Chance (Rusted and Reckless Book 1)

by Charlotte Casey

  Greer kissed his way up her chest. He licked up her collarbone and over the curve of her shoulder. As his nose trailed up her neck, he blew a soft stream of air letting the tiny hairs of her neck stand on end. “I’ve missed you,” he said into her ear.

  She moaned low in her throat. Her hands wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him closer. Greer sucked on her neck. “Every night I dreamt of you…just like this.” She raised her arms, her eyes confirming the need they both felt. Greer pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it behind him. This time his hands traveled down her body. He tried to touch as much of her as possible. His fingers relearning her curves. A flick and her bra was unhooked, joining the shirt on the floor. Down her ribcage, dipping in at her waist and following the S-curve to her hips. Greer nipped her lip and grinned looking down at her with hooded eyes.

  He then knelt before her. Ava’s eyes widened and then seared him with need. She liked where this was going. With a smile and a nod Ava flipped the button of her shorts open. He kissed her stomach as his hands traveled up her thighs to cup her butt. Slipping his fingers under the material of her shorts, he kneaded the handfuls of flesh.

  Greer had honestly thought they were done. Most relationships didn’t come back from “time and space.” And now that she was here and almost naked in front of him, he could admit that a relationship is what he wanted. Nothing casual. This would be real.

  He curled his fingers over the waistband of her shorts and tugged an inch. “Ava?”

  “No talking,” she commanded.

  He grinned. “Ava, look at me.” Greer pulled her shorts over her luscious ass but stopped just before her slit was revealed to him. He nuzzled her mound while he waited. “Ava…”

  “What!” she shouted and opened her eyes.

  “You’re my girlfriend, alright?”

  As impatient as she was, Aveline took the time to smile, giggle, lean over and kiss him. “Yeah, I’m your girlfriend.”

  “Only you.”

  She nodded. “No one else.”

  She stood back up and leaned back against the door again. Her hips wiggled. “So um…you going to finish what you started or what?”

  Greer licked his lips. “Three,” he said pulling down her shorts and letting them fall.

  “Three?” Her hands threaded in his hair and were guiding him to where she wanted him. He kissed her swollen skin. “I’ll get you off three times before we have company.”

  A soft moan came from above him. His tongue darted out and licked up the seam of her. With his thumbs, he spread her lips.

  “And if you don’t win?” she asked breathlessly.

  “I owe you three more.”

  *****

  They made it to the bed. At some point after her first orgasm, Greer tossed her over his shoulder and dropped her on the bed. He had dropped his jeans and slid into her from behind. She couldn’t contain her laughter as the bus rocked ever so much. Greer had bit her shoulder to keep her quiet. It worked. The laughter poured into a moan and orgasm number two had hit her.

  Greer had collapsed on top of her after he was spent and rolled her onto her back. They laid naked on the bed, his head on her stomach as he glided his fingers over her legs. Aveline was combing her fingers through his hair as she thought about his promise. She was about to say something when his traveling hand began exploring.

  There were people outside. She could hear the muted voices of roadies packing up the other bus. The concert was over and the rest of the band would soon be coming in. Aveline opened her mouth to say that they should get dressed when his finger slid between her lips and circled her clit.

  “Greer,” she said trying to voice a million things at once.

  “Yes, Baby?” Around her clit again he went.

  “Oh god.”

  He chuckled.

  “I know we don’t have much time so let's make it hard and fast, hmmm?”

  Her back was arching as he picked up speed. The muscles in her abdomen pulsed with a growing tension. Greer kept moving over her sensitive clit with more and more pressure. Two fingers entered her, pumping in and out. She fisted the sheets on either side of her.

  “I’m…uh…oh god, I’m coming.”

  Right as the door to the bus slammed closed, Aveline let out a shriek.

  All talking outside the bedroom ceased. Aveline lay panting, small convulses still running through her as Greer pet her and brought her back to reality. He lifted his head from where it had kept her still and kissed her stomach.

  “I think they’ve made up,” Rory said from somewhere on the bus.

  Her eyes went wide as she groaned and covered her head with a nearby pillow.

  “Looks like I lost,” Greer said with an “aww shucks” kind of tone. “I owe you three more.”

  His hand began to move and Aveline hit him with the pillow.

  Someone knocked on the door as he was beaten with a million feathers.

  “Sorry to interrupt but we are going to be leaving in an hour.”

  “Ok,” Greer said between smacks. He grabbed the pillow and tossed it to the floor. “Come here.”

  Aveline grimaced but scooted over to him. He opened his arms and she crawled into them. “Where are you headed?”

  Her head rose and fell with his breathing. Greer stroked her bare shoulder. The simple act giving her more comfort than she had felt in weeks.

  “Pittsburgh.

  “Damn,” she sighed.

  If she didn’t have her car she could have gone with and flown home. Aveline tilted her head so she could look at him. He was staring at the other end of the bed, his mouth turned down and a furrow to his brow. He was thinking about the time they could have together too. And just like that, they were back to normal where the main problems they faced were time and location.

  “What are you doing next weekend? I’m going to be in…” Greer paused. He counted the days on his fingers and muttered different cities under his breath. When he got to the right day, a smile broke out over his face. “Virginia Beach.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “That’s close to me,” she said laughing.

  “So next weekend?”

  Aveline raised herself off of his chest and kissed him. “Yeah, next weekend.”

  They got dressed, or as much as they could. Aveline’s clothing was on the other side of the door. She wasn’t even mad because Greer had actually thought to close the door, which was more than her brain had been demanding at the time.

  He gave her his t-shirt and went to go retrieve her things. As he opened the door, a round of clapping and cheers greeted him. She looked at the door, dumbfounded. Why? Was it a “yay they had sex?” or “yay they made up?”

  Boys are weird.

  “She’s a screamer. Gotta love the screamers,” Rory said with pride.

  Aveline put her hand through the small opening of the door and flicked him off.

  Greer handed her a ball of clothing. She slipped on her shorts but kept his shirt on. That was now hers.

  “So you two love birds back to being love birds?” Jason asked as she emerged. He smiled so hard at her it made her cheeks hurt just watching. He held up his hand for a high-five. God only knows why she indulged him and slapped at it.

  Greer came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “How much time?”

  Sawyer answered. “Not long. Enough for you to get her to her car and back.”

  “What?” Rory asked. “You mean she’s not coming with?” The fact that he was offended on her behalf meant the world to her.

  “’Fraid so. But I’ll see you guys next weekend.”

  Aveline said her goodbyes. Knowing that it would be just a few days till she saw them all again made leaving easier. Of course she wished she had more time with Greer but things were settled between them and that alone felt amazing. Her car was easily a half mile away. Arriving late to a concert would do that. They walked through the empty lot hand in hand. A
few stragglers were still hanging around and Greer had to stop twice to take a picture. The delays were welcomed ones.

  At her car, Aveline didn’t waste time. There would be many goodbyes in their relationship. Long distance was as much about the goodbyes as the hellos. “So I’m going to say goodbye like I’m going to see you tomorrow.”

  Greer raised an eyebrow. “You’re being weird,” he said grinning.

  “I know! But it’s only because I don’t want to make a big deal about leaving since we will be doing that a lot. So let's just say goodbye, kiss and be on our way.”

  He nodded but she could still tell he thought she was being weird. “Alright. Goodbye Ava. I’ll see you…tomorrow.”

  Aveline beamed. He was playing along. Bless his heart. “Bye.” On her toes she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him.

  She waited until she was on the highway heading for home before she called him. It had been three weeks since they last spoke and all the talking they had done those last few hours was physical. They had a lot to catch up on.

  “Hey,” he said. “Everything ok? You forget something?”

  “Nope. All good. Just figured that I have a few hours of driving to do and we have a few weeks to catch up on.”

  In the background she heard a groan. “Ugh. They are being cute. I forgot how sickening it was when they were cute.”

  “Smack Rory for me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  *****

  By the time Aveline drug herself through her front door, the sun had already come up. Every inch of her was tired. Had it not been for Greer talking to her most of the trip and keeping her awake, Aveline would have fallen asleep at the wheel. Bed was where she was headed but first she needed to see her mom.

  Each night they had a monitor hooked up so that they could see and hear her mom from their room. That way they didn’t have to get up so often to check in. Aveline muted it so she wouldn’t wake Rob. Her mom was sleeping, which gave her the appearance of the woman she used to know, just thinner and paler. Aveline didn’t want to admit it but there really wasn’t much left of her mom. She used to see her, in her eyes, but in the past few months the gleam had gone out of them. The person sitting before her could be a stranger.

  Aveline had sacrificed so much for this woman. In the beginning it was easy. She could still talk to her mom and she knew that she understood. There were conversations even if they were silent. But now there was nothing. Aveline tried not to, but resentment was beginning to grow and fester.

  It was horrible of her but it was the truth.

  “Hey mom,” she whispered and kissed her cheek. “I just got in. Late night, I know.”

  It was sad how she still would pause to give her a chance to answer even though she never would.

  “So Greer and I are good. I’m going to see him next weekend. I was thinking of inviting him to stay here when he has a break next.”

  Aveline had never let anyone come over who wasn’t a medical professional. It started because she wanted to preserve her mother’s image and reputation with her friends but it quickly turned into something less noble. Aveline was embarrassed. Her friends and coworkers knew about her mother’s condition but knowing and seeing were two different things.

  Greer coming to meet her was big.

  “I really like him,” she admitted. “I think you would have liked him, too.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  They were still ironing out their schedules but so far things were working. It surprised and exhilarated Aveline that they were making this long distance relationship function. From what she read—late night Google searches when her fears were at their strongest— told her that most people’s biggest fear was infidelity. Which, she understood but she didn’t feel it applied to them. Aveline trusted Greer. Maybe that was the difference between them and all those internet couples. They talked constantly and she felt open to tell him anything. Hell, she had been bitching about PMS, her flow and cravings way before they had met and were a thing. Communication was not an issue.

  The thing that kept her up at night was the bone aching longing to see him. She missed him all day, every day. When they did see each other, Aveline was so worried about savoring her time with him that her mind would roll constantly with commentary like, “This is fabulous. I love his arms. You have to remember every detail about this moment because next week when you are at home alone watching TV you are going to want to remember cuddling with him on the couch and wishing you were doing it then. It’s going to suck when I leave. How long will it be this time? Days or weeks? God, what if it is months? How much longer is this tour? How long till the next one? Wait, what happened to the movie? It ended? But it just started. Noooo the moment is over and I missed it. Why is he getting up? Dinner…with the guys? Le sigh.” Every time she chastised herself for over thinking or just not shutting the hell up, she missed another moment.

  Aveline kept it together for the most part. Greer knew her crazy, he had dealt with it for years. He often would kiss her head and tell her to stop worrying, even when she hadn’t said a thing. He also knew how to distract her with sex. It was guaranteed to turn off her mind just let her be in the moment.

  It had been two weeks since he had flown in for the night. Aveline had been nervous about bringing him into her home, into that part of her life, but he took it in stride. When she had to pause the movie for an hour to go bathe her mother or when she got up multiple times in the middle of the night to check on her, he didn’t complain. He’d pull out his tablet and work on a song. A few times she had hung out in the other room just so she could hear him work. The sound would be different with his instruments, he had told her when he caught her watching. But the program he used on his tablet allowed him to compose when he wasn’t in the studio. She had no idea how many instruments he knew how to play. Where Jason knew the drums and Rory and Sawyer knew the guitar, Greer had learned as many instruments as her could; bass, guitar, banjo, violin and piano were in his everyday repertoire. When Nix was on tour and they weren’t stretched so thin, he would have been playing more of those on stage.

  She found his talent sexy as hell.

  She had jumped him on the couch right then and there.

  Aveline frowned as she looked out the wall of windows that made up the front of the store. This was the longest they had gone without seeing each other since they got back together. The distance was getting to her.

  “All set?” she asked the woman in front of her. It was Friday and a surprisingly busy day. The summer could be like that as tourists came and went on vacation.

  Aveline checked out the woman and sent her on her way. Patty, her boss and her were the only ones on today. They were closing early so that they could clear out the floor and have new carpeting installed. They had an hour left and then it would be heavy lifting for the next few hours.

  It was the change in lighting that got her attention. The shift from daylight to the florescent lighting of the store had Aveline looking to the front. A large bus rolled to a stop right in front of them. A few people turned their heads to see what the disturbance was but none of them knew what she did. Rusted and Reckless was about to make an appearance.

  Aveline scooted out from behind the counter and quickly walked to the front. The door of the bus opened and Greer came out first. With a t-shirt, jeans, sandals and a baseball hat fashioned on his head, he looked as he always did. His unchanging style warmed her heart. Greer took off his cap and rubbed the back of his hand over his forehead then settle the hat back on. Greer looked up at the door as she pushed it open. He smiled as he saw her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked him as he wrapped her in a hug.

  “Just driving through on our way to Atlanta. Decided to take a pit stop.” Oh god, his voice. Aveline loved his voice, had loved it ever since they had started calling each other years ago. But there was something lost in it over the phone. You had to be in person to get the full Greer McQueen voice experience.
It had this raspy, scratchy raw sound that when mixed with subtle southern drawl, could make a woman a puddle on the floor.

  Aveline pulled him in for a kiss.

  “How long are you here for?” she asked in between kisses.

  “About three hours before we get yelled at.”

  Well, that was a mood dampener. She had work to do. The clothing needed boxed and the fixtures needed to be moved to the back storage area.

  “Save some smooches for me,” Jason said coming down the stairs of the bus. He pulled Aveline from Greer’s arms and picked her up, swinging her around in a circle. When he set her down, Jason kissed her cheek with a loud smack.

  Rory and Sawyer appeared beside her and each took turns greeting her. They all seemed happy to be off the bus. She was not looking forward to telling them that their pit stop was a wasted effort.

  Aveline took them inside and Patty ran to lock the door. “I’m closing early. No one is coming in for the last twenty minutes anyway. I’ll help these last few why you visit.” Aveline never loved her boss more.

  “Closing?” Greer asked perking up.

  Aveline frowned. “Yeah, so we can clear the floor. New carpeting goes in tomorrow.”

  “Oh.” Aveline knew just what he was thinking, because she was thinking it too. This sucked.

  He kept his arm over her shoulders and Aveline had her hands around his waist. She wished they could have more than this, but it would have to be enough.

  Patty escorted the last customer passed them and locked up again once they were out. “Alright, now that we are clear, this must be your boyfriend and his band.”

  She smiled. Patty was living vicariously through her. She had been hoping she’d get to meet Greer one day. “Patty, I’d like you to meet Greer, Jason, Sawyer and Rory.” The guys put on the charm and Patty was a goner. The smiles, the grins and the rounds of “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” hit her at full blast. Rory had been especially doting until he caught sight of the wedding ring.

  “Well, you warned me,” she said to Aveline pulling her from the group. The guys formed a little circle to discuss something. Greer kept his eyes on her but his almost nonexistent smile had bloomed into something more. He was full out grinning at her. It was hard to listen to what Patty was saying with him looking at her like that. Oh wait, now they were all looking. What were they up to?