by Amarie Avant
“I won’t play games with you, Donavan,” Avery righted her stance. She marched past him, ready to see him out one way or the other.
“Hey!” He called after her.
She knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was calling her back and gave a smug smirk. Then she was spun around. Damn it. The ballroom was so large that they’d be forever playing this game.
With his chiseled jaw tight, Donavan spoke and signed stiffly: “I say you can do better than me, and you get a fucking attitude!” He exclaimed each word with narrow eyes and a frown. “I love y—”
“Ha! I wish I didn’t love you,” She sneered. “You’re no nicer to me than the day you pushed me down.”
“Don’t bring up old stuff.” He grabbed her arms bringing her closer to him.
“Shit, Donnie, that’s all you do. Our entire life. I love. You push me down! Screw you. Kick rocks!”
“I never!” He stopped, rubbed a hand on the back of his neck then grabbed hold of her before she could flee again. “You can’t ignore me, Avery. That’s why I learned sign language, to always be able to argue with you. To defend myself. I get pushed around by—”
“Who?”
“You, shit. You.” He pointed a stiff finger at her.
Her head lifted to the super high ceiling, and she laughed. “Something is always someone else’s fault, right?”
Now, he started to back away.
“Oh, you were hell-bent on having this conversation. Have at it! Tell me you love me—excuse me. Loved me so much that you came back. What was it months, a year? When did you come back, Donnie? Because you sure didn’t come back within the first seven months. Never found out I was pregnant, right? Or did you know all along.”
He was silent. She’d hit a nerve and hated herself for the low blow. But depression had turned into acceptance at Sunnymead Resort. Well, as much acceptance as she could muster to her therapeutic team. But they never got around to helping her deal with resentment.
Donavan placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight into the eyes. “Avery, I returned home after I got out of jail. I couldn’t just walk away from the army, beautiful. And after the shit I pulled, because of missing you . . .”
She tried to close her eyes, tried not to give a damn. It had been astonishing to know that Donavan had snapped on his army brother the same exact day she had his child, but . . . jail? Donavan held her shoulders firmer, not hard in the least, but firm enough to beg her to give him the respect of listening.
“I did two years. Almost died of rage inside of a cell, Avery. And when I got here, you were gone.”
Though she wouldn’t be rude and refuse him the right to discuss his side, Avery was snide when she said, “Hey, keep the conversation going. Enlighten me. I only need words to understand your affections. Don’t show me you love me, tell me.” She fumed, the image of her in the hospital bed as Dr. Blaine and the rest of the medical team held her down after learning of her son’s death. She lashed out at him again, trying to hit and scratch, anything.
He gripped her forearms, spun her around until her arms were crossed over each other, and her back was pressed against his. His soft breath was in her ear.
His heart called out to hers pulling, at the rage and anger she felt for being alone while pregnant. The animosity that took forever to grow after their child died had grown so strong was beginning to dwindle, though the pain would never go away.
Pain like that always seemed to ride alone, like a leech ready to make a person angry out of the blue. But with him holding her, she let the tears take over.
It was something she wasn’t used to having, being comforted for her issues. The therapist at Sunnymead had encouraged her to “cry it out” as she glared until she started to numb herself enough during the sessions. She refused to shed a tear knowing it would break her. Finish her off.
And here she was, rivers streaming down her cheeks.
Donavan spun her around.
“I’m sorry.” He said.
“I don’t want your apology.” She hadn’t meant to snap out at him like a psycho. Avery shook her head and said, “It’s okay. I keep telling myself that you weren’t just running away from obligations. And it’s true; you weren’t. So please don’t apologize.”
“It’s not okay.”
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Josh standing there twiddling his fingers, concern filled his blue gaze.
“Hey, Josh.” Her demeanor instantly transformed. It almost hurt to pretend to be happy. But she perked up so well. She guessed all those piano recitals in the past had prepared her for grinning and bearing it.
Avery started toward Joshua with the brightest beam on her face. “Oh, my god, Josh, you were amazing. You saved me!”
A few seconds passed as his hesitation wore off, and then Joshua bulldozed into her, hugging her tightly. She could feel Donavan’s eyes on her. The intensity in the way he watched the two made her aware that he was thinking of their child.
At this moment, Avery Castle realized that loving Donavan wasn’t a good idea. She hugged Joshua tightly, then asked him to sit in the hallway for a little while. She turned back to Donavan. “Please go. So, I can hate you in peace.”
“You don’t hate me, little bird.”
“Never call me that again. I do. I can learn to hate you. Because really, every fiber of my being loved and wants to help you cope with the fact that we lost our son.” Avery felt like committing herself to the closest treatment facility. Her emotions were a roller coaster for Donavan. No other man in this world would make her love so hard and feel any other emotion, good or bad. None other than Donavan Hardy.
“Avery—”
“And I just literarily realized that I cannot fathom helping you cope because it’s going to remind me that I had to deal all by myself. You punked out. Regardless of the dynamics. You gave up on us and left me all alone to toss on Band-Aids and deal with the fact that our son was dead. In a crazy house. All by myself. So, know that I love you, but my initial desire to be your friend won’t work.”
“I never left you, Avery. Even when I was in Iraq, you were here.” He pressed a fist against his chest and offered a smile that melted her desire to loathe him. “You were always here with me—the moment you came into my life—expecting more of me. Making me want to be a better man until I just snapped. I fucking snapped.” He reached down and scooped her into his arms.
“Let me go.”
“You and I are one in the same. Pigheaded.”
“I’m resilient.”
“You are. And you wanna know what else you add?”
“No.”
“A high off aggression. Let’s get you to the first aid kit.”
Avery glanced down at herself. I’m a mess, I actually look as fucked up as my emotions. There was a tear down her left leg and a quarter-sized gash on her right thigh. Her shirt was in shreds and fit for a zombie movie with the few blood splatters on it.
~~~
Donavan took the keys to her car and drove them to the guesthouse. While Joshua sat in front of the television, he carried Avery into the downstairs bathroom.
“I could walk.”
“I’m addicted to you. So, shoot me.” He gave her hip a little squeeze before placing her on the countertop.
Avery’s breathing slowed all the way down as he stood before her, between her legs.
“Shirt off,” Donavan ordered.
She took a lung full of air just as her oxygen hit zero. Donavan took it upon himself to grab the collar of her shirt and rip. The fabric teased before it tore down the middle of her chest, leaving her bare in just a sports bra, not even her best one. But the damn thing held her in—a little too good.
Realizing Donavan had her breathless and delirious she argued, “I honestly can do this myself.”
He opened the drawers around her, then checked behind the mirror before pulling out peroxide. Donavan sat it out and grabbed the expensive hand towel on the hook next to the
door.
She snatched it. “Not necessary.”
He placed it down and smiled. That gorgeous smile of his extended past his thick lips, reaching his honey eyes. His entire face made her mouth water. Her gaze held tight to his lips as he spoke.
“Remember all those times you and I got picked up by the cops.”
She was too dazed with desire to respond.
“We did a sit-in at the willow tree on Baker Street. Almost saved the damn thing. But we ended up getting hauled off. Your pops got us off, though. Then there was vandalizing that racist statue in North Carolina. Had it not been for you, I’d be as uncultured as people think I am. I’d never have given a damn about anything but my tiny corner of the world.”
Her pupils dilated with need. She needed them to go back in time. Do all the crazy shit but not get here. Not this stupid-ass point in time. They had to end up somewhere else. Together. Happy.
“Oh, shit, AC.” He chuckled, eyes sparkling as he reminisced. “Then there was us breaking into the zoo at night with . . . who was it?”
Avery’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. “Todd and Erica.”
“Save the koala bears. We did that.”
Her smile mirrored his, and damn it, if he didn’t have the most beautiful smile in the world. Pearly white teeth framed by thick, luscious, pussy-licking lips. Avery had taught him well when they were young. They’d both been awful at everything, but with their eagerness to please and the love they had for each other, she had had her first orgasm from those very lips when they were nasty-ass teenagers out of their minds in love with each other.
Avery gulped and continued to watch those lips talk as her mouth filled with liquid lust. “But damn, Avery. After all we did to keep those bears safe, we ended up seen by security.”
“You punched him.” She cracked up, momentarily not in a trance by his mouth. Then he spoke again, and all she could do was imagine his mouth.
“Yeah. Had to make sure my little bird got free.”
“Humph. I ended up skinning my leg on the wrought iron gate at the entrance.”
“See. And you were doped up on adrenaline. Didn’t notice a thing until I caught up.”
“Ouch,” She forced herself to exhale.
“It’s okay; it’s okay.” He, strong and muscular as he was, almost sent tears of desire down her eyes.
There was a nasty scrap at her side, but he dabbed at it with tender care. Avery glanced down. She hadn’t noticed that as Donavan spoke, he had wiped the blood from a few tiny scrapes along her midriff.
When Avery glanced up, Donavan’s mouth was inches away from hers. The lips of her nether regions thickened and trembled as he licked his mouth. “Your pants now.”
“I-I got it.” Avery hopped off the counter ultra-fast. Instead of getting away from him, as was her objective, she ended up eye to eye with his broad chest. “Donn . . . Donavan. I can. I’ll take a shower. You guys can head—crap you brought my car.”
He stepped closer to her; however, unlike in the past, he didn't command her to read his lips. The order was easily read in his eyes. Donavan wasn’t budging.
“Take your shower, AC. Then we take Joshua to lunch.”
~~~
He was the thorn in her side. At first, Avery humored him, due to Josh’s presence. The trio had ended up at a shack hanging off the side of the coast a few miles away from Myrtle Beach. The diner had clam chowder to die for, and Avery couldn’t deny it. The day had progressed much better than it had started.
But she’d less than a second to dwell on their busy day as Joshua chatted about the matinee they had gone to after lunch. Donavan had even splurged for them to go to the new theater and watch the latest Disney movie in 3D.
“That was my favorite part.” She said from the passenger seat of her car, half-twisting around. It was so much easier to converse when riding shotgun.
“Alright guys,” she started, getting out of the car next to Donavan’s Kawasaki at the front of the Baudelaire home. “It had been a fun day. But, now I have so much work to do.”
Joshua hopped out and came to hug her. When he let her go, he said, “My mom will be here soon. I know you guys wanna do stuff.”
Noticing his burning cheeks, Avery gulped. “Stuff? Why isn’t Donavan taking you back home?”
Donavan tossed over her keys. “Because I have to go pack a bag. Should I get a sleeping bag, or do you have an extra?”
“Come again?”
“You’ve been a pro at reading lips since you were, what? A baby? And I reckon I’ve got somewhat of a knack for reading between the lines myself. I figure you intend to spend the night here.”
“Donavan, don’t make me kick your ass off my land!”
CHAPTER 22
Donavan & Avery
After Donavan had kept his word about staying with her tonight, Avery had laughed and waved him away when he got onto his motorcycle to leave.
Then he returned with a backpack full of gear. Donavan had found her in the ballroom just as he had the night he couldn’t keep himself from taking his ass home and made sure she was safe until dawn. She’d placed her cot in the center of the room, though. She’d had him get it out of her trunk after tossing her sleeping bag at his head with full force. He supposed it was because of the gaping hole where she’d fallen through earlier. That was probably the funniest thing sight he’d ever seen. Of all the crazy stupid shit they’d done as children. Well, mostly him being a daredevil, this was the funniest one.
Avery was laying in her sleeping bag when Donavan returned. She’d gotten up though.
Then she threatened him.
She hit him.
Well, tried to hit him. Each of her lightning-fast smacks was thwarted as Donavan grabbed her wrists and yanked her closer to him.
“Get your shit and get out of my house. I have not extended a slumber party invitation to you, Donnie.” She wrestled her arms away, but he held them easily, securely, and without holding tight.
He took in an eyeful of her thick thighs as she reached out to smack him. To be honest, he liked the fight in her. She was wearing an ugly ass shirt that drowned her curves away. With each attempt to hit him, that cock blocking shirt rose up.
“Get out,” she ordered.
Donavan took the backpack from off his shoulder and slung it to the ground. “It’s just a backpack, little bird. It can easily fit in one of the many bedrooms. Unless you’d like me to sleep with you?”
“No.” She shoved her fingers through her hair. “I just knew that when Josh went home, and you said you’d be back, it was a joke. Because that’s not logical. You’ve ducked and dodged me for the last three days. Now you wanna socialize?”
He shrugged. Talking wasn’t at the top of his list but didn’t want to scare her off with the truth. “Yes.”
“Wrong answer. Kick rocks, Donnie.”
He laughed at her. It came easy, although it was an error he always regretted. She got a good slap in too. Donavan wriggled his jaw.
She argued and pointed and argued some more. When she took a breath to continue digging in on him, Donavan took the opportunity to get her attention. “What kinda idiot do you take me for, Avery? Leave you here overnight?”
“You go!”
“Okay. If I leave, I swear that ass of yours is going with me!”
She glared at the ceiling, lips taut, grumbling to herself.
“We can’t even stand each other for a moment,” Avery exclaimed.
Avery shook her head and started to turn away. Donavan gripped her arm and yanked her to his chest. “Who gives a fuck if we can’t stand each other’s presence or not. You’re forgetting one big thing, AC. You got on my nerves just about every daggone day when we were teens! I could fuck you angry, and you loved it.”
His comment stole the comeback right from her mouth. They both knew he presented a valid point.
“This is my house, Donavan. Respect me. Leave.”
He signed the words. “Franny alwa
ys told me I was welcome here. Will you go against her word?”
She stared.
“We had plans for this place. Fix it up. A bed and breakfast. You’d play your piano for the guests. I’d do maintenance.” He gripped her to him, his palms slamming against her ass. “Fix all the kinks.”
With her tiny body pressed against him, Donavan whispered against the hair at the crown of her head, though he knew she couldn’t hear him, “Let me fix you, Avery.”
His fingertips caressed her cheek like a vampire compelling his prey to be more receptive to something that may or may not be of benefit to them, Donavan’s touches begged her to comply. Her mouth angled up offering him consent.
His lips barely touched her mouth, and his cock ached to release just as fiery and desirous as her body burned to his touch. Her pussy quivered against his cock.
Slowly and with care, Donavan’s tongue delved into her mouth, tasting its sweet nectar, recalling the honey between her thighs, he groaned. With his lips against hers, he murmured, “I love you with all of me.”
Though the words were lost to her hearing, Avery’s heart squeezed in response. She melted into him, so malleable and ready to be ordered to do things so erotic—to please her—to pleasure him. He cupped her mouth, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling his strong body further into her. He didn’t want to crush her, but the way Avery clung to him, Donavan couldn’t help himself but clutch her tightly as his tongue dipped into her mouth, caressing hers. He felt like dropping to his knees to fuck her pussy with his mouth and imagined tasting her cream as he continued to kiss her breathlessly.
At the slight whimper from Avery, Donavan gasped. Her side still had to hurt. The intense connection they had died.
She let go of him, pushing back on the heels of her bare feet.
