by Tess Summers
* * * *
He picked her up the next morning in his Mercedes, asking when he opened her car door for her, “Do you have to be anywhere today?”
“No, I don’t have clients today. Why?”
“I thought maybe we could drive up the coast for breakfast and maybe stay until dinner. Or breakfast tomorrow, if we feel like it.”
She liked the idea and was happy to find there was only slight uncomfortableness between them, but they soon fell into their usual talking about everything and anything, with the occasional affectionate gesture or kiss. They held hands as they walked into the diner they found. Sliding into a round booth, he threw his arm around her as they looked at the menu options, and she teased him about ordering lunch instead of breakfast.
He feigned to defend his food selection. “I’m finally hungry again! Yesterday was awful,” before adding, “I’m sorry about feeding you that.”
“It’s not your fault. But to be honest, I’m a little apprehensive to eat. I tried again last night and it didn’t go so well. But I’m feeling a lot better, so I’m optimistic.”
Their meal went fine, and they enjoyed the rest of the day sightseeing, stopping to walk along the beach barefoot. They were unusually quiet as they strolled in the sand, Ava not sure if she should ask questions about their relationship, if they even had a relationship. Travis appeared to be lost in his own thoughts as he slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her hair, still not having said a word.
They found a restaurant on the water to have dinner and watch the sun set into the ocean. The entire restaurant was quiet as the orange ball sank slowly out of sight, and everyone clapped when it finally dropped below the horizon. Ava looked at Travis and found him smiling tenderly at her. She returned the smile as he leaned over to kiss her softly on the mouth, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his lips gently on hers while he cupped the side of her face in his hand. She eventually opened them to find him staring at her. She couldn’t quite make out the look on his face but knew it was an affectionate one.
They had one more glass of wine before deciding to head out. At the car, before opening her door, he bent over and kissed her again, softly at first, but when she let out a quiet moan and brought her arms around his neck, it began to heat up. She pressed against him, wanting to mold her body to his. Soon, he had her against the car while he pushed his clothed body tightly against hers. There was no way they were going to make it back to town, but the idea of having sex in the car seemed a little too teenager-ish, even as excited as they were. Across the highway was a little motel with bungalows and a neon sign that flashed vacancy.
They were given bungalow number thirty-six, although there weren’t thirty-six cabins. Ava started to try and figure out their numbering system but quickly realized she didn’t really care at the moment.
They were undressing each other within minutes of entering their room. Travis went to remove her panties when he stopped.
“Ava?”
She was confused about why he was no longer undressing her. “What’s wrong?”
“I know this is natural, but were you expecting to start your period today?”
Ava frowned. She knew she was about to start the sugar pill week of her birth control, but her period usually came in the middle of the week, not at the beginning or before it. Of course, she’d also been having a lot of sex this last month, so that probably had something to do with it.
“No, I must be a little early. I’m so sorry.”
He looked at her oddly. “Babe, why are you sorry? Don’t apologize for being a woman.”
“I’m sorry because I’ve ruined our night.”
He frowned. “How have you ruined our night? I’m still going to make love to you; we’ll just put a towel down.”
She felt weird. Brad never wanted anything to do with her the entire week, whether she was actually menstruating or not. He didn’t want to risk getting any blood on him. She naturally assumed that was how all men felt and had a little bit of a complex at the idea of continuing.
Travis seemed to be able to immediately tell something was wrong and stopped.
“This doesn’t bother me. But if you’re uncomfortable, we can just snuggle and kiss tonight.”
Ava liked that idea. Of course, his idea of snuggling and her idea of snuggling were two completely different things, as it became quite apparent when he put in his A game make-out session before moving down to spend an extraordinary amount of time attending to her tits and nipples until he had driven her crazy with desire.
She was soon pressing against his erection and grinding her hips against his as she whispered, “I want you,” and he happily accommodated her by sliding his cock inside and gently making love to her. There were a lot of unspoken words exchanged between them as they looked into each other’s eyes while moving in their perfect rhythm. There were also a lot of questions that were left unanswered.
* * * *
Waking in the morning to Travis walking through the bungalow door with coffee and a grocery bag, Ava stretched and smiled. Last night, she had been relieved to find there had been very little mess and rinsed her panties in the sink after finding a tampon in her purse. In the grocery bag were a box of tampons, a box of pads, a package of underwear, and a bottle of Midol. He obviously was new at being with a girl in the middle of her period and wanted to make sure all his angles were covered. She loved him even more for his attempt.
Once again, the ride home started out awkwardly. Their level of intimacy had increased tenfold over the last three nights. At least she thought so. Last night they had period sex. She didn’t think she could have that with just anyone and hoped he felt the same.
*
Travis had been in a state of constant conflict the last three days. Every time he was with her, it was easy and enjoyable, but when he started to think about it being more than just a temporary thing with her, he felt a sense of panic. This morning’s run to the store did not help.
What the fuck am I doing? I bought her tampons, for Christ’s sake. I’m not ready for this. I don’t want this. How the hell am I going to stop it?
He appreciated she hadn’t asked him to talk or explain what he was feeling because frankly, he didn’t know what the hell to think. He knew he loved her and was willing to bet anything she felt the same. He also knew being in love did not change their bad timing in any way, shape, or form. If anything, all it did was make the situation worse and more complicated.
They stepped inside her condo, and he suggested she pack an overnight bag before they went back to his place, but warned her he had a lot of work to do.
“You know what? I think I’m going to stay home tonight,” she said with her arms around his neck.
Travis scowled. Despite his misgivings about his earlier purchases for her, he had been looking forward to their Monday morning routine, not to mention holding her again all night. Quite simply put, he wanted her available to him, but on his terms.
“Honey, I’ll just be a distraction as I pout that you’re not paying attention to me,” she teased.
He was pretty sure that was the first time she’d used a term of endearment in place of his name and found it nice.
“It’s not that I don’t want to pay attention to you. I’ve just been working like crazy, and it looks like I’ve got another case I’m going to take.”
Actually, he had been on the fence about taking the other case. The client had specifically requested him, but he was worried he might be stretched too thin. However, as he read the particulars of the case, it pissed him off, and he knew he was the best attorney in the firm to handle it. Not to mention it would provide a way to keep him busy and not thinking about what was happening with Ava or what she was doing when she wasn’t with him.
For the first time in a month, Ava slept in her own bed on a Sunday night.
Chapter 15
SHE was walking into her office on Monday morning when her p
hone started ringing. Her hands were full so she didn’t even look down to see who was calling. Her stomach dropped when she heard Brad on the other end.
“Hi, beautiful. How are you doing?”
Ava was immediately suspicious. What did he want? He hadn’t reached out to her in over a year. Something smelled fishy. She was surprised at her attitude.
“Oh hey, Brad. I’m fine thanks.”
Silence.
If he was waiting on her to keep the conversation going, he was going to be waiting awhile.
Brad started making chitchat and when he actually started talking about the weather, she cut him off.
“I’m pretty sure you didn’t call me to talk about how much rain we need, Brad. What’s up?”
He took her hint and got right to the point. “Can we have dinner? I’d really like to catch up. I’ve missed having you in my life, Ava.”
What. The. Fuck.
Her first inclination was to tell him not a chance in hell, but then curiosity got the better of her, plus she kind of wanted to see if she could make him sorry he dumped her.
“I don’t know, Brad. I’m so busy these days. When did you have in mind?”
“How about Thursday night? I’ll see if I can get a reservation at Evangeline’s.”
Evangeline’s, huh? This should be interesting.
“Yeah, I can meet you there. Text me what time.”
He started to try and make small talk again, and she cut him off. “I’ve got to go. Thanks for calling.” And she hung up.
Man, that felt good.
Yeah, Operation Sex Kitten definitely had a new prize and it wasn’t Brad Miller. Not spooking the gorgeous Mr. Sterling seemed to now be her focus. She didn’t know if sex was the way to make that happen.
Charlie Patterson called her that afternoon and asked her for lunch on Wednesday. What the hell was going on?
She also got a call from the broker at Ridgeport Realty, a competing real estate agency, inquiring if she’d be available to meet with him tomorrow. Ava had been the best student in her real estate class, which had caused a lot of brokers to seek her out to come work for them after she passed her licensing exam with flying colors on the first try. The brokers reminded her of the recruiters on campus who came calling each time she was finishing a degree. Women with bachelor’s degrees in the sciences are pretty highly sought after, and women with doctoral degrees in the science field make headhunters almost pee their pants. She’d had several successful months with her company, so she wasn’t surprised to receive the call. Her father always taught her to at least listen to what other people had to say, so even though Ava was perfectly content with Oceanside Realty, she took the competing broker up on his offer for lunch.
Travis didn’t reach out to her all day or that night, nor did he respond when she sent him a text before she went to bed. At the very least, he would always respond to her if he didn’t initiate with a text or email. Either he was really busy or he was starting to avoid her, or both.
So he’s taking another case. She found the timing of that interesting, then thought maybe she was just being paranoid. Why wouldn’t he take another case right now? He’s the best in the state; of course he’s always busy. It probably had nothing to do with avoiding spending time with her. She hadn’t asked anything of him or even hinted she expected anything other than their status quo. As far as he’s concerned, I’m still content with his ‘I’m not boyfriend material’ stance. Don’t read anything into this, Ava.
She needed to let him know nothing had changed; she had no expectations of him.
* * * *
Ava met with Frank Harris, the broker of Ridgeport Realty, at a restaurant downtown near Travis’ office building. The meeting left her a little floored and she found herself wanting to talk with her favorite gorgeous attorney.
She dialed his number and was half-expecting him to send her call to his secretary, so she was a little startled when he answered himself.
“Hi, I’m downtown. Can I come by and say hello?”
“Absolutely. I’ll let them know to send you right up.”
On her elevator ride up to his floor, she realized she’d never seen his office and was wondering what to expect based on the lobby’s décor. When the elevator doors opened, she was immediately greeted by a receptionist desk next to a waiting room with lots of beech-colored wood and stainless steel complimenting modern design furniture. To the left were glass doors with a bullpen of cubicles while offices lined the perimeter. To the right were glass doors that led to Travis’ office. His secretary, Kelli, met her when she got off the elevator and delivered her to Travis.
His traditional office design was markedly different than the modern look of the rest of the building she had seen. He was on the phone when she walked in, so he smiled and motioned for her to sit in one of the leather chairs opposite his mahogany desk as Kelli stepped out and closed the door behind her. Instead, Ava walked around his desk to him and traced her finger up his thigh, letting her hand linger on his groin while he shot her a look. His office was impressive as his entire corner room had a magnificent view of the city below. Strolling around and looking at his décor led her to the black leather couch in his sitting area.
He was still on the phone when she hiked up her skirt and spread her legs with her heeled feet on his coffee table. He gave her an appreciative grin, and she kept eye contact with him as she started to rub herself over her panties, happy her period had been very short-lived this month.
She slid her underwear to the side and rubbed her slit before taking her fingers out and sucking them as Travis was trying in vain to wrap up his phone call. She heard him say, “I’ll get back to you,” before quickly hanging up the phone and walking to his office door to lock it.
Without a word, he was seated next to her, kissing her hard as he massaged in between her legs. Arching her back, she ground her pelvis against his hand and began to fondle the bulge in his pants. When they were both thoroughly aroused, she straddled him while unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. Sliding his cock out of his boxers, she slipped her panties down so they were only around one ankle and put him inside her. Rhythmically moving her hips back and forth as she fucked him, he pulled her mouth to his and kissed her deeply.
“I missed you last night,” she whispered as she looked into his eyes while rubbing her clit against his pubic bone.
He groaned and held her hips as he fucked her hard from underneath. Ava threw her head back and spread her knees wide while he bucked wildly into her. When he slowed down, she took over, bouncing up and down on his cock as he frantically unbuttoned her shirt and pulled her tits out of her bra so he could bite and suck on her nipples. While feasting on her boobs, he reached under her skirt and began to expertly maneuver her clit around until she was in sensory overload and quietly moaning her approval. She slowed her bouncing as the orgasm crept from her toes to her pussy, and she came intensely on his cock. Once she climaxed, he flipped her onto her back, holding her feet together at his chest while he fucked her hard and fast until she felt his hot cum explode within her.
She loved how he felt when he burst inside her. The fact that he’d gotten tested for her so he could do that warmed her heart.
He stayed in her until their breathing calmed, then swiftly grabbed a bar towel from his minibar and cleaned her off before attending to himself. Pulling his pants back up, he sat down without zipping up while she put her panties back on and buttoned her blouse. Ava put her head in his lap and tenderly caressed and kissed his shaft over his underwear while he stroked her hair.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Or was that just it?”
She hadn’t planned on having sex with him in his office, but was not in the least bit sorry they had.
She smiled and continued fondling his half-erect cock. “Actually, believe it or not, I came here with the best of intentions. But for whatever reason, whenever I see you, getting naked se
ems to top my list of priorities.”
He pulled her up onto his lap and sensuously kissed her before putting his forehead against hers. “You tend to have that effect on me as well.”
She was relieved to hear him say the feeling was still mutual.
“I had lunch with a competing broker today. They made me an amazing offer and I was excited to tell you about it.”
She proceeded to tell him the terms of what they proposed. Every single thing Travis thought of, she had already addressed and had an answer for.
“I think it’s a great offer, Ava. When do you have to have an answer?”
“I told Frank I would let him know by Thursday at noon.”
When she said the name Frank, he jerked his head and pulled back to look at her.
“Frank? Not Frank Harris?”
She nodded her head. “You know him?”
Travis unceremoniously removed her from his lap and leapt up before tucking his shirt back into his pants and getting himself properly situated. He paced back and forth, as if trying to come up with the right words and struggling, which was very uncharacteristic of him. Finally, he resorted to his tried and true lawyer mode and, unfortunately, that also included prick personality.
“Ava, they’re using you. They think if they get the girl I’m sleeping with on their agent roster, I’ll go easy on them with this lawsuit I’m about to file.”
Um, fuck you? Pretty sure I’ve earned this offer they presented and it has nothing to do with you.
“Travis, they don’t even know we’re dating—or sleeping together. No one does. I think they asked me to join their team because I’m a damn good agent and would add value to their company.”
“Don’t be naïve. It wouldn’t be that hard to figure out we’re dating. Pay a P.I. five hundred bucks and he could probably even get pictures. Why else would they offer such an inexperienced agent that kind of deal?”
Ava stood up, not trying to hide how insulted she was. “Because I’m that fucking good,” she said as she looked at him with disdain.
