“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, cuddling further into me.
“It’s weird, Avery. I kind of do. With you. I’ve never felt that with anybody else.”
“When you’re ready.” Her voice was getting sleepy. “I’m here.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m sorry for what she did to you, G-man. Whatever it is.” Her sleepy voice was now slurring pretty badly.
“G-man?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I don’t like it.”
“Would you prefer ‘Best Fuck of My Life’?”
“Only if it’s true.”
“It’s true.”
Even through the slur, I felt her sincerity. I knew the liquor we’d taken in shots had finally hit her. She needed to sleep it off, but I liked our quiet confessional in the dark.
“It’s a pretty accurate statement for me, too,” I admitted. “Goodnight, Ave.”
She mumbled some incoherent reply, and I listened as her breathing evened out.
She was asleep in my arms, her back to my front. I breathed her in again, reveling in her sweet floral scent.
It wasn’t the last time that night I did that. Far from it, in fact.
She was gorgeous. She was feisty, controlling, and interesting. She made me feel things that had been dormant for years.
And as I held her against me, I realized I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to enjoy every moment we had together, because I had no idea how long it would last.
I wasn’t sure how many hours of sleep I got. I was a little obsessive about getting my eight hours each night. Part of being healthy meant a well-balanced diet and plenty of sleep.
But I lay awake all night, just holding Avery as she quietly slept.
My mind was whirling with possibilities, but ultimately my logic won out.
I liked Avery.
But first, she was my sister’s friend.
And second, I didn’t do relationships.
Apparently Avery didn’t, either.
So what was I so worked up about? Why hadn’t I slept a single minute? Why was I focusing only on Avery’s scent, the way her body felt against mine, the way I wanted to hold her in my arms forever?
That shit scared the fuck out of me. It wasn’t me. I wasn’t some sensitive, sweet man who would settle down to my forever.
I was a bit of a douche most of the time. I was an ass who got what he wanted almost all of the time. I liked sex, I liked women, and I liked liquor, cars, porn, and video games. I was a manly man. I didn’t shave if I didn’t want to, and I wore my hat backwards if I felt like it and subscribed to Playboy. I loved lifting weights and doing crunches and running. I ate those pre-made salads or cereal for almost every meal because I didn’t know how to cook.
My bathroom was a mess.
My closet was totally disorganized.
I liked dogs. I hated cats. I liked fucking. I hated emotions.
So why was I up all night thinking about Avery and that gorgeous look on her face when her eyes rolled back and she shattered into the orgasm I’d given her?
I’d never lost sleep over a woman before, but as I held her against me, savoring the feel of her in my arms, I couldn’t help but think about what a future with her might be like.
I was completely out of my comfort zone as I tried to drift into a sleep that wouldn’t come.
***
Avery shifted in my arms, and I knew she was awake.
We had a brunch followed by the gift session where the bridal party was invited to watch the bride and groom open their wedding presents. As best man and brother of the bride, I was sort of required to be there. So when Avery woke, I knew it was time for me to get up, too. We needed to get down to brunch, but we also needed to sneak Avery back to her room so no one would know what had happened between us.
I had a feeling Veronica already knew after our chat during our dance.
I didn’t want to steal my sister’s thunder, so to speak, so what had happened between Avery and me had to remain secret.
If we were just fucking, it would be our little secret.
But if we explored it and it turned into something more, we could let people know.
The really strange thing was that I even had that thought in the first place.
It had been years since I considered “exploring” to see if it would turn into “something more.” I was hesitant to try it. And by “hesitant,” I meant I was more scared about it than I’d ever been about anything in my life. Including the time when I was eight and we were at the zoo and I held a tarantula in my hands. Including the time when I was twelve and I went to the scariest haunted house in the East Valley and a masked man chased me with a chainsaw. Including the time when I had sank into the darkness that I still hadn’t fully climbed out of after Rachelle broke me.
I still wasn’t sure how overnight she had gone from my sister’s friend to this incredible woman who was making me think about things I hadn’t thought about in years.
But somehow she had.
I never believed in fate or love at first sight or any of that stupid shit. People always said when you meet someone who is right for you, you just know.
It’s all a bunch of lies.
I’d known Avery for a long time, and I had never seen her as a prospect. Sure, I had always thought she was sexy. I’d furtively glanced at her breasts more than my fair share of times when I knew she wasn’t looking. I thought about her lips and how they would feel wrapped around my cock… something I still had yet to experience.
Wait one goddamn minute.
I’d gone down on her the night before, but I never got payback.
And the weirdest thing was that I had no expectations for a return.
That most definitely was a first.
I couldn’t think of a time – Rachelle included – when I’d initiated oral sex by giving it to the woman first. Yes, I gave it, and yes, I enjoyed it; but usually it was a return for a job well done.
With Avery, though, I hadn’t had any expectations. I couldn’t wait to fuck her.
And now I couldn’t wait to get her on her knees.
“Good morning,” I murmured into her ear. I kissed her temple as my fingertips stroked gently up her torso.
“Mmmm. Do that again.”
I pressed my lips to her temple again, my fingers still stroking a pattern up and down her body.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said, stretching against me. We were both still naked. “Really well. You?”
“Yeah,” I lied. I hadn’t slept at all because my mind was working overtime as I contemplated what “more” might be like with this confusing and gorgeous creature I held in my arms, but I couldn’t very well tell her that.
“I’m sore,” she complained as she stretched her legs out and turned toward me.
My lips met hers softly. “I can’t really say I’m sorry about that.”
She giggled, a musical sound to my ears. “Worth it. What time is it?”
I glanced over at the clock. “A little after nine.”
“Fuck. I have to go.”
“I know. But I don’t want you to.”
“Trust me when I say I don’t want to. When can I see you again?”
“Brunch?”
She rolled her eyes at me, and I cupped her breast with my hand. She moaned, her eyes closing briefly at my touch.
“Don’t start that shit or we’ll both be late and everyone will know what we did.”
I shifted so I was hovering over her. I nuzzled her neck, planting kisses in my path. “So what?” I asked against her skin, trailing my lips down until I found her nipple. I pulled it between my teeth, biting gently before soothing it with my tongue.
“Oh fuck it,” she said, and then her hips bucked up toward mine. My dick pressed against the warmth of her pussy, and she grinded up toward me.
I grinned. “Shower with me.”
“Someone is going to see
me going back to my room, Grant.”
“They’ll see you now or they’ll see you after the shower. May as well be with a smile on your face.” I pulled her nipple back into my mouth.
“You’re very convincing.”
“You’re very sexy.”
I stood and pulled her into my arms, carrying her to the shower.
“I can walk,” she whined, but I liked holding her in my arms as much as I could tell she liked being there.
“I know you can. But this is a much better way to travel.”
She giggled, conceding to my point.
I set her down in the bathroom and turned on the water. Her arms twined around my neck as we waited for the water to warm.
She took one of my nipples into her mouth, gently biting and playing with me as I had done to her just moments earlier.
“Turn around,” I said softly. She complied, and I ran my hands from her ass all the way up her back to her neck. I massaged her back, and I felt her relaxing into me as I worked my fingers.
I heard soft breaths and quiet moans as I worked her neck and upper back. “Get in,” I said, motioning toward the shower once I saw the steam forming behind the glass.
“Don’t stop. Ever.”
I grinned. “I won’t. It’s even better when it’s slick with soap and water.”
We both got in and got wet, and I continued massaging her sore muscles. My hands moved everywhere on her body as I massaged and cleaned, and then she rinsed and took the soap in her hands.
“Your turn,” she said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.
I smiled down at her, a little amazed at how she could go from a wild animal like she was the night before to this sweet and endearing woman about to massage and wash my body.
And after all that liquor the night before, I wasn’t sure how she did it, but she didn’t look hung over. She didn’t look tired. She just looked beautiful.
As she turned me around to wash my body, I remembered our conversation from the night before. She had said she thought this could turn into more, and I had agreed with her. I felt a tremor of fear flash through my chest at the thought.
What if we had started something the night before?
What if she didn’t remember our conversation?
What if she didn’t remember calling me the best fuck of her life or my reciprocal statement, or telling me she wanted to fall in love, or my admission that I’d been in love but I’d been hurt? What if she didn’t remember the fact that I wanted to tell her what had happened with Rachelle when I’d never wanted to talk about it with anyone?
She’d been a little drunk, but now it was just awkward to bring it up.
And besides, I had a giant erection she was about to take care of.
Priorities.
I didn’t even have to ask for it. As she knelt down to the shower floor, I was drawn to her wet hair. It cascaded around her, sticking to her wet neck and shoulders. An image of her riding me the night before came to mind. Her hair had still been stuck up on top of her head with pins, but I could just imagine it flying wildly around her shoulders as I banged the hell out of her.
Something to look forward to the next time.
Her tongue ran along my length as her eyes looked up to mine. Meeting a girl’s eyes just as she was about to take me in her mouth was hot. Every single time. It was one of those little things that kicked everything up a notch.
Her tongue ran back down before she pulled back, and then she took the tip in her mouth while her hand pumped my shaft.
Her tongue swirled and then sucked in a random rhythm that pushed all of the blood in my body straight to my cock.
Clearly this wasn’t the first time she’d done this, because she knew exactly what to do. The hand that was pumping me had the perfect amount of pressure. Her lips wrapped around me, and I sank one hand into her wet hair while the hot shower water beat down on my back. Her other hand came up around to cup my ass for balance as she continued pumping, swirling, and sucking.
It was all over much too quickly. I couldn’t hold on as the pleasure she was delivering sent me flying into an intense orgasm that shook my body from head to toe.
Honestly, I felt slightly dizzy as I came. All of that blood rushing to one central point started filtering back into my veins, and sense attempted to return to my brain as Avery stood, wiping the corner of her mouth and grinning up at me. I’d been so fucking lost in my orgasm I didn’t even get to witness my favorite part of a blow job.
She’d swallowed it all down like a champ.
Jesus Christ.
She swallowed.
We got out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around her and then grabbed one for myself.
“I have a proposition for you, Grant.” She glanced over at me as we both dried off. Her brown eyes were so confusing. They somehow looked innocent and erotic at the same time.
“I’ll do anything you ask if you promise to blow me like that again.”
She giggled, and it sounded like music again. I liked making her laugh.
“I have to go get ready for brunch, so I can’t stay for you to take care of me right now. But I was thinking maybe you could come over to my place a little later tonight?”
Her voice was hopeful.
I wanted to. Badly. I really, really wanted to.
But I couldn’t.
I’d made plans with Andrew to watch Sunday Night Football at his place. I almost invited Avery. Almost. But bringing a girl to watch football was like announcing I was in a serious and committed relationship. This thing with Avery, whatever it would turn into, wasn’t serious. And we weren’t committed.
As her eyes stared up into mine, though, I couldn’t help but think about breaking my plans with Andrew to meet up with her. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d ditched him for a woman, and I was certain it wouldn’t be the last.
But my insecurities got the better of me. I’d already spent the entire weekend with her, and agreeing to meet her that night would only give her the false hope women around me always seemed to cling to.
As reality set back in, I knew agreeing to see her that night would be a huge mistake.
“I want to, Avery,” I finally said, my voice apologetic already.
“But…” She drew the word out, waiting for me to finish my thought.
“But I have plans with my buddy.”
“Cancel them.”
I chuckled. “I can’t. It’s sort of a standing Sunday night deal.”
“Gang bang?”
I flat out laughed. This girl was a riot. Crude, sassy, a little bitchy, and straight up sexy.
“More like Sunday Night Football.”
“So manly of you to watch football with the boys. You think Brady can pull off a win against those assholes from New York?”
“You watch football?” I don’t know why I was surprised. I’d met a lot of girls who watched football, but it seemed like the majority watched just to impress guys. Her one little sentence proved she knew at least something about the game. She knew who was playing that night without me having to tell her, at the very least.
“Men in tight pants chasing balls down a field? Fuck yes, I watch football.”
“Well I wish I didn’t have plans with Andrew,” I said, meaning it. I wished I could sit with her on her couch or in her bed and watch the game with a beer. I wanted a low key night with her where we could make out during the commercials and fuck during halftime.
Unfortunately that voice in my head that seemed to be my biggest challenge spoke up to stop me from engaging in more. It was my way of protecting myself. I couldn’t go through that pain again, so I’d hold her at arm’s length so I didn’t have to.
“I wish you didn’t, too. Maybe next week.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said noncommittally.
I hated the way I treated women sometimes. Avery deserved better.
“I better run,” she said, avoiding eye contact as she pulled on her dress from the night before.
Her voice was reluctant and I felt that same reluctance. I didn’t want her to go. Parting that morning meant our time was over, but so much had changed. “I’ll see you down at brunch.”
“Okay.”
She walked toward the door, and just before she reached for the handle, I grabbed her around her waist, spun her around, and hauled her up against me.
Surprise shone on that beautiful face I couldn’t get enough of, and my mouth automatically crashed down over hers. It was a short kiss, but it packed a punch for both of us. She was breathless and I was panting.
“I had to do that one more time,” I muttered.
Her hand found the back of my neck. She pulled my head back down so my lips met hers once more.
“So did I,” she said as she pulled back.
Always had to have the last word.
I hated it and loved it at the same time.
She opened the door and checked the hall to be sure the coast was clear. Our rooms were on different floors, and guests from the wedding were scattered all over. Word would spread like wildfire if anyone caught a bridesmaid still in her bridesmaid gown sneaking out of the best man’s room the morning after the wedding.
She turned back to me once more. “I had a great night, Grant.”
“I had a great morning, Peaches,” I countered.
She grinned, and then I watched her walk down the hall and disappear around a corner. I shut my door and leaned back against it for a second, trying to gain my bearings.
That woman fucked with every single sane thought I’d ever known.
I refocused my thoughts. I still had a few remaining best man duties, not the least of which was making sure to get Reed’s tux so I could return it with my own the next day.
I finished getting dressed and packed my overnight bag. I took one last glance through the room to ensure I hadn’t forgotten anything, and I found Avery’s earrings and bracelet on the nightstand next to the bed.
I supposed I’d need to find a time to return them to her. I slipped them into my pocket. I could probably sneak them over to her at brunch.
Or I could not do that and I could text her later to tell her I’d found them, thus giving me a reason to see her again.
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