Dinner at Eight-epub (13 page)

His cock spasmed and jerked, and he spurted. Once, then again. Still she sucked and licked, her soft moans of satisfaction swirling in the air.

His dick pulsed and he spurted again, blood roaring in his ears. 

Pulse, spurt.

Pulse, spurt.

Her mouth stilled, constricted—and then she swallowed.

God help him, he spurted again. Twice. And then once more, although he was pretty sure he shot blanks that last time. And the time after that. There couldn’t possibly be anything left to give.

Jared’s body went limp. His chest heaved, his heart raced and his hands, still tied behind his back, shook. His cock, now softening in her mouth, was suddenly too sensitive for her caresses. “Ungh.”

Ava released him. Those hot lips glided off his shaft and her hand freed his balls.

It took a good decade before Jared had the coordination or energy to move again.

“So, you brought a condom along, huh?”

Jared had shifted forward so Ava could slip in behind him and free his hands. Before working on the knot, she made herself comfortable, sitting on the floor with a leg on either side of Jared’s, cradling him. Her pussy was pressed snug against his ass.

And what an ass. Hard and muscular. She couldn’t wait to nip at it with her teeth.

“Maybe more than one. In my pocket. But, baby…” His shoulders heaved. “After what you just did? I’m gonna need a little time.”

“No worries there, Jar. Me too.” Ava was so satiated, the thought of doing anything more vigorous than leaning against him and holding him exhausted her. “I was kinda thinking of later.” Maybe in bed, with a soft mattress beneath them, the lights dimmed…

“I like the idea of later. ’Specially if it means I’ll still be here, with you.”

“I like it too.” She picked at the knot, which was tighter than she remembered tying it—a good indication that Jared had struggled against his bondage. He must have wanted to get free pretty badly, and yet not once had he asked her to untie him.

Ava pressed a kiss to his back.

“Mm.” He shivered.

“Thank you.” The tie finally slackened as she loosened the smallest knot and pulled it free.

“For what?”

“The tie.” Without it, Ava would never have relaxed enough to do what they’d just done. She’d never have let her guard down.

“Ah, right.” He nodded. “You’re very welcome.”

A minute later, his hands were free.

Jared’s shoulders drooped and his hands fell to her belly, as though he didn’t have the strength to stop them. Long seconds later he brought them slowly to his sides, his movements floppy and uncoordinated. Jerkily, he shook his arms, stretching his fingers and rolling his shoulders. “Phew. Blood flow again. Might take a while ’til I can feel them though.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Nah. Just a bit numb. It’ll pass.”

“Soon, I hope.” She kissed his back a second time.

“You know I’d do it again in a heartbeat, right?”

“I…I’m hoping next time you won’t need to.” Ava leaned into him, resting her face on his back and wrapping her arms around his firm waist. His stomach and ribs moved in a rhythmic pattern in time to his breaths. She’d always loved being physically close to Jared, but this desire to hold him now… It was different. More persistent than before. And more satisfying.

“It’d be good to touch you, baby. Feel every inch of your gorgeous body.”

Ava nodded her agreement against his back. “I’d like to feel your hands all over my body.” Wait. Was that true? Sure, the idea of Jared’s touch was enticing. But the reality?

She inhaled a shuddery breath. Okay, the reality was still frightening.

Jared placed his hands on hers, gently running them up her arms. “Let’s keep the tie handy. In case.”

Ava squeezed her eyes shut. She had no idea how Jared knew she’d needed the reassurance, but he did. And she was so damn grateful for it. She held him a little tighter, and Jared let out that soft rumble he’d emitted earlier. Like a cat’s purr.

For long moments they sat together, Ava utterly content.

“Torres?”

“Hm?” She yawned, every muscle in her body loose and relaxed.

“You ever going to tell me why we need the tie?”

Tension swept through her. The knots she’d recently released reformed—in her shoulders. She didn’t answer, and thankfully, he didn’t ask again.

Although…

Jared’s silence was torturous. It wasn’t like he’d let the subject go. He just patiently waited for her answer.

Damn it, the rest of her friends had learned not to push. Why couldn’t Jared? But then Ava had always known he’d never let her wallow in her silence. Sooner or later she was going to spill her heart to him. It was just a matter of time.

The tub of ice cream snagged her attention. She nudged it with her toe, then worried she’d knock it over. By now it must surely have melted.

Mustn’t let it topple. The mess would be a pain to clean. And God knew, Anthony hated mess. Better to neaten the room now. Empty the ice cream into the sink and toss the tub in the garbage.

She released him and pushed herself to her feet, careful to use the couch for balance, and not the man. “Got to tidy up,” she explained. “Don’t want this landing all over the floor by accident.”

Ava picked up the ice cream and headed for the kitchen, stopping only to snag the lid and her shirt on the way. She slipped the shirt over her head, covering as much of herself as possible, before rinsing the tub and throwing it and the lid away. Then she spent a very long time staring into the half-filled garbage bin.

The contents were fascinating. There were…well…there was, um…

Okay, so she didn’t have a clue what was in there. All she saw was Anthony’s face, the rage in his eyes, the intent in each angry footstep. And his hand, with his fingers flexing and stretching at his side.

Oh God.

Not again.

Please…please, not again.

She shook her head. He wasn’t there. It wasn’t real.

Ava breathed deep.

Inhale. Exhale.

In. Out. In. Out.

God, she was an idiot. Of course he wasn’t there. He wasn’t allowed within a hundred meters of her. She was safe.

I’m okay.

He touched her shoulder.

Ava jumped about a foot in the air, knocking over the bin in the process. It crashed to the ground with a sickening thud. Garbage spilled onto the floor.

Her heart flew into her throat. She would have screamed, but the sound was muffled by her heartbeat. Terror suffocated her.

Not again.

It took a good few seconds—the longest, most terrifying seconds of her life—until her sense of self-preservation kicked in, and she remembered.

She wasn’t helpless anymore. She was no longer the weak, feeble nothing Anthony had made her. No, she was ready for him. She was ready for this.

Ava straightened her spine.

Let him come. Let him try. Let him lift a finger in her direction.

She flipped around, landing on the balls of her feet so she could dance from side to side, dart in whichever direction he wouldn’t expect. Her hands were in the air, ready to defend—or attack—whichever she needed to do first.

He wouldn’t hurt her again. Ever.

Only it wasn’t Anthony who stood before her, and the malice and evil she’d expected to see on his face wasn’t there. Instead there was shock. And devastation. And sorrow. So much sorrow.

Her arms twitched, and she almost dropped them. Almost. But one could never be too cautious.

“Ava
.
” The pain wasn’t just reflected on his face or in his narrowed eyes. She heard it in his voice too.

He took a step back, then another and a third, lifting his hands to show them to her. There were visible lines around both wrists, as though something had pressed tight against his skin.

Wait. Something had. The tie.

She bounced from foot to foot.

“It’s just me, baby.” His tone was soft, soothing, but still filled with sorrow. “Jared.”

Jared?

Wait. Yes. It was him. Jared. Her friend. Her…lover?

She stopped bouncing. “Jar?”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

Perplexed, she stared at him. Her heart still beat that rapid staccato beat.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, baby. You’re always safe with me.”

Ava eyed his hands. They weren’t balled into fists. His fingers weren’t flexing or stretching. He wasn’t pulling his elbow back. No, he’d raised both arms, his hands fully visible and posing no threat.

There was no menace to his posture and no dangerous gleam in his eye. He meant her no harm.

Still, it took a while for Ava to lower her arms, and then a while longer to drop her guard. She was with Jared. She was absolutely safe.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The instant she dropped her guard, every one of her defenses came crashing down. All those walls she’d so carefully erected to protect herself were just…gone, leaving her vulnerable. Exposed and open to attack.

She didn’t mean for them to collapse. Hell, she never wanted to let go of them. They kept her safe. They protected her. They kept her alive.

But she was with Jared. She was safe. He was the one person she never needed to protect herself against.

Ava whispered his name a second before her legs gave in. Without her defenses, how could she stand? How could she hold herself upright?

Helpless to balance either her weight or her emotions, she crumpled to the floor. Her eyes gave in to the pressure building behind them, and torrents of tears flooded out. Unable to stop them, Ava put her head in her hands and wept.

That flash of terror in her eyes wrenched Jared’s heart clear out of his chest. For the rest of his life he’d remember her harrowed expression, that look of anguish, as though she’d expected him to strike her. He was torn between the need to sweep Ava into his arms and comfort her, and the fear of alarming her any further.

Again, he was reminded of Gheeri and the first time he’d treated her. The panther had sat in a corner, looking utterly defeated. Jared had held the tranq gun in his hand, knowing he’d have to use it yet loath to cause her any further pain.

Going to Ava now might scare her, and fuck knew that was the last thing he ever wished to do. But the woman he loved lay broken on the floor. There was no way he could leave her there.

Jared dropped to his knees and crawled across the kitchen floor, uttering soft reassurances the whole time. Jesus, he’d never hurt her. Ever. What sick bastard would?

Unfortunately, as a vet, Jared knew there were a lot of sick bastards out there.

“I’m right beside you, baby,” he soothed. “Just as soon as I’m sitting down, I’m gonna reach out and pull you into my arms.” He gave her a running commentary of each of his movements. “See? I’m easing my butt onto the floor and folding my legs in front of me. That’s better. I can hold you now. You ready for this? It’s just me, putting my hands on your waist.”

Her entire body shook, but she didn’t push him away.

“Okay, that’s good. Real good. Now to lift you up, not too high, just enough to pull you over, like…this.” He settled her on his lap, supporting her with his arms. “There we go. I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe now.” He held her like she was a small child, tenderly and with infinite care. “You’re always safe with me.”

Ava curled into a ball on his lap, buried her face on his shoulder and wept.

He ran his hand over hair. “I’ve got you, Av.”

She cried for a very long time. Great heaving sobs that racked her body and his. Jared released her only long enough to grab a box of tissues, and then he was holding her again, comforting her. He sang to her, any song he could think of, keeping his voice soft and his tone soothing. Or trying to anyway.

If anything could make Ava smile, it was the sound of his singing.

Gradually, the crying eased. The shuddering too, calming to a tremor, as though she was cold.

He rubbed her arms, transferring his body heat to her, and mopped her tears with handfuls of tissues, then held more to her nose so she could blow noisily.

Inside, he was as broken as she. Witnessing her desolation tore him to pieces.

“H-he hit me.”

Jared’s blood ran cold. “Anthony?”

Ava nodded.

Motherfucker.
“When?”

She heaved in a shaky breath. “All the time.”

Fury unfurled in his stomach.

He shoved it aside. His wrath would only frighten her more. Ensuring Ava was okay was his number one priority. Skinning her asshole of an ex alive his second. “Tell me more.”

“It…it started on our honeymoon.”

That was the first time? “He never hurt you before the wedding?”

She shook her head, and the answer provided a smidge of relief. She hadn’t walked into the marriage knowing what awaited her.

“He was possessive before, opinionated even, but never violent.”

Yeah, Jared knew firsthand just how possessive. Her fiancé had hated the time Ava spent with him and made no effort to conceal that resentment from Jared.

He waited for Ava to go on, but she seemed lost to her thoughts.

“Av?”

She didn’t respond, just stared into space.

“Torres.” He was determined that she stay with him in the present. There was no way he’d let her wander off into the horrors that lurked inside her mind again—not alone, anyway.

“Torres,” he repeated, and this time she looked at him. “I know it’s hard, baby. But it’s time to talk about what happened. You need to let it out, and I need to know what he did to you.”

“I don’t want to, Jar. Don’t want to say it out loud.”

“He’s not here. He can’t harm you again. But you’re hurting anyway, keeping it bottled up. Tell me your story so I can lessen your burden. Share your pain.”

Ava closed her eyes, and kept them closed a very long time. When she opened them again, she inhaled a shuddery breath. “I liked it then. His jealousy. The way he threw his weight around, showing everyone I was his woman. I thought it was…sexy.” She hiccupped. “Fool that I was.”