“Your parents didn’t pay for school?”
“They contributed, but I wanted to pay for as much as I could myself. It was important to me.”
I nodded in understanding. I felt the same way when I was going to school, so her declaration didn’t surprise me. I knew she was independent and stubborn. I liked both those traits.
Every trait I discovered, every story she told me, the harder I knew I was falling. I loved finding out all the things that made Avery so special. Her gentle voice was like a balm to my soul. Her quiet chuckle made me happy, and when I made her laugh loudly with some of my comments, the sound was so infectious that I had to laugh with her.
After dinner, we’d taken a walk along the river, not talking much, but enjoying the shared silence. She fit effortlessly under my arm, tucked into my side as if she belonged there.
I watched her fondly as she slipped some money into the hand of a homeless person, stopping briefly to speak to him. My affection grew as she pulled me into a bakery and bought cookies and bread to share with her elderly neighbors. Then she stopped on the return walk to give some to the same man, who thanked her with tears in his eyes. I tugged her closer, dropping a kiss to her head in silent approval, marveling at her kindness. She obviously was a caregiver, and loved to look after people—even those she didn’t know well. Her compassionate heart overflowed with love.
She took care of others, and now, I decided, it was time someone took care of her.
And that someone was me.
Leaving her at her door had been difficult; it took all my restraint not to beg her to pack a bag and spend the entire weekend with me. Once again, our kisses had turned deep and frantic. It seemed every time Avery was in my arms and a wall or door was close that was where she ended up—pressed between it and me. I told her I had no choice but to lift her up when kissing her, otherwise my neck would get stiff. She laughed as she arched into me, saying one stiff thing to deal with was enough. I almost dropped her I laughed so hard, but I managed to keep her close and kiss her once more.
The night had seemed endless without her in my bed. How one night with her sleeping beside me could possibly change my sleeping pattern, I had no idea, but without her, I was restless. The pillow she slept on smelled like her, honey and flowers. The only way I could fall asleep was to wrap around it and pretend it was her; all the while knowing I was totally and truly a goner.
I’d been pacing the driveway when she drove in, waving as she pulled to a stop. She barely turned off the engine when I had her out of the car, lifting her up and kicking her door shut, pinning her against it, eager to feel her lips beneath mine. We groaned as our mouths fused together, a sense of completion settling over me. From the sweet smile on Avery’s face, I knew she felt it, as well.
She was especially adorable in the stable. Nervous and trying not to show it, she followed quietly as I showed her around, standing well back from any of the horses, except the three small ponies that were currently under my care. Those she reached out to stroke and pet with her tender hands. When I introduced her to Goldie, the gentlest horse in the stable, and offered to saddle her up, her nervousness had showed in the twisting of her fingers and the way she tugged on her shirtsleeves. However, she greeted my suggestion she ride with me with far more enthusiasm.
Now, seeing her reach out to Zen, I had a feeling I would soon get her up in the saddle and riding herself. I hoped so, anyway. I loved riding and wanted to share that with her.
I wanted to share everything with her.
When she glanced my way, I sat up, leaning against the tree, and patted the space between my legs. She’d been gone away from me for too long. I tugged off my shirt, using it to cushion my back from the rough bark of the tree. When she settled against my chest, I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight.
Neither of us said a word, happy to be close.
Closing my eyes, I relaxed, resting my chin on top of Avery’s head, feeling her heartbeat under my forearms and occasionally nuzzling the top of her head.
She idly stroked my arm with her fingers. “You have a tattoo.”
“I have two.”
“Will you tell me about them?”
“This one—” I tapped my arm “—is a veterinary one I had done after I became an official vet.”
She turned, studying the design, running her fingers over the image. “It’s very cool.”
“I like it. A friend designed it for me,” I explained. “It has all my favorite animals in it.”
“Horses, dogs, and cats?”
I touched one of the smaller images. “Elephants, too. I think they’re amazing animals.”
She peered up at me with a mischievous grin. “Is that allowed? Should vets have favorites?”
“I don’t let the birds and ferrets see. They might get upset.”
She laughed, still tracing the ink. “You have big arms. Strong,” she added with a whisper.
“I lift weights and work out. I need the upper body strength to work with the bigger animals.”
“Yeah, I, ah, noticed how massive your chest is.”
With a low growl, I bent down and nipped her neck. “It’s not the only massive thing I have, Sprite.”
With a small gasp, she turned back in my arms, facing away.
Laughing, I tucked her close and lowered my lips to her ear. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“Not so surprised,” she muttered. “I’ve felt your, ah, package, a few times.”
My package.
My chest shook with amusement. She was funny.
“Where is your other tattoo?”
I shook my head with a grin. “You’ll have to discover that one on your own.”
“Ah, a mystery.”
“Think of it like a treasure map.” I dipped my head, pitching my voice low. “And there’s a prize at the end for you, Avery.”
Her hands tightened on my arm. “X marks the spot?”
“Oh, I’ll mark it, all right.”
She shivered, her flesh pebbling under my fingers.
I dropped another kiss on her neck and leaned back. I liked her reactions. I liked them a lot.
The playlist on my iPod ended, the quiet strains of the music dying off.
Avery turned her face up to me. “Why do I hear the sound of waves?”
I rose to my feet, pointing to the thick row of evergreens that hid my secret. “I saved my favorite part for last. Come with me.”
I tugged her up, grabbed the blanket, and led her through the thick trees, then down the rough path, making sure she didn’t fall. When we reached the bottom, I swept out my arm. “My own private oasis.”
Avery moved past me, beaming in delight. A small inlet of water, the lazy waves dancing in the sun, reflected a multitude of colors at us. The small beach was grainy, the sand thick with tiny pebbles and crushed rock. Some larger boulders edged the one side, forming a private area.
She turned to me with wide eyes. “Is this yours?”
“It is. We’re way at the back of my property. The water you can see from the house is the big lake; this is just a little bay.”
“It’s lovely!”
“I did a lot of work on it. It was quite overgrown. We cleared the beach, and I had some sand moved from another area to make it a little nicer, but otherwise, it’s the way I found it.”
“Can you swim here?”
“It’s a little cold, but yes. I do on occasion later in the season.” I laid the blanket on the sand that was still damp from the earlier rain. Avery sat down and I sat behind her, trapping her between my legs. I wrapped my bare arms around her, closing my eyes and letting the peacefulness surround us. She eased back with a sigh, her body relaxed and supple.
The sun felt good on my face, the breeze drifting over my skin, lifting my hair off my forehead as it blew past. It swirled up the scent of the water and sand; the pungent aroma of the washed-up pieces of driftwood and kelp were heavy and rich in the air.
> Drawing in a deep lungful of air, the honeyed fragrance of the woman in my arms overwhelmed me. I buried my face into her curls, nuzzling the silky strands, breathing in her soothing scent. When her fingers reached up to play with my hair, I hummed in happiness, tightening my arms.
Her heartbeat picked up as I nudged her hair over her shoulder, grazing my lips down the column of her neck, flicking my tongue along the warm skin. She whimpered, and pressed back against me, causing my cock to swell as her grip tightened on my hair, keeping me close.
Leisurely, I dragged my hand over the bend of her arm, elbow to wrist and back down, a continuous circuit of gentle, teasing strokes. Another whimper escaped her mouth and goosebumps broke out on her skin when I slid my hand closer to her shoulder. I ghosted my fingers over the curve and down her side, to graze the edge of her breast, only to start again at the wrist.
Her nipples puckered against my arm that held her secure.
My dick hardened further in response.
Turning my head, I traced my tongue over the crease in her elbow, dipping and tasting, leaving a trail of moisture that made her shiver. Her breathing quickened; little pants of desire that increased as I teased and stroked, my fingers dancing and moving in a constant pattern, touching and tickling, but never settling. I pulled her tighter to my chest. Her hand clamped around my forearm as she let out a low, sexy moan, pushing her head into my shoulder, exposing more of her neck.
I ran wet open-mouthed kisses on her fragrant skin, nipping and tugging at her earlobe. “You like that, Avery? You like me touching you?” I growled in her ear.
“Yes.” She panted. “Oh, God . . . yes.”
I drew in the soft skin of her neck and sucked lightly. “Do you want more?”
She gasped, pushing herself into me, trapping my raging hard-on between us.
I groaned. “Do you?”
“Yes. Daniel, yes.”
I wrapped my hand around her hair, tilting her head back. Her eyes were wide and filled with desire. I brushed my mouth against hers, trailing my tongue over her bottom lip, tasting the apple she had eaten. “How much more?”
“You. I want you. Please. Now . . .”
Our eyes held.
“Are you sure, Avery?”
I wanted to make her mine. If she was ready, so was I. It was fast, but I didn’t care—it felt right. We’d already covered the subject of our pasts and protection in our talk the previous night, and we were safe. There was nothing stopping us if she was sure about this—about us. But it was her choice. Always her choice.
“Yes,” she said, breathless. “I’m positive.”
In a second, I had her under me on the blanket, a mass of entwined limbs and warmth. The small square of cloth did nothing to protect us from the beach, but neither of us cared. The damp of the sand soaked into the cloth and denim, the rough grit of the beach clinging to everything.
It didn’t matter.
I couldn’t get close enough. I couldn’t taste her enough. Nothing existed but her. Us.
Our passion erupted, finally allowed to explode. I weaved my hand into her hair, holding her face close as I ravished her mouth. Sand clung to the dampness of our arms and feet, the coarse grains scratching against our bodies. I slid my hand under her tank, running up her stomach, ghosting over her skin. As my palm covered the curve of her breast, she gasped, bowing closer, her hand digging into the sand. She dug her other hand into the small of my back, sliding her fingers under my waistband and gripping my ass. I grunted my approval into her mouth, thrusting forward.
Clothing disappeared fast—every inch of new skin uncovered, explored and tasted. The material of her tank tore easily under my fists, and I pulled away long enough to yank mine over my head, wanting to feel the touch of her silky skin. Her mouth was so sweet and wet, and her taste wrecked me forever. I didn’t want to be without it now. The feel of her was like nothing else on earth.
She moaned and gasped as I traced swells and dips, learning them with my hands and memorizing with my mouth. Avery’s hands tugged at my shoulders, frantically caressing and stroking, as her nails pressed into my skin, the slight sting making me hiss.
Sliding my hands up her arms, I pinned them over her head. “I want you, Avery.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me to stop and I will. Tell me to take you home and make love to you in my bed and not outside on the sand and I will.”
“No, I want this, I want you.” She made it clear by slipping one hand free, and wrapping it around my cock.
“Fuck!” I hissed, looking down at her hand on me, then moved my gaze upward to take in her whole body. She was a vision lying underneath me in the sun. Her skin glowed like the finest piece of ivory—smooth and iridescent in the light. Tiny clusters of freckles were dotted over her skin like small trails to be discovered. I wanted to taste every inch of her, touch every soft curve and tautly covered muscle with my tongue. Trace the circle of freckles by her left nipple. Kiss the triangle of dots behind her ear until she whimpered. I wanted to plunge my hands into her thick curls and pull her face to mine, then kiss her until she couldn’t remember anyone else’s lips but mine. I wanted to possess and claim every single inch of her.
“I want you so much,” I admitted, my voice thick with desire. “I don’t know if I can be gentle. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I want you just as much. You won’t hurt me.” She arched up against me. “You won’t.”
Still, I hesitated—this was such a huge moment for us.
Her silvery-green eyes met mine, filled with longing and determination. “Be gentle next time. Be with me just like this, right now. Please, Daniel.”
I couldn’t say no to her. I would never be able to say no to her. I slid inside her slick, welcoming heat. Groaning against her neck, I stilled at the incredible sensation of being surrounded by Avery.
Her legs wrapped around my hips, pulling, urging, as she gasped my name.
I lost myself to everything that was her. Her taste, her scent, the way she felt beneath my body—her form melted into mine as we rocked and moved. Damp skin slid together. Long, deep, passionate kisses shared. Low murmurs and keening whimpers escaped from our lips as our hands gripped, stroked, and clutched as we loved and fucked.
I drove into her, mindless and aching, feeling her clench and writhe under me. She met me thrust for thrust, her body molded to mine; accepting me, as if I were made for her and her alone. Nothing had compared to this moment—nothing ever would. My spine snapped with electricity as I thrust hard inside her, our bodies surging and ebbing as we moved like storm waves pounding against the shore. Each movement, every deep plunge rolled and retreated, hard and fast, flowing and building into our frantic release.
I fisted one hand around her hair while the other twisted deep into the sand as she rode out her orgasm. Color exploded behind my eyes as I shouted out her name, finding my own release, spilling deep within her body. When I finally stilled, and the peaceful release soaked into my skin, I collapsed into her arms.
Blissful and sated, I rolled to the side, tucking her against me, drawing the edges of the blanket around us so she wouldn’t get cold, but still small shivers ran down her spine.
I wrapped her closer, running my hands up and down her back. “Are you all right?”
She nuzzled her face into my neck, kissing my skin with light, airy brushes of her mouth that made me want to purr.
“I’m good,” she hummed. “So good, Daniel.”
I smiled against her hair. “Yes, you are. I, ah, didn’t hurt you?”
“No. My insides feel like jello, and I don’t think I could walk right now, but I’m not hurt. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I felt this . . . unhurt. Maybe never.”
I chuckled. “I feel a little jello-ish, too. Are you cold?”
“No, I’m quite content. A little gritty feeling, but good.”
I had to agree with the gritty feeling. I was certain I had sand in places sand should never be
found.
“Making you mine on a blanket, in the middle of nowhere, wasn’t part of the plan today.”
She tilted up her head, her hair wild and tangled around her face. “Am I yours now?”
I smoothed back her hair from her face, cupping her chin and kissing her. “Totally.”
She curled back up with a sigh, and I relaxed as we basked in our new intimacy.
Her curious-sounding voice broke the silence. “What was the plan for today?”
“I thought I’d teach you to ride a horse and spend some quality time with you. That was all, really.”
Her tiny hands tugged my head down to her mouth. “I like the addition to the plan.”
Groaning, I tightened my hold on her, already feeling the stirrings of new desire.
“I need to take you home. I want you in my bed, so I can take my time with you.”
“So the riding lessons are done for the day?”
“For now.” I sat up, pulling her with me so she straddled my lap. “But maybe you’d like to ride a different stallion.” I arched against her, smiling at the moan that came from her mouth as I grazed her pussy with the head of my rapidly swelling cock. The sound was erotic; a small panting noise that made me even harder. “Ever heard the term ‘bucking bronco’?”
Her head fell into my neck, and it was my turn to groan as she nipped and laved at my skin, pushing herself down on my erection.
I wrapped the blanket tighter around her.
We weren’t leaving just yet.
Daniel
We left the beach, climbing to the cliff with our fingers entwined.
I had helped her dress, apologizing for her torn tank and the sand clinging to her skin, even while I tried to brush it off.
She laughed, pushing away my hands. “I’m fine. I need a shower, but I’m fine.”
I yanked my shirt over her head and kissed her brow, trying not to think of how she’d look in my shower.
Wet.
Naked.
My steps hastened as I tugged her behind me. We needed to get home soon.
We gathered our things, and I helped her up onto Zen before swinging myself up behind her. We were quiet on the way back, both of us lost in our thoughts.
It Started With a Kiss Page 9
