I turned on my heels and walked away before my parents could say anything else. I saw my brothers’ jaws drop in shock as their eyes followed me out of the room. I grabbed my purse and my keys, then made my way for my car. I closed the front door behind me as I sighed, allowing my nerves to subside. It was the first time I had to work through that kind of fear and my body was exhausted. My legs were trembling and my knees felt weak, my body leaning against the door so I could regain my strength.
Then I walked to my car, slid into the driver's seat, and sat.
I dug through my purse until I found the envelope full of money my brothers had given me a couple of days ago. In California, it was enough to get my own place and afford it for three months. But in Kettle, it was enough to get my own place and afford it for almost seven. I could do this. I had to go by the library and apply for that position, but I was already halfway there.
But there was someone I wanted to see first.
Someone who deserved an explanation from the company who was harassing his.
Nineteen
Travis
A knock came at my cabin door just as I was stepping out of the shower. Raking my hands through my hair, I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed for the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone and my parents were still in Florida, so I braced for the worst. I started running all sorts of scenarios through my head, like the fact that Breathline Energies had sent someone to intimidate me face to face. I wiped the water off my face one last time before I opened the door, prepared to intimidate them with my body that was still red from the hot water.
But instead, I found Ava.
Her eyes were scanning my body, taking in the water droplets dripping down my form. I stood there in shock, watching her as she studied me. She was in a pair of tightly-woven jeans and a black top that fell off her shoulders. There were silver earrings dangling from her ears, accentuating her slender neck. It took awhile for her eyes to meet mine. She took her time devouring me. Undressing me in her mind’s eye as a flush crept into her cheeks.
Then, a small giggle fell from her lips.
“What?” I asked.
“Don’t suppose you’re up for dinner?” she asked.
“Dinner?”
“Mhm. I came to invite you out to dinner, but I see you were a bit… preoccupied.”
“Just a shower. Nothing else,” I said.
“Care to put on some clothes?” she asked.
“Do you want me to?”
Her eyes hardened onto mine. I could tell she was debating what I had said. Taking it to heart and making her decision carefully. She swallowed thickly, her body tensing underneath my gaze. I stepped away from the door, giving her space to come in if she wanted.
But all she did was shake her head.
“I’m hungry. I figured we could talk over food,” Ava said.
“Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready,” I said.
“Good. That’s the first time I’ve ever made the first move. I was concerned it would backfire,” she said.
“The first move? I’m pretty sure I was the one that asked you to dinner first.”
“At your cabin, sure. But this is us going out somewhere. And I made that move because you don’t have a cell phone.”
“I have a landline,” I said.
“No one has a landline,” she said with a grin. “Do you want me to drive, too? I could pay. You could put on a pretty little skirt and show off those toned legs of yours.”
“You done?” I asked.
“Maybe. Do you want me to be done?”
I grinned at her as a chuckle fell from my lips. I ushered her into the house so she could wait for me, her body drifting into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, making herself comfortable.
She looked good, making herself at home.
I quickly got changed, then we piled into my truck. I drove us into town and took Ava to this hole-in-the-wall diner that made everything from scratch. It was the best place in town to eat, even though the atmosphere was far from fancy. But even though Ava grew up in the family she had, she didn’t strike me as the kind of girl that was impressed with stuff like that.
“Everything’s homemade?” Ava asked.
“Everything. Even the sauces and the bread,” I said.
“I take it they locally source their meat?” she asked.
“Yep. They don’t do business with anyone that doesn’t live within thirty minutes of Kettle,” I said.
“Damn. I can’t eat anything that isn’t within twenty minutes of the town limits.”
Her giggle was phenomenal. All night, we went back and forth like that. We talked about her love of books and how she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to get an education. I told her I felt college was overrated and how someone could get a decent two-year degree now and go on to live fantastic lives. Ava poked at my college memories and I told her stories of my wilder days. Days when I traveled and stayed up until four in the morning drinking with the guys on campus.
She hung onto every word I was saying.
“This was a wonderful surprise,” I said.
“I’m glad you think so,” Ava said. “I was hoping you would be up for dinner.”
“At first, I thought you might’ve been someone from the rival company who had come to intimidate me,” I said.
I watched Ava lock up as her eyes slowly panned up to mine.
“Are they still giving you trouble?” she asked.
“Not since the letter. But our lawyer did draft a harassment lawsuit and send it back to them.”
“What did it say?” she asked.
I was concerned with the questions Ava was asking. Up until this point, the only thing she had been concerned about was the destruction of the mountains. But now, she seemed more concerned with pertinent details. I knew who her father was and I knew he owned Breathline Energies, but now I was concerned Ava was a mark.
I was concerned Ava was someone her father had sent.
“Just the basics. Stop now or we file,” I said.
“Did it work?” Ava asked.
“Don’t know. We haven’t gotten a rebuttal or anything.”
I could tell there was something Ava wanted to say. Her eyes were screaming it, but she kept her mouth shut. Our food came and we ate in relative silence, the playful banter between us gone. I hated that she had shut off on me. I hated that this invisible wall was between us. Why did this lovely woman have to be from the family that was burying my father into the ground? Why did things always have to be so difficult?
“How are things going with your father?” I asked.
“I’m not really sure,” Ava said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean, they are what they are. I’m coming and going as I want, but every time we are in the same room it’s a collision of forces. My mother’s being pulled in two different directions and my father is trying to regain control of his family. It is what it is.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Not your fault.”
“You look beautiful tonight.”
“You think so?” she asked.
“I do.”
She looked up at me as a small smile crossed her cheeks. The check came to the table and I handed the waitress some money. I told her to keep the change, then I offered my hand for Ava to take. She looked at it for a second, debating on what her next move needed to be.
Then she took my hand and let me lead her out of the diner.
We walked back to my truck, her hand slipped delicately in mine. The silence that hung between us was comfortable, but still shook with a twinge of things unsaid. I guided Ava to her side of the truck and opened her door, but she was reluctant to get in.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
I turned towards her and watched her hand approach my face. She cupped my cheek, the warmth of her skin heating mine. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into it. I allowed myself to relent to
her direction. She guided my face to hers, our lips hovering against one another’s.
“Men making the first move is overrated,” Ava said with a whisper.
Then, our lips connected underneath the twinkling stars.
Twenty
Ava
We barreled into the cabin, my legs wrapped around his. Our lips devoured each other, our tongues lashing about in a battle for dominance. I heard the front door slam behind us before Travis spun me around, slamming my back into the doorway. I could feel his cock growing between my legs as his hands ripped my shirt over my head.
“I need to feel you,” Travis said. “Now.”
My fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. I slid down the door, my feet planting themselves into the hardwood floor. I was struggling to get his shirt open. My hands were shaking and my skin was electric. I watched as Travis grabbed both sides of his shirt, ripping it open and scattering buttons all over the room.
My pussy throbbed for him as I ripped his undershirt over his head.
We stumbled into the kitchen, our bodies colliding with the kitchen counter. His hands gripped my waist, thrusting me into the air as my ass sat on the edge. I kissed down his neck, raking my teeth along his pulse point as his hands removed my bra. I could hear him groaning. I could feel him shaking underneath my touch.
His hand wound tightly within my hair and pulled my head back. His lips nipped at my neck, sucking delicately as he traveled downward. I felt him sink his teeth into the meat of my breast, causing a whimper to fall from my lips. His mouth traveled downward still, his tongue finding my puckered nipples.
“Your tits are perfect,” Travis said. “So beautiful.”
I wrapped my legs around him and drew him closer. His arm was wrapped around me as his other hand tightened in my hair. My hands slid up his shoulders, hooking around his neck as my fingertips played with the tresses of his hair. His muscles were throbbing against mine. Rippling and rock hard as they pressed into my body. The feel of him left me breathless as I arched into him, succumbing to his strength as he did what he wanted with me.
His lips rushed back up to mine as he picked me up again. He settled my ass onto the kitchen island, then slowly pushed me down. I was panting for him. Wanting to feel his tongue between my legs as he removed my pants from my body. I could hear scraping along the hardwood floor as I looked up, watching Travis remove his pants. There was a chair behind him as his cock dripped for me, pulsing with need and red with anger. The predatory stare in his amber eyes took my breath away, and I watched him sit down before he pulled me to the edge of the counter.
“I didn’t get a chance to get dessert tonight,” Travis said.
I watched his lips dip to my pussy as his tongue dove into me. He licked a thick stripe up my slit, causing my legs to jump. His hands pressed me open, leaving me vulnerable to his eyes as he curled his fingertips into me. I bucked my hips into his face, feeling my arousal dripping from my body as he lapped me up.
He found my succulent clit and wrapped his lips around it. I moaned and whimpered for him as Travis’ name fell from my lips. I wound my fingers tightly in his hair, wanting him closer to me as I pulled him deeper. I could feel my pussy folds coating his cheeks in my essence as his tongue danced in my depths.
The way he worked my body was perfection, and soon my toes were curling as he folded me in half.
“Yes! Travis! Holy shit. Don’t stop. Oh… mm… fuck me. Yes. Don’t stop. I want… I need-”
“What do you need?” Travis asked.
He ceased all his movements and I groaned in frustration.
“Tell me what you need,” he said.
I looked up at him, his eyes swirling with hot desire. My head was spinning and I couldn't catch my breath. My legs were shaking and my pussy was two good licks away from throwing me into a silent ecstasy. I watched his lips hover over my pussy, his tongue flicking in the air, teasing me as he pinned me to the kitchen island in his home.
“I need you to make me cum,” I said.
He licked my pussy one last time, then pressed his tongue deep into me. My toes curled and my legs grew taut, my body shaking for him. My back arched, pushing my pussy closer to his face as he cleaned up the mess he had made. His beard was glistening and his lips were swollen. His cheeks were red hot and his eyes were full of lustful desires. My legs came tumbling down over his shoulders as his hands slid up my body, his hands finding my tits to massage.
I panted for breath as Travis gathered my body, then seated me right on his cock.
He slid into me effortlessly as my legs dangled close to the floor. He sat back in his chair, his body spread as my pussy devoured his cock. I moaned with each inch I took, feeling him fill and stretch me in ways I knew only he could. My hands dug into his shoulders as our foreheads connected. I could smell my scent on his skin as his arms cloaked my back and pulled me into his strong chest.
Slowly, the two of us began to move. I rolled my hips on top of his as he thrusted into me. I could feel his legs flexing. I could feel his muscles moving. I raked my fingernails down his back as he groaned in my ear, my lips pressing kiss after kiss into the crook of his neck. His hands raced down my back and grabbed onto my ass, rolling me deeper into him as I kissed up to his lips.
Our mouths met in a fiery dance as we writhed against one another. I could feel his body raking against my swollen clit as it peeked out from beneath its fleshy hood. My movements became more desperate as his cock grew bigger within me, pressing against my walls and threatening to split me in half. My ass was burning from his grip as I slid my fingers through his hair. I pulled his neck back and sank my teeth into him, causing my name to fall from his lips.
“Fuck, Ava. You’re so… shit. Like a dream. Ava. Mm. I’m so close.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I want to feel all of you.”
Harder and harder we bucked, our bodies scooting the chair across the floor. His heels were planted into the ground, giving him leverage to thrust harder into me. My tits bounced around his body as our lips connected once more, our tongues painting the inside of one another as I tasted my sweetness on him. I could feel that coil tightening. I could feel my body ready to pop. Travis’ hips were stuttering, signaling his own end as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
I buried myself deep into his body as we both came, our moans filling the room as our bodies shook against one another. I could feel his dick pumping into me, painting my walls with his hot cum as my pussy milked him dry. My walls were fluttering, aching for more of him as my body pulled him deeper still.
I collapsed into him as his arms cloaked my back, protecting me from the outside world as I shivered with the aftershocks of my pleasure.
“Don’t go home,” Travis said.
I sighed as I nuzzled into the side of his neck.
“Just one more night,” he said with a whisper.
I knew in that moment I would never be able to deny him. I would never be able to say ‘no’ to the man who had helped me transform into the confident woman I was blossoming into. I pushed myself upright, my hands planted into his chest as I looked deep into his eyes. There was something vulnerable there. Something scared and unsure. Yet his eyes were begging.
Begging for the one thing he was afraid of.
“Okay,” I said as I nodded my head. “I’ll stay.”
Twenty- One
Ava
I woke up the next morning with my limbs tightly wrapped around Travis. I breathed in his scent, allowing it to wrap around my body. I loved waking up to the feel of him. His musky morning scent sent my body buzzing, ready for more as my nipples puckered against his skin. He shifted, his lips allowing a small groan to slip from between them. I grinned as I snuggled against his skin, thinking about our activities from the night before.
I fell in and out of sleep numerous times before I woke up to his eyes staring back at mine. I smiled at him, stretching my legs as his thighs flexed around one of them. I giggled and place
d a kiss on the tip of his nose, watching him lazily smile at me as my vision focused. He was the carved statue of a god, with his chiseled muscles and his perfect little grin.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning to you, too,” I said.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Great,” I said. “I hope you slept well?”
“I seem to do that a lot when you’re around.”
“Glad I could be of service,” I said.
“I know you have to head back today…”
“I do,” I said. “There’s just… still a lot that has to happen. Things with my father are nowhere near settled and I’m worried about the amount of time I’m spending away from home. I don’t want his anger needlessly backlashing on my brothers. That isn’t fair to them.”
“But it shouldn’t be backlashing onto you, either,” he said. “You aren’t the focus of his anger. His own self-righteousness is.”
“But he doesn’t know that yet. And until then, I have to be. I want to be an adult. To make my own decisions and be seen as an equal. That means I can’t run from stuff like this. I know what’s happening, I know how my father will react, and I have to protect my brothers from it. They have supported me and my needs for years. What would it look like if I wasn’t there to provide this for them?”
“I’m worried about you. That’s all,” he said.
“I’ll be okay. The next time I can get out to see you, I’ll come over. I promise.”
“Will you at least let me make you breakfast?”
“Oh, I wasn’t going anywhere before food. I need sustenance after last night.”
The grin that peeled across his face was positively devious.
“One big breakfast coming up,” he said.
We rolled ourselves from bed and I made my way to the bathroom to clean up. I took a shower, allowing the hot water to flood the room and permeate my skin. I washed our crusted adventures from my thighs, feeling a twinge of disappointment. I enjoyed being marked by him. I enjoyed evidence of his body on mine. I washed my hair with a bit of his shampoo and conditioned it well, then I dried myself off as the smells of breakfast wafted around my head.
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