Avery: Sensual Desire: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 2)

by Taylor, Drucie Anne

  “She’s really nice, and Delsin seems cool.”

  “They’re both my best friends, but it was a big mess until they finally found each other.”

  I nod slowly because I don’t know what to say to that.

  “So how about Chinese?” he asks.

  “Okay.”

  “I know a nice restaurant close to school.”

  I put my hand in my pocket and take out my money to count it. “Is it very expensive?” I inquire.

  “Don’t worry about that, Dahlia. My treat.”

  “Would you mind calling me Dale? Everybody calls me that, and I prefer it.” I look at him for the first time since I got in his car.

  “Of course, Dale.”

  “Thanks, Avery.”

  I study him for while, discovering the slight stubble on his cheeks, and catch myself wondering how that might feel on my skin. With a shake of my head I push the thought away. “I have a really guilty conscience,” I finally say.

  “Why?” he asks, throwing me a glance as he drives.

  “Because you broke up with your girlfriend because of me.”

  Avery clicks his tongue. “I chased after Pearl for a long time, because she seemed nice, but when she treated you so horribly, that opened my eyes to her true character. I don’t want to waste my time with someone like her.”

  “But she was right, even if it was awful to say so.”

  “Dale, I can’t imagine what your life is like or how you feel, but you surely don’t deserve words like that.”

  We ride on in silence. What am I supposed to say anyway? Anything I could say to explain my life would probably sound plaintive and whining. I don’t want that. We’re going to have this dinner, and then I won’t have to see him anymore. Only two more hours, maybe three, and then I’m free again.

  Chapter 4

  I stare at the menu, feeling helpless. I don’t know any of these dishes, so I don’t know what I might like. “What would you recommend?” I ask sheepishly.

  “How about the Eight Delicacies for two?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Different meats, vegetables, and rice,” Avery explains, looking at me over the top of his menu.

  “I see.” I nod and smile at him shyly.

  “You want to share that?”

  “Yeah, I think I do.”

  “You think you do?”

  “Okay, we’ll share the Eight Delicacies,” I decide, folding the menu and putting it away.

  “Right on. I just hope we can eat it all. The servings are huge, so I often have to take home half the meal.” He smiles.

  “That means you don’t have to worry about your next meal, since it’s already prepared.”

  “You got me there. I love not having to cook.” He leans forward and puts his elbows on the table. “Tell me something about yourself.”

  “What do you want to hear?”

  “Your age, what you do, and everything else,” he answers.

  I gulp. “Will you promise me something?”

  “Of course. Whatever you want, Dale.”

  “You have to keep it to yourself. I won’t see your friends again, but I still want this to be confidential.”

  “Promise,” he says in a hoarse, slightly sad voice.

  “I’m eighteen,” I tell him, gaining courage as I speak, “and I just finished high school. My grades weren’t good enough to get a grant or a scholarship, so I started working for that senior care agency. I want to earn the money I need for college. I’m an orphan, and I live with my grandpa in Liberty City. We’re getting by, sort of … What about you? What’s your major? How old are you?” I know how old he is, but I want to get him to talk so I don’t have to.

  “I’m twenty-two, and I study architecture—so does Delsin. We want to open our own company after college.”

  “Your grandma said you were twenty-three,” I say, confused.

  “Granny mixes stuff up sometimes. My brother Thierry is twenty-four, and I’m twenty-two. What would you like to study, once you have enough money?” He sounds genuinely interested.

  “I think it’s going to be education of some kind. I want to work with people, and I think I’d be good at teaching,” I explain before taking a sip of my water.

  “Sounds interesting. I started out taking several different subjects. Apart from architecture, I was doing law and engineering minors, but I’ve already learned law isn’t for me. I’m keeping the minor in engineering to have something to fall back on in case I don’t make it as an architect.”

  His blue eyes glow with enthusiasm when he talks about college. He really seems to like it. I envy him. “And what could keep you from making it?” I ask.

  “If you look at the economy and the job market and calculate the cost of planning a house or public building, and then try to estimate my future pay … It’s going to be hard. But Delsin and I are lucky enough not to be completely dependent on salaries. That’ll make it much easier starting out.”

  “I wish I could say the same,” I murmur despondently.

  Avery tilts his head and looks into my eyes. “I … ” he starts, but then falls silent again.

  “You what?”

  “Good evening, what can I get for you?” the waitress interrupts.

  “The Eight Delicacies for two, please,” Avery orders.

  She writes it down and vanishes again, leaving us in silence. Awkward silence.

  “I hate changing the subject, but you have beautiful eyes. Emerald green, really.”

  My eyebrow shoots up. “Is that what you were going to tell me before we were interrupted?”

  He gives a curt nod. “Yeah, I've been wanting to say that for a while. You’re really a damn pretty woman, Dale.”

  Heat suffuses my face. “Thank you,” I breathe, already wondering what he sees as pretty in me. My hair is auburn, long, and totally dull. I’m rather short, but skinny. I don’t have big breasts, and I see myself as the type of woman who generally doesn’t get noticed.

  “Is it bad that I’m being so straightforward?” he asks.

  I shrug. “Maybe a little bit. I have a hard time dealing with compliments, because I’m not used to getting them … if you don’t count my grandpa’s.”

  When the food comes, we eat in silence. I like the exotic dish very much, except for the morel mushrooms, which feel all squishy and spongy in my mouth. We can’t eat it all, so the waitress puts the rest in a container to take home. Avery doesn’t suggest that I take the container, which I’m thankful for. He doesn’t treat me like a poor needy person that lives on alms. I find that reassuring.

  When we’re back in the car, he interrupts the awkward silence saying, “I don’t want to take you home just yet.”

  “What do you want to do then?” I ask softly.

  “We could drive to my house and talk a little longer,” Avery suggests.

  “Delsin and Camille will be there.”

  “So? I bet they’ll be in their room, occupied with each other, but I have the attic to myself, so we would be on our own.”

  “Okay, then let’s go to your place.”

  He smiles at me before he starts the engine.

  ***

  The second time around, the house is just as breathtaking. There’s a second stairway at the other end of the house that we take to get to the attic, where Avery has an apartment of his own. There’s a kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms up here. No wonder he likes living here, what a setup. His furniture looks expensive, and he obviously has a taste for decorating and arranging stuff to look neat and sensible. As far as bachelors’ dens go, this one is tidy and perfectly clean.

  “Sit down,” he says, pointing to a tan couch.

  I follow his invitation and ask, “Do you happen to have anything to drink?”

  “Of course. What would you like?”

  “Just water.”

  Avery leaves and comes back with two glasses of water, and then he sits down next to me. “You want to watch a movie or just t
alk?”

  “Let’s talk. I don’t watch TV,” I answer with a smile. This is only for tonight, and then you won’t see him again, I think. But I seem to have reached the point where I want to see him again. No matter. A deal is a deal.

  He leans his side against the back of the couch, braces his elbow on top of it, and looks at me. “You told me you were an orphan… What happened to your parents?”

  I mirror his position. “My mother died when I was thirteen, and I never knew my dad. Since then I’ve been living with my grandpa. I grew up in Orlando, which is a really nice place, but when I moved in with my grandpa, I came here to Liberty City, which has probably hardened me for life.”

  He shakes his head. “I didn’t want to ask you directly, but there’s no other way. What did your mother die of?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Oh.” He pauses. “It’s that bad?”

  I nod brusquely.

  He reaches out with his hand and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, but then he doesn’t take his hand away. “I’m sorry you’ve had such a hard life.”

  “I still do, but I try to make the best of it. It can only go uphill from here,” I reply with a shrug.

  Avery tilts his head again. “It’s great that you’re so optimistic.”

  My heart beats faster because of the way he’s looking at me with his dark blue eyes. They’re just too beautiful. His gaze is making me insecure, so I lower my own eyes. “I have to be or else I would break down.”

  He takes a deep breath, before leaning close and raising my chin so I have to look at him again. “I’m convinced you’re one damn strong person,” he whispers.

  “Are you going to … kiss me?” I breathe. I immediately press my lips together, because I spoke faster than I could think.

  One of his thumbs caresses my cheek, the other one brushes my lower lip, and he whispers, “Yes, I am,” before putting his lips on mine.

  I slowly close my eyes and return the kiss tentatively. His lips are soft, and I’m completely enveloped in his scent. It’s heavenly.

  I immediately forget that I intended to go straight home after dinner. One of his hands starts roaming around, while the other remains on my cheek. I utter a sigh when his fingers cup my breast. Avery seizes the opportunity and lets his tongue invade my mouth. The tips of our tongues start playing with each other in a tender rhythm. I feel his fingertips caress my belly. While our kiss is getting more and more passionate, I realize he’s pushing my shirt upward.

  Each touch of his hand is tender instead of downright horny, although my own arousal is slowly driving me crazy. Then he pulls me onto his lap, lays me down to position his body above mine, and breaks the kiss. We stare into each other’s eyes.

  “Do you … ”

  “Stop talking, Avery,” I interrupt, kissing him again as I undo the buttons of his shirt. Then I push it back over his shoulders.

  Avery pulls me with him as he raises himself up, and while I wrap my legs around him, he carries me in his arms, kissing me again. Lips locked, he carries me through the apartment and sets me down next to the bed. I pull off my shirt and let it drop to the floor. He looks surprised as his gaze travels to my breasts, but then he looks into my eyes and lays me down on the bed. He opens my jeans and pulls them off my legs. I study him silently while he caresses my thighs, between which he’s kneeling now. When he touches the inside of my thigh, I let out a small gasp and then another sigh.

  “Your skin is so soft,” he murmurs. “So unbelievably soft.”

  I don’t say anything for fear of destroying the moment. Avery pushes two fingers underneath the waistband of my panties, travels the hill underneath, and finally touches my folds. “And you’re wet,” he says softly.

  My breath quickens as his fingertip touches my clit and rubs it. I close my eyes and utter a moan. While his fingers stay where they are, Avery slides up higher and starts kissing my neck. I haven’t had sex in such a long time that I can already feel the waves spread from my core. I begin to spasm as soon as the movement on my clit becomes faster. I come with a loud moan, clutching the soft sheets. After I’ve regained my breath, he breathes a kiss on the corner of my mouth and pulls me up with him. He’s still kneeling between my legs when he opens my bra and tosses it aside. Then he pushes me backwards, which makes me laugh, and pulls down my panties. My eyes are transfixed by his impressively athletic torso. I wonder how often he exercises, if he plays sports.

  He reaches out his hand to take a condom from the nightstand drawer, slides off his swim trunks, and slides the condom over his penis. Then he braces himself with both hands close to my head and looks into my eyes while entering me.

  My God, he’s big, a thought flits through my head. It hurts a little when his cock stretches me, but I find myself moaning anyway.

  “Damn! You’re tight,” he whispers, sinking in deeper.

  I keep looking into his eyes. “I’m sorry?” I breathe.

  Smiling, Avery shakes his head. “It feels great,” he whispers before kissing me again.

  My legs wrap around him as if of their own accord so I can feel him deep inside me. The tip of his penis finds a spot that triggers an even more intense arousal. His movements are slow and regular. Avery seems to be trying to hold back—I can feel him tense more and more.

  I break the kiss. “Just let go,” I whisper. Tomorrow I’m going to want to kick my own ass for sleeping with him; I know that for a fact.

  His thrusts become faster and harder, because he has given up on holding back. My moans grow louder, and the fevered sounds we’re both making mingle and intertwine. I place my hands on his cheeks and caress him while holding his gaze with mine. Avery inclines his head toward me, kisses my forehead, and then proceeds to tease my neck with his tongue and teeth, which gets me even closer to the edge. My hands slip to his shoulders, and I hold on to him. The warmth in my core becomes fiery heat as soon as I start moving with his rhythm. Avery keeps thrusting into me, until we both tense and scream out as we come simultaneously.

  He puts his head on my chest as we wait for our breaths to slow down again. This moment is definitely wonderful, and I revel in it with my eyes closed.

  He leaves kisses on my heated skin.

  “That was … beautiful,” I whisper.

  Avery nods and the stubble on his chin tickles my skin. “It was,” he agrees in a soft voice. I caress his black hair. Unruly strands keep falling into his face. It’s a little long, but it suits him. I can’t imagine what he would look like with cropped hair. “I like your hair,” I blurt out.

  He smirks. “I like your everything.”

  He doesn’t even know me, I think. But he’s probably talking about my body. He knows that part now.

  “Do you want to stay with me tonight?” he asks softly.

  “I can’t,” I answer quickly. “My grandfather is probably already worried.” I regret it almost immediately, because I would like to stay.

  “What if you called him?”

  “I could do that,” I say slowly. The house can be reached by phone, but because we haven’t been paying the bills, we can’t call anyone.

  “You can use my phone to call him while I go wash up,” Avery suggests.

  “Okay.”

  He pulls away from me and gets up. “My phone is on the nightstand, or you can use the landline. It’s in the kitchen.”

  I nod and look around for my clothes. When I discover my underwear, I leave the bed to fetch it and put it on. Then I tiptoe into the kitchen, because I at least know how an old-fashioned phone works. I dial our number.

  “Walker,” Grandpa answers.

  “Hey, it’s me, Grandpa,” I say. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to stay overnight with friends.”

  He exhales. “Are you close by?”

  “A little over ten miles away. They live in a beachfront house, and I’m safe here,” I tell him, feeling sheepish.

  “Okay,” he says in a relieved v
oice. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow after work.”

  “Okay, Grandpa. See you tomorrow, and sleep well. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Dale.” Then he hangs up.

  I put the receiver back on the receiver and stare at the wall.

  “Everything groovy?” Avery suddenly asks behind me.

  I didn’t hear him approach, so I start. I turn around to find him standing right in front of me. “Yes,” I answer, taking a step backward.

  Avery closes in again. “Are you afraid of me?” He smirks.

  “No! I just don’t like it when people stand so close to me,” I explain shyly.

  “I want to get even closer,” he says, pushing me against the refrigerator.

  “I don’t think you could get any closer than this,” I whisper, tilting my head back and looking up at him.

  He lifts me up and sets me down on the counter. “No?” he asks with a wide grin as he pushes his fingers into my panties again.

  “Okay, maybe you could,” I moan against him, as his fingertips find my clit.

  “Most definitely,” he rumbles and pulls back. “Want something to drink, Dale?” he asks as if nothing just happened. “Maybe a glass of wine or a Coke? I’m out of bottled water, and I don’t want to offer you tap water, that’s not my style.”

  “A Coke, please,” I say and try to slip down from the counter.

  “Stay there,” he says, smiling at me. He takes a can of Coke from the fridge, hands it to me, and takes out an already open bottle of wine. Then he lifts me from the counter and sets me down. “Want to sit on the balcony? The air is still mild enough to sit outside.”

  I nod enthusiastically and smile as well. The balcony is the kind I’ve only seen in movies. We sit down at a low table. “It’s really beautiful here,” I gush.

  “Yeah, I like it. But I also miss our old apartment, because it was closer to campus and I could walk to my classes. Now I have to take the bus or drive with the others.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” I ask.

  “Nothing, but they’re very much in love and kiss at every red light. So I mostly just borrow Cami’s car to drive around alone,” Avery explains.