by Max Monroe
“I want you,” she whispers again and closes the distance between us. Her hands rest on my shoulders, and her body gloriously invades my personal space.
Hands to her hips, I stare up at her. “I want you too.”
A shaky breath escapes her lungs, and I simply let the poignant silence guide our minds.
The moment my fingers ease down her hips and onto her thighs, goose bumps start to rise on her skin. I look up and watch her face as I continue to touch her, my fingers caressing her skin. Down her legs, back up her legs, and they don’t stop until they sit precariously at the apex of her thighs.
Her nipples harden.
Her eyes fall shut.
Her heart-shaped lips form a small O.
And her chest rises and falls with unsteady, near-panting breaths.
Fuck, I want to take her breath away. I want to kiss her and caress her and slide inside her.
Making Ava feel good has now become my only mission in life.
“Luke, please,” she begs, and it’s music to my ears.
It’s also the catalyst for action.
No more teasing.
No more waiting.
No. More. Holding. Back.
Deep down, I know I am already hers.
But tonight, I’ll make her mine.
Ava
Luke runs his hands up and down my bare legs, not slow, not fast, just…painfully steady. When soft lips follow his hands’ path, electricity jump-starts my heart, and a moan escapes my throat.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything as bad as I want him right now.
Brown eyes stare up at me, their depths an endless pull of desire and passion and adoration and need. Lips hover mere inches from where I ache, where I throb, and a tremor rolls through my body.
“Please.” My voice is needy and desperate, and I move my hips forward, showing him, begging him, giving him permission.
“You’re so beautiful to me,” he whispers, his warm breath brushing across the apex of my thighs and causing that deep, aching throb to intensify.
With trembling fingers, I reach out to place my hands on either side of his face. And he just looks at me. Really looks at me. I feel no hesitation—no doubt. It doesn’t matter that there’s no turning back. I just want him to see me and touch me and taste me and feel me.
The room is quiet, and each heady breath that escapes my lungs feels slow and fast at the same time. Want morphs into need, and I have to shut my eyes and force myself to breathe through the agonizing ecstasy.
And then, like lightning, he acts. Hands gripping my ass, he yanks my body forward and presses his mouth against me.
Holy hell. Yes.
The shaky anticipation turns into trembling, sweet, sweet relief.
His tongue sneaks out past his lips, and he takes a taste.
Then another.
Then another.
And he keeps doing that until he starts up a rhythm that urges my head to fall back and my chest to move up and down with puffing breaths.
His big, sturdy hands reach up and grip my breasts, but he never stops tasting me, licking me, eating at me.
Oh fuck.
Delicious pressure builds and intensifies, and Luke doesn’t stop until my whole body explodes with the kind of orgasm that only exists in fucking fairy tales and fantasies.
My eyes roll back, and my entire body vibrates with each pleasurable wave that crashes over me.
I am no longer in my bedroom. I am no longer on Earth.
I now exist in another dimension that I never want to fucking leave.
I don’t know how gets me there, but somehow, he manages to ease me back onto the bed. His body hovers over mine, and his hands caress my cheeks. And he just stares down at me with a look that is so intense, so full of affection, it’s like his heart has migrated into his eyes.
He presses gentle kisses to my lips and cheeks and forehead, and eventually, I am back on Planet Earth, back in my bedroom.
Somehow, though, it’s not enough.
I need more.
I need him. All of him.
I tug at his shirt until I get it over his head, tossing it on the floor.
My fingers are persistent, undoing his leather belt, then the button and zipper of his jeans. “I want to feel you,” I whisper, and he obliges, standing up to remove his jeans and boxers.
And then he’s right there, hovering over my body again, his skin bare of any clothes.
My gaze consumes him as I let my fingers discover every firm plane and rippled valley. Naked Luke just might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
He is big and firm and strong…everywhere.
His cock is hard and aroused and it juts out from his body, and I can’t stop myself from reaching down and running my fingers against him.
A deep, sexy groan escapes his lips, and it only emboldens me further. With my fingers wrapped around him, I move my hand up and down and up and down, and I don’t stop until he can’t take it anymore. Eyes blazing, he wraps his arms around my waist and flips us over so that he’s lying on his back and my thighs straddle his hips. The tip of his cock presses right there, against where I am downright longing for him.
“Tell me what you want,” he whispers, and his eyes meet mine. “And whatever it is, I’ll do it, Ava.”
“Luke,” I say, his name a moan on my lips. “Please no more teasing,” I beg him. “I want you inside me, and fuck, I want it to happen right now. And I don’t want anything between us. I just want to feel you. All of you. Every single blessed inch.”
“Fuck, Ava.” My words urge a deep, raspy groan from his lips.
“I’m on birth control,” I whisper in a rush, pleading my case on a ramble. “And I’m clean. So clean. Like, so clean, I might as well shave my head and call myself Mrs. Clean.”
What on earth are you even saying? I silently wonder to myself. And for the love of everything, don’t try to curtsy on his cock.
“I know you are,” he whispers back, pulling me out of my messy, bumbling thoughts. For the briefest of moments, as his eyes search mine, an amused smile consumes his lips, but just as quick as it came, it leaves his mouth and his eyes turn hot and fiery.
He grips my hips and slowly guides my body so that just the tip of him presses inside me. Instantly, a moan shoots out of my throat and my hips quake against him. But his movements somehow manage to stay precise and meticulous.
His eyes blaze.
And then, he pushes himself All. The. Way. In.
He’s pressed to the hilt and filling and stretching me in the most delicious way, and I’m pretty much done for after that. The instant pleasure-filled gratification overwhelms me. More moans push from my lips, and with greedy hands, I grip at his chest as my body’s movements become erratic and unsteady.
Luke takes the lead, steadying my body and gently turning us over so I’m on my back and he’s on top of me, and thank everything, his cock stays inside me the entire time.
He reaches up and caresses my cheek with a tender hand, his eyes exploring the depths of mine. I don’t know what he finds, but I can imagine it revolves around desperation and need for him to move, to slide in and out of me until pleasure makes me burst into a million tiny pieces.
“You are all I can see, Ava,” he whispers and leans forward to press his lips to the corner of my mouth. “Just you.” His lips brush mine. “Always you.” His mouth deepens the kiss, and his tongue begs entrance into my mouth.
I whimper and claw my fingers at his back, kissing him with the kind of deep-rooted need that makes lips and teeth and tongues clash and dance.
I want to kiss him and touch him and feel him.
I want to crawl in-fucking-side him.
I want him on me and in me and just…everywhere.
We stay like that, fierce desire guiding our mouths, while Luke starts to move. Each thrust gets deeper and harder, until his hips take up a fast rhythm that has me moaning against his persistent mouth.
Ple
asure builds.
I whimper and moan and dig my nails into the firm skin of his back.
Deep, sexy groans leave Luke’s lips.
“I’m so close,” I whimper against his mouth. “It feels too good. You feel too good.”
My body tightens in anticipation, and Luke doesn’t let up.
He takes me right to the edge, holding me there for what feels like an eternity.
And then, I’m falling, right into my climax, and my heart feels like it wants to crawl out of my body and into his. Luke is right there with me, his back muscles tightening beneath my fingertips and his breaths turning to uneven, raspy pants.
It feels like it takes hours for my mind to clear the orgasm-induced fog.
But when I do, the reality of what we just did isn’t lost on me.
Holy hell. You just had the best sex of your life. With your best friend.
That truth should be staggering.
But it’s not. It’s quite the opposite, actually.
To be in Luke’s arms is love, safety, comfort, and passion personified. Even from the start, he has held the power to bring me back to life, revive whatever I’ve lost, and restore what’s become shattered.
We are born to be loved, to be cherished for who we are, unconditionally, and Luke has never failed to give me all of that and then some, even when I thought of us as just friends.
But I’m starting to realize we were never just friends.
We were always So. Much. More.
And though his words are precious, his laughter and smile always a remedy, it is the feel of his body, his touch, that makes our relationship feel complete. That makes me feel complete. Or perhaps it is all of them combined; perhaps they are more than their sum.
Either way, I don’t think I want to go back to the way we were before.
I don’t think I ever want this to end.
December 26th
Ava
I stare out the window of our rental, taking in the way the snow on the ground makes the world appear brighter than it should for this hour of the evening. Flakes swirl and dance in the air, falling onto the massive white blanket that rests on the ground.
All day, my mind has felt like a freaking ping-pong ball, bouncing back and forth between wanting to talk to Luke about last night but being afraid to ask him what he’s thinking and feeling.
In my heart, it doesn’t feel like we just had sex.
It feels like we made love.
Ever since we woke up this morning, I’ve wavered between bringing up the sparkly pink unicorn in the room and simply watching him for cues.
But Luke has appeared nothing but relaxed and laid-back.
And he’s been affectionate, so incredibly affectionate. Stealing kisses whenever he can. Helping me get ready for tonight’s big event by playfully teasing my body like he did a few days ago.
To me, he’s been the opposite of a man who is internally freaking out over having sex with his best friend. He’s just been Luke. My Luke. Handsome and funny and always finding moments to be sweet with me.
And it’s those very actions that reassure me, that make me think maybe he’s feeling the same way I do.
Maybe he doesn’t want to go back to just friends…
Maybe he wants me like I want him…
When Luke pulls our rental into the parking lot of Crystal Gardens, I’m pulled straight out of my thoughts, and my eyes catch sight of a giant sign that reads Lakewood High Fifteen-Year Reunion.
Gah.
Rapidly, nerves make themselves known inside my belly, the little bastards even having the audacity to spill into my veins and make my hands fidget and shake.
“Are you sure you want—” I start to ask, but Luke is quick to respond, not even letting me finish my thought.
“You’re not going to convince me to leave without actually attending this reunion,” he says and glances at me as he pulls into a parking spot and cuts the engine.
I narrow my eyes. “That wasn’t what I was going to do.”
A knowing smile appears on his lips. “You sure about that?”
“No,” I retort because he and I both know that’s exactly what I was going to try to do. I huff out a sigh and pull down the visor to check my makeup for the one-hundredth time. When I find nothing has changed since I checked five minutes ago, I shut the visor with a flip of my hand and huff out another sigh.
“Ace, it’s going to be okay.” Luke reaches over and tenderly places his hand on my forearm. “We’re going to go in there, and we’re going to have fun.”
“You promise?”
He nods. “Promise.”
I search his eyes for a long moment, and just as I start to open my mouth with a few more distracting questions, he shakes his head.
“You got this,” he says. “And I got you.” He winks and leans forward to press a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Now, let’s go in there and show all your old high school pals how awesome Ava Lucie is fifteen years later.”
I snort, but somehow, his words provide enough comfort for me to find the strength to open the passenger door and get out.
“Attagirl,” Luke cheers me on and follows my lead, hopping out of the driver’s side and meeting me at the back of the car. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads us toward the entrance.
As we walk across the snow-covered pavement, I spot several of my old classmates walking into the building and send up a silent prayer that tonight isn’t a miserable experience.
But just before we step inside, Luke pauses at the entrance and places his hand to the small of my back. “Ace, I have something very important to tell you.”
I lean back slightly to meet his eyes. “Yeah?”
“You look so insanely beautiful tonight,” he whispers. “I can’t believe I’m the lucky bastard who gets to have you on his arm.”
My heart is the balloon, and his words are helium, filling me up until I feel like I can fly. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he says and presses a kiss to my forehead. “And just so you know, I’m not here pretending to be anything. To me, this is real. You and me and what happened last night and the way things are between us now, it’s real.”
“It’s real to me, too,” I whisper back, and a smile consumes his mouth.
“Now that we have that settled, the sooner we get this goat rodeo out of the way, the sooner I can take you back to your parents’ house and get you naked.”
“Luke London,” I chastise with a giggle. “You are bad.”
“Oh, you have no idea the things I have planned for tonight.” He winks, and then, like he didn’t just make my mind reel with all sorts of dirty thoughts, puts pressure to the hand at my back and gently leads us into the venue.
Well, hell, how am I supposed to focus on this stupid reunion now?
“Hi, everyone!” Callie greets from the stage. Her silver sequined dress sparkles beneath the lights, and with her nose held high in the air, her face has that familiar I’m-better-than-everyone look. “I hope you enjoyed the wonderful dinner that was put together by moi,” she says and gestures toward herself with a curl of her hand and a confident smile on her lips. “Now, if you would please gather around for a very important announcement!”
No one really makes a move to follow her lead, most staying put in their seats at the various tables scattered throughout the dining area of the venue, but she will not be deterred.
“Come on!” She motions with her free hand, and eventually, everyone starts to get up from their chairs and walk toward the dance floor sitting just below the stage.
Everyone but me, that is.
So far, only an hour or so into the evening, my fifteen-year high school reunion lives up to all of my lowball expectations.
Callie is just as much of a backhanded bitch in person as she was in high school.
Most of my classmates are married with kids.
And while it’s been nice catching up with
some of my friends from back in the day, I’d rather be anywhere else but here.
The only thing that’s been enjoyable about the evening is the fact that Luke has been by my side the whole time. Never failing to be affectionate and playful and sweet, he’s made the night worthy of attending.
Although, I’d venture to say that we could be anywhere and still have a good time.
We certainly didn’t need to come here to have fun together.
Luke grins at me from the seat beside mine, his hand resting comfortably on my thigh. “You don’t want to go hear what she has to say?”
“Uh…” I pause and snort. “I’m pretty sure I can hear it from here.”
“Well, okay then.” He laughs and slides his hand down to squeeze my knee.
I take a sip from my glass of punch and rest my head on his shoulder, settling in for the “big announcement.”
I watch on as Connie and Carrie—the two women who were part of Callie’s CiCi’s entourage back in the day—step onto the stage, smiling at their old clique leader.
With Carrie standing beside her, Connie takes the microphone, and Callie strides off the stage and into the small crowd that’s formed on the dance floor.
“I am excited to tell you that we have the official tally!” Connie says, and I scrunch up my brow, glancing at Luke in confusion.
“What tally?” I ask, whispering toward him.
He smirks down at me. “For the king and queen of the reunion.”
“Are you serious?” I question with wide eyes. “When were we supposed to vote on that?”
An amused laugh pops from his throat. “When we had to take these glorious name tags,” he retorts and glances down at his chest, where a “Hello My Name Is” sticker sits on his shirt.
“I didn’t see that.”
“Because you were too busy rushing us in the door and away from Callie and her cronies.”
He’s not wrong.
The instant we stepped into the venue, I spotted the three of them standing just to the left of the sign-in table, and I made sure we didn’t dillydally with the damn name tags. It was hard enough getting myself to walk inside this shindig. If I would’ve got stuck in a conversation with those vipers within the first five minutes of arriving, my flight-or-fight response would’ve kicked in.