by Jocelyn Han
Somehow, he sounded too breezy. Ava tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach when she scooted toward him. “Yeah, so – about last night…”
“Yeah.” He avoided her gaze. “I’m really sorry I got so drunk. That must have been embarrassing.”
She blinked back sudden tears. “You don’t – have you – do you still remember what happened?”
Nicolas waited too long. When he responded at last, he still wouldn’t look at her. “Well, I remember crawling into bed with you,” he said in a flat voice. “That was stupid. I should have slept on the floor or something. It won’t happen again.
No. Hell, no – he was not going to do this to her.
“Stop,” she blurted out, the first word that came to mind. “Nicolas, shut up. Stop lying to me.”
“W-what do you mean?” he faltered, a frown between his eyebrows. “I’m serious, Ava.”
“Well, so am I,” she snapped.
Stubbornly, he stared at the floor. “Let’s just forget it.”
“Look at me, goddammit!” she fumed.
When Nicolas glanced up, Ava saw how frightened he was, how desperate to fix this in some magical way. But there was no magical way – there was just a long and winding road ahead, full of obstacles she didn’t mind overcoming if only he would finally be at her side. “Nicolas,” she said, her voice determined and her stare unflinching. “What do you remember?”
Nic closed his eyes for a moment, clearly debating with himself before sitting down heavily on the bed and taking her hand in his. “I remember doing something I shouldn’t have done,” he replied, meeting her gaze.
“Why not?” Ava whispered.
“Because I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.”
At those words, her eyes filled with mortified tears. “Don’t say that,” she pleaded. “Why do you have to make it sound like you’ve done something wrong?”
Nicolas raked a hand through his dark hair. “How can it be right to sexually harass my ward?” he retorted.
“Harass?” she exclaimed in disbelief. “Nicolas, I wanted it. I’ve wanted you for the longest time.”
“This is not a game, Ava,” he cried out in frustration. “You can’t have me, okay? You have to get your kicks somewhere else.”
“Oh, you think that’s what this is?” Ava screamed in outrage. “Me looking for some cheap thrill?” He had really gone too far this time.
Nicolas fell silent. His whole body seemed to deflate when he slowly shook his head, looking at her with desperation in his green eyes. “No,” he finally confessed, almost inaudibly. “I don’t really think that.”
Ava bit her lip. “I’m in love with you, okay?” she said softly. “That’s why I want you.”
He blinked, so many different emotions passing over his face that it was hard to keep track of them. “You – really are?”
She silently nodded.
“But I’m your half-uncle,” he insisted.
“You see me care?”
He shook his head, a tired look crossing his face. “You know what – you’re right,” he relented after a long silence. “You’re so much more to me than just family. You’re my best friend’s daughter, and…”
“And?” she prompted him when he just stared at her.
Nicolas showed her a tragic smile. “Ava, I’m in love with you too. I can’t help it. I don’t know how to stop it.”
“Then don’t.”
“But I’m scared shitless.” His hand closed more tightly around hers. “I’m scared of holding on to you against all the unwritten rules of my society. But I’m even more afraid of losing you. Last night, when you were talking and flirting with Jeremy, I couldn’t take it. The thought of having to give you away to some other guy was too much to bear.”
“Hence the booze fest.”
He bit back a self-conscious laugh. “Yeah, hence the heavy drinking.”
She gingerly caressed his arm.”But you do want to hold on to me?” she said. “Despite the scared shitless part.”
“Yes.” He exhaled shakily. “My parents will disown me for having a relationship with a half-niece of mine who isn’t even fully Elite. I’ll be a poor outcast. You do realize that, don’t you?”
“I don’t care about your parents,” Ava said calmly. “Or your money. Or the fact that you’re distant family.”
Nicolas gazed at her, his eyes full of wonder. “You really mean every word.”
“Yes, I do.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Well, Miss Windsor, that makes you kind of badass.”
Ava chuckled. “I know. I might not be able to beat you in a swordfight, but I’m still pretty cool.”
“Cool, huh?” He cocked an eyebrow. “I remember you being pretty hot last night.”
Ava exhaled slowly, biting her lip. “Can you touch me like that again?” she asked softly. “Please?”
“I can do even more,” Nicolas replied, his voice laced with dark promises. A shiver ran through her when he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her onto his lap. She straddled his hips, grinding into him when she felt him harden.
“Kiss me,” she breathed. “Without holding back.”
Nic raised one hand to trace her cheek with soft, gentle fingers. Continuing his caress down her neck and behind her ear, he laced his fingers into her hair. “Gladly,” he whispered before capturing her mouth with hungry impatience. She parted her lips for him and he probed her with sensual, slow strokes of his tongue. Ava whimpered with sheer longing, her arms circling his chest, her fingers clawing at his back. Nicolas kissed her deeply, languidly, his lips so soft and warm it made her insides melt.
When Nic finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavily. Ava trembled as Nicolas’s gaze swept over her boobs. “I’ve always wondered what you look like naked,” he mumbled, lifting the hem of her camisole.
“That’s what you said last night when you were drunk,” she said with a slight giggle.
“I did?” He laughed. “Well, I guess it’s time to find out for real.”
She stilled in his lap when he slowly peeled off her top, gasping for breath as he kissed the bare skin of her tits and sucked one erect nipple into his mouth, lightly grazing the tip with his teeth. Meanwhile, his hands stroked her back, tracing her spine. When he looked up at her, Ava could see love and lust burning in his green eyes. “You’re glorious,” he said hoarsely. “I should have done this a long time ago.”
“It’s okay,” Ava sighed. “You had to be sure. That this is what you really want.”
“Oh, believe me, I really want this.” Nicolas got up on his knees, lowering her from his lap onto the mattress and unbuckling his belt. Ava swallowed hard as he pulled down his pants and boxers in one go, kicking them off in a frantic rush. His body was just as magnificent as she remembered – lean and muscular and firm. She resisted the urge to grab his narrow hips and take his long, erect cock into her mouth. Maybe it would remember him too much of Clea.
He followed her gaze. “What do you want?” he asked with a sly smile.
Ava looked up at him, feeling caught. “Uhm, you,” she stammered.
“How?” he went on, still smiling down on her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Well…” she started, licking her lips.
“Maybe you should show me,” Nic murmured, his voice thick with lust. From the looks of it, he was up for a private demonstration.
When she gripped him tightly in her hand and kissed the tip of his dick, he exhaled shakily. Encouraged by his obvious arousal, Ava let her tongue circle around his head before letting her lips slide down the shaft. The sensation of his hard cock in her mouth made her so hot that it wouldn’t surprise her if she came from doing just this.
Nic moaned deeply, his hands kneading her shoulders as she went down on him. “Oh, Ava,” he groaned, unable to stop himself from thrusting forward to meet her warm, sucking lips. “You’re good.”
Ava felt the urg
e to high-five herself. Clea was all but forgotten, that much was clear. She would tease and lick and suck him until he wouldn’t know how to even spell her name anymore. She slid all the way down again, taking him almost to the base. He throbbed within the warmth of her mouth like something primal and forbidden.
“Stop,” he said with a ragged voice. “I’m too close.”
Ava looked up, slowly releasing him from her mouth, gauging his reaction as she flicked her tongue over his head one more time. His eyes ran dark. “You little tease,” he grunted. “You don’t want me to fuck you?”
A thrill of desire ran through her. “Yes, I do,” she murmured.
“Good.” Nicolas slid his large hands over her butt, pulling down the fabric of her shorts as he stared into her eyes. Then, he laid her down on the bed, covering her belly with soft, fluttery kisses all the way down to her pubic hair. Ava arched her back and softly cried out when his tongue licked her swollen lips and clit. She thought she couldn’t get any more turned on, but Nic knew what he was doing. He sucked her clit so deliciously that she was completely soaked by the time he moved up again to touch her face and gaze at her.
“You still want me?” he said huskily.
Ava nodded mutely. Half expecting him to turn her around and take her from behind, she rolled on her side, only to meet with his uncomprehending eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked with a puzzled frown.
She bit her lip. “I thought you might like it doggy-style,” she clumsily replied.
Nicolas slowly shook his head. “I like looking at a girl when I make love to her.” He covered her body with his, pressing her into the mattress. Ava closed her eyes when she felt his hand guiding his cock to her moist slit, trembling as it touched her swollen lips. Nic kissed her as he pushed forward, taking her with one deep thrust, causing her to moan into his mouth.
Nicolas started to move in an unhurried, steady rhythm. Ava looked up at him and sighed helplessly at the feeling of his rock-hard shaft driving in and out of her creamy, tight pussy. He filled her up completely. It was even better than she’d imagined, and so much gentler than what he’d done to Clea.
“Nic,” she groaned. “Make me yours.”
He nodded with a faint smile. “I will, sweet Ava. I’ll fly you to the moon and back.” When he picked up the pace, she grabbed his ass and urged him on, suddenly desperate for release. She wanted to come for him and devour everything he had to give to her.
The closer she got to an orgasm, though, the slower his movements became. Ava groaned in frustration. “Please don’t stop,” she begged. “I need you.”
“I’m not stopping,” Nic whispered. “I just want to keep you this high for as long as I can.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip as he kept rocking gently against her, teasing her in the best way possible. This was sheer torture, but it was also sweet.
When he finally couldn’t stop her from coming anymore, Nicolas kissed her forehead as she gasped into his neck and shuddered with pleasure, riding the waves of her postponed orgasm. Ava watched him with heavy eyelids as he grabbed her ankle and pushed one of her legs all the way up, her knee touching her cheek. “Wow, you’re bendy,” he panted, thrusting into her so deep and fast that she cried out in ecstasy even though she was fully satisfied, her body feeling warm and languorous. Despite her dreamy state, it was titillating to feel how hard Nic was for her, how urgent his movements were when he buried himself deep inside her pussy, claiming her after holding back for so long. “You’re mine,” he grunted, finally spilling himself in an explosion of bliss. Panting, he gazed into her eyes as his body shuddered with pleasure. “I can’t believe it. You’re mine.”
Ava smiled up at him with all the love she felt in her heart. “Thank God I am,” she replied softly. “I didn’t think it would happen anymore.” A sudden, lonely tear rolled down her cheek.
Nicolas kissed it away, cradling her in his arms. “I’m sorry for being such a jerk. I should have been honest with you, but I wasn’t sure what you were thinking.”
“You really thought I was just flirting with you for the thrill of it?” Ava asked.
He nodded, rolling off her body and lying next to her. “Well, at first – yes. I mean, it was pretty obvious I liked you too much, so I thought you were trying to provoke me. See how far you could take things between us.”
“When did you realize I was serious?”
“When you left for Luna Six after our kiss in the practice room.”
Ava bit her lip. “Yeah. I was really hurt.”
“I know.” He turned a bit red with embarrassment. “I thought it would be best to just keep my distance after that, but I couldn’t.”
“I’m glad you got drunk last night,” she suddenly blurted out. “A good thing Jeremy showed up and drove you mad with jealousy.”
“Yeah.” Nic smiled wistfully. “He sent me up here to talk to you, you know. Said he could see I loved you. He thought you deserved to know the truth.”
Ava closed her eyes, silently thanking Jeremy for being such a good friend to Nicolas. “What will happen now?” she wanted to know.
“It depends.” He brushed the hair out of her face, quietly admiring her from up close. “Do you want to stay at Carter Manor?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you were thinking of getting a job in town just a few days ago.”
Ava swallowed. “I was trying to run away from you,” she admitted.
“So you don’t want to move out?”
“No. I like your place. I like the feeling of living with family, even though most of them are servants, of course.”
Nicolas nodded. “If you stay, we have to be really careful.”
“Why?” Ava asked in surprise, hurt creeping into her voice. “You want to keep it a secret?”
“We have to. If anybody finds out we’re lovers, they’ll take my guardianship away and you’ll have to live with the most immediate family member until you’re twenty-one. Which would be my mother.”
Ava shivered. “Oh, shit. Eight more months with the old Carters? No, you’re right – it’s better to sneak around.”
“The question is: can we pull that off while living in the same house?”
She bit her lip. “We have to lie to the Pipps family, too?”
“Yes. I’m not worried about Danny and Margaret, but I don’t know if the kids will be able to keep their mouths shut about us.”
They both fell silent for a long time. On one hand, the thought of moving downtown and leaving Nic behind was killing Ava. On the other hand, living in the same house and constantly having to pretend they didn’t love each other wasn’t exactly appealing either. In fact, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to fool Margaret Pipps for one second.
“Let’s give it a try,” she suggested. “If it’s too difficult, I can always find an apartment in Luna Six later on.”
Nicolas smiled, looking relieved. “Okay. We’ll be careful.” He grimaced when his stomach rumbled loudly. “Oh, right. Breakfast. I think we may have missed that.”
“Fuck breakfast,” Ava declared with a wide grin. “Let’s just get out of here and get food at the spaceport.”
“Mind your words,” Nic teased her. “You’re an exemplary Elite lady now, with a proper Elite boyfriend.”
“Over my dead body,” she snorted. “There’s nothing proper about me. I’m an Earth rebel.”
“What will you do when they give you access to Colin’s inheritance?”
Ava beamed at him. “I’ll buy your poor, outcast ass a cruiser ticket and fly you to Earth, so we can live together in Sutton and live off my money for a change.”
“Sounds good to me.” Nicolas genuinely sounded like he was looking forward to a difficult life of struggle and financial hardship, and it touched Ava to the core. He was eager to have a life with her, no matter how complicated it would be.
“Now.” She got up and extended her hand. “Let’s go see Uncle Gerald and pra
ctice our ‘we’re-just-uncle-and-niece’ act on the flight to Birmingham.”
14.
Now that the storm had blown over, the fields around Sutton looked peaceful again, although the bruised wheat stems scattered all around her were still whispering with vicious stories.
Ava was standing at the edge of the field near Georgie’s family’s farm. After their visit to Uncle Gerald – who had turned out to be very nice – Nicolas and she had decided to drop by her old town and meet some of her friends. Nic had immediately taken to setting up financial aid for all the farmers who had suffered damage from the tornadoes, reminding her so much of her father’s concern for the welfare of the villagers that it had brought her to tears for a minute.
“Hey,” Nicolas said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Ava turned around in the circle of his arms. “I think you could be happy here,” she said earnestly. “This place suits you.”
“Who knows,” he mumbled in her hair. “If you show me everything, I might see the beauty of Earth through your eyes.”
She smiled, enjoying his embrace. They hadn’t touched in days – this was the first place where they could be themselves since their arrival on the British Isles. Georgie was the only one who knew about them besides Alen, whom she’d sent a message straight after leaving Old Berlin. They were safe here.
“You don’t have to,” she said. “Not yet. First, you have to fly me back to the moon.”
Nic chuckled. “If we book a slow cruiser back to Luna, we might even do a little playing among the stars,” he mumbled suggestively. “You know – book adjacent rooms and be naughty during the trip home.”
“I like the sound of that.” Ava snaked her arms around his waist and eagerly pulled him in for a kiss. Not being able to touch Nicolas while he was so close should have been familiar territory by now, but the past few days had been torture. Maybe it was because she knew he wanted her just as bad as she wanted him. “Actually, I want to be naughty right now.”
“Let’s go back to Georgie’s and consecrate the guest room,” Nic rumbled, his voice catching in his throat. “It’s almost dark anyway. Time to go to bed.”
