by Ashley Erin
The drive back to campus is quiet, the radio playing softly in the background. For once, I don’t feel the need to fill it, I just want to get to my paints and forget this mess. As Joe shifts the car into park, he turns to me. “Can we set up a schedule for when I can see Noah?”
“Of course. Goodbye, Joe.” Getting out of the vehicle, I shut it and walk away.
The sound of the window sliding down stops me. “I am not giving up on this idea. I will prove to you I have changed, that we have changed, enough to be good together.” I don’t turn around; I just walk into the building and right into Dax.
“Easy there, Sunshine.” Holding Ava steady, I laugh softly as she stares at me in a daze. “You all right? I didn’t think you hit me that hard.”
She shakes her head and smiles at me. “I’m fine. Sorry I ran into you, I’m not normally so clumsy.”
“That’s nothing compared to Andie.” She seems to be steadier, so I let my hands drop slowly from her arms. She looks up at me, her breath catching as we stare at each other.
“Right, she is a sight to behold some days.” We hold each other’s gazes until the movement of her throat as she swallows catches my eye. All thoughts except my need to taste her flee from my head. Ever since watching her drive away with another man the only thing I could think of was how I couldn’t risk losing my chance. I can always work towards being good enough later.
“I don’t want to talk about Andie though.” My pulse thunders as I move my eyes up her throat, to her lips. Aching to close the gap, I gauge her response.
“You don’t?” Meeting her eyes, I shake my head. Her expression is clear of whatever was preoccupying her when we collided. “What do you want to talk about then?” Her words are quiet as she whispers the question we both know she has the answer to. Her eyes dilate in what I hope is anticipation.
“I don’t want to talk.” Stepping into her, I drown in the way she smells, the way her breathing picks up. Ignoring how my pulse has kicked up, I try to move slowly. Tilting my head down, I brush my lips against hers; they are soft and respond immediately to my touch.
A soft moan erupts from her throat as I gently press into her, and all of my control evaporates. Digging my fingers into her hips, I push her against the wall. My tongue strokes against hers as I deepen the kiss, grinding my body into her willing embrace.
Moaning as she fists her hands in my hair, pulling on the ends, I break free from her kiss and brush my lips softly down her neck. The little throaty noises she is making are sexy as hell, pressing my lips back onto hers I’m overwhelmed by every sensation flooding my nervous system.
Breaking away, I gently glide my fingers along her jawline. Her lips are swollen, her eyes glazed with desire. “Okay then. Have a good night.” Stepping away from her, I turn to the door and casually try to adjust myself.
I’m halfway out of the door before she responds. “Seriously?”
Turning around, I almost forget where I was going before she ran into me once again. Her hair is wild and the hand propped on her hip screams attitude. “Yes. I have things to do.”
With that, I shut the door behind me and count to ten trying to gather some self-control.
Fuck it. Opening the door, I take the steps two at a time, catching Ava in the second-floor landing. Spinning her around, I pull her into me, crushing my lips to hers. Dragging her with me as my back finds the wall, I hold her close, kissing her with bruising vigor. She is responding with just as much intensity, her throat humming in desire.
Her hands are in my hair again, pulling with just enough force.
The part of my brain that is still functioning tells me I should stop and get her out of the hallway, but the other part wins out as she presses her body more tightly into mine.
“Ahem.” Ignoring the throat clearing, I hope whomever it is will move on. They do it again and I growl a little before lifting my head to see who is interrupting us.
Kensi and Andie’s smirking faces greet me. Groaning, I drop my head to Ava’s shoulder before straightening up.
“Hi, guys.” Kensi grins as Ava turns away from me; I avoid looking over at her. My self-control is hanging by a tattered thread, and I’m barely able to prevent myself from grabbing Ava’s hand and dragging her up the stairs.
“You know, we have to walk here.” Andie winks at Ava, who laughs good-naturedly.
“Well, don’t let us stop you.” Glaring at both of them, they tauntingly wave as they pass by us.
“Maybe take your activities outside of the hall, you know before clothes start dropping.” Kensi quips before turning the corner.
“Go to hell, Kens.”
“See you there.” Andie laughs as I hear her tell Kensi to hush.
Their footsteps disappear before I finally look at Ava. She is watching me, looking stunning as she searches my eyes. Ava and I have never talked or expressed any interest in being anything other than friends, not in words at least.
I know I should fill in the silence, but instead I wait. She shifts in place and I fight the smirk I can feel itching to pop out.
Her hands fidget with the hem of her shirt, her eyes shifting between mine as I watch her. I can see the words bubbling to the surface.
“You’re an amazing kisser. I mean, I never doubted otherwise. It’s been a while for me; I guess you could probably tell. What? Why?” She takes a deep, shuddering breath. She shakes her head and smiles to herself, when she looks back up at me her eyes are glittering with humor. “Scratch that and insert something sexy and witty.”
“You want me to take you upstairs so you can ravish me? Well, seems a bit sudden, but how can I say no to that?” Winking at her as she glares playfully at me, I start backing up the stairs.
“I asked for that.” She shakes her head as she follows me up the stairs. The moment has passed and the rational part of my brain says that we need to slow down.
“So . . . math class.” She laughs at me, shaking her head in disbelief. “Why don’t you come over and we will finish that assignment?”
“Okay.” She looks disappointed as I turn to walk beside her. I know we need to talk about what just happened. It’s not fair to leave her in limbo, but I’m still figuring out what exactly is going on. All I know is that when she ran into me, I felt the need to claim her more intensely than I have ever felt before.
Several hours later, we are both hopped up on caffeine and junk food. “Well, I think that had to be one of the longest math projects I’ve ever been subjected to.” Ava leans back on the kitchen chair, stretching her arms above her head. My eyes are automatically drawn to the glimpse of skin that briefly appears before she lower her arms. Her skin is flawless, begging for my touch.
Her eyes widen as she catches me checking her out, my body reacting to the blatant desire she isn’t trying to hide. A sexy little smirk lifts the corners of her lips as she crosses her arms accenting her curves. My body feels like it’s on fire, my arms aching to hold her.
We both stand, shoving the chairs out of our way. Grabbing her hands, I wind them back into my hair. Our lips mold together passionately, pressing into each other urgently. Gripping her hips, I set her on the kitchen table, groaning when she wraps her legs around my waist.
Burying my face in her neck, I lift her off the table, set her on her feet, and step away. The sounds of disappointment she makes are so sexy, and I’m not about to quit, but I don’t want any more interruptions. Sliding my hand into hers, I lead her into my room and lock the door.
Ava steps into me, pulling my head down to hers. Breaking away, I find the hem of her shirt and lift it over her head before lowering her onto my bed. Kneeling down, I explore her body devouring her with my lips.
Pushing away, I remove my shirt and lay on top of her. My cock throbbing as our bodies grind together, her nipples peaked through her bra. Pulling the cup down, I suck a nipple into my mouth, grinning as Ava arches into me.
Moving to the other breast, sucking hard as I unclasp her bra.
Her legs wrap around me as we move together. Ava pulls away, panting for breath. “Condom?”
Nodding, I silently chastise myself for almost losing control. Fumbling in my nightstand, I find one and tear it with my teeth before sheathing myself and slamming into her. “Dax.” She gasps my name, her body clenching around my dick as she adjusts to my size. She’s so fucking tight.
Thrusting into her wetness, I almost lose my load when her eyes fixate on where we join. Resting on my elbows, I keep my pace while devouring her mouth with mine until we’re both gasping for air.
“Harder.” Her command takes me by surprise, her voice raspy with passion. Pulling back, I pound into her harder as she moans nonsense in response. Her pussy is wet, and soon she is clenching around me like a vice as her orgasm rips through her.
Before she has a chance to come down from the wave she is riding on, I pull out of her chuckling as she curses at me. Flipping her onto her front, I grab her hips and lift her. Slamming into her, I quickly find my pace again. Ava pushes back into me, soaking wet as she gasps out, “Pull my hair.”
Groaning, I fist my hand into her silky locks as I move faster and harder. I fucking love that she isn’t afraid to demand what she needs. It’s such a damn turn on. She meets me thrust for thrust, and I lose my load as she comes again, collapsing underneath me, her body glistening with sweat.
Drawing back, I plant kisses down Ava’s spine before standing and leaving the room to clean myself up.
It’s not until I’m standing outside my door that I’m struck with guilt. What the hell have I done? I’ve just had sex with Ava without even taking her on a date first. I’m supposed to be changing myself, not fucking doing the same old shit. Ava deserves more. She is not some for now kind of girl.
“Shit.” Muttering to myself, I slowly walk into the room and sit on the bed. Ava turns towards me, her smile fading as she sees my face. She jumps out of bed and quickly starts pulling on her clothes, her body shaking.
“Well, I don’t need to ask what’s going through your head.” Her voice is thick with held back tears and the anger I feel at myself intensifies.
“You don’t know shit. So before you go storming out of here like a typical girl, sit your ass down.” Clenching my jaw shut, I want to punch myself for not thinking my words through.
Ava turns and glares at me, tears gone, body shaking with anger. She walks over and shoves me on the shoulder. “Don’t. Don’t you dare speak to me that way.” She goes to leave, but I catch her arm and pull her onto my lap. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her to me.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, but I needed you to not storm out of here. I have no regrets that we had sex. My regret lies in that I didn’t even take you out for a date first. I’m not proud of my past choices, the thought of letting you down is more than I can handle and I’ve already failed in doing this right. There is an order that things should be done and I’ve fucked it up.” Loosening my hold as she relaxes, I take a few deep breaths to ease the tension in my body.
“Don’t be ridiculous. If I’m not mistaken, it takes two people to have sex. This was consensual and damn amazing until about two minutes ago.” Her voice softens her words, her hand back in my hair. Closing my eyes as she teases the strands, I hum in pleasure. “Not every relationship has to take the same path.”
Grasping her hand, I remove it from my hair. “I can’t think straight when you do that.”
Ava rests her palm against my chest and pushes me down, curling into my side. “Stop thinking. Sometimes getting stuck in our heads is the worst thing, trust me, I know. Now, can we get back to what was a pretty damn good evening?”
“I’m going to take you out. This isn’t just scratching an itch. I hope you know that.” I feel Ava smile against my chest.
“Okay.”
Finally, the remaining tension leaves my body leaving me exhausted. With Ava in my arms, playing with my hair, I fall asleep.
Slamming my car door, I slip inside my parent’s house quietly. Dad has a meeting early in the morning, and the last thing I want is to wake him up.
“Ava?” Jumping at my mom’s voice, I look at the stairway to see her standing there in her nightgown.
“I’m sorry, Mom, I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep.” Whispering, I step up onto the step next to her and kiss her cheek.
“I’m a mother; I will always wait for you to get home.” Nudging her up the stairs, I follow her up and peek in on Noah. I feel bad for slipping out on Dax while he was sleeping, but I wanted to be here to drive Noah to school in the morning. “You know, I’m going to want information on this boy tomorrow morning after you drop Noah off.”
“How did you know?”
“Mom radar.” She kisses my forehead and shuts the door to her bedroom.
Collapsing onto my bed, I think about what happened with Dax this evening. This could be a huge mistake, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. My crush for Dax is more than I can ignore and after tonight, well every part of me is on board with seeing where this goes. My hesitation dissipated as soon as he stepped into me, taking charge of the most amazing kiss I’ve ever experienced. Body aching in the best way, I quickly fall asleep with thoughts of Dax flitting through my head.
My alarm goes off way too soon and the urge to hit snooze is overwhelming. My phone buzzes next to me and I grin when I see a text from Dax light up the screen.
Dax: My bed was cold and sad when I woke up this morning. I feel a little used ;)
Me: I had to get home to take Noah to school, and I didn’t want to wake you.
Dax: Can’t complain, it’s not a bad way to be used. I just had hoped for an encore this morning.
Me: What happened to taking me on a proper date?
Dax: Oh, that’s happening. And sooner rather than later.
My face hurts from the grin it’s sporting as I ponder how to respond. The door to my room flying open startles me, a small blur runs in and tackles me.
“Momma! Can we play in the snow?” He is bouncing on my bed, a buzzing whir of energy.
“Noah, you have school today.” Kissing all over his face, my heart swells as he giggles and tries to kiss me right back.
“Grandma said school is cancelled because of all of the snow. See?” He opens the curtains in my room to a complete white out.
“Sounds like fun, but let’s have breakfast with Grandma first and then we can play in the snow.” Noah races out of the room, whooping in excitement. I don’t know where he gets his love of snow from, certainly not from me.
Glancing back to my abandoned response to Dax, I type the first thing that comes to mind.
Me: I hope so.
Leaving my phone on my desk, I follow my nose to the kitchen where I see fresh waffles on the kitchen table.
“Good morning. Fill your plate and then start spilling the beans on your life.” Mom winks at me as she hands me a plate and goes back to the waffle iron.
“I just saw you a few days ago. What makes you think I have a lot to tell you? I mean maybe it’s nothing, just a look or a smile.” Taking my first bite, I lift my eyes to the ceiling in ecstasy. “These are delicious.”
“I know. Now talk, because I could tell last night that there are things I want to know.” She sits across from me, handing Noah cut up waffles, before turning her entire focus on me.
Watching Noah devour his food, I try to figure out where to start. “I don’t even know where to begin. I guess with Joe.”
Filling her in, I speak low, so Noah doesn’t pick up on the subject matter. Mom makes sympathetic noises when she hears about his father, but her demeanor changes as soon as I mention Joe wanting to try being together. “Obviously I said no. I mean, I know I was something of a terror in the time we were together. Not to mention the year
s that have followed. Even if I thought it was a good idea, which I don’t, I don’t think we could get past that.”
“I’m glad he wants to be more active and I’m glad that Noah’s other grandparents are coming around, but I’m even more happy you aren’t considering pursuing a relationship with him.” She passes me a bowl of strawberries and looks at me expectantly. “Now get to the dirt.”
“There is this guy in my circle of friends, Andie’s brother. You met him around Christmas. Well, he kissed me yesterday. He wants to take me out, and I’m kind of really excited.” Giving the mom appropriate version, I smile when I think about last night.
“Kind of really excited? That’s an oxymoron.” She winks at me as I stick my tongue out at her. “Well, I look forward to seeing him again and grilling him. You know, I need to make sure he’s good enough for you and my grandson.”
“Mom . . .”
“I have the perfect time! This Sunday I want to celebrate your birthday since it’s on Monday. Invite your friends. Then I can meet him again in a more casual way.” She looks like the Cheshire cat, she is so proud of herself.
“That’s actually not a bad idea. I will send Andie a text and she can rally everyone. Now, I better go play in the snow with my son before he decides he can’t wait any longer.”
“Have fun, I will have hot chocolate waiting for you when you get cold. We should watch a girly movie tonight after Noah is in bed. I will paint your nails.” Leaning down, I hug her tightly. I am so blessed to have amazing parents.
Collapsing on the couch next to Mom that evening, I sigh in exhaustion. “That boy, he has more energy than ten children. He wanted me to read him three stories and, of course, I can’t say no to that face.”
