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

by Taylor, Drucie Anne

  The door to the apartment opens, which makes us all fall silent simultaneously.

  “Hey, guys,” Avery greets us.

  “Hi,” we chorus.

  He puts a few plastic bags on the table. “I bought dinner for Dahlia and me, but I’m sure I bought enough to serve four. You guys want to eat with us?” he asks Delsin and Cami.

  “No, thanks. Caramel already cooked some dinner. We’re gonna leave you alone now,” Delsin answers as then both stand. “And think about it, Dahlia. I’d be happy to help you,” he tells me.

  “Right. Thanks, Delsin.”

  Avery watches them leave and then looks at me questioningly. “Think about what?”

  “Whether I want to move into his apartment close to campus. He noticed I was looking for an apartment,” I explain.

  Avery nods slowly. “Would you like that? The apartment is great. And you could find a roommate to lower the cost.” Despite his words, he sounds a little unhappy.

  “I don’t know yet. I don’t know if I got into The U yet, so I want to wait to hear back. Maybe I could stay with you until then?” I suggest shyly. “Of course, I can contribute to the rent now and pay for food, too.”

  The corners of Avery’s mouth twitch. “I would be very happy if you stayed.”

  I smile at him and walk over, tilting my head back to look at him. “You really are an angel, Avery Morrison.”

  He takes my face in his hands. His thumbs caress my cheeks before he inclines his head and kisses me. I return it happily.

  For days, I have been yearning to feel his soft lips on mine, and now I finally do. With a satisfied smile, I slide my hand around the back of his neck to keep him from pulling away too soon. Locked in a kiss, we stumble over to the couch, where Avery sits down. I sit down astride his lap, all the while keeping my lips locked with his. My fingers unbutton his shirt and push it back as soon as the buttons are free.

  Finally, I break the kiss and trail little kisses down his throat. I tease the sensitive skin with my tongue and my teeth, which makes him growl softly. He rips open the snap buttons of my blouse and pulls it down my arms as I reach the crook of his neck. Then he lifts me off his lap and places me next to him on the couch, but instead of just setting me down, he immediately pushes me down on my back. I look up at him and see the smile play on his face as he pulls down the straps of my bra. He’s kneeling between my thighs and then bends forward and sucks one of my nipples into his mouth.

  I gasp, because the way he suckles and nibbles feels so good. My core is already screaming for him. I want to feel him inside me, but he teases me with his lazy caresses. Then his finger slips underneath my skirt and brushes over my panties.

  “I love how wet you are,” he murmurs when he feels the damp spot my arousal has left in the fabric. He slides his finger into my panties and slowly touches my clit, which makes me moan louder.

  “Oh God, Ave,” I gasp.

  His lips leave a trail of little kisses down to my belly button. He lets his tongue swirl around it while his hands massage my most sensitive spot and my nipples at the same time. I feel as if I might start to levitate at any moment.

  Avery’s trail of kisses has reached the waistband of my skirt, which he now pulls down my backside a bit to make it easier for him. Then he throws my clothes aside. He kisses the inside of my thighs until he reaches my center. The tip of his tongue slides between my folds and plays in and around the opening before entering me a little. It drives me absolutely crazy.

  I grab handfuls of his long hair and close my eyes, while he gifts me with this unbelievable sensation of lust.

  “I’m coming,” I moan and lift my pelvis against his amazing tongue.

  “That’s what I want,” he murmurs, and his breath feathers my swollen clit. He places his lips around it and sucks gently. I take off immediately.

  I quiver as warm waves of pleasure spread out from my core. I scream his name when the orgasm rushes over me.

  Then I hear him tear open a condom. He positions his body above mine and enters me. When his member stretches and fills me, I utter another moan. It’s simply breathtaking. He doesn’t hold back but instead starts thrusting into me, alternating between hard and soft.

  Finally, I look into his eyes. Ave strokes my cheek and then kisses my lips. I can taste myself on his tongue, which is playing with mine. It’s an unfamiliar taste, but those kisses make me forget everything else.

  Suddenly, he tenses up and adds a few quick thrusts before he comes, too. Then he places his forehead against mine and studies me. “Hi,” he says softly.

  “Hi,” I echo.

  Again he caresses my cheek. “I’m afraid dinner will be cold by now.” He grins.

  “We can reheat it,” I giggle.

  He kisses the tip of my nose. “You’re right, we can.”

  When he’s about to pull away, I hold on to him. “Can I ask you something?”

  He raises his head and looks at me questioningly. “Sure.”

  “Do you have any feelings for me?” I ask shyly. “I mean, we just had … sex … for the second time, if we count that one night as one time, and … I was just wondering.”

  Avery twists a strand of my hair between his fingers and looks at it thoughtfully. “I certainly feel something for you.”

  I sigh. It’s strange to have this conversation while he’s still inside me. “Okay.”

  “What about you? Do you have feelings for me?” he asks.

  I nod slowly. “Yes, but it’s like you said … I do have feelings, but I don’t know exactly what they are.” I consciously neglect to mention the butterflies he puts in my stomach him.

  He offers me a radiant smile. “Then I guess we're going to have to wait and see how it develops.”

  I nod again. Avery pulls out of me and helps me get up.

  “Maybe I should change into something more comfortable,” I muse.

  “That’s what I intend to do after a shower. You could join me in there.” He smiles.

  I smile back. “Okay.”

  He takes my hand and leads me into the bathroom. “Or would you rather take a bath?”

  “Well, the food is already cold, so a warm bath wouldn’t be a bad thing,” I reply.

  Avery turns on the water and pours in a little bit of bath oil. Two minutes later, after he has thrown away the condom and washed himself, he sits down in the tub. I follow his example and position myself with my back to him.

  “Do you think I’ll get accepted to Miami?” I ask.

  “You did have good grades, even if they weren’t good enough for a grant, so I think your chances are actually quite good.” He grabs a loofah and lathers my breasts, even though the water barely covers our legs.

  “It’s not a big deal if they only accept me in spring. I mean, you can start in the spring, right?” I ask, turning my head to look up at him. His skin feels warm and soft against my back in spite of his hard muscles.

  “Of course. A friend of mine started in the spring term.” Then he leans down and kisses my lips. “Do you intend to study teaching?”

  “Yeah, but I was thinking of also taking some law classes, so I could have a second option to fall back on in case I realize teaching isn’t right for me, after all,” I explain.

  “You can always ask me if you need help with anything,” he says.

  “Thanks, Ave,”

  “You don’t have to thank me all the time, Dale.”

  “But I want to, because you keep doing so many things for me, even though we barely know each other. Yes, we have really great sex, but that’s all there is between us. I mean … I just want you to know that I don’t take it for granted that you help me all the time.”

  “You’re right, the sex was great.” He smirks. “And yeah, to me it’s just right to help you when you need it. That’s the way my granny raised me.”

  “You were raised by your grandmother?” I ask curiously.

  “Mostly. I mean, I didn’t live with her, but I spent most aft
ernoons at her house. I went there right after school and stayed until Mom would come to get us. My parents were of the opinion that they didn’t have to work less just because they had kids. My brother and I practically grew up with Granny.”

  “What does your brother do? His name is Thierry, right?”

  “He studies law at The U,” he answers.

  “Are you close?” Of course I’m curious because I want to know everything about his life.

  “Very well, actually. He drops by from time to time, or I go see him whenever our schedules allow it. But right now he’s on a sailing trip with some friends. Otherwise you probably would have met him already.” He keeps washing me gently with the sponge. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  I shake my head. “None that I know of. Well, I don’t know my dad, so I can’t say whether he had another child … or several.”

  “But your mom didn’t have any more children?”

  “No. I was her only daughter.” I think for a moment. “But it wouldn’t have been good for her to have any more kids.”

  “Why not?”

  “Would you want to have several kids to leave behind if you were ill and knew you would die soon?” I ask.

  “I wouldn’t want to leave one child behind, either, but I think I know what you mean. You would have been the one to take care of your sister or brother, together with your grandpa.”

  I give a curt nod. “Exactly. I was only thirteen when my mother died, and it was awful for me.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”

  “I learned to cope with it,” I whisper. “My mom was ill, and that always governed our lives.”

  Avery starts pressing little kisses on my cheek and my temple. “I won’t let you be sad all over again now!” he growls playfully.

  I giggle and try to evade him, but his strong arms won’t let me go. “Stop that.”

  “No, I won’t,” he murmurs and continues to plant kisses everywhere on my face.

  My giggle becomes laughter, and I fidget and splash so much that the water sloshes over the edge of the tub. Finally, he makes room for me to turn around and face him. “Jerk,” I laugh.

  “Because I cheered you up?”

  “Because you … Yes!” I say theatrically.

  Now he’s laughing, too. “Oh, I am so very sorry. Please forgive me, Dale!”

  My laughter bubbles up as he grimaces in a ridiculous way. It’s hard to say whether those are supposed to be puppy eyes or just pure mirth.

  Then he pulls me closer and kisses my lips.

  Chapter 7

  I go to the funeral parlor in a black skirt and black, long-sleeve blouse I borrowed from Cami, since I don’t own anything black.

  “Miss Walker, first of all, I want to offer you my sincere condolences,” the mortician begins after having sat down behind his desk.

  “Thank you.”

  Then he starts elaborating on the different burial possibilities. I could have Grandpa cremated and scatter his ashes in the ocean or have him interred in a coffin. I know my Grandma was buried in a grave for two people, so the best decision would probably be to allow Grandpa to spend eternity at her side.

  “I would like him to be buried next to my grandmother. As far as I know, she’s in a grave for two,” I say, once he’s finished with his explanations.

  “Do you want to have a look at the different coffins then?” I nod, and he stands. “Then please follow me, Miss Walker.”

  I get up as well and follow him over to the coffins on display. It’s sickening to know that I’ll end up in a box like this one day.

  “This one is made from mahogany and starts at $5,000,” the mortician explains.

  “I have to be honest with you,” I say sheepishly. “My grandfather and I weren’t exactly wealthy, so it has to be a more affordable model.”

  “Of course, Miss Walker.” He nods in a friendly manner. He doesn’t seem to mind that I’m not here to buy an expensive coffin. He points me to the cheaper models, which of course also look somewhat cheap. I closely examine them all. Grandpa’s coffin shouldn’t scream I am poor. It should look pretty, even if coffins, by definition, aren’t exactly pretty.

  Finally, I choose a coffin made of oak, which is the second cheapest they have but looks a tiny bit like the very expensive mahogany one.

  “And the funeral is to take place next Tuesday, is that correct?” the mortician asks.

  I nod.

  “That’s just fine. Then I will take care of everything else and send the bill to the address you gave me, Miss Walker.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  “Goodbye.”

  I echo his goodbye and leave the funeral parlor, but only after we quickly talk about the inscription on the headstone, a detail I had almost forgotten. Once outside, I breathe in deeply several times. Tears are stinging my eyes. Now it’s official, somehow made final, that Grandpa is dead.

  Slowly, the fact filters into my consciousness and seems to take up all the space in my head.

  Suddenly, Avery pulls me into an embrace. “It’ll be okay, Dale.”

  I nod quickly and pull away from him. “I know. I … I know.”

  He holds on to my hand and guides me over to his car. “Were you able to set up everything?”

  “Yes. The funeral is Tuesday, the family has been informed, and I just hope I can get through this,” I answer hoarsely.

  Avery holds the passenger door of the Mustang open for me. I get in and buckle up. “And the notary’s next? The day after tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  ***

  I quickly change back into more colorful clothes, because the black stuff seems to drag me down. Avery and I lie together on a deck chair on the balcony and look out toward the ocean. Avery’s perfectly calm, while I feel restless. He has been lazily stroking my arms, my belly, and my cheeks for an hour now, but nothing will soothe me.

  “What’s going on?” he finally asks.

  “I don’t know. I’m probably anxious about seeing the rest of my family. They aren’t that fond of me.”

  “How can anyone not be fond of you?” Avery inquires.

  “Well, to use their own word, I’m a ‘bastard,’” I say as I look at him.

  His eyebrows shoot up. “They don’t like you because you were born out of wedlock?”

  I nod. “And because I’m my mother’s child. Her siblings weren’t very fond of her, either.”

  “And they take that out on you?” he asks, irritation mounting in his voice. “Sorry to be rude, but your family sounds awfully dense and immature.”

  For the first time today I have to smile. We lapse back into silence, I guess because we both don’t know what else to say.

  After a while, I turn on my side and snuggle up to his chest, and then I close my eyes.

  “Are you tired?” he asks.

  “No, but I’m dying to relax,” I whisper.

  He chuckles and his fingertips play on my cheek. “Then by all means, relax.”

  I sigh, because being close to him feels good, and then I realize the butterflies in my stomach have multiplied. Whenever I see him, they flutter up excitedly.

  “Earlier today, I caught Cami with her friends Hailey and Thally downstairs,” he says. “I suspect they’re planning a birthday party for me, or maybe Hailey and Thally wanted to steal a glance at you.”

  “Do you think they’re still around?”

  “Possibly,” he replies. “Do you want to go check?”

  “I could spy on them to find out what they’re up to,” I offer with a smirk.

  Immediately, he lets go of me. “Good idea. If they are, in fact, planning a party, then please talk them out of inviting every single person we know. I don’t want to have to act like a watchdog over the house the whole evening. And also, see that they don’t decorate everything in pink. I felt like a little girl last year.”

  I get up and giggle. “I can imagine how that would hurt your male pride. O
h, the horror! Lost in a sea of pink balloons.” I laugh but then say, “No, seriously, I understand.”

  “Then you also understand why I love you, Dale.”

  I freeze. “What?” I feel as if something hit me in the face. That was unexpected.

  “As a friend,” he clarifies with a smile. “I love you for this, as a friend.”

  “Oh, I see … Okay. I’ll go downstairs and see if they’re still there.”

  Avery gets up as well and gives me a kiss.

  I grin up at him. “It’s pretty mean to spy on them for you, isn’t it?”

  “Not at all. You’ll make me very happy by deterring them from indulging their rose-colored dreams.” He chuckles and kisses me again.

  I giggle and return his kiss at the same time. Then I pull back. “Okay, I’m really going downstairs now. Why don’t you and Delsin head for the beach?”

  “I think it’ll be easier to draw him out by suggesting the skatepark. You go ahead and spend the day with the girls while I force my best friend to get all sweaty and hot.” He laughs.

  Together we leave the balcony, then the apartment, and walk down the stairs.

  When we enter the downstairs living room, Camille and the other two girls immediately stop talking. They all look at us, and I notice that Cami’s friends are just as gorgeous as she is.

  “Hey, Ave,” the one with black hair cut into a fashionable bob says.

  “Hi, Thally,” he smiles.

  “Hi, Avery … and you must be Dahlia,” the other one greets me. Her blond hair is longer.

  I nod. “Yes, hello,” I answer.

  “I thought I would go skating with Delsin and leave Dale with you,” Avery says.

  I blush. To me, that sounds as if I needed a babysitter.

  “Sure. Come sit with us, Dale,” Cami says with a smile.

  “Thanks,” I reply. I kiss Avery goodbye and then walk over to them, sitting down in one of the armchairs.

  “And where can I find Delsin?” Avery asks.

  “He said he wanted to go surfing,” Cami answers.

  “Oh, okay. Then I’ll go get my board from the basement and forget about skating for today.” He winks at me. “See you later, darling.”