Meant To Be (The Callahans Book 4)

by Monica Murphy

  Right now.

  “Do you have a condom?” she asks breathlessly.

  I fumble around, flipping open my center console and pulling out one of the condoms I stashed in there a few weeks ago. I figured I always want to be prepared.

  I’m like a fucking boy scout.

  “Here.” I hold the condom in between us and Ava swipes it from my fingers, tearing open the wrapper and holding the ringed condom between her fingers as she stares at me.

  “Hurry,” she pants.

  Impatient, bossy, horny Ava is a new version of my girl. I like her. A lot. I somehow yank my pants and boxers down so they’re bunched past my knees. Ava’s slipped one leg out of her panties so they’re dangling from her thigh, a scrap of sheer nude fabric. She rolls the condom on my dick and a hiss of a breath escapes past my lips when her fingers brush against me. I want more. I’d like a hand job and I wouldn’t mind getting her off with my fingers, but she’s restless. Her movements urgent.

  It’s going to be a one and done type of night for us.

  She rises above me once more, her fingers around the base of my cock as she settles herself on me. Slowly she glides down, engulfing me in nothing but wet, hot, tight heat and I briefly close my eyes, leaning my head against the seat as I try and catch my breath. Her hands gripping my shoulders, she starts to move, and again, I let her do all the work. It’s fucking fascinating, watching Ava ride me. Strain against me. I keep my hands on her hips, guiding her, controlling the pace.

  Tilting her head down, her eyes flutter open and she stares at me, whispering, “Faster, Eli. Please.”

  Well fuck.

  Moving faster, I lift my hips, driving deep inside of her, desperate to give my girl what she wants. She tosses her head back, chanting, “Don’t stop, don’t stop,” over and over again, and I do exactly that.

  I don’t stop. Until we’re both coming so hard, I swear to God, I see fucking stars. And when it’s over, and our breaths have evened out some and we’re clinging to each other, she presses her lips to my cheek and whispers, “Are you still tense?”

  A chuckle leaves me. “Not really.”

  I can feel her smile against my face. “Then my plan worked.”

  I’m full-blown laughing, surprised by Ava and everything she does for me. Though I don’t know why I’m surprised. I should expect the unexpected when it comes to her.

  Yeah, I sound like the fucking Big Brother motto on TV, but fuck it. I used to love watching that show when I was younger. With my family.

  My messed-up family.

  Pushing them out of my thoughts, I concentrate on Ava. My beautiful, sweet yet dirty Ava.

  “I love you,” I say, tangling my fingers in her hair, grasping the back of her neck and bringing her in for a long, deep kiss.

  “I love you, too,” she murmurs, pulling away to smile down at me. “But we need to get going or we’re going to be late.”

  We arrive at the restaurant with two minutes to spare, both of us kind of a mess. Once we get out of the car, we set to work on ourselves so we’re more presentable. She straightens her hair and readjusts her skirt, then slips the red sweater on over her shoulders, dimming the magic that is Ava in that fuckin’ sexy dress. I tuck my shirt back into my pants as neatly as I can and pray there aren’t any come stains on the front of them. I do as thorough a search as I possibly can, considering there’s not much light out here.

  From what I can tell, they’re clean.

  “Do I look all right?” She turns to face me as we stop in front of the entrance of the restaurant.

  My gaze roams over her, taking her in. She looks freshly fucked, but no way can I tell her that. She might freak out.

  Reaching toward her, I tuck a few hairs behind her ear. Touch the corner of her swollen lips with my thumb, making her smile. Her chest is still flushed from our earlier sex session in the car and I regret ever leaving that spot.

  We should’ve stayed there all night.

  “You look beautiful,” I tell her with all the sincerity I can muster.

  She smiles. Blushes. “So do you.”

  “You like me all dressed up?” I spread my arms out a little, as if I’m presenting myself to her. To the world.

  “Yes.” Her murmur is low and throaty, and she takes a step toward me, her hand going to my shoulder as she rises up and presses a soft kiss on my jaw. “Let’s go inside and get this over with.”

  I take her hand and we enter the restaurant. It’s packed, but that’s not surprising, considering it’s Saturday night and this is one of the finer restaurants in the area. I spot my mom sitting among strangers on a long bench in the waiting area.

  My brother and father are nowhere to be found.

  “There you are!” Mom rises to her feet—steadily I might add—and makes her way toward us, grabbing Ava’s shoulders and dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Look at you! Ava, you’re gorgeous.” Before she turns her attention on me. “Have you seen your father or Ryan yet?”

  I shake my head and hug my mom. “Nope. I thought you were all coming together.”

  “So did I, but then Ryan took off right before you left to pick up Ava, and he never came back. He eventually texted me and said he was coming to the restaurant with Dad.”

  Great. What if they don’t show up? Mom will be devastated and drown her sorrows in too much wine, or maybe harder liquor if she’s really down in the dumps.

  That’s the last thing I want Ava to witness.

  “You look stunning in that dress, Ava,” Mom says, and Ava smiles in response, her expression downright bashful. The complete opposite of the girl in my car who climbed on top of me and rode my dick not thirty minutes ago. “Isn’t she beautiful tonight, Eli?” Mom turns to look at me.

  “She’s beautiful every single fuckin’ day,” I say, making Ava laugh.

  Mom scowls. “You use that word much too freely.”

  “No one’s paying any attention to us. Don’t worry.” I get annoyed when Mom makes a big deal out of me cursing. Everyone says bad words. I’m no exception.

  We stand there and talk for a few minutes, Mom glancing nervously toward the entrance what feels like every thirty seconds. Maybe she’s as worried about this dinner tonight as me. She might not want to deal with it—with Dad, with Ryan, with all of us together, either.

  The giant wooden door swings open, bringing with it a gusty wind and…

  Ryan and my father.

  I stand up straighter, my muscles seizing, my shoulders tense. Ryan heads for Mom, wrapping her up in a big hug before he approaches me. “Little brother. Not so little anymore,” he says, a lazy smile curling his lips as he holds out his hand for me to slap.

  Oh shit. I hope he’s not drunk.

  “Were you two out drinking just now?” I ask, ignoring his offered hand.

  Ryan gives me a dirty look, dropping his arm at his side. “What are you trying to imply? That you disapprove?” His attention switches to Ava, and he turns on the charm. “Hey there, pretty girl. You’re looking extra beautiful tonight.”

  He hugs her—a little too close and a little too long—while I quietly seethe. The fuck? Would Ryan really try and make a move on my girlfriend?

  Wouldn’t put it past him.

  Asshole.

  “Hi.” She disentangles herself from him as quickly as possible, then scoots closer to me, her shoulder brushing against mine. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  She’s so damn polite. Really, she should tell him to go suck a giant dick for what he just did.

  I sling my arm around her shoulders and haul her in close, staking my claim so no one forgets it. That’s aimed right at you, Ryan Bennett.

  Ryan just grins and glances around the crowded waiting area. “Is there a bar in this place?”

  Yeah. The night just keeps getting better. Has my big brother turned into an uncontrollable drunk like our mother? At least this evening she’s acting relatively sober. She might’ve had a glass of wine to calm the agitated nerves b
efore she left the house, but at the moment, she appears perfectly normal.

  Actually, she looks really nice. Her hair is smooth and neat, and I don’t spot a single gray strand on her darkish blonde head. She must’ve just got it done. I think she’s even wearing a new dress. And…yeah. She has makeup on. Mom put some extra effort into it to impress Dad maybe? I almost feel bad.

  He’s not even paying attention to her.

  “Who’s this?” Dad asks, indicating Ava with a wave of his fingers.

  “My girlfriend,” I say proudly. “This is Ava.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she says when Dad shakes her hand.

  “Nice to meet you too.” Dad catches my gaze and winks. Code for he approves.

  The horny bastard.

  I tuck Ava closer, filled with the need to protect her. I should’ve known.

  This night is going to be fucking brutal.

  Thirty-One

  Ava

  The entire evening has been surreal.

  Sex with Eli in his car had been…addicting. No other word for it. It all happened so fast and then we had to go. I was the one who rushed everything, and while I regret it a little, I also loved how quick it was. How exhilarated the entire experience made me feel.

  Like I want to do that again.

  And again and again and again.

  Once we showed up at the restaurant and straightened ourselves up in the parking lot, I couldn’t stop staring at my boyfriend. He practically looks like an adult in the black pants and the white button up shirt, the first couple of buttons undone so it’s open at the collar. He has a sexy businessman vibe going on tonight, and I can’t get over the fact that he’s all mine. That I was just having sex with him in his car not even an hour ago.

  I did that so he’d have a fond memory to cling to tonight, instead of what could potentially happen here and now at the restaurant. So far, his family has been somewhat fine. His mother looks really nice, like she took extra care when she got ready. I love her dress. She definitely appears more youthful than she did the last time I saw her.

  Ryan hugged me a little too close when we first saw each other, but he also smelled like alcohol so I blamed liquid courage on that. His dad seems perfectly polite. I have no idea what his parents’ actual first names are.

  Kind of weird, but I’m not asking either.

  I do what Autumn suggested and remain quiet through the first part of the meal. I don’t speak until spoken to. I listen to the conversations around me. I nod and smile when I think it’s necessary. I keep my hand firmly on Eli’s rock hard thigh between the appetizer and main entrée, digging my fingers in when he says something a little rude.

  It only happened twice, and my gouging fingernails seemed to do the trick.

  By the time we’re halfway through our meal, that’s when things start to get tense.

  “Ryan says you played a hell of a game Friday night,” his father says to Eli.

  Eli’s lips get tight. His entire body tenses visibly. “I suppose I did. You’d know for sure if you actually came to a game every once in a while.”

  His dad completely ignores Eli’s snide remark. “You gonna try and do something with that in college then?” He saws into the rare steak he’s eating, spilling red juice all over his plate.

  It kind of turns my stomach.

  Eli sets his fork down with a clatter, startling me. Startling his mother as well. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “I mean exactly what I said,” his father says. “Are you planning to play ball in college like your brother?”

  “I hope to hell I don’t end up like Ryan, benched my junior year because I’m on academic probation and basically fucking myself for the rest of my college football career,” Eli says, his voice dripping with disdain.

  Oh dear. That was kind of an awful thing to say.

  “Eli,” his mother scolds, her voice low, her gaze narrowed as she glares at him. “Please don’t say that word.”

  “What word are you talking about huh, Mom? Fuck? Is that the word?” Eli’s voice raises, and I can tell he’s ready for a fight.

  “Hey.” I rest my hand on his thigh, wishing I could calm him. Wishing I could ease his anger and pain. “Play nice.”

  He sends me a scathing look, realizing a second too late what he just did. I see the immediate regret in his eyes, it’s written all over his face and he places his hand over mine, squeezing gently.

  I wish I could sooth him. And I know I can, but right now I think any soothing techniques I try on him will be impossible. His family riles him up too much, and I can see why. They’re not a real support system. They don’t have his back. Seeing it in action makes me feel…

  Terrible. Heartbroken.

  For Eli.

  “Let’s watch you get out in the real world next year and see how well you do,” Ryan throws at him, his expression full of disgust. “It’s not as easy as it looks.”

  Eli scoffs. “I’m sure I’ll do ten times better than you. At least I won’t run away and abandon my family. Though I probably should. Not a one of you gives a shit about me.”

  I wince. God, he’s making things worse.

  But then again, he has to get his feelings out.

  “Eli,” his mother sighs, shaking her head. “You know we care about you. I love you. It’s just been a hard time.”

  “No shit, Mom. I’ve probably suffered the worst from all of this,” my boyfriend says indignantly.

  “Jesus. Stop acting like a baby,” Ryan says, his words for Eli. “Grow some balls and man up. No one abandoned you. I’ve had my own shit to deal with. Not that you cared.”

  “I’d care if you actually talked to me,” Eli flings at him, the pain on his face obvious.

  But it’s like no one can see it. They’re all so wrapped up in their own problems, they can’t see how much Eli is suffering. Or maybe I’m so attuned to him, I hurt when he hurts. And right now, my chest aches. My limbs are stiff with tension. I wish I could magically take away Eli’s pain.

  “Why would I want to talk to you?” The scowl on Ryan’s face is horrible. He looks so mean. “If you’re looking for advice about college life, I’ve got one thing to say to you. Good luck to you, asshole.”

  “Ryan,” their mom snaps, grabbing her wineglass and draining it before she continues. “Please stop.”

  “You should take your own advice,” Eli’s father says to his ex, nodding toward the now empty wineglass. “And quit while you’re ahead.”

  “Please,” she snaps. “You lost your right to tell me what to do the minute you served me with divorce papers.”

  Oh, this is spiraling out of control and quickly. I feel like I’m at a tennis match, my head turning left. Turning right. A battle of wills, a war of words. Tossed back and forth like precise bombs aimed to nail their targets right where it hurts.

  “You were hitting the bottle long before I filed for divorce,” Mr. Bennett says with a chuckle. Like he finds all of this amusing.

  So heartless.

  “Right. Just like you were sneaking your little sluts into your office before we got divorced too,” she snips.

  “Okay.” Eli tosses his cloth napkin onto his half-eaten plate and jumps to his feet. “I’m out. I don’t need to listen to this.”

  “Sit down,” his father tells him firmly, not even looking at his face. He’s still busy cutting into his bloody steak, sopping up the juice before he shoves his fork into his mouth and chews.

  I glance up at Eli, who’s still standing, his hands curled into fists at his sides, a muscle in his jaw flexing from clenching his teeth.

  “I don’t have to sit here and witness you two throw insults at each other. Ryan, I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said all that shit to you, but I was mad. I still am, but I’ll get over it.” He glances down at me, his expression pleading. “Let’s go, Ava.”

  I grab my purse from the floor and stand, smiling at everyone at the table. They’re all glaring at us in return,
and I feel kind of terrible, but Eli’s right.

  This dinner turned toxic quick.

  “Thank you for including me,” I tell them, smiling but letting it fade quickly when none of them smile back. “And thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”

  Eli grabs my hand and practically drags me out of the restaurant. I hear his mother call his name, but he ignores her. Swear to God I hear his brother yell his name as well.

  But we keep walking, never once hesitating or looking back.

  “That was shit,” Eli says once we’re outside and he takes in a couple of deep breaths of cold, fresh air. He releases his grip on my hand and rests his hands on his hips, gazing up at the sky as if he’s trying to collect himself.

  “It wasn’t bad until just now,” I say, tugging my sweater closer around me. It’s freaking freezing. My bare legs are going to turn to blocks of ice if we stand out here for too long. Then I’d have to admit to Ellie that she was right. I definitely got too cold.

  “They would’ve kept going if we hadn’t left, and it would’ve gotten worse,” Eli says, his expression full of annoyance. His eyes flashing with pain. “I can’t be around them when they’re like that. I just—I can’t.”

  My heart breaks for him. Without thought I go to where he’s standing and wrap him up in my arms, holding him close. He hugs me back, his arms tight, his chest warm, and I lean my cheek against the spot where his heart beats, steady and strong.

  “Thank you for coming with me. You didn’t have to do that,” he murmurs against my hair.

  “I wanted to. That’s the difference.” I pull away a little so I can meet his gaze. “I tried my best to distract you earlier. Maybe it wasn’t enough.”

  He actually grins, and I’m sure he’s remembering our moment in the car. “Babe, that was hot as hell. I’m down for another session if you are.”

  I smile in return, excitement fizzing in my veins despite what just happened in that restaurant. The promise in Eli’s voice wiped out all my nerves, just like that. “Sounds good to me.”

  We start for his car when I hear Eli’s brother call his name. We both glance over our shoulders to find Ryan headed straight for us.