Finding Forever

by Christina C Jones

  My legs began to shake as I drowned in bliss, breathing his name repeatedly into his ear as I clutched my arms around his neck to bring him closer. Engulfed in sweat, our bodies slid against each other as we hit a frantic pace, kissing and touching and stroking anything within reach as we climbed higher and higher in ecstasy. When I made it to the top, I felt like the earth stopped spinning for a moment, and I was suspended above it in a moment of such intense pleasure that I couldn’t even see. Then, I was back, dropping down in a dizzying explosion of white light. Barely, I felt Avery drive into me hard, as if he were trying to push his whole body inside of me before he collapsed beside me in a satisfied heap.

  After a few breathless moments had passed, I smiled as Avery slid an arm around my waist from behind, pulling me close. He placed a kiss on my shoulder, cupping a breast as he made his way up to the back of my neck.

  “Avery?”

  “Hmm?”

  “That was—”

  “Incredible, I know.”

  My eyes fluttered closed as he rolled my nipple between his fingers, bringing it to a sensitive, painfully hard peak again. I felt beautifully relaxed, sexy, and free. “I want more,” I whispered, winding my butt suggestively against his still-alive erection.

  Avery laughed. “Good, cause I’m not finished with you yet.”

  His teeth found my earlobe and gave a gentle tug, eliciting a whimper as he pushed my legs apart so he could reach the wetness waiting there.

  I undulated against his fingers, moaning as a brand new flame ignited. I pulled away, pushing him onto his back and straddling his thighs. Licking my lips, I confidently met Avery’s eyes as I removed the condom we had used, then replaced it with a new one.

  “One more thing, Avery.”

  Not dropping his gaze from mine, he brought his hands up to cup my behind. “Anything.”

  “We don’t mention any of this to Des.”

  He nodded his agreement, and then without another word, I sank down onto him and closed my eyes.

  — & —

  It took me a few moments to shake the disappointment of waking up in bed alone. Avery had walked me back up to my room in the resort a few hours before, after we spent most of the night talking, laughing, and getting very familiar with each other’s bodies. Truthfully, I’d hated to leave, but there was no way I could take the chance of anyone— specifically Deidra or Des — seeing me leave Avery’s room in the morning, wearing the same thing I’d worn to the reception. I would never hear the end of that.

  I turned onto my back, staring up at the ceiling as I sorted through my thoughts, rolling my eyes at myself for having the nerve to be sad that Avery and I would only have one night together. Yes, the sex had been great, but I had a sinking feeling that what I was really going to miss about him was… well, him. I had seen nothing of the shrewd executive, nothing of the king of one-night-stands. I felt, without a doubt, that what I’d seen was Avery, and I liked what I saw. Intelligent, hardworking, laid back Avery. It was too bad neither of us were looking for anything beyond our little island fling, because after the time we’d spent together, I felt the same butterflies I felt when I pulled two clients into a room that were a match.

  A glance at the clock told me I needed to get to the resort’s restaurant for the group breakfast Des had planned. She and Drew would be honeymooning there, but the rest of us were leaving, and she wanted to do one last thing with the whole wedding party before we all headed back to our respective homes. I took a quick shower, which brought back memories of Avery’s hands— calloused and slightly rough from his years as a mechanic — washing me with a gentleness that bordered on reverence. I tucked that into my memory bank and pulled on a simple sundress and sandals before packing the rest of my belongings into my bag so that after breakfast, I could grab it and go.

  I got to the restaurant as everyone else — with the exception of Avery— was arriving. I was a little worried he would oversleep, but he rushed in as the waiter came to the table. He was relaxed, and looked handsome in white cargo shorts and a pale blue polo.

  “It’s about time, Sleeping Beauty,” Des teased as he greeted her with a hug.

  He laughed as he turned to shake Drew’s hand. “Whatever Des, I’m here!”

  I pretended to look at the menu, but really, I was watching him as he greeted Deidra and Wes, then turned his sights on me. He didn’t smile, but his eyes did as came my way. The seat beside me was the only empty one, so he took it, immediately taking advantage of the opportunity to rest his hand on my thigh, hidden under the table. The intimate gesture surprised me. After what Des had told me about him blowing women off, I had half expected him to pretend I wasn’t there. I rested my hand on his, amused by the secret smile he shot my way.

  “Hey, what’s going on over there?”

  Crap.

  Des and Deidra both were staring our way, while Drew and Wes looked at the table, the ceiling, the window, and anything other than us.

  “Nothing,” I said, the first to speak up. “You brother is doing his usual flirting, exactly like you warned me.”

  Des shot him a warning look. “Avery, please leave Tori alone, I don’t want you—”

  “I’ve got it, Des.” Under the table, I entwined my fingers with Avery’s, squeezing his hand as I brought it onto my lap. “I’ve explained to Avery there’s no chance of anything between us. He’s having a hard time accepting it, but I’m sure he’ll get over it.” I smiled at him, giving him a playful wink.

  “Yeah, we’ll see.” He gave me a wink of his own, playing along with my little game as the waiter came back with our drinks.

  “I don’t know, cousin, if Tori says it’s not gonna work, she’s probably right,” Deidra said, taking a sip from her mimosa. “I mean, she would know, she’s the matchma— OW!”

  The withering look Deidra shot her cousin let me know Des had kicked her under the table, in an attempt to get her to shut up, but why? What was wrong with what she said?

  “A matchmaker?” Avery’s lip curled in disgust as he snatched his hand away from mine. “So, you’re what, like a Madame? You’re the women’s handler or something?”

  I lifted an eyebrow, alarmed. “What? Avery, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He scoffed. “Yeah, right. That’s your angle, you’re gonna play dumb?”

  Excuse me?

  “Nobody is playing dumb, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, asking me if I’m someone’s handler.” What the hell was his problem?

  “Avery, please. It’s not like that at all,” Des said, standing up from her chair. Avery ignored her too, turning back to me.

  “Answer this,” he said, clenching his jaw. “Is that what last night was about to you? A set up? Securing another mark for your little escort service?”

  “Escort Service?” I was pissed off now. How dare he compare what I did to something like that? I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off.

  “Is that how you met your husband? What, was he another mark, and you worked your way up through the ranks to become a boss, while he started sleeping with the younger, prettier girls?”

  That’s when my I saw red. I don’t remember standing up, but the next thing I knew, my open palm was connecting with his face, hard, then reeled back for a second blow, this time with my fist, and it landed right in his eye.

  “Screw you, Avery.”

  Ignoring the voices calling out to me, I stomped away from the table and headed straight for my room. There was nothing any of them could say that would make me not want to rip out Avery’s throat. What the hell was his problem? Was this how he got rid of women, by being an insufferable asshole? If it was, his little plan had certainly worked on me, and this was another ‘I told you so’ point for Des. I called the front desk of the hotel to request a cab, checked my room for anything I’d left behind, then hurried downstairs so I could leave.

  If I never saw him again, it would be too soon.

  — Avery — />
  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I wrenched my eye open to see Des standing in front of me, a petite bundle of fury. “Why did you do that to her?”

  Shaking my head, I scowled up at my little sister. “Somebody needed to. These women run around preying on successful men, have you thinking they’re something they aren’t. And calling it a ‘matchmaking service’? Please. She’s a damned pimp.” I’d dealt with a so-called ‘matchmaking service’ before, and remembering the ordeal sent my anger through the roof.

  “You. Are. So. Stupid!” Desiree snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you really think I would be friends with somebody like that? I went to college with her Avery! Next to Deidra, Tori is like my sister! She runs a legitimate matchmaking service, she’s the reason Drew and I met, dummy!”

  Oh.

  “You never told me that!”

  “Because I didn’t want to hear your shit! You’re always railing on about online dating, and gold diggers, and frauds, and all of that other nonsense. I didn’t want to hear your opinion on how my relationship with him started, so I just didn’t tell you.”

  I dropped my eyes, embarrassed. I considered online dating sites a swindle at best, and what Tori did was worse. She was the equivalent of a Madame, hooking up rich, spoiled losers with money-grubbing women. I glanced up at Desiree, who was still scowling in my direction, and immediately felt guilty for that thought. My baby sister was definitely not the type to pursue a man to serve as her meal ticket. Desiree had a disgusting amount of money in savings accounts I had set up for her, but it had never been touched. Besides, she had Halo, her high-end lingerie boutique so she didn’t need handouts anyway.

  Then there was Drew, who was not by anyone’s measure a ‘rich, spoiled loser’. Drew had created and developed several wildly popular smartphone apps, including one I used myself to keep track of my usually hectic daily schedule. He was successful and self-made, qualities I admired, but more important than that, Drew was good to my sister. No matter how I felt about Tori’s profession — and how baffling it was that Drew and Des had sought her services in the first place— she had helped them find each other. So maybe I had jumped the gun, and reacted badly. Very badly.

  “Des, you know I’ve never meant for you to feel like you couldn’t come to me with anything.”

  Her expression softened as she watched me use my napkin and ice from my glass to create a makeshift cooling pad, which I gingerly pressed against my eye. “I know, Avery, but that’s what happened. You get really, really weird about people being set up on dates. Like, crazy weird.”

  “I know, Des. I just don’t trust it. I heard she was a ‘matchmaker’ and I—”

  “Stop saying it like that.”

  “Saying what like what?”

  “The word matchmaker all sarcastically, like it’s a code word for something. She’s good at what she does, and it’s real. She’s hooked up a ton of people, and it’s not gold diggers and rich men, it’s just people, like me and Drew.”

  I scratched my head as an unpleasant feeling settled over me. “I get it, Des.”

  “Do you? And that comment about her husband… how did you even know she was married?”

  A fresh wave of guilt hit me as I remembered the moment Tori shared that with me, not knowing I would throw it back in her face. “We talked last night, and she told me about her divorce.”

  “Divorce? She and Rafael got divorced?”

  Crap. So much for not mentioning any of this to Desiree.

  Before I could respond, Des was on me again. “You knew all of that, and you still attacked her?” She shook her head, looking around for Drew, who took her by the hand. “I love you Avery, but I can’t stand you sometimes. You’ve become such an asshole, and I don’t get it. That whole mess with Natalie changed you… and not for better.” Still scowling, she allowed Drew to lead her out of the restaurant, leaving me sitting there with Wes and Deidra, who still looked stunned.

  Ignoring them, I left the table, intent on finding Tori to apologize, but when I arrived at her room, housekeeping was already inside, cleaning and changing the bed linens.

  She was already gone.

  Dammit.

  I shoved my shades onto my face to disguise the purplish bruise spreading around my eye, and stuffed my hands into my pockets as I made my way back down to my villa. I’d messed up so badly it was comical, and I had no idea what to do to fix it. Tori and I hadn’t exchanged numbers, because last night wasn’t supposed to extend past last night. There was no way Desiree would give it to me after the scene I’d caused at breakfast, but once I returned to the US, I would have the necessary resources to get in touch with her, and at least attempt to make it right.

  Why did it matter though? As I unlocked the door to my room, I took a deep breath, wondering what the hell had gotten into me. What was it about Tori that had me so far gone I was actually thinking about tracking her down to apologize? I kicked off my shoes and sank down onto the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands. Through my fingers, I noticed something on the floor and picked it up. Tori’s ponytail holder. I could remember the exact moment I’d yanked it from her hair. I had been sitting in this exact spot when she sank to her knees, looking impossibly sexy as she took me in her mouth, not shying away from gazing right into my eyes.

  I groaned as I turned the thin elastic band in my hands. Even though we’d known each other less than 24 hours, I’d done something I vowed to never do, and let Tori get close to my heart. We hadn’t exchanged many words, but our bodies had said plenty as we made love— there was no other truthful way to describe what had transpired between us.

  I flopped onto my back, staring up at the ceiling as I sorted my thoughts. Why did I still want Tori so bad? We’d shared a bed for nearly six hours. Physically, I knew everything there was to know about her, and yet I still wanted more. The scariest part was that it wasn’t about having sex with her. I wanted to be in her presence. This was bad. ‘Catching feelings’ wasn’t my style, but somehow Tori had found a little chink in my armor and dug in.

  That was a problem. I had been methodical about building up those walls, and yet Tori had gotten in. Maybe that’s why my reaction to the news of her being a ‘matchmaker’ had been so strong. Maybe it had less to do with her profession, and more to do with my brain subconsciously latching on to a flaw that could be exploited to put her firmly back into the category of meaningless, disposable, and replaceable, with all the other woman I’d dealt with since Natalie. The comment about her husband cheating on her? That had been unnecessary, and honestly mean. What other reason would I have to say something like that, other than an attempt to push her way?

  I vowed not to let another woman get her toe into the door to my heart. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my sanity when I could find women to fulfill my physical needs and then send them on their way. I never had a problem doing that, even when, inevitably, there was a woman who thought she could ‘change’ me. She and her tears were sent packing too. So maybe Tori’s anger with me was for the best. Our flirtatious interaction at breakfast — before the blowup— left no doubt in my mind that if the meal had gone as planned, Tori would have been in my bed again, instead of just her scent lingering in my sheets.

  What I needed to do was leave her alone. Send her flowers, and an apology of course, but leave it at that, and go back to normal. Before yesterday, I had barely known she existed, so I had to get back to that place. I had no delusions it would be easy.

  — 3 —

  — Tori —

  “I know, Lauren. Yes, I know. Yes, Lauren, I’ll be sure to let him know. Well, no, I don’t usually… okay, well why don’t we try a different approach?”

  I massaged my temples, fighting the urge to scream as I listened to my client vent about her string of unsuccessful dates. Physically, Lauren was very attractive, but the girl complained like it was going out of style, and couldn’t seem to understand that a grousing woman, to most men, was patently unappea
ling. She had been a client for almost three months, and I had coached her through it repeatedly, but it never stuck. I was honestly hesitant to put my other clients with her, because I knew she was going to ‘grow up’ to be a nagging ass wife.

  It took another thirty minutes of fielding her gripes before I was able to get her off the phone, and I laid my head on my desk, exhausted from the effort. Working with my clients used to energize me, but now, it sometimes felt like a punishment. With a heavy sigh, I brushed that feeling to the side, knowing it was the residual bitterness of my marriage and divorce talking.

  “Hey stranger.”

  Startled, I looked up to see Desiree standing in my doorway. I was used to her unannounced trips from her home in Chicago to visit me in Dallas. They happened so often my assistant didn’t page me anymore when Des came in, she just let her through, but I hadn’t expected one so soon after our return from the Maldives. I had thrown myself into work as soon as we got back, not wanting to think about what had transpired between Avery and me. The frequent communication I usually shared with Des, which had already been dwindling, was an unfortunate casualty. We had talked a little, each confirming that the other was home safe, and Des apologized for Avery, but that had been it. Still, I was excited to see her, looking beautiful in her post-honeymoon glow.

  “Des, hey!” I pushed back my chair and stood, greeting her with a hug. “What are you doing here?”

  She hugged me warmly in return. “I came to make sure you were okay.”

  Lifting an eyebrow, I led Des to my desk to sit down. “What makes you think I wasn’t okay?”