The Bachelor: a one-night stand boss romance

Chapter 16

Shane had knownthe very second that he had walked into the restaurant and seen Avery standing there in that same white dress she’d worn the night they met, that he had to touch her again. He had spent the last two hours talking casually, eating, drinking, doing everything that was normal and expected and appropriate. All the while having flashbacks to that dress, hiked up around her waist, her damp pussy right in front of him as he brought her to an orgasm with his tongue. He could hear the sound of her throaty cries still, feel her legs clamping onto his head. Smell and taste her arousal, and feel that tight heat of her untried body when he had thrust inside her.

It was hell to sit there, knowing that everything he had convinced himself of in the last three months—that she was nothing special, that he had been overly tired and that had heightened his arousal and emotional reaction to her—was a bunch of bullshit. She was something special. There was no way, just none, that he was going to take no for an answer no matter how many dinners with unintentional chaperone Pat he had to sit through, or how many times he had to ask, or how many devious angles he had to take to charm Avery back into bed. It was horribly ironic that the one woman who didn’t seem eager to just sheet dive with him was the very woman he wanted to get naked with repeatedly.

As he pulled her in tight, pressing her breasts against his chest and inhaling the scent of her shampoo, he wondered if it was the challenge. He didn’t like being the one left behind in a bed the morning after, he could admit that. But even as he pondered it, he knew what he was feeling went beyond that. She was the kind of woman he hadn’t encountered often and he thought she was funny, clever, and the oddest mix of confident and shy. When he kissed the side of her head, he knew he’d gone too far, but he couldn’t resist. He couldn’t even blame it on the beer. He wasn’t even remotely buzzed.

She jerked back out of his arms. “Shane, please, don’t. We’re in public.”

“So in private it’s okay, then?” He figured he could push a little further before she ran. And he wanted to push. “At least you gave me a first name again. That Mr. Hart crap was annoying. I felt like a high school teacher.”

Her cheeks were pink. “Not in public or private. There will be no touching, Mr. Hart. Period.”

He’d give her credit for sticking to her guns. “Charming,” he told her in a low, slow drawl. All the Kentucky he still had oozed back into his voice. “But you’re kicking up a fuss for no reason. You do understand what private means don’t you, Little Miss Smart Mouth?”

“I understand everything. Including the fact that you have nothing to lose and I have everything to lose. So no can do, no matter how many times you stare at me with those sexy eyes of yours.”

At least he’d gotten her to admit she wanted him. That was definitely implied in her words. “Just to be clear, I never said anything about touching. That was your idea.”

That seemed to fluster her and she stood there blustering, her hands fisting and then releasing. For a split second he felt like the asshole he’d sworn not to be.

“Avery, I won’t get you fired, I promise. I would never want that.” He used a normal voice, needing to reassure her. No one would give a shit if he was seeing her or having sex with her or whatever with her. It was an intimate industry and everyone knew everyone. Rusted Truck was not going to pull the plug on a promising songwriter who would make them money because they may or may not be involved. “I’m thrilled for you. You clearly have talent and I know you’re going to go on to big things in this town. All of that has nothing to do with me. So trust me, I would never want to negatively impact your career.” He took her elbow, drew her outside the restaurant where there were no eyes to watch them.

“I want to believe you, but this job is important, Shane. It’s everything to me.”

“I know, doll. I get that.” God, why was his twang lingering? He forced himself to concentrate on his diction. “You trusted me once. You need to trust me again. I gave you my number. I don’t expect yours. If you want to see me this weekend or talk to me, the ball is in your court. Otherwise, I’ll see you Monday morning at Rusted Truck with Hart-Rivers in tow. Is that cool?”

She nodded, though she was frowning as if she were trying to find the trap. “That’s cool. Thank you.”

“Oh, one last thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve been thinking about you nonstop for three months. I can’t get the taste of you out of my mouth. I want you, Avery. I want to peel that dress off of you again and I want to make you come so hard that you forget your own name.”

Her eyes widened and her lips drifted apart.

“I want to kiss you from head to toe and take you to a fancy dinner that you deserve and see if champagne can make you giggle. I want to wake up and find you still asleep in bed beside me and I want to make you breakfast. I want to make you mine. All mine. I just thought you should know that.”

No woman had ever made him want to scramble her an egg, but Avery did, and he wanted her to know that.

“I… I thought you said the ball was in my court.” She flicked her tongue across her bottom lip nervously.

“It is. I’m just telling you how I feel. And I’m going to kiss you unless you say no.”

“Right now?” she asked, clearly caught off guard.

He nodded, slowly, giving her a chance to tell him no.

“I mean… but we… I think…” Then she swallowed visibly. “No. Not here. Not where anyone can see us.”

He was disappointed, but not surprised. “You’re smarter than me. I respect that.”

“It doesn’t mean I’m happy about it,” she said, pulling a face.

That made him laugh. “Good. I’ll see you on Monday. Unless you want to get together this weekend. Snap your fingers and I’ll be there.”

She sighed, and he remembered how fucking amazing it had felt to kiss her. “You’re not making this easy,” she murmured.

Shane gave her a slow smile. “Nothing hard about any of this, except for my cock.”

Avery glanced down at his crotch then quickly lifted her head again. “You’re terrible. And inappropriate.”

“Nothing inappropriate about the way I feel about you. But I don’t want to get you fired.” He pulled his phone out, opened his taxi app and ordered her one. “I’m ordering you a car before you lose control of yourself.” He was teasing her, but she bristled.

“You said they won’t fire me either way. And I’m not going to lose control. That’s never happening again,” she said, stubbornly.

He’d take that bet. “Whatever you say, beautiful.”

“I mean it.” Her nose was wrinkled, her words agitated.

That was all he was going to get tonight. It was enough for now. It was also enough to give her something to think about all weekend long. He knew she wouldn’t call him. That wasn’t the point. The point was to leave her aching for him the way he was aching for her.

“I hear you loud and clear,” he said. Then as her taxi pulled up and she climbed in, he added, “Just think about it. And that I’m a decent man.”