by Mia Ford
This was my life, no matter how much I seemed to have screwed it up, and I couldn’t take back any of it. I was disappointed in myself for going against my gut instinct from the beginning, but beating myself up was not going to solve anything. I still had an amazing career and a bright future, and MJ was going to give me that resume boost that would really get me going in this financial climate.
Now, all I had to figure out was what to do with Tanner.
Chapter 15
Tanner
Friday was finally here, and I couldn’t have been happier about that. Ava hadn’t talked to me since the elevator on Wednesday, and I wasn’t sure how she was feeling. I knew she was confused. She was angry about how everything had happened, but I tried to assure her I had done everything with her best interest at heart, even if I was misguided. I had sent her that text, and even though she didn’t respond, I knew she’d read it, and that’s what I wanted the most. I wanted her to know I was thinking about her and that I wasn’t being a prick.
Now that I was home, I had no idea whether Ava was going to show up for dinner or not, but I wasn’t going to not be prepared in case she did. I made dinner, kept it warming in the oven, and set the table with the plates, silverware, cloth napkins, and a large vase of red roses. I situated the bottle of wine on ice to the side and then stood back to admire my work. I hadn’t made dinner for a woman like that ever in my entire life, not even for the ex-wife. I did have it stapled in the back of my mind that Ava may not show up.
She knew I was still going to plan on her being there. I had sent her a reminder of the time, the address, and told her I hoped she came. If she didn’t, well that was completely on her and of her own accord at that point. She had all the information, so there weren’t going to be any excuses for her to take. If she showed up, I would be ecstatic, but if she didn’t, it would answer a lot of questions and put a lot of things to rest. If she decided not to come, I could move forward, release her from my mind, and understand that it was nothing more than a little fling that went as soon as it came.
I could really put my professional hat on and get back to work, treating her just like any other employee and get the merger underway without any more distractions. All in all, this dinner would answer a lot of questions for the both of us, both for each other and for the way that we felt. Sure, I would love to have Ava be just as wanting as I was for affection from me, but at the same time, if she wasn’t, I didn’t want to continue to pine for her. It was hard enough to convince myself to take this step, much less continue to chase after someone who didn’t want to be chased.
At eight, I forced myself to go in the living room and relax instead of pacing back and forth in the kitchen. We hadn’t spoken since the elevator, and it was starting to drive me crazy. If she didn’t want to talk with me, that was fine, but she could be an adult about it and at least say it out loud. I guess in some way she had, but she was extremely full of mixed signals. She was pushing me away and then pulling me back close, and I was starting to feel like I was on a roller coaster. I sighed and put my feet up on the table, trying to avoid staring at my watch.
It was like every minute that ticked by, I got more and more depressed, surprising myself wholeheartedly about how upset I was at the thought of not having a personal relationship with Ava. Maybe I cared about her a bit more than I thought I did. I shook that thought straight from my mind, not wanting to have that kind of revelation on the night she might not show up at all. Now I knew how the girls I stood up felt like waiting for me, and I vowed right there never to do that to a woman again. It was a pretty terrible feeling. I looked down at my watch and realized it was a quarter after eight, and I started to make peace with the idea she wasn’t coming. I stood up and headed for the wine but stopped suddenly the sound of knocks echoed through the penthouse.
I walked to the door and opened it, looking out at Ava standing anxiously outside. She looked gorgeous in a black dress, black pea coat, and her hair curled in big curls cascading over her shoulders. She reached up and handed me a bottle of wine and smiled, her cheeks rosy red from the cold that had taken over the night air.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” I said kindly.
“I didn’t think I was either,” she said with a smile, “but here I am.”
I leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, grasping tightly to the bottle of wine she had brought. The scent of her perfume filled my nostrils, and I felt so many different emotions flowing through me. I was relieved she was there. I was nervous that this meant I had to put aside my fears and move forward, and I was also extremely turned on by her, like I always was. She closed her eyes, and I lingered there at her cheek for several moments, just taking in her whole self. I couldn’t explain what I was feeling even if I tried, but I knew one thing. This was going to be a night where I treated this woman like a queen and not some girl I was just trying to hook up with. I stepped back and looked at how beautiful she was.
“You look amazing,” I said, stepping to the side. “Please, come in.”
She smiled and walked through the doors, looking around the place with wide eyes. I forgot that I hadn’t had the opportunity to bring her to my place yet, and it was probably a bit to take in. My penthouse was one of the biggest in the city, and it had the best view of any penthouse. You could see all of downtown from the top floor, and though I didn’t have a balcony because of the wind sheers, the windows were an amazing opening to the world below.
I showed her into the living room and sat her down on the couch, returning to the kitchen to open the wine. I served us both a glass and sat down next to her on the couch, turning so we could see each other and talk. She looked nervous as she sipped her wine, and I smiled, remembering that look from when I had first seen her after so many years.
“It’s gotten really cold outside,” she said, her nose still red.
“Winter is coming fast this year,” I replied.
“I love the snow,” she smiled. “The seasons are so amazing here. Fall is my favorite, but Christmas and New Years in New York is so magical.”
I smiled at how beautiful she was, how much she reminded me of youth and vitality. She reminded me of how it felt to want someone, to be there and be close. I hadn’t had that for a very long time, but I knew I wanted that from Ava. Everything had started out such a mess, but I had the chance to turn that around, and it was exactly like I wanted. Our conversation at that moment was a little awkward, but I knew it would only take a few minutes until she started to feel comfortable again. She reached over and picked up her glass, the napkin beneath it falling to the floor. We both bent over at the same time and our fingertips grazed one another.
Instantly, we both froze, our heads slowly turning toward each other. We both grasped the napkin and sat back up, staring into each other’s eyes. Her cheeks grew red, and her mouth was slightly upturned in a smile. Her fair skin and dark features were breathtaking, and the candles were casting dancing shadows on the wall behind her. Passion rushed through my chest like nothing I had ever felt before, and I could barely catch my breath. I set my glass down on the table and cradled Ava’s face in my hands, leaning forward and kissing her softly on each cheek, then each eyelid, down to the tip of her nose, and finally, I pressed my lips carefully against hers. She was stiff at first, but as our bodies aligned, she relaxed and leaned into me. She was soft and beautiful, and at that moment, I thought of her differently than I ever had before. I wanted to make love to her, to worship every inch of her body, and to show her how happy I was that she was there with me.
I scooted closer to her and ran my hand up her thigh, stopping at the edge of her dress. Our kiss became more heated but still gentle to the touch, and we turned our heads back and forth, kissing softly over and over again. I pushed the hair back behind her ear and ran my lips over her cheek and to her neck. She sighed heavily as I barely touched her skin, my hand running up her arm and meeting my face at the edge of her bare shoulder. She placed one of her hands on my
neck and the other on top of mine and turned her head, finding my mouth once again. She pushed in deeply, moaning as our tongues met, and we explored each other’s mouths. She tasted like wine but sweeter, and instantly, I could feel the lust begin to take over.
I stood up, reaching my hand down to her and smiling. She looked up at me and took it, allowing me to pull her to her feet. I slid my hand around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her deeply and passionately. Her breasts heaved up and down as her breathing picked up and her heart raced. My pants were extremely tight against my growing cock, and I wanted to get her out of her dress.
I turned and pulled her along, shutting the lights off in the main area as I walked her back toward the bedroom. I could hear the clicking of her heels against the marble floors of the hallway, and I imagined her legs wrapped around my neck. I stopped outside of the door of my bedroom and took her face back into my hands. She stared up at me with beautiful wide eyes, closing them as I dipped my head down toward her, kissing her over and over again, feeling her breath in my ear as my lips moved down her neck. She grabbed onto the front of my shirt and pulled me close to her, pushing her hips against my hard, covered shaft. I groaned slightly at the feeling, and my hands immediately went down to her skirt where I gripped the material, wanting so badly to bend her over right there.
Knowing my plan required some sort of self-control, I took in a deep breath and walked her into the dark bedroom. As I shut the door, I absorbed every detail of her shape. The light from the city was shining in just enough to create a silhouette of her curves on the walls. I was going to treat Ava like she had always deserved, and there was nothing more sensual than exploring each other’s bodies to the light of the moon. Hopefully, when we were done, she would never run away from me again.
Chapter 16
Ava
His smell, his lips, that moment, it was all so overwhelming, so erotic, and just crazy to me. I couldn’t believe I was there. I couldn’t believe I was standing in the moonlight in his bedroom, getting ready to make love to Tanner. Everything leading up to that moment was so chaotic and stressful and almost seemed unreal, but I was finally back where I always knew I wanted to be. I couldn’t help but come over, even though I tried so hard to fight myself on it. Everything in my brain was telling me to stay home, but my heart and my emotions were playing war against my brain. In the end, my heart won, and I found myself back in Tanner’s arms.
It was erotic, it was confusing, and it was emotional, but it felt so absolutely right and perfect. I couldn’t explain the range of emotions washing over me at that time, but there was nowhere else I wanted to be at that moment. I was drawn to Tanner like a magnet. It was a force I couldn’t control, and I wanted to be near him, to feel him around me and inside of me. And at that point, that attraction was controlling everything around me. I could fight it further, but I was tired of fighting. I could push it away, but what would be the point? I would end up right back where I was.
He walked toward me, taking my face in his hands and kissing me deeply and passionately. I could barely breathe, my lungs were moving so fast, and I could feel my heart beating in the palm of my hands. There was something so sensual and erotic about his touch. I moaned softly as his lips moved down my neck, and I reached up, grabbing his shirt with both hands and pulling him into me. I pushed my hips against his cock, feeling it bulging inside of his pants. Just knowing how much he wanted me made the heat in my chest move down between my legs. He reached around me and unzipped my dress, pulling the shoulders down and trailing his lips across my skin. He pulled the dress from my body and tossed it to the side, reaching back and unclasping my bra. My breasts bounced out, my nipples hard from the feeling of electricity between us. He kissed my belly as he bent over and slipped my panties down, allowing me to hold on as I stepped out of them.
When he stood back up, I unbuttoned his shirt, pulling it from his body. I reached down and unbuttoned his shorts, letting them fall to the ground and watching him step out of them. His long, hard cock was pushing, trying to be set free from his boxers. Instead of pulling them down, I backed up, sitting down on the bed and pulling him toward me. He stepped forward, running his hand over the top of my head. Slowly I pulled his boxers down and off, tossing them to the side. I ran my fingertips down the shaft of his cock, listening to him groan softly above me. I looked up and met his eyes, feeling the ecstasy rolling between us. The passion that we felt, that magnetism pulling us together, was the strongest I had ever felt before. I no longer felt like I was fucking a stranger, but instead making love to a man who I felt very deeply for.
My hand grasped tightly around his shaft, moving up and down slowly as I pushed my head forward and ran my lips over the tip of his cock. He groaned as I took him into my mouth and plunged my head down, my lips reaching the base. As I slowly pulled my head back up, I sucked hard at the back of my throat and swirled my tongue all around. He let out a deep breath and tangled his hand in my hair, pushing me lightly as I went back down. His huge cock filled my throat, and as my head came back, I glanced up at him, my eyes watering and a moan vibrating through my throat. I reached my hand up and cradled his balls, rubbing them around in my hand. He growled as I continued, sucking his dick faster and faster, feeling it bulging inside of my mouth.
After a few moments, he pulled my head back and reached down, grabbing me under the arms and pulling me up onto the bed. He moved back in front of me and stroked his cock for a moment looking over every inch of my body. Watching his hand move up and down his shaft was so erotic, and I spread my legs open, welcoming him in. He reached forward and slid two fingers through the folds, rubbing them over my clit and then moving down to slide them inside of me. I moaned loudly, feeling him bending forward and bringing his face into my wet mound. I laid back while his tongue ran through my juices, unable to control myself any longer. I spread my thighs apart and began to grind my pussy against his mouth, screaming out as he moved me closer and closer to orgasm.
As his fingers moved in and out of me, his tongue massaged my clit, sending electricity through my body. Just as he picked up the pace, I arched my back and grasped onto his back, feeling the heat inside of me explode. Tendrils of electric waves pulsed through my muscles, and my body screamed out in pleasure as my juices trickled out into his mouth. He groaned against my pussy as my body shook and writhed beneath him, feeling every second of the orgasm. It was the strongest pleasure I had ever felt, and I could barely keep my legs from shaking around his face.
As soon as my body had relaxed, he climbed forward, rolling me onto my side. He laid down behind me and picked up my leg, scooting in and rubbing his cock through my juices. He reached back and grabbed a condom from his nightstand, slipping it over his hard shaft and returning to my side. He pushed forward, leaning his body against mine as he entered me, filling me fully with his cock. I moaned loudly as he wrapped his arm around me and rubbed my nub, his hips moving in and out with a slow steady rhythm. I could already feel another orgasm coming on as if the first had triggered a waterfall of pleasure inside of me. I gripped down on the comforter next to me.
My heavy breathing showed him where I was, and he started to rub my clit harder and faster. I screamed out feeling all the sensations at once, knowing that I was about to explode all over again. He lifted his head and sucked on my ear, his hot breath flowing over my neck.
“I’m gonna’ come,” I moaned, loudly.
“Yes,” he whispered. “Let me feel it, baby.”
He began to push hard and deep as I clenched down, screaming loudly and throwing my head back into his. As the pleasure pushed through me once again, I could feel how sensitive my clit had become. I reached down and grabbed his hand a mixture of moans and giggles escaping my throat. He chuckled as he moved from his side and crawled back in front of me. I laid there for a moment, breathing heavily and looked up at him. He was smiling mischievously before flipping me over on my stomach and spreading my legs wide. He reached underneath my stomac
h and lifted my hips so just my ass was in the air. He slid forward and rubbed the tip of his cock against my wetness before slowly sliding into me.
I screamed out in ecstasy and grabbed onto the edge of the bed as he began to thrust hard and deep inside of me. He no longer had the self-discipline he had shown before, and he was fucking me as hard and deep as he possibly could. It felt amazing, and I pulled my legs in slightly and tilted my hips to give him better access. He reached his hands forward and grabbed my ass gripping down as he plunged in and out over and over again.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “You are so fucking wet.”
I moaned loudly at the sound of his voice, and every time I screamed out, he became needier. He slapped me lightly on the ass cheek and the pain mixed with pleasure shot straight into my stomach. He reached his hands up and gripped my waist tightly as his cock began to pulsate inside of me.
“Yes, baby,” I moaned. “I want to feel you come.”
He growled as he thrust forward three more times before falling into me and gripping tightly to my hips. He pulsated his body against me as he leaned his head back and moaned loudly. I could feel his cock bulging inside of me as it exploded his seed. His body was stiff against mine and after a few moments, I could hear the air leaving his lungs. He leaned forward and kissed the center of my back before pulling out and allowing me to fall forward on my belly.
