by Finn, Amber
* * * *
Blake drove up Avery’s driveway, not quite sure what he would say when she opened the door. They had not spoken since the conference. He had not been able to get her out of his mind and knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Avery. He prayed she would feel the same when he proposed. Blake knew Avery was upset that Leslie came to his apartment. He should have told her about the visit. But in his own defense, she wouldn’t even take his calls. If she had, would he have mentioned it? He was calling her about the conference. Blake had to get Avery to see the past was in the past, and that she was his future.
He got out of the car and dread overcame him. The house was too quiet, as though Avery hadn’t been here in quite a while. Blake thought it would be best to give her some space after the conference and went to visit friends. He hadn’t been home in over a month. Maybe he waited too long. He peered in the windows and saw an empty living room. His dread proved true. But where would she go? She loved this house and had classes this semester. Maybe she decided on a bigger place. She did say she would have liked a bigger backyard. He decided to go to the university to see if his aunt knew anything or if there was any information at her office.
Blake arrived at Avery’s office and saw the door standing open and felt relief at first, thinking she was inside probably hard at work. When he reached the door, his relief turned to panic as he saw that her nameplate was gone and the office was cleared out. He walked inside in a daze.
“I don’t understand,” he said aloud.
“She’s gone, Blake.” Blake turned quickly to see his Aunt Amelia standing in the doorway. “She’s gone. I tried to reach you, but your cell phone message said you couldn’t be reached.”
“Yeah, um, I was with friends in the mountains. No cell phone service,” he said distractedly. “What happened? Why is her house empty and her office cleared out? What the hell is going on here?”
“Don’t raise your voice with me, young man. Remember who you are talking to,” Amelia reprimanded Blake.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Amelia. I’m just stunned and a bit scared. I think I may have lost the woman I love forever.”
Amelia sighed. “Oh, Blake. I wish I could tell you where she is, but I honestly don’t know. Right after she got back from your conference, Ken Scofield showed up in my office with incriminating pictures of the two of you. Someone took pictures of you two in an embrace in Avery’s backyard. No, I don’t know who.”
Amelia held her hands up to stop Blake from saying anything more as he tried to interrupt her.
“Anyway, I was forced to call her in. Ken was going to take the pictures to the dean and the president. Before Ken could even lay into her, she stood up to him and basically told him she was not sorry about your relationship and that the rule was stupid. You should have seen her, Blake. She was marvelous. She put Ken back in his place. He was speechless. Before I could say anything, she quit. She had her office cleared out by the end of the day. I asked her where she was going to go, and she said she would check out any leads at MLA. She asked me if I would give a reference if she found anything, but I haven’t heard from her. I’m so sorry, Blake. I have no idea where she went. She wouldn’t leave a forwarding address or number. I don’t think she wants to be found.”
Blake hung his head dejectedly.
“There’s one more thing, Blake. She didn’t look good when she left.”
“What do you mean she didn’t look good?”
“Well, she was pale and she kept going to the restroom to get sick. I was really worried about her.”
Blake looked alarmed at the description. “She was the same at the conference. What am I going to do? I’ve got to find her. I’ve got to know if she’s okay. She’s got to know how I feel.”
“Come to my office, honey. I have an idea.”
* * * *
Avery was relaxing on a lounge chair on her lanai. Avery loved Florida. Weston University was on the west side of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. Avery loved the year-round warm temperatures and sunny days. She remembered walking on the beach in January and sleeping with her windows open in July to feel the hot breeze. Still only in her first trimester, Avery wasn’t showing, so the pregnancy wasn’t causing any discomfort other than the nausea. She asked Dr. McKenzie to recommend a doctor in Florida, and he had given her a prescription to help with the nausea. This was the first time Avery was able to eat comfortably. She stretched and thought about the past four weeks. It has been such a whirlwind that this was the first time she’d had to sit and think about things.
Avery was grateful Dr. Carl Baylor was able to give Avery a position in the department at Weston when she called. It was not a tenure-track position, but it was full-time in the composition section. She called the realtor Carl recommended and chose a three-bedroom home right on the beach. She decided to rent for the moment as her home up north still needed to be sold, and she would have to hire full-service movers. She packed up what she would need for one week and let the movers do the rest. She drove herself to Weston, Florida in two days, and two weeks later she was relaxing on the lanai. She loved being able to walk out to the beach whenever she wanted and thought about raising her child here.
That thought made her think of Blake. As her thoughts wandered to Blake, she tried to steer them away but could not. Her heart ached as she thought of him. Was she making the right decision by not telling him about the baby? The further she got from the conference, the more she thought, perhaps, she had been unfair expecting Blake to tell her about Leslie when Avery wasn’t even taking Blake’s calls. She also began to rethink cutting him out of her life and not letting him know he was to be a father. Avery could see the situation with better clarity now. She needed to call Blake. He needed to know about the baby. The thought filled her with dread. How would he react? Did he even still care about her?
Avery got up and went to the great room. She picked up her cell phone to call Blake. She paced the room as she waited for him to answer.
“Hello? Avery, is that you?”
Avery couldn’t be sure, but she thought he sounded excited to hear from her. “Yes, it’s me, Blake. Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you.”
“Baby, I’ve got all the time in the world. Open your door.”
Avery froze. She could not have heard him correctly. “Blake, I’m in Florida now.”
“I know, baby. Open the door. Please.”
“Oh, my God!”
Avery dropped the phone and ran to the door. She flung it open and there Blake was, standing with his cell phone still to his ear, tears in his eyes. Avery was sobbing as Blake enveloped Avery in his arms.
“Please don’t ever let me go. I’ve missed you so much.”
It wasn’t quite what Blake was hoping to hear, but it was close.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay, sweetheart. Can I come in?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Avery laughed through her tears. She grabbed his hand and led him into the great room, shutting the door behind them. Once inside, Blake pulled her to him, and with his hands gently holding her face, he kissed her softly on the lips. Avery’s hands went to Blake’s waist then up his chest as she deepened the kiss.
Blake groaned. “Oh, honey, I can’t resist your touch, you know that.”
“I know.”
Blake looked down at Avery and saw the invitation in her eyes. “Where’s the bedroom?” he said huskily.
“Right behind you,” she said, pushing him through the open doorway.
“Thank God,” he said, stripping Avery of her clothing as she stripped him of his clothes.
By the time they reached the bed, they were both naked and hungrily kissing and gasping for air as they fell to the bed. Avery landed on top and began to stroke Blake’s already erect penis. She rubbed his balls first then wrapped her hand around his shaft, moving up and down with pressure that almost made Blake blow his load.
“Not yet, baby, too soon.”
&nbs
p; He flipped Avery on her back and in one motion, his finger was inside her vagina, rubbing up and back. His finger was so deep Avery was seeing spots as the sensations shot through her body. She could feel the climax building, and her hips pulsed up and down to meet the strokes of his finger. Finally, she reached the top, and she shuddered as her wetness spilled out of her vagina. She blinked as the stars faded away.
“Blake, I…”
“I’m not finished with you yet, baby.”
Blake then started his way down Avery’s neck with his lips. Softly at first, he stopped at her breasts and grabbed a hold of one nipple with his teeth. He let go then sucked and pulled. He ran his tongue round the areola then squeezed with his hand as he sucked with his lips once again. Avery gasped at the sensation. Blake sucked and sucked until she thought she couldn’t take it anymore then he suddenly moved his mouth lower to her belly. He softly kissed across her abdomen then shifted as he kissed and ran his tongue along the tip of her pubic hair. She held her breath as he took his hands and spread her legs then his head was lost between her legs, and she felt his tongue thrust into her pussy.
“Oh, my God.” Avery almost sat straight up. Blake used his tongue to flick her clit back and forth. “Blake, no, please, I can’t take anymore. I need you. I’m begging you, please, get inside me now!”
Blake ignored her requests and continued to thrust his tongue in and out of Avery’s now very swollen vagina. She rode her hips to meet his tongue.
“That’s it, baby. This is for your pleasure. Come on, Avery—ride me,” Blake said between thrusts.
Avery reached yet another climax. Out of breath, Avery held on to Blake.
“Blake, that was amazing,” she gasped. “But what about you?”
Blake smiled. He flipped Avery over. Avery went up on her hands and knees. Kneeling, Blake plunged his penis into Avery’s wet pussy. She arched her back to take all of him, and he drove deeper and deeper as he thrust in and out. With one hand, Blake reached over, and using both his hands, he grabbed Avery’s breasts. Avery went up on her knees and wrapped her arms around Blake’s neck behind her as he stroked her breasts. He stroked in and out of her vagina, bringing Avery to her third orgasm as Blake ejaculated. He caressed her breasts and belly as he slowly lowered her to the bed and then lay next to her. Avery lay on her stomach next to Blake lying on his back. She turned on her side and traced his jawline with her finger.
“Blake?”
Not opening his eyes, he responded, “Um-mm? Yes, baby? I’m here. I’m not falling asleep, just basking in your glow.”
He turned to face her then.
“Blake, I have so much to tell you. But first, I’m sorry for not taking your calls when you tried to reach me before the conference. And second, I have been in love with you since my first day of class.”
Avery held her breath as she waited for Blake to react.
Blake leaned over Avery, pushing her shoulder back to the bed. “You stole my thunder, Dr. Jackson. When I discovered you were gone and I might not be able to find you, I thought my world had ended. I don’t want to feel that way again. I want to spend my life with you, Avery. But you have to know, I’m not the dishonest guy you thought I was, and I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you if you’ll let me.”
Blake leaned down and kissed Avery gently on the mouth and then kissed away the tears that had begun to fall down her cheeks.
“Avery, I pray these are happy tears because it will make this next question a lot easier…” Blake took a deep breath as Avery smiled at his nervousness. “Avery Jackson, will you marry me?”
Avery said simply, “Yes, Blake, I will marry you.” Blake exhaled. Avery laughed. “It’s a good thing I didn’t have a long response. I’m not sure you would have lasted through it.”
“No, I’m not sure you would have lasted through it,” Blake replied as his hand wandered down to Avery’s vagina and began to rub and tease the outer edges.
Avery spread her hips in response and then quickly clamped them shut. Blake looked up in surprise.
“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
Avery took advantage of his distraction and sat up quickly, flipping Blake back to the bed and onto his back. She placed his arms above his head against the headboard, and as he began to protest, she placed one finger against his lips and shook her head no, whispering only, “Shhh.”
Avery then began her descent towards Blake’s bulging and erect penis. She took her time massaging every inch of his body, and when she’d come near his penis, she would back off to rub his thigh and his lower leg. This teased and hinted of what was to come. She sucked on his nipples and drew them hard against her lips. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Blake, Avery’s hands cupped his balls and stroked his shaft in unison. The touch, without warning, nearly sent Blake to the ceiling as he tried to sit up, moaning in ecstatic agony. Silently, Avery took one hand and gently pushed him back to the bed. She spread his legs to position herself between them and began her massage of Blake’s penis, rubbing his balls and shaft together then bringing her tongue to the purpled head of his penis. She ran her tongue around the head and then up and down the shaft. And then, as suddenly as she grabbed the penis, it was engulfed in her mouth and down her throat. “Oh, God, Avery. Oh, oh.”
Blake was desperately trying to maintain control and nearly lost it as Avery placed her hands beneath Blake’s butt cheeks and pressed his butt up as her mouth came down on his penis. The movement pushed his penis as deep down her throat as it would go, and Blake thought he was either going to pass out before ejaculating or go off too soon and not have enough time to enjoy it. Avery began to increase the tempo and pressure—each time her mouth slid over the lip of the head of Blake’s penis, Blake moaned with pleasure. Avery was really pushing and grinding now, her own pussy wet with excitement.
Blake said, “Oh fuck, baby, I’m going to blow,” and Avery felt Blake’s warmth hit the back of her throat as his shaft shuddered and jolted as he shot his seed.
Avery and Blake were lying in each other’s arms, both having reached climax after climax. For the first time, Avery felt content and hopeful about the future, and then she realized in Blake’s entire marriage proposal, he had not told her he loved her. She chided herself over the little detail because she knew he would not have proposed if he didn’t love her. And she also knew she had one more thing to tell Blake.
Chapter Seven
Avery woke early the next morning and was surprised to find Blake out of bed already. She went to the kitchen and saw that he had started the coffee. She was trying to limit her coffee intake during the pregnancy, so she poured herself only half of a cup. She went out to the lanai and found Blake sitting on it, watching the waves break.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Mesmerizing. The sunsets must be beautiful.”
“They are. I can’t wait for you to see them.”
“I can’t wait to share a lifetime of sunsets with you, baby.”
Avery warmed at the remark and thought this was as good a time as any to tell Blake about the baby. “Blake, about that. There’s something I need to share with you.”
“Is everything okay? Are you having second thoughts?” he asked with concern.
“No, no, not at all. It’s not that.” Avery sighed. “Blake, the week I returned from the conference, I went to my doctor because I was concerned about the nausea I was constantly feeling.”
“Yes, I remember. You had me concerned, too. Whatever she gave you seems to have worked because you look great now.”
“She gave me information, Blake. She informed me I was seven weeks pregnant and gave me something to help with the nausea. I am now eleven weeks along, and the nausea is subsiding somewhat as I approach my second trimester.”
Blake did not hear any of what came after “pregnant.” He stared at Avery, trying to digest this piece of news. He was admittedly stunned. However, even as he was saying the following words, he knew he would regret them.<
br />
“Is the baby mine?”
Blake closed his eyes and shook his head, knowing he just made a mortal mistake.
Avery stood and said simply, “I’m going to take a walk. I’ll expect you to be gone when I return. Leave an address where you can be reached, and I’ll contact you by mail only to keep you informed of the pregnancy and the birth of your child. I’ll let you know when I am ready to discuss visitation.”
Avery turned and walked away to the beach, not turning back once. Blake lifted his head and watched her go, thinking this would be the last time he would ever see the love of his life.
* * * *
Avery walked for thirty minutes before she finally let herself break down and cry. No one was on this stretch of the beach, so she sat down alone and sobbed as the realization hit her that she just left the only man she had ever loved. How could he even think this baby could be someone else’s? I’ll tell you how, Avery. As easily as you believed Leslie Preston when she told you she slept with Blake. Is his question any different? She knew it wasn’t but just couldn’t bring herself to admit it. The hurt ran so deep. When she believed Leslie, there was another woman involved. Blake did not have any reason to suspect she had been with someone else. She didn’t care if she was rationalizing or not. She would stand behind this irrational, stubborn viewpoint, and if it meant raising the baby on her own, then so be it. She would not let Blake accuse her without reason or provocation. Deep down, she knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it—not to herself and certainly not to Blake.
So she slowly walked home. There was a part of her hoping to find Blake still packing, but he was gone when she arrived home. She went to the bathroom and drew a bath, suddenly exhausted from the morning’s events. She bathed and put on a short, silk nightgown, knowing she would soon not be able to fit into it. She crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep. The next morning, Avery awoke refreshed and declared herself out of tears.