Melting Ice

by Jami Davenport

  Yet the sacrifice was worth it. She was in heaven surrounded by the animals she adored, doing what she loved, and learning from the best. How many people got to do that? If only Izzy truly understood, but Izzy never would, which probably explained the tension Avery couldn’t seem to shake. She loved her sister and hated disappointing her.

  Perhaps Bella, for once, had a point. Isaac was all kinds of naughty and all kinds of sexy. She already felt this insane attraction to him. Why hold back? Why not grab the bit in her teeth and run with it. She’d seen lights in his house across the pasture. It’d take her only a few minutes to walk down their shared driveway and knock on his door.

  Then again… What if he wasn’t alone? With Isaac’s dark, bad boy looks, he probably had an entire flock of women at his disposal. Despite their unfinished business, she hadn’t seen him in two days. If he’d truly been interested, wouldn’t he have finished their business by now or at least picked up where he left off?

  Avery sighed. Another one bites the dust. Men didn’t stick around long, not that she usually cared, because she had her horses. Yet this man had been different.

  “Hey.”

  Avery instantly recognized that deep, rough voice. She turned and squinted into the darkness. Isaac stood several feet away, as if in answer to her prayers. He wore a tight black T-shirt, gray hoodie, and faded jeans. All of which made him as delectable as hell and immediately her body perked up. She smiled, unable to help herself.

  “Speak of the devil,” she blurted out, then cringed as she realized she’d admitted he’d been on her mind.

  “The devil at your service.” He bowed low, and she laughed.

  “So you were speaking of me?” He glanced around, as if looking for another person.

  “Yes, I tell my horses everything,” Avery teased, finding it easy to tease the man.

  “I hope it was all bad, ’cuz I like being bad.” He arched a dark brow. His mouth quirked in amusement.

  “Maybe.” Avery gave him her best sultry smile, the one she used to convince a reluctant party guest to dance with her when she was working for the Party Crashers.

  “I’m glad you’re around tonight.” His eyes glittered with interest, and she knew exactly what he was interested in.

  “I’m around every night.”

  “Not much of a partier?” He cocked his head and studied her, his mouth turned up in a small smile.

  “Not much.”

  “Not even a private party of two?” He asked hopefully as he stepped closer.

  “Is that an offer?” Avery held her ground and looked at him through lowered lashes, playing her part and making him work for it. She suspected Isaac never worked to get a woman in his bed.

  “Oh, yeah. I want between your legs,” he said matter-of-factly. His bluntness didn’t exactly score points in the romance department. But this would be a booty call, not a romantic liaison. He raked his gaze up and down her body, taking his time, as if enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

  Before Avery could accept or reject his offer, Isaac closed the space between them. He backed her against a stall and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders, imprisoning her between his muscular arms. His minty breath washed across her face as he bent his head to rub his stubbled jaw across her cheek. “Where’s your sister?”

  “She’s working tonight. I have the place to myself.”

  “Good, because I really want to take you deep and hard until every part of you aches for every part of me.” He watched her face, as if reading every nuance of expression and grinned this adorably endearing lopsided grin.

  She already ached for him. She’d been aching since the moment he appeared in her life. To deny the raw chemistry would be lying, and Avery didn’t like to lie.

  When she didn’t respond, he chuckled. “Honey, I’m going to give you the ride of your life.” He leaned in close, licking the side of her neck and planting little kisses along her jaw. She titled her head to expose more skin. He licked then kissed, then he took a little fold of skin at her nape between his teeth and bit down. Hard. Almost painful. Lust slammed through her body and settled between her legs, making all her sensitive parts even more sensitive, and her girlie parts waving pink flags in surrender. She groaned, putty in his obviously capable hands.

  She wasn’t making him work for it. In fact, she was laying her body out on the banquet table so he could feast on any dish he wanted.

  “Tell me, tell me you want me.” His husky voice betrayed his need. He pushed her coat open and off her shoulders. She should’ve been cold in the chilly air, but she wasn’t. She was burning up. Avery shrugged off her coat and kicked it out of the way. He slid his hands under her shirt.

  When his rough fingertips contacted her bare skin, her world tilted, leaving her off-kilter and beyond reason. She buried her fingers in his spiky hair and gazed into his piercing eyes, imprisoned by their intensity. The man had killer eyes. He also had killer hands. And she’d bet all her blue ribbons, other parts of him were killer, too.

  He pressed his lips against hers, teasing her at first, avoiding her tongue until she cried out in protest. With a chuckle, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth and kissed her, long and deep. She kissed him right back as she pressed her body against his. The barn was cold, but she didn’t care because their bodies were so hot; it could have been sixty-below, and she’d wouldn’t notice.

  Dragging his mouth from hers, he unbuttoned her shirt with surprisingly shaking hands to expose her practical sports bar. He licked his lips and stared at her for so long, she started to squirm.

  “I know my bra isn’t very sexy, and I’m not very big.”

  Isaac glanced up at her before focusing on her breasts again. “It’s damn sexy, and they’re perfect, absolutely perfect,” he spoke with conviction. He pushed the sports bra upward and exposed her tight, hard nipples. “Cold?” he asked with a smirk.

  “Hardly.”

  Isaac bent his head and took a nipple in his mouth while he pinched the other one. He wasn’t gentle, not even close. In fact, prickles of pleasure and pain shot through her body as he sucked a nipple deep into his mouth and held it between his teeth, tugging on it, stretching it, teasing it. She whimpered, begging him to stop but not to stop. He kept at it until he left her nipple sore and hyper-sensitive. He switched to the other nipple giving it the same treatment. His stubble abraded her delicate skin. She loved the textures of this man, all hard and powerful.

  Isaac lifted his head, his eyes scalding her body and his breathing coming in hard gasps. “I like it hard and rough. You good with that?”

  “Yes,” she breathed harshly. She’d like it any way he wanted to give it to her.

  Still, he hesitated. “Avery, I don’t do repeats. One and done. This is just hooking up for a quick screw. Nothing else. I want to make sure you’re good with that.” His eyes searched hers for the answer. His concern only endeared him all the more to her.

  “I’m good with it,” she answered with a breathy moan.

  “Just don’t want any false expectations with us living so close to each other.”

  “Damn. Just quit talking, and do it.” She dug her fingers into his shoulders and pushed her crotch against his, rubbing her lower body over his erection. It was his turn to groan.

  “Okay.” His voice came out strangled, shooting satisfaction through her.

  “Where? Where can we—” He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the aisle, his movements jerky and desperate, as he looked for a place to do the nasty.

  Avery pointed toward the closed door to the barn’s lounge. “In there,” she panted.

  Isaac dragged her inside the room and kicked the door shut with his heel. He paused long enough to take in the layout of the room. The lounge had large windows on one side for viewing riders in the arena. A couch and few chairs were scattered around the room, along with a small kitchen on the opposite wall.

  Isaac headed for the couch and tossed her on it as if she weighe
d nothing. Faster than she could manage to gather her wits, he had her pants around her ankles including underwear.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He hovered over her, gritting his teeth from the supreme effort it took to hold back.

  Okay? Okay? She was more than okay. He’d lit a fire in her body only he could quench.

  Avery reached out for him. He grinned through bared teeth and yanked off his jeans and underwear, revealing one very large, very aroused penis. He was definitely hung like a horse, and she should know.

  “Oh, my.” Avery sucked in a breath as she watched him roll a condom down the thick length. He was far bigger than any guy she’d ever had. He didn’t say a word, just pulled her to the arm of the couch and positioned her so that her ass was perched on the arm and her legs hung over the side. He spread her legs wide and paused, looking down at her wet pussy, a smug smile on his face.

  “I should take more time but I can’t. The beautiful sight of your moist pussy is killing me, sweetheart, and I need inside you now. I promise next time, I’ll take it slow.”

  There wasn’t supposed to be a next time, but Avery didn’t remind him of his own rules. He made them; if he wanted to break them, who was she to argue?

  “You sure you’re ready for me?” Veins stood out on his neck from the strain his temporary abstinence put on his quivering body.

  “Yes.” Of course she was ready. She’d been waiting a lifetime for this man.

  “It might hurt at first.”

  She’d take that risk and experience that pain, just to feel this virile, gorgeous man thrusting inside her. “Do it. Now. Hard. Don’t hold anything back.”

  He stepped between her legs and guided his big cock into her tight entrance. She gasped as he stretched her wide and closed her eyes as she willed her body to relax and accept his size. Despite his claims of wanting it rough, he took it easy with her, pushing inside little by little, pausing to let her adjust before he went deeper. She’d never felt so full, never felt like she couldn’t take a man inside her. His patience and care warmed her heart. It couldn’t be easy for him.

  They were close, so very close now. Somehow she’d managed to take ninety percent of him inside her body. He met her gaze with a tortured one of his own.

  “You don’t need to be careful. I’m ready.” She arched into him, taking him a little deeper.

  With a primal snarl, whatever control he’d had snapped. He pushed into her with one final hard thrust until he was buried inside her deeper than any man she’d ever been with. Hell, deeper than her dildo. White, hot pain radiated through her body and mingled with all-consuming pleasure until she couldn’t tell where the pain ended and the pleasure began.

  “You okay?” he asked gruffly. She saw the battle between concern for her and his lust reflected in those blue eyes.

  She nodded. He bent down and covered his mouth with hers, his kisses demanding and hungry. This was where the rough and hard part obviously started, and she was all in.

  “Hang on,” he warned. Avery gripped his broad shoulders, digging her fingernails into the fabric of his hoodie.

  Isaac pulled out and slammed back into her with such force, he had to grip her ass hard to keep her from shooting off the arm of the couch. Holding her ass in his hands, he slammed into her again, harder this time, and harder the next time, and the next. She wouldn’t be sitting the trot for a few days after this. No effing way.

  Avery wrapped her legs around his waist and arched into him. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let him dominate her, as he thrust into her over and over again. Their bodies slapped together in a frenzy of passion. She had no control and suspected he’d long lost his. She was on the verge of coming and sensed he was too when he stopped, buried balls-deep inside her.

  His entire body shuddered from the effort it took to stop. He pulled out of her, and Avery waited for him to slam back inside again. Instead, he flipped her onto her stomach. With one big hand splayed across her back, he held her in place and smacked her ass several times, while she whimpered and writhed underneath him. When the heavenly assault on her ass ceased, she held her breath for what might come next. She didn’t wait long. He buried himself inside her with one hard thrust.

  Reaching underneath her, Isaac grabbed her nipples none too gently. As he plunged his cock in and out of her willing body, he squeezed and pulled on her sensitive nubs, until her body detonated in a fiery explosion of heat, passion, and ecstasy.

  Wave after wave of the most mind-blowing orgasm wracked her body. Isaac thrust several more times and came, too, gripping her nipples and twisting them so hard that needles of heavenly pain charged through her body and tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks. She was glad he couldn’t see her tears because she couldn’t explain them if he asked.

  She’d just had the most incredible sex in her life, so incredible it made her cry, and she didn’t know if she was crying because sex with him was the best ever, because it was over, or because there wouldn’t be an encore.

  Or maybe she was crying because as mind-blowing as it was, she’d given him everything, while he’d held back the most important piece of himself.

  She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but she did.

  Even more disturbing was why it mattered.

  * * * *

  Isaac lay across Avery’s back, breathing hard, spent in mind and body. He closed his eyes, allowing the heady scent of her mingled with the smell of sex and sweat to soak into every pore in his boneless, sated body. He was still inside her, not willing to let go, to end it, to leave this incredible feeling of contentment, even as his innate dysfunction threatened to ruin the moment. Usually sex left him physically satisfied and emotionally empty. Not this time. This time his emotions ran the gamut from euphoria to comfort to fear all at the same time.

  He heard her heart beating; he could feel it as if it were deep inside of him, linked to him, a part of him as essential to his own life as breathing. He needed more of her, her taste, her touch, her smile.

  Only Isaac hadn’t needed anyone for a very long time, yet, he needed Avery.

  Fuck. Panic sliced through him, threatening to black out all the good feelings.

  He stood abruptly and propped his knuckles on his hips, staring down at her sweet, rounded ass, red from his spanking and attempted to rein in his runaway emotions.

  Avery rolled onto her back and reached out to him with a whimper, as if unwilling to let him go. Scared shitless at the power she’d exhibited over him and how she’d made him feel, he backed away a few steps and ran his hand through his short hair. He willed his breathing to calm from rampant gasps to steady inhales and exhales.

  Avery sat up and rubbed her hands across her face then looked up at him with the most luminous blue eyes, like a Caribbean lagoon in the sunlight. Those beautiful eyes filled with confusion, and he knew, once again, he’d messed up. He’d put the confusion there, ruined everything wondrous, just like always.

  Avery’s mouth open and closed as if she were trying to find the words but none came out. He got that. There weren’t words in the English language—hell, in any language—to do justice to what just happened between them. Nor were there words to explain how terrifyingly vulnerable he felt right now. In less than a half hour, she’d stripped away protective layers built from years of anguish and pain, leaving him naked, shivering, and exposed.

  Isaac didn’t expose his soft underbelly to anyone. Ever. He couldn’t. He didn’t dare. He wouldn’t survive, and he was, among all things, a survivor.

  He’d been right. She was dangerous.

  This couldn’t happen again. He didn’t care how strong the pull was to wrap her in his arms and hold onto her forever. He wasn’t a romantic. He was a cynical pragmatist. Everything he touched turned to shit or was destroyed. He couldn’t do anything right except hockey, and he sure as hell didn’t do relationships. He’d destroyed the only women he’d ever cared about. He’d never go there again. Avery didn’t deserve that—but neither h
ad they.

  She must have seen the change in his eyes because her brow furrowed and worry lines marred her beautiful face.

  “I told you I liked it rough,” he said, feeling damn cranky for a guy who’d just had some of the best sex in his life.

  Her head shot up, and her eyes lit with fury like the Pacific Ocean in a hurricane. “Did you hear me complaining?”

  “No.” He yanked on his clothes, not meeting her gaze.

  “I—I enjoyed it.” Avery shot back, her voice challenging. She pulled down her bra and buttoned her shirt.

  “Good.” Isaac shrugged, as if what happened between them was an everyday occurrence and not big deal. Her frown said it all as she hugged herself and ducked her head, her cheeks tinged with pink. A twinge of guilt cramped his stomach, leaving him feeling like a shit. Better that than her thinking there’d be a repeat because eventually he’d hurt her, too, if he stuck around, and she might, just might, slice him open where it hurt most—his heart.

  “I need to get back to the horses.” She stood and pulled up her jeans, straightening her clothes.

  “This was just a one-time thing,” Isaac was compelled to add, more for his own sake than hers.

  “I know.” She almost sounded sad as she turned her back on him and walked out the door.

  “Thanks,” he followed her into the aisle and called after her. His hollow words rang up and down the barn aisle. What a crappy thing to say to a woman who’d shown him he could still feel.

  A few minutes later Isaac stole down the aisle and across the pasture separating their properties. He walked into his house, completely discombobulated. Women didn’t do that to him, and he’d damn well stay the hell away from Avery from this point forward.

  Hal sat on his haunches on his dog bed in the corner and glared at him with accusing eyes, as if he knew exactly what Isaac had been doing and didn’t approve. Not that Hal approved of anything Isaac did. The dog’s lips were stuck under his teeth, causing him to sneer. Hal growled at Isaac, and Isaac rolled his eyes.