The Avoiding Series Boxset

by K. A. Linde

  “I don’t believe you,” she said yanking her hand back.

  “You don’t have to,” Lexi spat. “Get the ring appraised for real this time, and you’ll figure it out for yourself. The original ring doesn’t belong to you, and it was never meant for you.”

  “How would you know any of this?” Bekah asked getting flustered and reaching out for the bar to steady herself. She was losing color in her face and getting more and more unsteady on her feet.

  Lexi wasn’t sure she could answer that. How could she tell her that the ring was intended for Lexi all along? That would just fuel her fire. Lexi didn’t have the ring so there was no point in pressing her luck and exposing anymore than was necessary. The real story was too humiliating anyway.

  “I just…know Jack unlike anyone else,” she said with a sad smile.

  “No,” Bekah said shaking her head from side to side. “You’re a liar. That’s what you said Jack is good at. Well, that’s all you’re good at. You’re flat out lying to me. You want me to call off the wedding. You want him to yourself. He’s not yours. Wait until I tell Ramsey what bullshit you’re spoutin’ now. He’ll never want you back.”

  Lexi rolled her eyes. “Oh please, I’m not here to sabotage you. Don’t flatter yourself. And try and refrain from thinking you know what Ramsey will and will not do. You’re just his sister.”

  “I know what he’ll do if I tell him about your little rendezvous in the bathroom!”

  “Then tell him! What do you even know?” she yelled back trying to fight back her fear. She really didn’t want Bekah to tell Ramsey.

  Bekah glared at her ready to respond, but Kersey ran up to the pair right then not noticing their menacing glares. “Let’s go,” she squeaked out, wiping at her mouth quickly.

  “Go?” Bekah asked distracted.

  “Yeah. Where are Amber and Maddie?” Kersey asked looking around them to find out where the girls were. She stood on her tiptoes, and even in her four-inch heels, she was still too short to see over the crowd.

  “Dancing. What’s going on?” Bekah asked her concerned.

  Kersey giggled and pulled something out of her purse. Lexi was still fuming from her conversation with Bekah. She could hardly concentrate on what they were saying or what Kersey had in her hand.

  “Look what I got,” Kersey said covering her mouth as she revealed the boxers in her hand.

  “You got boxers?” Bekah asked in awe.

  Kersey bit her lower lip and attempted to look innocent. “I won’t tell you what I had to do to get them,” she said lowering her long black lashes, “but I have them.”

  “Oh, I think I know what you had to do,” Bekah said looking at her with a new sense of admiration. “You’ve got a little…” Bekah motioned for her to wipe the right side of her mouth.

  Kersey’s eyes bulged, and she quickly swiped at her mouth again. “Whoops,” she said giggling. “Anyway, we have to go. I don’t think he was expecting me to dip out like that.”

  Kersey and Bekah dove into the crowd to wrangle Amber and Maddie out of the mass of people. Lexi darted for the door to wait for the rest of the group. She was glad that they were on their way out. She was too drunk to be around them any longer. She had spilled a secret that she swore she was going to keep to herself. She had never intended to stoop to Bekah’s level. The Fearsome Four appeared before her, hanging onto each other, and giggling about Kersey’s success.

  As they stumbled down the street back to their hotel, Amber cried out, “How bruised are your knees going to be?”

  “Amber!” Kersey gasped.

  “Are they already bruised?” Maddie asked bending over a little too far to look at Kersey’s knees and showing her ass off to the rest of the street.

  “No!” she cried a sly smile still on her face. “Anyway, it’s not like you didn’t do the same fucking thing to Ramsey only two weeks ago!”

  Lexi stopped in her tracks her mouth dropping open. Had she just heard that? Were they serious? No. They had to be baiting her. She knew that she had been far from perfect after they broke up. He had every right to fool around with other people. They hadn’t been together. She had left. But it just didn’t sound like him. Everyone had said that he was working toward making things right with her. He had said that he wanted her back. The pieces didn’t fit together.

  “Kersey, shut up!” Maddie growled.

  “Not again,” Bekah gasped, gagging a little and pushing her friend away from her. “You little whore.”

  “It didn’t happen! I tried to tell you guys,” Maddie said shaking her head and giggling.

  “Yeah, you just happened to have white stuff on your mouth for no reason when you came back from the bathroom with Ramsey at the club,” Amber muttered under her breath.

  “Guys, I swear,” Maddie yelled back.

  “I won’t hate you this time,” Bekah slurred pointing her finger at Maddie.

  “Come on. That’s ancient history.”

  “Suuuuuure,” Kersey said as they entered the hotel lobby.

  Lexi numbly followed them into the elevator up to their floor. She had blocked out the remainder of their conversation. She didn’t want to know if it was true. They were too drunk to be lying about it. And she was too drunk to question their comments. All she wanted to do was to crash in her hotel room and block out the entire night.

  The next morning Lexi woke up with a killer headache and an upset stomach. None of the other girls felt up to breakfast, and happily directed the limo to take them back to Atlanta. The only good part about all of them being hung over was that none of them wanted to talk. They just wanted to lie back against the cold leather seats and rest their eyes. Lexi was not going to stop them that was for sure.

  An hour later, Lexi was dropped back off at Ramsey’s apartment. She was so thankful to be out of the car and away from the four blonde bitches. Lexi grabbed her bag from the trunk and stomped up the stairs to Ramsey’s apartment.

  Ramsey was standing next to the coffee maker when she walked in. He looked as gorgeous as ever in a flimsy green t-shirt and khaki shorts. His smile lit up as she entered the room. “Hey, how was the party?” Ramsey asked cheerfully turning to face her. “I didn’t hear from you again last night.” The glare on her face was enough to tell all. She tossed her bag at the foot of the couch and sank into the sofa. “That bad?” he asked. “I thought you said it wasn’t as bad as you thought.”

  “It got worse,” she grumbled.

  Ramsey grabbed his mug of coffee and walked over to her. “Here. This might help.”

  “Doubtful.”

  “There’s something coffee can’t fix?” he asked, his eyes widening.

  “Fine,” she said taking the coffee out of his hand and taking a sip. She didn’t want to admit that it helped, but took another sip anyway.

  “So, what happened?” he asked sitting down next to her.

  “Is it wrong if I tell you that I hate your sister?” she mumbled.

  Ramsey chuckled softly to himself. “What did she do now?”

  “You didn’t think there was anything you should warn me about before sending me off with them?” She turned and looked at him carefully. “Nothing?”

  “Uh…no. What are you talking about?” he asked.

  Lexi sighed and stood. “You can’t think of anything?” she repeated, feeling frustrated and worn down.

  Ramsey stood to meet her. He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder and she looked away from him. “If there is something I should know, please just tell me.”

  “You slept with Maddie,” she said, unable to hold back any longer. She swallowed not wanting to hear him confirm it. She knew that she shouldn’t get riled up. She shouldn’t be angry with him, but damn, he could have at least warned her. She waited looking into his eyes…waiting for him to say anything. When he didn’t, she figured that was all confirmation she needed. Running her hand through her hair, she pulled away and stormed into the kitchen. She set her mug down on the counter and the
n braced her body. She had moved a bit too quickly and was feeling dizzy from her hangover.

  Ramsey cursed under his breath, but followed her. “Lexi.”

  After she regained her balance, she spoke up. “No, Ramsey, I don’t even want to think about it right now,” she muttered resting her hands on the cool marble countertops and taking several heavy breaths. She knew that it didn’t matter that he had slept with her. She actually wasn’t even pissed that it had happened. She wished he had warned her. Bekah used every trick in the book. How had he not thought to tell her? Then she wouldn’t have had to be surprised and look like an idiot.

  And what had happened two weeks ago? Had Maddie really given him a blow job in the bathroom? Had any of that been true? It was hard to even contemplate.

  “Lexi, that was a really long time ago. She was in college when that happened,” he told her. “I don’t know why they brought it up, but it has nothing to do with you. I was in a rough place in my life. You know that. I used to sleep around, but I’m not that person anymore.”

  “What about two weeks ago?” Lexi asked whirling around to face him.

  “What about two weeks ago?” he asked scrunching his brows together.

  “The blow job in the bathroom,” she reminded him, leaning back against the counter top to steady herself. “I don’t care who you slept with or what happened. I really don’t care. We weren’t together. You have every right. But you knew I’d be around her.”

  “Nothing happened two weeks ago,” he corrected her quickly. “She came into the club with Bekah and the other girls. Maddie ended up hooking up with someone else that night, and I almost kicked her out of the club. I didn’t do anything with her, Lexi.”

  “Then why did they tell me that?” she asked angrily. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He shrugged slowly. “I don’t know why they decided to tell you that lie. There’s nothing with her or anyone else. All I think about is you,” he told her. “I had no idea they were going to bring up my history with her. It’s not like I was trying to hide it from you. It’s history for a reason.”

  “What about Parker being a bridesmaid?” she whispered into the open space. Her stomach had dropped at the mention of that bit of information. She had had to act like she didn’t care about that for an entire evening. She had to parade around in Parker’s clothes and follow the orders of four blonde bimbos. Surely he could have thought that worth noting.

  “Oh,” was all he managed.

  Lexi waited a second expecting more explanation than just—oh. When he didn’t say anything else, she shook her head forlornly. “Is that what I am? Just a fill in for Parker?” she asked staring deep into his green eyes full of repentance. He was shaking his head, but she couldn’t stop there. “Do you want to just fuck me in front of all your friends? Because all you seem to be doing is fucking me over Ramsey.”

  He seemed unable to control himself after she finished her reprimand. He dove forward and claimed her lips for his own smashing them both backward into the marble countertop. She gasped as her body was pressed back bruisingly hard, and he demanded attention from her lips. It didn’t take long before she was breathless as their kiss intensified. His hands pushed up in her long flowing hair, yanking it roughly. Her head wrenched backward, and she released a moan.

  He nipped his way up her neck and growled into her ear, “I really want to fuck you over.”

  “Oh, God,” she groaned raking her hands down his chest.

  He snatched both of her hands off of him, and gripped them together with one hand. Yanking them forcefully over her head, he held her in place. She wanted to hold onto her anger, but she could barely keep from panting as he held her motionless.

  “You said I’m fucking you over?” he murmured. Turning her nose up, she refused to respond. Instead, she slid her leg up his calf, moved over his knee, and against his thigh. He tugged on her arms, and pressed his hip into her leg securing her in place. “Lexi, I asked you something.”

  She opened her eyes, and saw his gorgeous face smirking at her. “Yes, you are fucking me over,” she said, trying to hold onto her anger.

  He chuckled and pressed his advantage. “I’ll show you what that’s really like.”

  He used his free hand to run down her front and snap the buttons open from top to bottom. He trailed gently down the front sending goosebumps across her skin. Reaching her shorts, he dragged the zipper down, and let them fall to the kitchen floor. He leaned forward and licked across her bottom lip. She whimpered. “That’s better,” he whispered. His hand dipped down into her underwear teasing more than just her lips.

  “Ramsey,” she gasped out.

  “Don’t move those,” he told her, dragging her underwear to the ground. She stepped out of them, and lowered her arms. “I said don’t move those!”

  Her arms shot back in the air and gripped the handle. At that point, she didn’t care if she ripped the cabinets off of the wall.

  As he stood, he grabbed her thighs and hoisted her onto the counter. “Stay here,” he said grazing her chin and forcing her to lock eyes with him, “and listen this time.”

  Lexi licked her lips and watched as he stripped down to his navy boxers. She could see that he was hardening at the sight of her naked from the waist down, and she squirmed as she sat there exposed.

  He moved back toward her and pushed her legs apart as far as they would go. “Ramsey,” she groaned as he ran his hand achingly slow up her inner thighs. Her pussy pulsed as he neared her and begged for his fingers. “Yes, love?” he whispered running his finger down her wetness. “Oh, look, you’re already ready for me.”

  She closed her eyes and instinctively slammed her head backward into the cabinet. “Tease,” she barely got out.

  “Fine, I don’t have to tease you,” he said pushing his boxers to the ground and positioning his hard cock in front of her opening. “Is this what you want?”

  Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed her ass in his hands and pumped inside of her. She gasped as he filled her and dropped her arms to his shoulders. Not even stopping his movements, he grabbed her arms again and forced them back to their proper place. She could hardly breathe as he rammed inside of her over and over again.

  They had had sex hundreds of times over the past year, but nothing was like this. Ramsey had never been like this. It had always been making love—wonderful fucking delicious sex. But the anger that had coursed through their veins, the anger that had pushed them to this moment, threw that completely out the window. Now he was just fucking her—fucking her properly.

  She came almost instantly, not able to hold out. It had been too long without him. It had been too damn long.

  “Oh shit,” he groaned as she clenched around him.

  Finally releasing her arms, he circled her legs around him. He grabbed her off of the counter and Lexi glanced over at the kitchen table. “Fuck it,” he growled and without a second thought threw them both down onto the marbled floor.

  Lexi’s back arched off the ground desperate to get him back inside of her. She heard him chuckle, and then he was flipping her over face down on the ground. He reinserted himself into her and continued his work, fucking her senseless. “Oh, Jesus. Fuck. Ramsey,” she cried out each time he drove into her, his balls slapping against her clit and propelling her toward orgasm a second time.

  “God, you’re so tight,” he growled, his fingers digging into her hips.

  At those words, she felt him stiffen and release, and they came together. Lexi laid her forehead on the cold marble floor, her breathing ragged, and her chest heaving. Sweat dripped down her back, and she realized she had a light sheen across her skin.

  “Why was I mad at you again?” she asked into the floor.

  He leaned forward and kissed her back. “I want you,” he breathed between kisses. “Just you, Lexi.”

  “Didn’t you just have me?” she asked turning around to look at him with a sweet, lazy smile on her face.

  “I want all
of you.”

  JUNE—TWO MONTHS EARLIER

  Rounding the corner in Bridges Enterprise, Lexi found Brandon’s office door and knocked twice. She heard scurrying footsteps and as if someone had jumped. Was she interrupting? A woman’s voice spoke up. “Were you expecting someone?”

  This time Brandon responded, “No, I don’t have to get it.”

  Lexi sighed. She was definitely interrupting something, but she didn’t have the time for it right now. She was starving, and wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible.

  She heard the woman respond faintly through the door. “That’s a good idea.”

  Did she hear someone groaning? Oh Jesus, Brandon! Was he with someone on the other side of that door? This was so inconvenient. He was at work; he shouldn’t be diddling one of his coworkers during business hours. She rolled her eyes and knocked a second time, harder.

  “Brandon?” she cried, puncturing his name with another knock on the door. “I know you’re in there!”

  Lexi heard the girl respond one more time. “I thought you weren’t expecting anyone.”

  “I wasn’t. I don’t know who that is,” Brandon said. Lexi ground her teeth. She wanted to yell through the door that she could hear them.

  “Do you have to answer it?” the girl asked. There was a pause on the other side of the door for a second. Lexi didn’t even want to know what that pause meant.

  “Dammit,” Brandon grumbled stepping back. She heard Brandon cross the office and she quickly pulled her ear away from the door just as it swung open. A surprised smile broke across his face when he saw Lexi.

  “Hey, Pookie,” Lexi said sauntering into his office uninvited. She stopped when she saw Kace, remembering the last time she had encountered Mr. Bridges secretary. She had been more interested in filing a sexual harassment suit against Brandon at the time. Clearly by the heady look on her face that was no longer the case. “Hey, how’s it going?” she asked awkwardly, realizing she couldn’t exactly backtrack from that statement. To an outsider, that easy nickname could easily be construed as a pet name.