by Hughes, Maya
Going back to my house in LA held less appeal by the second, but I couldn’t quit the team—Avery would murder me if I tried. I’d stick it out until my foundation commitment was up and then make a decision. Maybe I’d get traded to Philly in the meantime, become an investor in Bread & Butter and convince her to open a second location in LA so we could be closer all the time.
Mom: Arrangements made, we’ll be down this week!
I glanced at the gap in the shower door. Avery ran the loofah down her side, over the curve of her breast. My mouth watered.
Me: Sounds good, we’ll see you soon. I’ll add you to my visitor’s list at the front desk.
I dropped my phone and pushed through the door. Her humming filled the steamy room along with the steady drone of the water. Silently, I stepped into the open shower that flowed into the rest of the bathroom.
She jumped when I kissed her shoulder, my lips pressing against her wet skin. I nipped her before wrapping my arms around her waist.
“It’s official—I’m getting you a bell.” She laughed over her shoulder, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
“My parents are coming down here at some point.”
She went rigid in my arms.
“Relax, it will be fine. I know you’ve never been big on the whole meeting-the-parents thing, but it was bound to happen eventually. They’re trying to smother me with attention lately. It’s freaking me out.” I took the loofah from her and worked up a lather.
“Maybe we should go back down to the shore.” She peeked over her shoulder.
“As much as I’d like to avoid them, we’re going to have to face them eventually.”
“What do you mean?” She whirled around.
“They’re already talking about spending Thanksgiving and Christmas together.”
“Things are really different with them now, huh?”
“It’s so weird. I’ll be the first to admit I thought they were up to something, but then my dad told me about the heart attack and it made sense. I guess they’re finally seeing how much they fucked up.”
I ran the loofa down the front of her body and through the valley between her breasts.
“It’s way late, but it can’t hurt to let them try.”
Worry creased her eyebrows and she nibbled her bottom lip. Her gaze jumped from where I was lathering up her stomach to my eyes, the concerned expression quickly disappearing.
“I’m glad you’re finally getting a chance to have that time with your parents.”
“Don’t think you’re getting out of it that easily. You’re going to be right there beside me.” I backed her up against the shower wall.
“Just let me know when they’re coming so I can make sure everything is perfect for their visit.”
“With you here, it’s already perfect.” I kissed the tip of her nose.
28
Avery
Checking over my shoulder like I was on the run from the mob, I pressed my hand against my bag, which contained the cashier’s check that made this all official. Why the hell in the modern world this was the quickest, easiest, and least costly way of getting money from one place to another, I couldn’t imagine.
Every bump from a stranger on the street sent my heart rate skyrocketing and made me think I should have taken a taxi. Finally, the gleaming building where the law firm was located was straight ahead.
Wrapping my hand around the polished stainless steel door handle, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I was sure I looked like a crazy person when I walked up to the reception desk.
“Hi, I have a delivery for Jacob Franklin. I’m Avery.”
The receptionist’s smile brightened. “Good to see you again, Ms. Davis. I’m Adelaide. Mr. Franklin had to rush out of town for an emergency meeting, but he wanted me to assure you everything would be just fine. I know what you have there, so why don’t you follow me and we can put it away for safekeeping.”
I was tempted to tell her I’d come back when he was there, but the thought of walking around with that check on me for any longer than necessary had me following after her.
“We’ll put the check in the safe in Mr. Franklin’s office. He gave me a one-time use code to lock it in there.” Her tailored navy suit screamed Hell yes I’m kickass at my job, and if you try to mess with me, I’ll knock you on your ass. “No one will be able to get to it other than him, and it will be delivered to the city office on Monday to stop the auction.” She pushed open the wide door to an office that looked nothing like the one we’d met him in the previous time.
“This is his office?” I looked around at the corner office with huge windows overlooking the historic buildings nearby. “This isn’t where we met last time.”
“Yes, last time you met in a junior associate’s office, but as a partner, Mr. Franklin has this larger office.” She tapped in a code and opened the wall safe. “If you’ll slide your envelope into the safe, I’ll lock it.”
With trembling fingers, I slipped the envelope out of my bag and placed it inside.
“Perfect.” Her warm smile along with the fact that I was no longer holding every penny of my life’s savings in my hand put me at ease. “And as you can see, that code doesn’t work anymore.” She typed in the same numbers again and the lights flashed red instead of green.
“Thank you.”
“I think it’s really amazing what you’re doing. I’ve actually been into Bread & Butter a few times. I can’t believe you make all those amazing pastries.”
“I don’t make all of them on my own. It’s a team effort.”
“I’ve literally found a way to burn water, so I’m always impressed when people can make food that tastes so good, especially if it involves chocolate. I’d survive on chocolate alone if I didn’t think I’d get scurvy.” She slid back into the chair behind her desk.
“In that case, I’ll bring some treats next time I come in.”
“I knew I liked you.” Her smile brightened.
I stepped back out onto the busy street, no longer feeling like I was on the run from the law. One complication down, one thousand to go.
Emmett’s parents were coming to visit—how did I get out of it? What would they say when they saw me? Would they say anything about the money? It wasn’t even like they’d given it to me directly, but the way his mom had been so smug about me breaking up with him and getting the money for rehab. What kind of threats were they likely to lob now that Alyson couldn’t be used against me anymore?
There was still my dad. Other jobs might be possible, but his work history and previous issues with drugs could come up if he had to go looking elsewhere.
All I knew was I wasn’t going to bend to their will this time. I’d done it before and had regretted it every day since. When they came to visit, I’d take them aside and promise to never tell Emmett what they’d done if they continued to spend time with him. I wouldn’t hold it against them if they could be the parents he’d always wanted—the parents he’d always deserved. But I wasn’t going to let them think they could buy me off again.
Every kid deserves parents who care about them. I waved to the doorman in the hotel lobby and let myself up in the private residence elevator. I’d have thought staying in a hotel would freak me out, but the week had gone quickly and I liked the penthouse apartment. It was still too huge and sterile, but with Emmett, a cardboard box would have been enough. Wrapping up in a blanket night after night on the couch watching old movies and eating popcorn, I’d never felt freer.
“Honey, I’m home,” I called out as I dropped my bag on the table beside the door.
Emmett popped out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dish towel, and my stomach rumbled at the smells filling the space. I rounded the corner and saw the table was set complete with tall, tapered candles, each one lit and flickering mesmerizingly.
“You did all this for me?”
His strong arms wrapped around me from behind and he rested his chin on my shoulder. “I’d do this and mor
e for you. Congratulations on officially making B&B yours.”
“It’s not official until Franklin gets all those papers in and stops the auction.”
“It’s as good as done.” He dance-walked me toward the table, never letting go.
“Thank you for not interfering. I’m sure it was hard for you.” There hadn’t been a single outburst from him, no trying to handle everything for me. Other than recommending Franklin, he’d listened while I talked the whole thing through, discussing my ideas about improvements and possibilities for the future, but he hadn’t defaulted to his standby of ‘Let me buy that for you.’
We’d both grown, leaving most of the mistakes of our pasts behind.
“I figured the least I could do for all the hard work you’ve been doing is make you a little dinner.”
My skeptical gaze had his cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink, and the flecks of gold in his eyes caught the candlelight.
“You cooked?”
“Cooked, ordered room service—it’s all the same.” He shrugged.
“Oh, the perks of living in a hotel. It’s the thought that counts.” I spun in his arms and faced him. “Thank you.”
Taking a deep breath, I rested my hands against his chest, the thump of his heart under my fingers bringing an even bigger smile to my face. “I thought about your offer.” Stop overthinking this. Go for it.
“Which one?”
“If it’s still on the table, I’d like to move in here.” I ducked my head and stared at my hands against the charcoal gray t-shirt stretched over his chest.
His arms tightened around my waist. “You want to move in with me?”
“I know it will be a little weird since you’ll be back in LA, but I’ll pay the utilities and stuff.”
“You want to move in with me?” he asked again, his voice quiet. His fingers slipped under my chin and he lifted it, forcing me to meet his gaze, which was swimming with possibilities and shining with happiness.
“Yes.” My answer came out as a whisper, the same word I’d said in my head every time he’d offered me something I’d wanted to grab ahold of with both hands, but I’d been too afraid. Clearing my throat, I let the corners of my mouth curve up. “Yes, I want to move in with you.”
I let out a yelp that dissolved into laughter when he picked me up and swung me around.
“Of course the offer is still on the table. I’d love for you to move in here.” He set me back down on the floor but kept his arms tight around me. His fingers worked a circle on the small of my back.
“And about hockey, I was thinking—”
I pressed my fingers against his lips. “One step at a time. Don’t start planning anything insane. You have a life in LA, a team counting on you, people counting on you.”
“But—”
“One thing at a time. Let’s have dinner, eat some ice cream, and then we can christen this place in celebration.”
His hands sank into my hair, pressing against the back of my head as he captured my mouth, lips, teeth, hands. All at once, the dinner was forgotten. We fell into a heap on the couch, clawing each other’s clothes off. He was inside me, dragging me down onto his lap with his hand around the back of my neck.
Throwing my head back, I screamed as his teeth nipped my shoulder. With one tap of his thumb, the delicious pressure that had been building escaped, shooting out of my body with a force that blacked out my vision. His hips pistoned under me, lifting me as he followed me toward release. There could have been a thousand orgasms between us and it never would have been enough.
Panting with our heads resting against each other, we broke out into a carefree laughter, the kind I’d yearned for. “I think our dinner is cold.”
“I can call down and order more.”
I groaned as he lifted me off his lap. “There is this magical device you own called a microwave. I’d devour a leather shoe right about now. Let’s eat.” Moving on wobbly legs like a newborn deer, I walked to the table.
He pulled out a chair for me and sat down beside me. After all my baking, real food called out to me. Piling my plate high, I devoured every crumb.
“Hungry much?” Emmett teased, trying to steal the last green bean.
I smacked at his hand and popped it into my mouth, licking my fingers.
“Sharing is caring.” He laughed and leaned back in his chair. His hand covered my knee, his thumb rubbing along the inside of my leg. The lazy, fun vibe was charged in an instant.
“For the love of God, please let my vagina have a break. At this rate she’s going to pack a bag and hitchhike to the next state.” I picked my napkin up and chucked it at him.
He caught it and tightened his grip. “We can’t have that, now can we? I could always kiss her where it hurts. That’s one way of making it better.” Like a wolf in wolf’s clothing, he licked his lips.
I hopped up, feet skidding across the tile floor.
“Oh no you don’t. This is a strictly sex-free zone for the next twelve hours.” I warded off his advance with a serving spoon.
The scrape of his chair across the floor sent a shiver down my spine.
“Your wish is my command.” He tugged me beside him and pressed his lips to the tip of my nose. Opening a cabinet door, he took out a bag of popcorn.
I was only slightly relieved he hadn’t knocked the spoon out of my hand and bent me over the countertop. I was seriously dick drunk. Down, girl, or you’ll be on the bench for the next week to regain your ability to walk properly.
With full stomachs and the edge taken off our hunger for one another, we lay on the couch, feeding each other popcorn.
“Mak told me someone came and took Percy away right after we left.”
The ceiling suddenly held an intense fascination for Emmett. He stared up at it, refusing to meet my gaze.
Digging my fingers into his side, I weaponized the perfect tickle spot. Tucked under his arm, he couldn’t lower it to get away from me.
His body jerked and shook until he finally called uncle. “Okay, I admit it, but I only had him taken in for a checkup, nothing crazy.”
I wiggled my fingers a little more.
“Okay,” he managed to get out between laughs. “Slight upgrades, the smallest things, like making sure you have an actual floor. I’m making him safe to drive with a few cosmetic upgrades, that’s all.” He held up his hands in surrender. Even though I hated the idea of him spending the money, I appreciated the thought.
“Thank you.” I ran my hand along the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
“Thank you? No threats?”
“No threats.” I paused for a moment. “Only a week until Fourth of July. I think this will be the last break I get for a while, and I’m looking forward to it. Please tell me you didn’t plan anything crazy for the party.”
29
Emmett
I evaded her eyes like an escaped convict on the run. If by ‘nothing crazy’, she meant the addition of our own private fireworks display that would be topped off by the proposal I should have made four years ago, then no, it was nothing crazy. Swallowing past the tightness in my throat, I buried my face in her neck and nipped at the sensitive spot on her shoulder.
“Nothing out of the ordinary. You know me.” The tally of what I had planned had grown as my plans for that evening became the beginning of a future I’d thought I’d lost. She’d agreed to move in with me, and that was a cloud that would take a long time to land.
Sure, it was a penthouse apartment I owned in one of the best hotels in the city and I’d be across the country, but that was a hell of a lot closer than I’d gotten before. The bottom drawer in my office no longer felt like an albatross hanging around my neck, weighing me down; now it was brimming with shining possibilities.
“I do know you, and that’s why I’m worried.” Her eyes glittered with laughter that rivaled the night sky.
Wrapping my arms tighter around her, I leaned back against the couch. I couldn’t keep the
dopey grin off my face.
The next day, I’d contact the trust attorney and see about getting my annual deposit earlier. I’d never asked for any leeway before, but I’d also never cut things so close before my birthday. The final payment had gone to Percy’s makeover. At least the rattling death trap wouldn’t put Avery at risk anymore. The mechanic hadn’t been able to figure out how he’d stayed on the road, much less made it down to the shore.
I just wanted to celebrate everything, maybe take a trip before the hockey season started. Someone might even gift Avery with a brand-new kitchen for B&B… I was sure she could repay me with sweet treats in more ways than one.
Our movie ended, and Avery dozed against my chest. Brushing her hair back from her forehead, I ran the back of my hand down the side of her cheek.
She grumbled and rubbed herself against me like a cat. My phone buzzed under my ass. Shifting, I grabbed it.
“Why did a party supply truck pull up to the house with tables and a stage and shit?” Declan’s voice blared through the speaker.
“Wrong address?” Feigning innocence had never been a strong suit of mine. “I might have changed my plans a little based on some of the things going on up here.”
Tracing my thumb along Avery’s shoulder, I felt like a kid with the key to the chocolate factory.
“What the hell?”
I grinned. “I swear it will be awesome.”
“Dude—”
“Do you trust me?”
He let out a long-suffering sigh. “You know I do.”
“Then I promise you, it will be a night none of us will forget.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. We’ve already had one of those.”
“This time it’s different. She’s agreed to move in with me.”
“In LA?”
“No, into the penthouse. Once I get back to LA, I’ll look for something better.”
“Preferably something less like a rich person mental institution with all the white and glass.”