by Tess Summers
Keep it casual. Eye on the prize.
“Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow then. Nice meeting you, Ava. Hope to see you again soon without scaring the daylights out of you.”
“Nice meeting you too,” Ava replied and grinned. “I look forward to it.”
Travis and Ava leisurely stayed at the patio table, drinking coffee, laughing, and talking. Every now and then, he would lean over and kiss her briefly or grab her hand. She wondered if he was this attentive to all his dates. He had to be. One doesn’t date the caliber of women he does by being a heel.
She went inside to refill their coffee mugs, and when she came back, said, “Do you realize it’s almost eleven o’clock?”
Travis laughed. “Is it really? Doesn’t feel like it. Did you need to be anywhere this morning?”
She shook her head. “No, do you?”
“Just back in bed with you naked in my arms,” he teased.
“I think that could be arranged,” she said matter-of-factly as she kissed him softly on the mouth.
They did end up back in bed, naked, but they didn’t make love. Instead, he held her as they continued their conversation from breakfast.
“Would you rather go on vacation to Las Vegas or New York City?” he asked, rather out of the blue.
She thought about it for a brief second and said, “Vegas. I love to gamble.” Then added, “Unless it was at Thanksgiving. I’ve always wanted to go to the Macy’s Day Parade and stay to watch the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Plaza.”
“Yeah, that’s always sounded like fun,” he replied.
“My turn. Summer or winter?”
With no hesitation, he replied, “Summer. Christmas or Halloween?”
She answered, “Oh, Christmas definitely. Football or baseball?”
“Hockey,” he countered. “Sight-seeing or sitting by the pool?”
“Hmm. That depends on where I was and how much I had to drink the night before.”
That drew a laugh from him, and she continued the game. “Kids or no kids?”
“If it’s my sister or brother—kids. If it’s strangers—no kids.”
That wasn’t what she meant, and he knew it. “I’m talking about you, funny guy.”
“Oh me?” He feigned misunderstanding. “If it’s me, definitely no kids.”
Ava didn’t know why she was so disappointed with that answer.
He continued the questioning. “Top or bottom?”
“Both.” She smiled devilishly. “Hugging or kissing?”
“Well that depends on who I’m hugging and who I’m kissing,” he said as he rolled over on top of her. “If it’s my secretary, hugging.” He gave her a long, sensual kiss. “If it’s you, absolutely kissing.” He continued kissing her, and their game quickly came to an end so they could start a different kind.
Their intimacy this time was very tender and traditional. He took the lead, staying in the missionary position as he made love to her, looking into her eyes while expertly moving his cock in and out of her pussy. She ran her hands over his shoulders as he brought his lips down to hers, and Ava arched her back in reaction when his mouth moved further down and found her nipples. He brought his hand to her clit as he continued thrusting his hips against hers, bringing her to climax right before he came.
He stayed inside her briefly, kissing her passionately before rolling off to dispatch his condom.
“Just so you know, I’m on the pill,” she offered when he walked back in the room. They had shared a great deal of intimacy in the last thirty-six hours. She wanted to show she trusted him and hoped he would trust her.
“Well, that’s good for preventing pregnancy,” he said as he laid back down beside her. “But there are other things condoms are for.”
“I was tested after Brad dumped me,” she said. “I had been on the pill so we didn’t use anything else. He kinda dumped me out of the blue so I needed to be sure he hadn’t given me something. Fortunately for him—and me—everything came back negative.”
He bent his arm at the elbow and rested his head in his hand when he asked, “How would you know it was from Brad? Were you tested before you were with him?”
Ava didn’t understand what he meant at first. Of course it would be because of Brad, who else would it be? Ohhh, I get it.
She sat up straighter, pulling the sheet around her chest. “I was a virgin before Brad. You are the only other man I’ve been with, besides him.”
There was no mistaking the what the fuck? look on his face. Did he really not have any idea how inexperienced she was?
Since she was being honest, she might as well continue, so she added shyly, “And you’re the only man I’ve ever had oral sex with.”
She gave him a second for that to sink in. The realization that he was also the only man she’d stripped in front of or talked dirty with seemed to slowly dawn on him as he absent-mindedly nodded his head.
“So you had never put a man’s dick in your mouth before Friday?” She shook her head. “Or had a man lick your pussy?” She vehemently shook her head, and then looked at him with a grin and said, “I had no idea what I was missing.”
“But you definitely know what you’re doing.” It was more like a question rather than a statement.
“I’ve been reading a lot of books and watching a lot of movies this past year. I’ve also…how do I say this? Taught myself what I like.” She took a deep breath. “I thought I knew there was more to sex than what Brad showed me, but really had no idea.” She paused. “I had no idea how awesome it could be until you showed me. I’ve experienced things with you I didn’t even know I would like!”
“Like lap dances?”
She nodded.
“And dirty talk?”
Her eyes widened, and she said, “I had no idea I would enjoy that so much!”
She pondered what she had revealed to him. “Is that…normal or am I a total deviant?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, it’s normal. And you are beautiful and sexy and adventurous, and I’ve loved every second of making love to you.”
She seemed relieved as she nestled close to him. “Good, because I’ve loved every second of what you’ve taught me.”
* * * *
They fell asleep together, but when Ava woke up, she was alone in the big bed. She looked at the clock on his nightstand. 4:18 p.m. What a glorious, lazy Sunday! She hadn’t even showered or dressed yet!
She remedied that by slipping into his shower, then getting herself dressed and ready, complete with perfume, makeup, and styling her hair before going to search for him. Finally locating him in his study working, she quietly said, “Hey,” when she walked in.
He looked up from his desk and smiled. Clad in another Stanford tee with black basketball shorts and wearing glasses, he looked so smart and sexy. She walked over to his desk chair and kissed him on top of his head while hugging his shoulders from behind. He pulled on her wrists, drawing her around the chair and onto his lap.
“Hey, sleeping beauty. How was your nap?”
“Wonderful. Sinfully, deliciously wonderful,” she purred. “Were you able to sleep at all?”
“I was able to rest for about a half an hour.” He caressed her inner thigh. “I have a little bit more to do, then I’m yours for the night. Do you want to go out for dinner or should we order takeout?”
The idea of having him all to herself was too wonderful to pass up. “Let’s get takeout.”
“Sounds good. Give me a little while longer to finish this up, then we can take the dogs for a walk and go grab something. Or we can have it delivered.” He held the back of her head and briefly kissed her on the mouth before reluctantly lifting her off him. “I promise I’ll hurry.”
Ava went back to his room and found her phone to catch up on social media and the news before checking her email. She also had five texts from Anne demanding to know how her date went.
She r
eplied to her friend with: still on it. I’ll call you tomorrow.
It was now five forty-five and she popped her head around the doorjamb of Travis’ office. “Is it okay if I take Fred and Ginger for their walk?” She hoped that would spur him on to finish and go with her.
Staring intently at the small piles of paperwork he had spread out all over his desk, he was clearly right in the middle of something, because he just nodded his head without looking at her and answered, “That’d be great.”
Ava wanted to kiss him again but knew he was busy so she retreated back to the laundry room to leash up the dogs. She took them on an hour-long walk, past her parents’ house to make sure there wasn’t a driveway full of cars, before canvassing the rest of the neighborhood. She thought he’d be ready when she returned. Peeking her head into his study, he didn’t even notice her. It was almost seven o’clock.
“Hey, I’m going to order takeout.”
He looked at his watch. “Shit, babe. I’m sorry. I hit a snag. Can you have it delivered? Get whatever you want.”
“How about Chinese?”
He was looking at his paperwork again. “Yeah, can you order me beef teriyaki, white rice, and lo mein noodles?”
The takeout arrived, and she brought in a tray with their dinners already plated and a beer for him and a water for her. He took a break and moved over to the sitting area with red leather furniture in front of the fireplace where she had set the tray on a coffee table. It was too warm at night for a fire, but she imagined it was probably lovely to sit in front of in December.
As they ate, Travis was very apologetic about neglecting her.
“I know you’re busy, Travis, don’t worry about it.”
“Just a little while longer. Can you spend the night or do I need to take you home?”
She actually did want to spend the night but was hesitant about being too available to him. Especially after he’d been unable to break away from his work to spend time with her. She didn’t want to be petty; she did understand how busy he had to be, but had selfishly been looking forward to spending some more time with him before the weekend ended and their hectic week began. She should have known every day of his was busy.
“I should probably go home. I have a closing scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I’m sure you have to be to work early.” She hoped she didn’t sound bitter.
He didn’t say anything, and she rose to take the tray back to the kitchen. He stood up and slipped his hand around her waist from behind, nuzzling her ear. “I truly am sorry. I hope you’ll let me try to make it up to you.”
She smiled. “It really is okay. I’ll get this cleaned up, then do you think you can take a break and drive me home?”
He seemed disappointed at the prospect of taking her home.
“Are you sure you can’t stay?”
She hesitated, and he pounced.
Kissing her neck, he muttered, “Please?”
When she didn’t answer, he started caressing her sides, then took the tray from her and set it down on the table before turning her to face him. While working his way to her cleavage, he murmured, “Pretty please?”
She still didn’t answer, and his lips found hers, and he started coaxing her tongue with his until she returned his probing. There he continued until they were both aroused and breathless.
“With sugar on top?” he managed to whisper as he ground his body into hers.
Damn him.
“Okay,” she conceded, “but you have to stop working and spend time with me.”
He grinned happily. “I will. Give me fifteen more minutes.”
Fifteen minutes turned into thirty, and Ava stood in the doorway of his den. This time she was naked except for the Come Fuck Me heels she had brought with her. With an arm over her head and one leg bent at the knee against the wall, she asked, “Are you almost done?”
He started to apologize again when he looked up and saw her seductively nude pose. She strode purposefully over to the credenza behind his desk and hopped up to sit on it. Crossing her legs at the knee, she waved a condom package back and forth in between her thumb and index finger. “Or should I give you another fifteen minutes?”
He stared at her for a second, then took his glasses off and threw them on his desk. Without a word, he grabbed a handful of her hair and started forcefully kissing her on the mouth. She stood, her heels making her closer to his height, and he shoved her against the wall while pressing his clothed erection into her naked pelvis. He ripped his T-shirt over his head and pushed his naked flesh against hers as he laced her fingers with his over her head. Ava curled one leg around his hip, and Travis dropped his shorts and underwear, kicking them out of the way. His condom was on in record time, and he held one of her legs under her knee and began to fuck her hard against the wall—so hard that the picture next to them fell, and they both started laughing. He pulled her over to a large, empty desk that sat opposite his. There, he spun her around so her ass was facing him, lifted one of her legs up to the side, and bent her over the empty workspace. Her tits smashed against the cold wood while her pussy was on full display for him. Once again, he started to fuck her hard, pulling her hair as he rammed into her balls deep, over and over. Her pussy lips were smearing the desk with her juices as they made contact every time he thrust up against her, stimulating her clit as she rubbed against the polished grain. His steady rhythm brought her to the brink of orgasm, and she started to moan loudly. “Oh yes!” That provided all the encouragement he needed, and he picked up the pace. She let out a final, “Oh my God, yes!” and felt him spasm as he tried to keep pumping into her in spite of his own impending orgasm, in case she hadn’t quite reached the threshold of her climax. He finally grabbed her hips and held her still as he finished depositing his load into his rubber, then collapsed on top of her while they caught their breath.
His hands were around her body on her breasts, and he brought her with him when he stood up and pulled out of her before making his escape to the den’s washroom. He came out and handed her a hand towel, which she readily accepted. Looking at the cloth in her hand, he joked, “My housekeeper is going to have a fit with all the towels she’s going to have in the laundry this week.”
“You don’t have extra towels in the laundry every week from when you masturbate?” she teased, trying to catch him off guard.
“Nah, I do that in the shower.” Nothing fazed him.
Grabbing her by the hand, he said, “Come on,” and pulled her to his bedroom. There he handed her a fluffy white robe while she kicked off her shoes, and he slipped on the blue one he had worn that morning.
Taking her hand again, he led her to the kitchen, where he opened a bottle of white wine and poured them each a glass. Leading her into his living room, they laid on his wide white leather chaise lounge. He opened his robe, and she took hers off before lying next to him, his arms encircling her while she placed her robe over them like a blanket and snuggled into the warmth of his naked body next to hers. She didn’t think she could ever get enough of how great his skin felt next to hers or the sexy smell of his chest and neck.
He wanted to know about her education, and why she chose to get her doctorate in organic chemistry, and how she came to the conclusion to sell real estate.
“The grant on the project I was working on ran out and my mother suggested I explore the possibility since I had negotiated my own real estate purchase without anyone’s help. My father wasn't so sure. But then, he had paid for the part of my schooling not covered by scholarship over the past eight years. Mom thought I’d be good at it. I had learned a lot about the business, having gone through it and researched every step of the process so I knew I could be successful, but I was torn. I’d spent my entire adult life working to earn my degree in chemistry; it seemed like such a waste to not do something with it. But, I figured I’d do it until I had two years of expenses saved, that way if I was offered a project I believed in, I could do it, regardless
of how little it paid.”
“What kind of project would that be?” he asked.
“When the writing was on the wall about our grant drying up, I was offered a spot on a team researching a specific protein’s role, if any, on accelerating liver cancer. I had to turn it down because it didn’t pay enough, and I was already in a contract for my condo. I really wanted to be a part of that team. My grandpa—my mom’s father—had liver cancer. I know I could have asked my father for a loan, but he helped pay for eight years of school, and I was living in his pool house at the time. I felt like I’d mooched off him long enough, you know? If I would have had enough money saved to offset the cut in pay, I could have taken that job. So, that’s my goal—sell enough houses in the next year or so to build a nest egg big enough to allow me to take an opportunity that speaks to me when it comes along. If the pay is decent, even better. But not having to have salary play a factor in my decision would be ideal. So, here I am, selling houses for a little while.”
“Couldn’t you make enough to build a nest egg working in your field in the private sector?”
“I could,” she agreed. “But most of the corporate jobs are on the East Coast or farther north, near San Francisco. I think if I were offered a corporate job here, I might take it, but they are few and far between around this neck of the woods. The money is good so the competition is fierce.” She looked at her surroundings and smiled. “Not equity law partner good but still a comfortable salary.”
She snuggled against his chest. “But that’s not what I want to do. I want to do research that makes a difference in people’s lives by more than developing a better bottle for their ketchup.”
They laid silently on the lounger for a while, both seeming to be lost in their own thoughts. Ava was reexamining what ‘eye on the prize’ meant. She knew the prize was no longer Brad. How could it be? He paled in every facet next to the man holding her. But she also knew Travis couldn’t be the prize. As a forty-year-old bachelor, he was holding out for someone a lot more amazing than she was. Still, she was thankful she was able to spend time with him, however long that might be. He had made her realize she didn’t have to settle for someone like Brad. While it wouldn’t be Travis, she had a right to someone as amazing as he was, and he had helped her raise the bar of what she would accept. Not to mention she still had a lot to learn for Operation Sex Kitten. He could help her become more desirable for the next man in her life, and she was going to take full advantage of her time with him and enjoy it while it lasted.
