The Avoidance of Love (The Daniels' Sisters Book 2)

by J. L. Monro

  The little lace thong that I had on underneath my jeans was drenched in anticipation of more Jace Bryce. I lifted my hips to help him ease my jeans down and he sat up slightly to pull them all the way off. His eyes fixated right between my thighs, where I knew he wanted to be. When he licked his lips, I struggled to stifle my groan. I knew what that mouth was capable of and there was nothing more I wanted than his talented tongue right this minute.

  “I can hear your thoughts and there’ll be none of that right now. You’re gonna take a non-sexual bath and then get some rest.” I’m not sure he realized that he’d just challenged me.

  He made no attempt to take off my thong and instead started unbuttoning my shirt. Again, he was slow in his task, placing a kiss against my chest every time he undid a button until the shirt was off. Once I was down to my underwear, he coveted in a way that left me so exposed and bare to him, I might as well have been completely naked. Without being aware of what he was doing, his fingers dipped under my thong and stroked against my slick folds.

  “Fucking hell! You’re soaked.” He started to play with my clit which made my hips buck of their own accord. He smiled and then came to a halt. “Temptress! Come on!”

  He jumped off the bed and swept me up in his arms again before carrying me into the bathroom. And what a bathroom! It was white beyond belief and so clean and tidy. I guessed he didn’t use it very much. It was pristine. The tub was huge. Sunk into the floor, it was filled with the most aromatic scent I had ever had the pleasure of inhaling. He had put some kind of bath milk in and floating on top of the water were deep red rose petals.

  I turned my head to look at him. “You did this for me.” He looked at me as if to say duh. I grabbed his face and kissed him. No one had ever done anything remotely like this for me. Granted, I’d probably never given any other guy the chance, but that was irrelevant.

  Jace began to lower me down his body, never losing contact, so I could feel his erection bulging through his trousers. I couldn’t resist rubbing against it and the groan he let out sent shivers down my spine in the best possible way. Although he did not attempt to take things further, I couldn’t deny the passion that I felt in merely kissing Jace. Every stroke of his tongue, every pull of his teeth showed me how he felt and I reciprocated.

  I hadn’t noticed when he removed my underwear. I was caught up in being so close to him and trying to get closer. Once again, he scooped me up and then carefully lowered me into the bath not letting me go until the last possible moment.

  The water was heaven, and I sank under so that I was completely submerged. Whatever was in the water felt silky smooth against my skin. By the time I couldn’t hold my breath any longer and surfaced, Jace stood naked in all his glory in front of me. This time I had to lick my lips.

  “Remember the rules. No touching. We’re going to relax and you’re going to let me see to your needs.”

  “Hmmmmmm.” Let’s just see what he’s got up his sleeves. One way or another, he was going to be inside by the time we got back to bed. He just didn’t know it yet.

  While I was ogled him like a starved zombie, Jace slipped into the bath in behind of me. I didn’t even try to resist stroking his thighs. They were firm and all I could picture was sitting on what was between them, but Jace’s firm arm around my waist let me know that wasn’t going to happen.

  When he did release my waist, it was to grab a bottle of shampoo and he proceeded to wash my hair. Again, this was a new experience for me, but something I wouldn’t tire of quickly. I had a feeling that Jace was deliberately trying to show me his more attentive side.

  I was done for when he started to massage my scalp. Between the sensual way his fingers were moving on my scalp and the erection pressing between my cheeks, I was so turned on I needed to relieve the tension building within me. If Jace wasn’t going to help then I was going to take matters into my own hands.

  So Jace wouldn’t notice, I moved my hand as gently as possible to start stroking myself. My flesh was so sensitive. I was imagining they were his fingers working me so diligently. My breathing was becoming erratic, and it was taking everything within to stop myself from groaning.

  “Oh, shit. You fucking cheat!” I flicked my eyes open and turned to look at Jace who was now peeking over my shoulder to watch what I was doing. The lust and desire burning in his eyes only encouraged me to keep going, but he had other ideas.

  Jace practically leapt out of the bath and pulled me with him. Once I stood in front of him, he swept his eyes over my body once before slinging me over his shoulder and storming in the direction of the bed. Before we reached the mattress, he gave me a firm spank on left ass cheek that stung more than it should have because my skin still wet.

  “Fuck Jace! That hurt!” Yet it turned me on just a little more.

  He tossed me onto the bed with no finesse or grace, and before I could recover and move my hair from out of my face, he was over me and slamming into me with a force I’d never felt from him before.

  “Oh God!” He didn’t even allow me time to adjust.

  “One. Day. You’re. Going. To. Give. Me. Control!” Every word was punctuated with a thrust. There was no way I was going to hold out under this kind of assault.

  “Jace, please, I need to come.” Was I really begging? Yes!

  “That’s what I want to hear baby. Beg for it.” Mother fucker was going to pay for this later.

  “Please, make me come.” That was all the instruction he needed. While continuing to pump with a rhythm that should be physically impossible, he hooked both my legs over his shoulders sending him deeper than before. My climax continued to build. I was gripping the sheets as tightly as possible to the point that my nails were digging through the sheets and into my hands.

  He didn’t relent. As I fell deeper into the haze of what was going to be a torrent of an orgasm, he pulled out of me, and turned me over so quickly it left me disorientated for all of a second before he slammed back into me. That last thrust was my undoing and my orgasm came in wave after wave as we both shouted each other’s name.

  I could still feel Jace throbbing inside me when he slumped over my body, being careful not to crush me. His body was slick with sweat, but I didn’t need to feel that to know he had just put some major work in.

  “BonBon, next time we take a bath together, make sure you wait for me before pleasuring yourself. I want front row seats so I can watch the show.” He gave my neck a kiss before rolling to the side taking me with him and never pulling out. We fell asleep in that position, our bodies tucked in tight and I remember that the last thought on my mind was . . . we’re having another bath in the morning.

  THE BUZZING VIBRATION of my phone woke me the next morning. I also noticed that I was in bed alone. Where was Jace? I was butt naked under the sheets and I wasn’t about to go looking for him right at this minute so I rolled over to answer the vibrating nuisance.

  “Hello?” I hadn’t even checked the caller ID. It wasn’t like me to answer my phone so informally.

  “Hello? Are you okay, Mara? You never answer with hello.” The panic on the end of the phone was escalating.

  “Coops?” It could only have been him. He is the only person I know apart from Lana who can go from cool to melt down in less than ten seconds and regain their composure just as quick. “Calm down, I’m fine. What’s the problem?”

  “Ummmm. It’s Monday. You’re not at work. It’s not natural.” He almost had me believing him.

  “Let’s try this. It’s Monday. You’re at work alone. You’re bored. You want to know if I’m coming in and if not, you want the gossip about my weekend.”

  “You could at least pretend to believe my pitiful attempt at concern.”

  “Why bother when it’s more fun to just call you out on you bogus behavior?”

  “Sooooooooo?”

  “Paris was beautiful. Something came up, so we had to come back early. Now I’m in bed considering going back to sleep.”

  “Where
are you? You’re not at your flat.”

  “Are you spying on me?”

  “Of course.” Before I could respond, I heard the bedroom door creak open and saw Jace’s head peak around the door. He looked sheepish, which was an unusual look for him. He never looked anything less than certain and confident. It soon became apparent as to why he was nervous. As he came into the room, he was holding a tray with what looked like it was supposed to be breakfast.

  “You hungry?” I nodded. I was hungry but not for what was on the plate.

  “Coops, I’ll call you later. Get on with some work.”

  Just as I pressed the end button, I heard him mutter. “He better have bought the damn espresso like I told him.” So Mr. Bryce had gotten some help with breakfast for me.

  I sat up so he could lay the tray across my lap. I couldn’t help but inspect the offerings. Burnt toast, soggy cereal of some sorts, and instant coffee. Christ!

  “I tried. Turns out there’s something I’m not so good at.”

  “Awwwww, don’t worry. I appreciate the effort, but how about I get ready and cook something for breakfast that is edible.”

  “I’ve got a better idea. How about we go out for breakfast and I can get you a proper coffee.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Suddenly aware of my nudity, I gripped the sheets when Jace took the tray back and kept them firmly wrapped around my body while I made my way to the bathroom. “What about your dad?” In my enthusiasm to get my hands on good coffee, I’d forgotten that John’s caregiver had walked out, so he had no one to sit with him during the day. From the look on Jace’s face, it had slipped from his memory as well.

  “Shit! I mean, he doesn’t need a caregiver here all day. They’re only here all day when I’m away, but even when I’m at home, they come four times a day to make sure he’s clean and has something to eat.” He placed the tray on the bed and sat back down while he ran his fingers through his hair before flopping onto his back with a huge sigh.

  My heart went out to him. It couldn’t be easy having to look after his dad and now the only help he’d had was gone. I walked back to him without dropping the sheet and straddled his hips. Lana had always said the best way to deal with stress is to distract yourself from it. I’d never given her advice much credit before . . . actually none, but it seemed appropriate in this situation.

  Jace peeked at me through his fingers. “What are you up to, BonBon?”

  “Nothing. You look stressed so we are going to take this one step at a time.” I began to trace intricate patterns on his chest as an additional method to distract him. “ First, we need to eat. Therefore, I’m going to cook for all of us.” I leaned down, allowing my hair to curtain around him. He took a fistful of my hair, wrapping it around his fingers and pulled me closer, taking a deep breath to inhale the scent. Weirdly erotic.

  “Then you’re going to call an agency to send a replacement caregiver. If they don’t have one immediately, I can call my sister Tara. Sometimes she works at the hospital so she may know of a few health care assistants looking for some extra work in the interim.”

  “It may be a little while. We’ve been through a few agencies. My dad’s outbursts are notorious.” He was smiling now and the erection I could feel underneath me confirmed that other things were now on his mind. “In any case, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He pulled me down to give me a chaste but meaningful kiss that quickly developed into something hotter. Just when I thought he was going to continue what we finished the early hours of this morning, he lifted me off his body and dropped me beside him. I gave him a look that explicitly said what the hell. “I told you last night, BonBon; I want control. So until you’re willing to give it I’ve decided. No. Sex. For. You! Now get started with breakfast, because that’s all that’s going to be on the table for now.” With that, he got up and went into the shower, leaving me utterly frustrated.

  We’ll just see who wins this game. I wasn’t going to chase after him and what he didn’t know was that I could go years at a time without a man and since the good people at Lelo had designed plenty of different Battery Operated Boyfriends over the years, he might find himself unnecessary.

  Feeling mighty pleased with myself, I tossed on one of Jace’s T-shirts and a pair of his shorts, grabbed the tray with the offensive inedible food, and made my way downstairs to the kitchen.

  I was already half-way into the kitchen before I noticed John sitting at the breakfast table. “Good Morning, John.” He looked up from his paper wearing a genuine smile that made me wonder whether he really needed as much care as Jace thought. Then I remembered that first scene I’d walked in on when we met.

  “I haven’t had a drink if that’s what you’re wondering.” Shit. Since when had I become that transparent? Although that hadn’t been what I was thinking exactly.

  “I wasn’t thinking that at all John.” Liar. Change the subject fast! “I’ve been coerced into making breakfast. What would you like?”

  “You cooked last night. Jace should be making you something.”

  “I’ve just seen what he calls making breakfast. I think it’s safer for all involved if I just make something.” At that, John chuckled.

  “Yeah. Cooking isn’t his strong point. I’ll just have whatever you see fit to rustle up.” I was already looking in the fridge. There was more than enough to make a full English breakfast with extras.

  “Full English it is.” John’s stomach chose at that moment to growl. “I’ll take that as a yes.” I got on with cooking and spied John watching me every now and again with a smile on his face. It made me even happier to prepare another meal.

  Halfway through, Jace made an appearance. He gave his dad a nod, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek along with a subtle pinch on my bum. I bumped him with my hip and told him to sit while I laid the table again and got the drinks ready. They had a juicer that looked brand new, so I made some fresh orange juice along with a pot of tea and a carafe of coffee.

  Both men waited for me to sit down before they began to eat and I suddenly saw where Jace got his eating habits. It was feeding time at the zoo and the animals hadn’t been fed in weeks. John was the first to catch me staring.

  “Layla, used to tell us off about the way we ate. Never made a difference, but I loved her for trying,” And then his face was back in his plate. I couldn’t look away from the carnage. I started on my own plate and ate most of it but decided not to be gluttonous. Both John and Jace finished well before me, but waited to clear the table. At least they had some etiquette.

  While Jace washed the dishes, John went back to his newspaper, but it wasn’t long before he set it down.

  “So I’ve been thinking.” Jace paused and turned to face his father, giving him his full attention. “I’ve not been much of a Dad to you these years since your Mum passed away. I see you two together and you have a chance at what I had, and I’m not going to ruin that.”

  Jace started to interrupt. “Dad you’re not . . .”

  John held up his hand to stop him. “ Let me finish. Now you two could have something special, and relationships are hard enough without additional baggage adding an extra strain. I need to sort myself out, and I’ve needed to do that for a long time, so I’m going to check myself into that rehab place Jace has been telling me about.” He paused to take a breath, and I thought Jace was going to say something, but he didn’t. The look on his face was unreadable. “I’ll get checked in as soon as possible, but I’ll need you to make the arrangements, son. Is that all right?”

  “Sure.” Is that all he had to say? The silence was becoming awkward. I needed to give them some space. Fuck it. I needed space.

  “I left my phone upstairs. I’m just going to get it. You two sort out what you need to.” If I could have run, I would have, but I settled for walking at a pace that was quicker than normal, but hopefully didn’t show how much I wanted to escape.

  At this point, I wanted to go back to work. I just needed to bury my head in some
thing non-emotional and purely rational. I rang Coops and gave him the heads up that I’d be coming in shortly.

  “You’re going to leave him in his hour of need.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Be there! Support him!”

  “I have supported him. They’re not saying anything to each other. I think I just need to give them both some space so they can sort things out and talk to each other.”

  “You know what? Normally, I only intervene in your life when you’re going to do something that might amuse me, but this time you’re going to do something that’s going to fuck up your chance at a good solid relationship. FYI, those don’t come around that often. So let me lay down what is going to happen. You’re going to stay where you are and be there for Jace just like he needs.

  “Remember when your parents died and they left you.” I took a sharp intake of breath. It still hurt. “Yeah, remember that feeling. Remember feeling alone. You are going to put that feeling on Jace right now because of your own emotional hang-ups and that’s not fair. You come anywhere near the office and I will call Jace myself and let him know that you’re a bitch and he deserves better. In fact, I’m locking the office up. I will snap the key off in the door if you even think about leaving his side.”

  “Coops. You can’t do that.”

  “Yes, I will. He needs you.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Of course, I am. Now, fuck off. You’ve ruined my day and really upset me with your unnecessary drama. I’m leaving early.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You were going to leave early anyway, weren’t you?”

  “Yes. Lana’s found a new cocktail bar, and it has happy hour all day. Pretend I’m mad with you, so I don’t feel bad about partying on a school night.”