“I just happened to be in the neighborhood.”
She adored this playful side of him. And she really adored the half-naked side of him.
Sigh.
“Might I trouble you for a glass of water?”
“Oh my goodness—of course!” She jumped to oblige, embarrassed to have forgotten her manners. As she delivered the drink, he took a step toward her. Her free hand shot up, making immediate contact with his chest.
Crinkling her nose, Ava rubbed her free hand over his bare, sweaty chest while resting the icy glass against his arm.
“I think you need more than a cold drink.”
His dimple and the sparkle in his eye sent her blood straight to the places she most wanted him to explore.
“You piggy—I meant that you need a shower.”
He took the glass from her hand, guzzled the water, and swung her into his arms. He rubbed his sweaty head on her neck, making her squeal.
“Guess you need a shower now, too.” He arched his brows.
Ava pushed against his chest, trying to act offended. His husky male scent didn’t offend her in the least—quite the opposite, actually. Though he had been working up a sweat, he remained clean-smelling. The blend of his sweat and the freshly cut grass was maddeningly erotic.
His lips kissed her throat as he carried her toward her bathroom. Who had won the dare the other night? She had resisted him, hadn’t she? She could give in to him now, right?
He placed her on her bed and began relieving her of her pesky clothing.
His smile never left his lips. His eyes never left hers.
As soon as her shirt was off, he pulled her to a stand and nibbled her earlobes.
“Come with me.” His lips vibrated against her throat. “Just like old times.”
Something about his words made her stiffen. Just like old times? Like the times he made her feel she was the center of the universe? Or the time when he left her behind without even a way to contact him? The time he pulled away when she let him know she was willing to transfer schools to be closer to him? The time he affirmed every bad thought she had ever had about herself—that she didn’t deserve his love or attention?
He cursed under his breath as she pulled away. She heard him loud and clear.
She picked up her shirt and pulled it back over her head.
“I’m sorry.” She scrunched up her face at her knee-jerk apology. She wasn’t sorry. She was being smart. For the first time since reuniting with him. She had to set boundaries to protect her heart. She couldn’t go through what she went through before, no matter what her libido demanded.
“Why are you always pulling away from me?” His voice was soft, but stern.
He touched her arm. She spun around. His frustrated look mirrored her own.
“I know you want me. I want you. Why are you so scared to let yourself go?”
Every emotion she had tried to bury boiled to the surface with the same intensity as a geyser.
“Why am I scared? Why can’t I just fall into bed with you? Because I’ve already dealt with the repercussions. I gave you everything, and you didn’t return the feelings. I’m not one of your bar girls that can go out for a good time and not worry about being called the next day. I either have you, or I don’t. And clearly you knew what we had wasn’t love long before I did.”
Cole’s eyes glowed like a feral cat’s. He grabbed her arms, not gently, and squeezed until she wondered if he would actually hurt her. She raised her chin to meet his eyes, knowing there was no way he could hurt her more than he had four years ago.
She hadn’t been good enough for him then. She hadn’t changed. Clearly she wouldn’t be good enough for him now.
“You think I knew that it wasn’t love? Dammit, Ava. I still don’t know that it’s not!”
He crushed his lips to hers in a demanding, powerful kiss. She smelled danger, tasted anguish, and wondered why he had reacted so strongly.
His tongue begged entry to her betraying mouth, and like a fool, she let him in. She gave herself completely to his kiss, pushing all thoughts of the past and the future out of her confused brain. For now, for this moment, she would live in the present. She’d face the future when she had to.
She hoped the police wouldn’t stop by, because she was definitely operating under the influence.
Under the influence of Cole.
She had never felt weightless before, but in his arms, she did. A chill passed between them when he pulled away to guide her pants down her legs. She grasped her comforter as he pulled her panties off, his eyes never leaving hers. The tickling sensation of his hand brushing what remained of her curls caused her body to erupt into flames that begged his attention. There was no humor in his eyes—only fire.
She sat up to pull him toward her. She needed those lips of his. They only broke the kiss long enough to rid her of the offensive shirt. He found the clasp of her bra effortlessly, and toyed with her as he removed it. The contrast of her naked body against the crisp denim of his jeans was more erotic than almost any sex act she had ever experienced.
But she needed him now.
Her trembling fingers found the button on his jeans and freed his erection into her hands. Thrilled to discover he wasn’t wearing underwear, she teased him as he groaned in response.
She nearly cried in frustration when he dislodged her hand and pulled her to a standing position.
He was out of his jeans in record time. She raked her gaze over his body.
“You should be in a museum.”
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“I don’t want other women to see you, though.”
His forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“You can’t be on display.” She spoke slowly. “Only for me.”
“Only for you.” He kissed her again.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and fell fully under his spell.
“But the same goes for you, then. Only on display for me.”
“I don’t think you really have to worry about that.” She giggled. Men weren’t exactly lining up at her door, and even if they were, it would be for a parent/teacher conference.
“You underestimate your power, Ava.”
At his urgent kiss, she pressed against him. He lifted her into his embrace, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She wiggled, trying to get him to enter her.
“Not yet, my love.”
He walked them into the bathroom, never removing his lips from hers. He leaned her body against the cold tile of the wall while he turned on the water, kissing her to a fevered pitch as he worked.
“I thought men couldn’t multitask?” Her voice was breathless, throaty.
He reached in to check the water temperature, then carried her into the shower. She arched into him as he brought her to orgasm with his hands. She screamed and tossed her head back, loving the feel of the water on her face and Cole on the rest of her.
What he did so effortlessly, no other man had ever been able to accomplish.
She buried her face in his neck as he brought her down from her earth-shattering orgasm. He kissed her while he reached behind her to grab the bottle of body wash and lathered up her bath puff. He supported her weight, which was a good thing since her legs were in no shape to support herself. She watched as his desire-filled eyes followed his hands while he soaped her up.
When he finished lathering her, she returned the favor.
She could spend days exploring the slope of his shoulders, the power of his arms. He could do anything he wanted with that strength, and he chose to take care of her. And to do good things for people he barely knew.
She traced his six pack abs with the bath puff, loving the way the water moved along his contours. He had given her so much pleasure and not rushed to find his own. That simple fact spoke volumes about the kind of man he was. The kind of man she had always known him to be.
He was far from a selfish lover.
Confidence filled her
and drove her to give back to him.
She dropped the bath puff and bent to retrieve it. He tried to pull her up as soon as he realized her intentions, but she would stand her ground and make him sigh.
She paused for a moment, shocked by her own boldness. With Kevin, sex was a means to an end. With Cole, it was an art form, and she intended to become a connoisseur.
She drank in the sight of him as he ran his fingers over her wet hair. She kissed the most powerful, yet sensitive, part of him, stroking with her hand until he did, indeed, sigh and groan.
After what seemed like only seconds, he pulled her to a stand. She tried to maintain a hold on him, but he pulled her hand away, too. He kissed her and pushed into her as the shower water became cooler.
He teased her. In. Out.
She heard herself commanding him to enter her fully.
And he did. Inch by heavenly inch.
He turned so her back was against the shower wall. He braced them with one arm while toying with her breast with his free hand. She clung to him as if her life depended on him.
A full tide built within her.
He didn’t say he loved her, but she could fool herself into believing that he was showing her.
His body shuddered in release at the exact moment that hers did.
She clung to him, kissing his neck, rubbing the spots on his back that would surely be sore from her frantic clawing.
“Well that settles that.”
“What?” She questioned. She tried to put her legs on the tub floor, but he squeezed her thigh and refused to let go.
“Now that you’ve taken advantage of me, you owe me a date.”
Chapter Eight
Cole took great pleasure in drying Ava off after their escapade in the shower. He had carried her to her bed and plopped down beside her. Her dog stayed quiet in the next room. Cole vowed to pick up some special treats for the cooperating animal.
Though he had been completely drained, he somehow felt revitalized. The change in Ava had been monumental. The confidence, the command over her own body—and his. Something had damaged her along the way, and he hated the thought that it could have been him.
Her ex-fiance had done quite a number on her.
But had he been any better?
Ava touched something in him that scared him senseless.
He wanted more out of life.
Something permanent.
Something with roots.
Something he had been avoiding at all costs.
Something involving her.
He’d never known he could enjoy the tenderness of being next to a woman as much as—or maybe even more than—the intimate act of sex. Last night—when he had drifted off to sleep with her cuddled up in his arms—had been torture to his body, but had done something to his heart. He’d never tell her that when he had carried her to her bed, intending only to tuck her in and go home to his empty life, she had clung to him and begged him not to leave her again.
She had nuzzled him and kept a firm grip on his heart, and though he knew she was asleep and unaware of her actions, he had become her protector.
In reality, he was no good for her. He couldn’t trust himself to give her the life she deserved.
But he could do his damnedest to help her see how potently desirable she was.
He knew other men looked at her the way he did. He had been nearly out of his mind with jealousy the night at Jake’s Lounge when he had caught other men ogling her. He didn’t know what he would have done if her friend had picked someone else to join her in the kissing closet. He’d probably be in jail right now.
She didn’t know the effect she had on men, though. That shitbag ex of hers had convinced her there was something wrong with her. Something undesirable.
She needed to know how she looked when she was in the throes of pleasure. She needed to see the fire in her own eyes. If she could experience what he did when he was with her—even vicariously—then maybe she could put the criticism of her ex behind her. She deserved to know the power she had over men.
“What are you thinking?”
Ava interrupted his thoughts with her pointed question. She draped her arm across his middle, and his erection jolted back to life.
She didn’t even have to try.
“I’m thinking that I have more plans for you.”
“Oh, really?” She practically purred as she reached up and kissed his chin.
“Yup.”
“Do these plans include dessert?”
“Something like that.”
In one quick motion, he sat up and flipped her onto his lap, facing her full-length mirror. She struggled to turn around, but he wouldn’t allow it. He had important business to conduct here in bed, and everyone knew that business was his life.
He watched her in the mirror as a flush spread across her body. He kissed her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. He nibbled gently on her earlobe, absorbing her shivers and pulling her closer.
At his urging, she opened her eyes and watched as he played with every part of her body. Each time she looked away, he brought her attention back with a tweak or a gentle reprimand.
Ava moaned and communicated exactly what she wanted from him using only body language. This was a language he understood completely. He followed her nonverbal commands and became more and more excited in the process.
He parted her legs. She fought him at first, but he had ways of encouraging compliance.
“Open your eyes, Ava.” He softened his command with a gentle stroke. “Look in the mirror.”
She did as told, but a deeper flush than before spread from her face to her neck and chest.
He increased his attention, eager to drive away any remnants of embarrassment from her.
She licked her lips and wrapped her hands around his elbows. Her eyes darted around, looking everywhere but where he wanted her to.
“Look at yourself, Ava.” He used his most commanding tone—the one that encouraged nothing but compliance.
“Cole, don’t.” She closed her eyes again.
He stilled his hands. He whispered in her ear, asking her to open up for him.
Her eyes flung open as he plunged his finger into her.
“Just keep watching.”
She did as told, flushing deeply, but watching boldly.
“Do you see what I see when we’re together, Ava?”
She licked her lips again, but then tried to pull his hand away.
“Oh, no you don’t. My hand stays.” He kissed her neck, her shoulder, everything he could reach from his position. His eyes held hers in the reflection.
After more stroking and teasing, he no longer needed to tell her to keep watching. Desire pooled in her emerald eyes, and even as she moaned and moved her head back to rest against him, she remained tuned in to the show he was producing in the mirror.
He wanted to taste her. His passion, his need, his desire for her were being pushed to the limits.
She was so close to completion—he could feel it.
She reached her arm over her head and pulled his face to hers. As they kissed, her body began to tighten. Before he could stop her, she flipped around to mount him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
She screamed out his name as they finished together. The stinging in his shoulder intensified as she gripped him, but it only urged him on.
He let himself go with a howl, pure joy mixing with raw, animalistic impulses.
No other woman could ever do what Ava did to him without even trying.
Ava drooped against him; a wilting flower left too long in the sun. An unfamiliar pang of guilt rushed through him—he had pushed her into a great deal of physical exertion today.
Then again, she had done an awful lot of pushing herself. Ah, she had been so bold. So perfectly commanding.
“I guess this means I win the bet.” He couldn’t resist the urge to tease her, though he knew he was inviting a slap.
“Hmm…” She sounded like she was sav
oring a delicious dessert. “I think I could learn to like losing if this is the consolation prize.”
Ava crawled off him and pulled him over to the pillows, where they settled in quickly.
As soon as Ava reached over to grab his hand, Bear came waddling in and started howling at the bed.
“Oh, my poor baby. You need to go out!” Ava bolted out of bed, threw on her clothes, and disappeared into the other room.
Her words triggered a realization, which hit him like a steel beam crashing into his sternum. Fear clawed at his throat as he remembered they hadn’t used any protection.
Damn.
He was always careful.
Always.
How had he lost himself so completely?
As he regained his breath, he realized a smile had begun to creep in.
What would it be like to watch as his baby grew in her womb?
What would it be like to take her to doctor appointments, run to the store for late night ice cream cravings, coach her through labor and delivery?
He closed his eyes and imagined sitting with Ava as she brought a newborn to her breast. She would be the best mother—she had a knack for kids and they all adored her. She was a natural caretaker—her students, her neighbors, her dog.
Reality barged in on his fantasy.
His imagination fast-forwarded to him having to leave for work at sunrise. Traveling around the world to grow his business. The rage on Ava’s face as he slumped in after a fifteen hour workday, a screaming baby adding lines to Ava’s once-flawless face. He imagined leaving Ava alone as he met with town leaders and planners, trying to maintain his business at the expense of his family.
Just like his father had done.
Cole wouldn’t make the mistake his father had. He wouldn’t marry and disappoint a woman he loved. He couldn’t bring a child into the world knowing he wouldn’t be there to provide the emotional nurturing a father should provide. He wouldn’t stand by as his wife led what amounted to a single’s life so he could spend his life with empty buildings.
He knew how to create a house, but not a home.
He knew how to please a woman, but not how to make her happy.
He knew how to build a business, but not a life.
“Geez, I thought you’d look more relaxed. You look like you’re contemplating how to end world hunger.” Ava bounced onto the bed, her hair a disheveled mess and her eye makeup smudged into a shadow beneath her eye.
Stay (Healing Springs, Book 2) Page 8
