Saving Avery (14 page)

He stands and his hand cups my cheek. "We'll move at a pace you can handle. If you want to stop, we'll stop." I lean into his touch, and his thumb skates over my bottom lip. His eyes stare at my lips as he licks his own. "Right now I really want to kiss you."

I know in that moment that I don't want to stop any of this. I wrap my hands around his neck and pull him down to me. "Then kiss me," I whisper.

His lips slant over mine in a tender kiss. His hands rest on my hips, unmoving, and I know he's afraid to touch me. I pull back from him and swallow hard. I have never been in the position where I could take control of a situation, especially one like this. The fact that he's not forcing me or hurrying things makes me want him even more.

I search his eyes with mine. "Touch me, Max."

"Where, Avery?" he asks, breathlessly.

"Everywhere," I whisper.

His fingertips hesitantly trail up around my waist before grasping the material of the towel and pulling me against him. Our bodies meld together, his growing erection digging into my belly. His mouth is on mine again, and a small moan escapes me. His kiss and touch are slow and deliberate. He's not trying to rush anything or take things too far.

"I want to make you feel good, Avery," he says. "Will you let me do that?"

"Yes," I answer, my voice throaty.

His fingers tangle into my hair, and he pulls me closer for a deeper kiss. I hold onto his muscular arms for support as I stand on unsteady legs. His biceps tighten under my touch, and my fingers ache to explore the rest of his body.

He presses a gentle kiss to my shoulder before pulling away from me. "Lie down," he gently commands.

Slowly, I move to the middle of the bed. He stands at the edge, looking down at me with hooded eyes. My fingertips are wrapped around the top of the towel so tightly that I have no doubt my knuckles are white.

I glance down to where his eyes are focused, and I can see that the lower half of my towel has opened, exposing me. I don't know what possesses me at that moment, but I part my legs to give him a better view.

I can hear his sharp intake of breath. He wants me. And at this moment, I can't think of anything else in the world I want more than him. I don't speak a word. I let my body do the talking.

His gentle hand grabs my left leg and raises it to rest on his shoulder as he kneels on the bed. His lips trail kisses down my ankle to my inner thigh, leaving licks of fire in their wake. When his mouth nears my apex, my entire body is shaking with need. Self-doubt slowly creeps in the back of my mind. I've never had anyone do this before, and I start to worry. What if it doesn't feel good? What if he doesn't like doing it to me? The worry builds and nags at the back of my mind, as his mouth grows closer. "Wait. Please," I call out in between pants.

He stills and lifts his head.

"I've never…No one has ever…" My voice trails off, and I close my eyes as I can feel my face flush with embarrassment.

"Hey," he says softly, and I meet his eyes. "It's okay." He plants a soft kiss on my mound, and I shudder. "Don't think. Just relax."

He plants another kiss before his tongue darts out and laps at my swollen little nub. I groan loudly. It feels exquisite, and he only licked me once.

"Is this okay?" he whispers.

All I can do is nod. I don't trust myself to speak, because I don't want him to stop. Ever.

The moment his tongue trails its way up the length of my slit I involuntarily lift my hips and gasp harshly. He pauses, staring at me. "Avery," he says hoarsely. The way he says my name almost makes me gasp again.

"Please," I beg him. My voice sounds strange and needy.

He smiles and settles down on the bed between my legs. He parts my lips with his fingers, and then his tongue laves at my most sensitive area. Just a few licks, and it feels like fireworks are going off in my brain. I moan loudly as he begins his deliciously torturous assault on my clit. My head falls back onto the mattress, and I screw my eyes shut. My fingers curl into the bedding, threatening to rip the sheets underneath me.

Nonsensical words flow from my mouth with gasps and moans as he continues to pleasure me. And then just when I think it can't get any better, I feel his finger slip inside of me. He curls the tip and massages my front wall gently, and I can feel myself falling into a downward spiral as my body shivers in anticipation of what's to come.

It's been so long since I have felt this type of pleasure. I haven't had an orgasm in such a long time, and I didn't realize how much pent-up sexual tension I had…until this moment.

"Please. Max. Please," I beg again between pants. I don't think I could form a full sentence even if I tried. My body feels like it's going to overload on pleasure.

Max slips another finger inside of me alongside the first one, and they methodically rub over that magic area that I had only ever heard of, but didn't know existed until now. I release the sheets, lean up and thread my fingers through his thick, dark hair. Our eyes meet, and I watch him lick and suck on my throbbing nub. I can't stop watching. This is the most erotic thing I have ever witnessed.

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I try to hold back the inevitable. I don't want this to ever end. But within a few seconds, I feel like I'm on the edge of a precipice and ready to fall over.

"I want to feel you shatter," he whispers against me.

I gasp at his words and groan in response. And then I watch as his other hand reaches down and grips my backside, pulling me even closer to his mouth, closer to the burning pleasure. His mouth encloses around my clit, focusing all the attention there. Suddenly, it feels like an emotional dam bursts inside of me. I shatter around his mouth, gasping his name as the orgasm spreads through every nerve ending in my body. I grip his hair tighter, and his eyes never leave mine as my body is wracked with ecstasy. It's the most powerful orgasm I ever remember experiencing. It goes on and on, wave after wave hitting me again and again until I'm completely and utterly spent. Releasing my fingers from his hair, I fall back onto the bed, panting as if I had just run a marathon.

Max licks me one last time, causing me to tremble, before moving to stretch out next to me. His fingertips trail down the side of my face as he says, "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

I can feel a blush rising to my cheeks, and he chuckles. His dark eyes pierce mine in the darkness, and I am instantly lost in them. My hand adventurously moves down his chest, and his abs tense as my fingertips brush lightly over them. He catches my hand in his before I can go any lower. Then he brings my hand up to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. "Let's go a little slower." He leans down and kisses me sweetly. "From here on out," he adds with a grin. He pulls me into his arms and plants a kiss on the top of my head. "Sleep, sweet Avery," he whispers. "I'll meet you in a few minutes in our dreams."

Resting my head against his chest, I listen to his heartbeat. The steady rhythm lulls me into a rare, peaceful sleep.

MAX

I wake up the next morning with Avery curled up against me. Her head rests on my chest, and I can feel the wet spot from a tiny puddle of drool running from her mouth. It makes me smile knowing that she slept so soundly. She clearly feels safe with me, and I couldn't be happier about that fact.

Sunlight filters through the room, highlighting the delicate, dark lashes fanned out over her pink cheeks. I honestly think I could stay in bed and stare at her all day. I've never felt this way about anyone, not even Gretchen, and I knew Gretchen for a hell of a lot longer. There's just something about Avery that draws me to her like a magnet. I have an overwhelming sense of wanting to protect her from all the evil in the world and to make her happy. I want to own her heart just like she already owns mine.

Her eyelids flutter, and I stop breathing. I don't want her to wake up just yet. I love watching her beautiful face when she's completely relaxed and her guard is down. It's very rare and an incredible sight to behold. Her eyelids stop moving, and I breathe gently, not wanting to wake her. I just want to savor this moment with her for a little while more. Our time is limited, unfortunately, and I can't deny the fact that I've been counting down the days when her husband returns. The weekend is almost over, and then I know the week will go fast at the hospital. I don't want to focus on what little time we have left, but it's like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.

Nathan doesn't deserve her, and she definitely doesn't deserve to be treated as an object, a possession. I wish I could have met Avery back when she was strong-willed and care free. I caught a glimpse of that girl last night, and I only want to see more. If she were my girl, I would thank God every day that she's in my life; and she would know just how thankful I truly was.

It's easy to imagine a future with her, but it's just a dream. It's not reality.
Not yet anyway.
I'm still torn over the fact that she's planning on divorcing her husband. That gives me some hope and a sense of peace, but the fact that her family won't help her makes me doubtful that it's going to be easy for her. I know deep down that if she could have left Nathan, she would have already. And the fact that she can't leave him scares the hell out of me.

I sigh and feel her stirring. When I glance down, her eyes are fluttering open. She looks confused at first as if she doesn't know where she is. But then when her eyes meet mine, her expression changes and she flashes me that heart-stopping smile.

"Good morning, beautiful," I whisper.

"Good morning." Her voice sounds sleepy and so damn sexy.

"How did you sleep?"

"Really great actually."

Her brows furrow a bit, and I wonder if she has a hard time sleeping with Nathan. My best guess would be yes. I doubt she's ever truly comfortable around a bastard like that.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, I point to the puddle of drool on my chest. "Yeah. I would say you slept pretty good."

Embarrassment flickers over her face, but then she laughs. "Sorry," she says shyly.

I chuckle. "Don't be sorry. I think it's kind of cute."

She playfully hits me in the chest. I catch her hand in mine and bring her knuckles to my lips. I kiss her tenderly and trail my lips down to her wrist. That's when I notice the bruises dappled over her ivory skin not covered by the sheet. I quickly sit up beside her. My fingertips gently trail down the bruised and battered skin of her arm, and I can feel her tremble under my touch. "This is why you wanted the lights off last night," I murmur. I thought she was just being shy, but she didn't want me to see her like this. She moves to pull away from me, but I hold her firmly in place. "Avery." I shake my head back and forth. She doesn't need to hide from me. I wish she would realize that.

A wounded expression appears on her face. "Don't. Don't look at me like that."

The pain that flashes through her gaze is too much to bear. I pull her to my chest and hold her. We sink back onto the bed together and just lay there in a comfortable silence for a while. There's so much I want to say to her, but I don't want to upset her more than she already is. We had such a great night together, and I want our happy moods to continue through today, the last full day I have with her before my workweek begins.

Her breathing is labored against my neck as I run my fingers through her soft hair. "Nathan has no idea what he has. He has no fucking clue as to how special and incredible you are." Her breath catches, but I continue on. "If he did, he would never lay a hand on you."

She exhales a shuddering breath, but doesn't make a move to get away. So I just hold and comfort her, running my hand over her back.

I don't know the full extent of the abuse, and I'm not sure I even want to know the full extent of it. What I do know is that Avery will tell me when she's ready. I’m not going to force her to talk about things that upset her.

"You stay here and go back to sleep. I'm going to make a few phone calls." I kiss her forehead and crawl out of bed, leaving her behind to rest. My cell phone is on the kitchen counter, and I scoop it up. First, I make a special order online as a surprise for Avery. The overnight shipping is a bit pricey, but it should be arriving sometime tomorrow afternoon, so it's totally worth it. After placing the order, I do some searches on Google and then make several calls to various places in the area. Once I find the perfect way to spend our day, I put my phone down and go back to my bedroom. Avery is sound asleep, and I can't help but stare at her peaceful expression for a few moments before waking her.

I climb into bed and gently kiss her lips. A smile appears on her face, but she keeps her eyes closed. "Wake up, Avery," I whisper.

"I don't want to," she says with a sexy little pout. "I was having the most amazing dream."

"And what were you dreaming about?"

"A really hot guy who's a great kisser." She peeks up at me with one eye. "I think he told me his name is Max."

"Oh yeah?" I lean down and kiss her soft lips. "What else is Max good at?"

She releases a small sigh against my lips. "Everything," she breathes.

"Sounds like I should be jealous," I say with a grin. I kiss her chastely once more before standing up. She groans in displeasure, and it makes me chuckle. "It's almost lunchtime, sleepy head, and I have a whole day planned for us. Can you be ready in an hour?"

She nods and crawls out of bed with the sheet wrapped around her. She disappears into the bathroom and emerges a few minutes later in her clothes from last night. "I'll be back later," she says.

I walk over and pull her into my arms. I kiss her softly before pulling away. "I'll just be here. Missing you," I say with a wink.

She flashes me a shy smile before walking out of the bedroom. Sighing, I sit down on the bed. I'm overcome with the feeling that I miss her already. What is it going to be like when Nathan gets back into town and I can't see her whenever I want to? We've only just begun this relationship or whatever you want to call it, and she's already caught me, hook, line and sinker. I have a feeling I'm on a short road that ends in heartbreak, but I'm willing to risk the chance. I would risk everything to be with Avery. And although that should scare the shit out of me, it actually makes me feel the exact opposite. Call it fate, destiny, serendipity or whatever else, but I know that we're meant to be together. And I believe in my heart that we're going to make it…no matter what stands in our way or who tries to keep us apart.

*

AVERY

The first thing I notice when I walk in the house is the answering machine's blinking light. I hit the play button, and the computerized voice says, "Fifty-two new messages." My heart hammers against my chest as message after message from Nathan plays. At first he sounds cheerful, even saying that he misses me already. After about the tenth call, his messages become more clipped with instructions for me to call him back right away. By the end of the message string, the tone of his voice has grown sinister as he spits threats over the line.

The last message plays. "If you don't call me in ten minutes, I'm sending my father to come over to check on you, Avery." He takes a moment and releases a long sigh. "If you aren't hurt or lying in a ditch dead somewhere, you're going to wish you were when I get home." He ends the call, and the machine beeps, signaling the final message.

I stare at the clock on the wall. He left that message a half an hour ago. Almost as if on cue, the doorbell rings. "Shit!" I curse in a hushed whisper.

Scrambling, I run into the bathroom and scrub my face. Some of my black eyeliner remains around my eyes giving me a raccoon look, but it's perfect for what I'm about to pull off. I throw my hair into a messy updo before running into the bedroom. Wrapping myself in a robe and a heavy blanket, I hurry to the front door just as the bell rings again. A loud rapping comes from the other side, and it makes me jump. "Avery!" I hear my father-in-law call. "Are you in there?"

I steady my breathing, slowly unlock the door and open it. Nathan's father stands in full uniform on my doorstep. He looks like an older version of Nathan with salt and pepper hair and a moustache. "Nathan said you haven't been answering his calls or texts. He sent me over to check on you."

I cough violently and press the back of my hand to my forehead. It's sweaty from running around just before I answered the door, so it makes my act even more believable. "I'm sorry. I have been sleeping almost nonstop since Nathan left. I must have slept right through the phone ringing."

"You don't look well, Avery," he comments.

"I think it's the flu. I probably caught it from the hospital."

Richard grimaces and takes a step back. "Yeah, those places are breeding grounds for germs." He pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps on the screen for a few seconds. "I sent Nathan a text that you are all right, but you should still call him. I'm sure he'll want to hear from you. He's been worried sick."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Of course. Sorry you came all the way out here, Richard, for nothing."

"Well, I better get back to work. I hope you feel better soon. Call me if you need anything."

I wave at him as he walks away. "Thank you," I call after him. After I close the door, I press the heel of my hand against my pounding heart. I can't believe I pulled that off.

The house phone rings, and I hurry to answer it. I keep my voice hushed in a whisper when I ask, "Hello?"

"Avery," Nathan says in a clipped tone. "Dad said he swung by. He said you're sick."

"Yes. I think I have the flu."

"I called a million times. You didn't have the phone near you?"

I roll my eyes. It's good to know he's concerned about me not picking up the phone and not the fact that I'm sick…or at least pretending to be sick. "I must have left it in the other room. I've been sleeping almost the entire time you've been gone." I bite my lip nervously. I desperately need him to believe me, because I can't even imagine the punishment I would receive when he gets home.

"Well, keep your cell phone with you. I need to know where you are at all times, Avery." I almost ask why, but decide not to. "I want you to pick up whenever I call."

"Okay," I say softly.

"I'll call later to see if you're feeling any better." He hesitates and then adds in a stern voice, "Make sure you pick up the phone."

"I will," I say bitterly.

He hangs up. I find my cell phone on the kitchen counter. Thirty-seven missed calls, twelve voice mails and sixty-five texts await me. The staggering amount makes my knees feel weak, and I quickly sit down on one of the stools. This is what it will be like when I try to leave him again. He'll become obsessed and threaten to hurt me like all the other times. I swallow hard at the thoughts creeping through my mind. I worked so hard to build his trust, and I don't want to ruin it now. I need to keep his false sense of security intact until I can leave him when he's least expecting it. Putting him on edge and making him not trust me and constantly question where I am is not going to work in my favor.

After several minutes, I finally get up to go get ready for whatever Max has planned for us this afternoon. I can't help but smile when I think of him. With Nathan away, it's easy to imagine how my life would be if I wasn't married. It would be so simple to fall into a pattern with Max. I love being around him, and I can't stop thinking about him when I'm not. I'm going to make the best of our week together, because I don't know if we'll ever get this chance again. Hopefully, when I call Allison tomorrow, she can help me when I tell her of my plans to divorce Nathan. Maybe she will even let me stay with her until I can get everything sorted out. I don't let my hopes get too high, however, because my relationship with Allison has been strained lately, to say the least. Something is going on with her that I can't quite figure out, and it seems like all of her anger is directed at me for some reason.

Clearing my thoughts and focusing on the rest of the day with Max, I take a quick shower and get ready. My long hair falls down my back in loose waves. I give my eyes a dark and smoky look, the way I like. And I revel in the fact that Nathan is not here to protest and order me around.