, I know where your mind just went. Anya is asleep. Carly has the baby monitor. Nevertheless, I’m not screwing you in the woods, Donavan.” She pressed against his chest, but he held her firm. “At least not our first time after so long. Make a girl feel special, and then you can screw me on the side of a tree.”

  Damn. He kissed her hard on the lips at that. Only Avery Castle could erase a very bad, bad day.

  Later on, with their children in bed, Donavan and Avery set about securing the home for the night, shutting off most of the lights in the expansive estate.

  “I feel like we have settled into this routine of saving the ballroom for last,” Avery said as he pulled her into his arms, swaying to music that was only for them.

  Donavan reached down, his palms itching to touch, and squeezed onto her curves.

  Avery pressed back against him. “Hey, we will have to get into the habit of guests wandering around at night,” she tried.

  He clasped her forearm, pressed her body to him and lifted her chin so they’re gazes could meet. “Then we’ll be discreet.”

  “Oh hell no.” This time she wrenched herself away from him. Avery had sauntered a few feet toward the hallway when Donavan gripped her waist, pushing her against the wall. He moved her arms up, clasping her wrists above her head. His other hand trailing over her breast. He made quick work of unclasping the front few buttons of her dress, plucking the milk shield from her bra and tossing it into his back pocket.

  She gasped in embarrassment, until his mouth found her already leaking breast and gave a long, delectable lick. Instantly, Avery’s knees went weak, and Donavan placed his knee between her thighs.

  “Do you know how long I’ve waited to have you—”

  “Upstairs.”

  “We aren’t old folks yet, AC.” He reached in, toying with the corner of her mouth, until a smile splayed across her thick lips.

  “I hate you,” she moaned, enjoying the feel of him.

  “You will eat those words.” His southern drawl deepened, honey brown eyes mocking her. “Matter fact you’ll eat them right now.”

  Avery’s eyes brightened as Donavan moved his knee from between her legs but swiped the inside of her feet until she planted her legs wide. He leaned in, pressing himself to her. Like an immovable mountain there was no stopping him, and she had already stopped trying. In fact, he reached beneath her dress to see exactly how much her body was begging for him.

  A moan slithered past Avery’s lips when he pressed his hand inside of her thong. He kissed her mouth, sinking a finger inside of her core.

  He leaned back. “Damn, were we in this ballroom, that sweet, fat ass of yours pressed up against my cock, when I first placed my fingers inside of you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “We were at my home, Donnie. Quit playing.”

  Donavan grinned, his finger glossed up.

  “Yeah, but I only got my index finger in to the knuckle. You were so motherfucking tight. I imagine we were here when I widened you out a little bit more for me.”

  Avery closed her eyes for a moment. He removed his hand, her sweets sticking against her cheek as he pressed his fingers against her face. “Hey, look at me, AC. I need you to cooperate.”

  “Then take me upstairs, Donavan.”

  “You want me to fuck you, right?”

  She turned away from his hold. He smeared his hand over her lips, a thin, sweet gloss coating her mouth. With a gasp, Avery glared at him. She didn’t have time to protest because he forced his finger into her mouth.

  “Sweet, ain’t it?”

  “Mmmm,” she moaned, suckling on his finger. “Please. . .”

  Donavan pulled her close to him. She melted into his touch as his lips met hers. He kissed her until they’re lungs were about to explode. Donavan pressed his forehead to hers, his hands claiming her cheeks, breath ragged. Then he buried his face into her neck, tasting her collarbone and his hands squeezing at her breast. He moved down to his knees, hiking her leg over his shoulder. His finger found its way back into her core. Avery’s hips lifted off the wall, plunging him deeper.

  Just one finger loved Avery to the point of almost blindness. He could feel her holding onto just a seed of sanity as he leaned back to say, “It’s my middle finger now, AC, fucking you, s
weetheart. Getting you wetter for me.”

  “Oh, how ironic.” Though she snipped the words, Avery’s eyes sparkled with laughter. She bit down on her lip. “More, Donavan, more . . .”

  “More? I can do that.” His thumb rubbed against her clit. The friction forced Avery to fight against his one hand that still clamped her wrists to the wall. He knew that hard look in her pretty brown gaze. The one that often verbalized she refused to beg, right before she indeed went to begging and pleading for his dick. Precum had already leaked out of Donavan’s cock. The torture that was on her face had transformed his erection into titanium.

  Her fingers wrapped into his hair and eased his head between her legs He left flutteringly soft kisses along her inner thigh. He hoisted both her legs over his shoulders. First his mouth was tentative as if he was kissing her. He suckled at her slick walls before digging in. His tongue slithered inside of her wetness, nose teasing at her clit while he went deep.

  “Pahlezzzzz, Donavan,” she finally said.

  Damn and he had planned to do right by Avery and take her up to bed first. Her arms flew around him as he undid his belt. She was glued to him while he shoved down his jeans. Her legs went leaping onto his hips. He positioned the head of his erection against her swollen slit, sliding it back and forth, doing it slowly. Heightening her impatience and desire as she whimpered for relief deep inside of her body. In the next instant, his cock buried deep into her core.

  “Oh fuck,” he huffed, his gaze rolling back, face buried into her neck. “Little bird, you are my heaven.”

  Those were the sweetest words she’d never know because Avery had closed her eyes, face planted toward the chandeliers above as Donavan pounded inside of her body.

  22

  Avery

  Prior to this moment of euphoric bliss, every second she ruminated over sex with Donavan. She’d worried.

  Would he still want her the same?

  Had her lady bits been stretched out?

  All those self-harm thoughts that many, but not all, women had after giving birth roamed through her mind. But what moved between her legs was pure, stallion energy. She clasped her hands against Donavan’s muscular ass, matching his hungry rhythm.

  “We should have another baby,” she groaned, lustful delirium overtaking her as she rose over an orgasm. Avery’s head wiggled against the wall, and she clasped a bit of her hair, yanking in an attempt not to scream. She gasped heavily so as not to let the orgasm roar through her, though the dam had just about broken.

  In an amazing feat that Avery never thought she’d see to fruition, Donavan deepened her climax by yanking her leg up into a parallel position and over his shoulder. Her teeth sunk into the skin near his collarbone.

  “Shit.”

  “Come with me, Donnie,” she screeched. He obliged. Hot molten lava funneled deep into Avery, and she clung to him, loving the feel of his seed seeking her core. Their heartbeats slammed against each other as Donavan held her closely.

  She groaned. The stretch of having her leg over his shoulder while leaning against the wall was beginning to take its toll.

  Donavan placed her onto her two feet yet held her nurturing and close.

  “Can you stand?”

  Taking a few steps, though ultimately holding most of her weight back against the wall, Avery asked, “Were we loud?”

  “Yes, you were.” He winked.

  She pushed at him before walking away. When he didn’t budge, Avery grumbled to herself, “This is the thanks I get for falling in love with my best friend.”

  As she rounded the stairs, Donavan moved up the few steps before her in a debonair movement, though his bad boy looks and arms dripping in tattoos, gave a dark flair to his gesture. He looked down at her. “That’s right, sweet nips.”

  Her eyebrows edged together, when he gestured for her to look down, Avery scoffed again. As she glanced down at herself, her hands flew over her breast area where her lace bra had leaked all the way through. Then she was bounced up into the air and over Donavan’s shoulder.

  “Are you crazy,” she gritted, hoping that her hard tone came out in a low whisper.

  It was useless to fight, so she smacked the back of Donavan’s hard head and gave a halfhearted struggle. When they were in their room, he closed the door, turned around and flipped her down onto the bed.

  She scrambled to a seated position. Her breasts ached for him. Donavan stood there, waiting for her attack. “We have an entire four months, Donavan. Four months—March to July where we have to act like civilized, business owners then we can have sex in every nook and cranny of our home again.”

  Something flickered in the wild twinkle in his eye. “Didn’t I just say we aren’t old yet?”

  Avery glanced toward the door. There was a silhouette of shoes, maybe boots, at the sliver of an opening underneath where the door didn’t quiet meet the floor. Donavan waved her attention back to him.

  “Hey, it was fun wasn’t it?” He seemed more serious while signing the words.

  “Yes. Wait, Donavan, I just . . . I thought someone was standing at the door a second ago.” She looked toward the door again. The silhouette was gone. She started to stand, but Donavan blocked her.

  “Hey, they didn’t knock. Maybe whoever that was just there decided to have mercy on us for a night alone.”

  She started to role her eyes. Oh, us? Carly and I have done pretty much everything that pertains to the guests. Just as the thought lunged itself into her mind, Avery felt bad. Why would she think such things? They were dealing with the stress of starting a business—that had to be it.

  Donavan kneeled before her. “I planned on fucking you all night long, AC. What’s wrong?”

  “Are you happy, Donnie?” The question passed forth from her lips without having been formulated in her thoughts.

  “Fuck. Was the sex that bad?”

  “Never, no. Every time we screw or make love or fuck, it’s brand new, and I love it. Donavan, I love you.” She placed a hand at her chest. After a few seconds of him waiting for a response, Avery shrugged and said, “Just promise me that what we’re doing here isn’t just for me, Donnie. Promise me that the bed and breakfast is what you want. That you’re not keeping anything from me?”

  “Where is this coming from?”

  She clung to him as he held her tightly. “Oh god, I’m sorry. I just . . . my emotions just went wonky. First, I’m angry because we had sex downstairs, and we’re starting a new business.”

  He held her at arm’s length. “I understand that a single bad review or social media post can fuck over a new, small, family-owned business. Had I heard anyone coming, sweetheart, I’d have made sure we were adulting. AC, you gotta chill out.”

  “I am.” She bit her lip. “But right now, my mind is on if you really really want this.”

  “This?”

  “The bed and breakfast.”

  He forked a hand over his wavy hair. “I don’t understand where this is coming from. I get it. You’re emotional. But why would I help you with an entire business venture if—”

  She huffed. “I know, it’s me, being hormonal and crazy. Donnie, just promise. I’ve lived years without you, and while I survived, I swear, something in me had to have known you’d come back one day because otherwise, there’d have been no need to.”

  “I’m right here, Avery.” He clasped her hands in his, giving the pulse at her wrists a hard kiss. “I’m fucking right here, baby. What would make you think these things?”

  “I’m ruining our night.” Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Are you sad?”

  “No! Why would you ask?”

  “Your dad said—”

  “What? Of all people, you’re listening to what my father said? What are the two of you—”

  Donavan glanced over at the crib. During the season in which they had visitors, they had decided to keep the baby near. He huffed, going over to scoop Anya up.

  “You’ll learn to differentiate a cry w
hich implies you should change baby’s diaper or feed baby. You’ll learn to differentiate a cry which implies you should change baby’s diaper or feed baby . . .” The Lamaze instructor’s advice traveled through her psyche over and over again. She imagined the words becoming more taunting by the second.

  What is wrong with me!

  While patting Anya’s back, Donavan asked, “Avery, you want to feed honey bun, or should I make a bottle of formula?”

  “What formula? It’s the middle of the night, Donavan. Where—”

  “Carly suggested it . . .” He trailed off. “You know what, never mind.”

  He stalked over to the chaise across from her and sat down. Avery took a seat on the rocking chair next to the window. She silently prepared for Anya nursing. While glancing at the drawn curtains, she wished she could glance outside at the willow trees. She needed some semblance of normal as her perfect world had just went from sunshine and rainbows to gray clouds in seconds. She’d been the cause of this argument.

  What the hell had just gotten into her? Doctor Blaine had mentioned her hormones would still be a bit wonky due to breastfeeding but damn.

  “Are you keeping anything from me?” Her shiny brown orbs found his. Damn, but this irrational thought had just popped into her mind as well. Avery cringed at herself. They’d just had the best sex of their lives, which wasn’t hard to believe because Donavan was so good at it.

  Now this? I’m going crazy . . . Again.

  23

  Hunter

  Their voices had rose, offering him the benefit of listening in without gluing himself to the door. Earlier, he’d listened from the bottom of the stairs as Donavan fucked Avery in the ballroom. She was better than this. And she’d come to her senses once they had returned to their room.