Avery groaned. He groaned loudly with frustration, running his hands over his face as his fingers itched to write a song about tonight. There would be so many different emotions in the tune and all of them came from the room Cece was currently inside: the games room.
Avery wanted to turn around and go right to his bed alone, drag the sheets over his head and sleep until morning woke him up and hopefully in a better mood than this morning. However, he knew when Cece woke up her body was going to punish her for drinking so much and her head was going to punish her for the seductive way she continually tried to bed him. Bed him? Was she thinking manager with benefits or more? He was dying to know, but not tonight.
Avery put on the tea kettle and rummaged the cupboards until he found Abby’s tea stash. Inside the metal cupboard of this contemporary house were antique drawers labeled on the outside and full of loose tea, combining smells of peaches, green tea, and orange in a distinct tea smell.
Avery prepared Cece a cup of Sydney’s loose leaf concoction to help with the next morning hangover, adding a bit of honey. Yes, there was a tea for a hangover and of course Abby would have it. Avery had tried it once, only two months ago when he’d returned to Willow Valley and had a night of drinking to forget Ems and Drew’s betrayal.
Avery found Cece sprawled out on her back, lying on top of the pool table. She stared at the tin ceiling...still dressed...that was a relief. If she wasn’t drunk he would have much rather she’d been naked waiting for him.
Dreamer.
This room was designed for entertaining. In the middle of the incredible room, was the very pool table he was making his way toward. The mirrored wall behind the long bar was layered with glass shelves of alcohol. The famous bowling alley, that he didn’t even let his eyes wander to, was at the back of the room. Poster size framed pictures of famous bands with Riley hung in every free space, even beside the red drapes over the theater area that was lined with red velvet chairs.
Avery walked across the wood floor, hoping Cece was sleeping, but unable to tell because his eyes kept traveling up her legs where her dress was hiked a little higher revealing her thighs. Pink lace panties teased his eyes.
When he finally reached her, her saucer-sized eyes were wide open, fighting exhaustion and no longer angry at him for pulling away in the foyer.
“Hey,” he said. “I brought you a tea to help with your morning hangover.”
Cece sighed loudly. “I was planning on seducing you.”
Avery couldn’t help but smirk at the casual, defeated way she said it. “Were you?” he asked, unable to enjoy her admission.
She sighed a yes.
“But now?”
She propped her upper body up with her elbows. “What’s the point? You don’t actually want to have sex with me. If we make love again...” She mimicked, very poorly, his voice when he’d said it to her. “And make love...who says that? It’s called sex, Avery.”
Didn’t want to have sex−make love with her? She was inaccurately mistaken, but there was no way in hell he was giving her that tidbit of information when she was so...horny.
He shrugged. “I guess that depends on how you look at it.” He held the mug in her direction.
Cece rolled her eyes, ignoring the mug that would save her head the next morning, and laid back down. She wiggled her legs, sending the material of her dress inching higher.
This is torture.
Avery set the mug on one of the small bistro tables, and looked back at Cece. “Are you planning on crashing on that pool table for the night?” he asked.
She propped herself up again and her full, messy hair tumbled down the front of her. She sent him a quizzical look. Even though she was drunk, Avery liked that her guard was down and all of her emotions and frankness were raw and truthful.
“How do you look at it?” she asked and he had no idea what she was referring to.
“Look at what?”
Cece sat abruptly straight up, crossing her legs and folding her hands on her lap. Her dress stretched further across her thighs and up. She was clueless to her dress placement. He, on the other hand, was acutely aware, having to focus extra hard on her eyes so as not to stray down to the opening...again.
She spoke her next words like a teacher repeating and explanation to a pupil who misunderstood the first time. She wasn’t lacking in displaying the obvious annoyance she was feeling. “The difference between sex and making love. How do you look at it?”
Avery sat on the edge of the pool table. The difference? She wanted him to spell it out for her. “I guess anyone can have sex with whomever they want. But, making love to someone, well, I think that is more than just sex. It’s a connection between two people on a level more deeply. It’s feeling their love, touching their soul, kissing their heart.”
There had been women in Avery’s life that he’d liked more than others, but there had only been one woman he thought he was in love with: Ems. He used the word thought, now, because a question continued to plague him from the day he met Cece. How was it possible that Avery had been in love; true, deep, soul-combining love; with Ems and disregard that love so quickly at the sight of another? Cece. Not to mention, how could he call what he’d had with Ems love, when his feelings now for the drunken woman beside him were stronger than he’d ever felt in his life?
When Avery looked at Cece, satisfied with his answer, he found the curiosity wiped clean from her face, along with the lightness it had held most the evening. She looked...angry.
Why was she angry?
Cece slid to the edge of the pool table, never taking her eyes off him. “Don’t ever put us in that category again, when it’s clear that’s not how you feel about us.” She slid off the pool table, this time yanking the hem of her dress down, as her bare feet took her across the floor in a quick, stumbling manner.
What was she talking about? And where was she going?
“Cece?” He pushed away from the pool table and caught up to her in a few large steps. Either she misunderstood what his definition of lovemaking was or she had no idea how he felt about her. They were both exhausted. He should have let her go and hopefully she would crash on the couch and he could retire to his room. But he wouldn’t sleep knowing something he said was bothering her, so he felt the need to clarify.
Avery reached for her wrist to stop her and as he made contact, her shrill scream slashed his intent away. She whipped around to face him, startling the hell out of him. When she yanked her arm out of his grasp, Avery let her go. But not before he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be fright in her eyes. The thrust overtook her body and with the absence of his supporting hand, sent her falling backwards on her rear.
Avery would have reached for her and steadied her feet, if the apprehension surfacing in her eyes hadn’t kept him drilled in place. She landed with her hands hitting the floor, keeping her in a sitting position.
“Emotional” was spot on with Cece’s drunken state. Aggravation with Riley devoured him, as tears streamed down Cece’s face, that her brother had left her with him expecting her current condition. Avery had no idea what to do with this woman. She was up and down like leaves in a wind storm and all the swirling around left her looking crushed on the floor.
Why was she crying? Why was she screaming at his touch? And why was she mad at him? Damn you, Riley Boyd.
Cautiously, Avery bent to his knees beside her.
He was thankful that Kate had phoned him and reassured him of Peyton’s current condition. He was still worried about Peyton and the twins, but not being an emergency made it easier to focus on Cece’s needs...whatever they might be.
Avert wanted to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder or leg, but didn’t dare. He wanted to pull her into his arms and rock away everything that was bothering her...but again, he didn’t dare. Not until he knew what she was thinking.
“Cece?”
Cece looked up, her mascara pooling dark circles under her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, looking e
mbarrassed.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes...I’m okay,” her shoulder slouched, but her lips forced a partial smile at him. Her eyes looked like she could fall asleep right here on the floor. “It’s alright that you love Ems. It’s good that you found her and I’m sorry she doesn’t see it. She’s lucky. I mean I barely know you and I know you’re a good guy. You’re a very good guy. You know, the guy that your mother tells you to look for. The sweetheart, the gentleman, the joker, the man who puts the woman he loves before everything else.” Cece touched his face, smiling, and then as though his skin burned her, she dropped her hand back to her side. “Ems will come around.”
Avery didn’t even know where to start processing her opinion of him. Her words were beautiful. However, at the very moment, there was a pressing issue about her assumption of his love life, which could be the root of her avoidance. Why she’d been ignoring him and basically treating the situation between them like nothing happened. If that was the case, he wanted that cleared up immediately, drunk or not.
Avery took a deep breath. He hadn’t purposely kept his relationship with Ems a secret from Cece, but he hadn’t really thought anyone was discussing it behind his back either. Now he realized it was likely Riley had told Cece about his past relationship with Ems, leaving her thinking he was still in love with Ems.
“Cece, I don’t love Ems,” he said. “I’m not in love with her. I’m certainly not waiting for her to fall back in love with me. And if she did, honestly, I wouldn’t be interested in pursuing a relationship with her, because I don’t love her. Not like that anyway. She was my friend before we dated and I’d like to think that once we work past the betrayal, we will be friends again. But we were never lovers and definitely not soul mates.”
Cece sat with the information, chewing away at her bottom lip and squishing her face all up in an unattractive sort of way that Avery was finding adorable. She would be so mortified with herself right now if she were sober. This woman did not let her emotions show, to anyone, and since he offered her his hand at the restaurant, she’d done nothing but express every emotion.
“You don’t love Ems? You aren’t in love with Ems?” she asked.
“No and no.”
“Really?”
“I’m not in love with her.”
Cece tiled her head. “Did you sleep with me to further your career?”
How could she think he was so shallow? “I definitely did not sleep with you to further my career.”
“Oh...” That was the first time tonight she was speechless.
Avery offered his hand. It was late and time for bed. They’d talked, they’d seduced, they’d kissed, they’d yelled...he was exhausted.
“We both have to get up early in the morning, so I think we should call it a night,” he suggested.
She nodded and he helped her to her feet. “I will sleep in the guest bedroom beside yours,” she said as they exited the games room and he turned the light off noticing the disappointment weighing his hand. If only she hadn’t been drunk...
On the second floor, Avery stopped at the first guest bedroom, the one Cece was taking. His bedroom was down the hall right beside it.
“Good night Cece.” He leaned down and kissed the side of her head. He didn’t dare go near her cheek, where her lips could turn in an instant and land on his and he didn’t linger to give her any ideas.
“Avery?” she called, when he reached his door.
He took a deep breath before turning back. Her tousled hair and her sleepy eyes were so damn sexy. “Yeah?”
She furrowed her brows together, so similar to Abby, that saying spit it out was on the top of his tongue.
“Why did you sleep with me?” she asked.
Wasn’t that the question of the year? It happened too soon. No matter his pull toward her, he should have gotten to know her better, dated her before they ended up in that games room naked, captivated, and spellbound together. It wasn’t like Avery to sleep with a woman so quickly and he could only label it as they were destined to be together...dramatic. Had he wrecked any chance they had together because they’d rushed it?
Honesty was his friend right now and hiding behind the truth, like they’d both been doing the last two months was only penetrating more confusion. “I like you Cece. I guess I haven’t made that clear. We’ve been a little busy. But I don’t just sleep with anyone.” He didn’t let her respond. He was afraid of what she might say or where they would end up. He could only keep his hands to himself for so long, when she kept throwing herself at him.
“Goodnight Cece.” He shut the door behind him and leaned his head against it.
Lord, he was tired. He had never felt so physically and emotionally drained all at the same time and he’d done a few all nighters in the last year. At the same time, the idea of sleep eluded him. How was he going to settle down long enough to fall asleep now?
Chapter Eight
LIKE AN INNER alarm clock had gone off, Cece opened her eyes at five in the morning. She was a morning person, had been her entire life. As a child she would rise in the summer, with the dew, to weed the garden with her mother. In the winter she would wake before the sun, even in a snow storm, to feed the animals in the barn. As a teenager, reading and studying would stir her from sleep, a means to try and please her uncle, who expected high grades. Rising before the sun was instilled in her from a young age and as an adult she loved the extra time to put in a quick run, hearty breakfast, or a review of the day’s workload before leaving for the label.
Today was different.
Her body objected first, stiff and sore with a sickness in her stomach that ordered her awareness. Her head objected second, slamming a headache into every last area it could work itself, blinding her thoughts...momentarily.
Cece groaned, grabbing her head and rolling on her stomach to bury her face into the solace of her soft pillow. It didn’t smell like her pillow. It was hard, pushing pressure against every aching component of her head that it came in contact with.
Cece’s eyes fluttered open...slowly, so very slowly...to meet a stark white pillowcase. Her pillowcases were grey.
Where was she?
Her body and head didn’t care where she was, as long as she kept her eyes closed and fell back into a deep slumber, away from excruciating agony.
Cece’s mind overrode the decision to sleep.
She rolled onto her back again, landing with a bang that shook her whole body, sending her stomach to lurch and her head to hammer. The palms of her hands remained pressed against each temple, to relieve the thumping she could hardly think past.
It was still dark outside, but light from the lamp on the nightstand lit the room for her blinking, objecting, eyes as she tried to determine her whereabouts. As Riley’s spare bedroom, the one she’d slept in for many days after he disappeared, came into view, so did the night before.
No. No. No!
Like a bad movie your fingers itched to fast forward through the worst parts, but knowing they needed to be watched, Cece recapped every single moment of the night before. Not skipping the parts when she kissed Avery, tried to seduce him, fell on her rear, cried, then asked the man stealing her dreams why he slept with her.
No. No. No!
Cece sat up. Too quickly. Pain seared from her head to her toes and boomeranged back to her head. She pushed past the urge to grab her head, lie down and die. Instead she threw her feet over the edge of bed, not touching the floor and dangling them like a marionette, waiting for her to pull the strings and connect her feet with the plush white carpet.
She needed a minute.
Cursing the liquid bravery she’d consumed the night before, she took a few deep breaths, hating that she was so out of control of her body right now...and last night.
Abby was right. Dead on right, Cece thought as she grabbed her dress off the floor. Her head lurched from front to back, ringing like a school bell.
Cece steadied herself, feeling like she was ba
lancing on a tightrope. Her hands flared to each side, one leg in front of the other, and right now the thought of looking down again was going to make her vomit.
How was she going to handle today when she was having a hard time bending over for her dress?
Her dress.
Staring at the wrinkled material hanging lifelessly from her fingers at arm’s length away, her face scrunched up, appalled. Bringing it toward her, it smelled like the cosmopolitan missed her lips on multiple occasions last night. Her head ached at the way her forehead frowned to match her lips, but her mood kept them both firmly in place.
Cece slipped the dress over her head and cringed as it clung to every part of her body, making her feel dirty. She wanted to jump in the shower and let the hot water pound away the stiffness throughout her body and ease the pulsating behind her eyes. Her mouth was dry, her teeth felt dirty. She ran her hand through her hair and stopped not even half way, as her fingers were lost in a knotted mess. Every single movement caused pain, making the shower more appealing.
She couldn’t shower here. She needed to go home, where a nice clean outfit awaited and her shampoo would revitalize her body and wake her up. Spending six days and five nights on a coach bus, as large and comfortable as it was, still wasn’t home, so she wanted a proper shower before takeoff.
Cece gradually pushed the bedroom door open, being cautious not to make a sound, like a thief planning an escape...she was planning an unseen escape.
What were the chances Avery was awake?
Her eyes darted down the hall at his closed bedroom door. The image of him standing there, his vest unbuttoned, his shirt wrinkled against his abs and confessing why he slept with her, sent a nice, warm, and contented excitement through her veins. Cece had been wrong about Avery.
He liked her. He liked her!
The pure pleasure was short lived, crushed by the sadness of reality. If they’d only talked about that night before she’d signed on as his manager, she could have had a solid reason to decline allowing them the opportunity to pursue their feelings. But now, Cece couldn’t...no she wouldn’t...pursue it. She’d gone down this path already and it had devastated her for a long time.
Lakeshore Lyrics: The McAdams Sisters (By The Lake Series Book 5) Page 7