16. 16
Ava had enjoyed dinner and the conversation they’d had before, during and after. Cowboy was easy to be around, and he didn’t condemn her for admitting she didn’t know anything about whatever subject had come up. So different from Hank, who’d belittled her if she didn’t know something, even if it was some obscure fact she could never have anticipated would come up.
Now, as she sat with her arms around him, Cowboy seemed to be headed out of town. She didn’t know where they were headed, and she didn’t really care. What mattered to her was that she was here with him, and doing something she was learning to love, something he obviously enjoyed.
She hadn’t expected him to pull up onto the interstate, and the speed made her nervous at first, but she soon found herself relaxing against him.
“Where are we going?” she asked after a few minutes.
“It’s a surprise. I have something I want to show you. If it were daytime there are other things I’d show you. But it will be dark soon, so that limits things.”
She only had more questions, but decided to hold her tongue and see where he was taking her. She’d already admitted she didn’t know the area well, so there was no point in trying to figure out what he wanted her to see. Instead, she adjusted her arms around his middle and reveled in the warmth of his back against her front, despite the chill of the wind at this speed.
She’d zoned out and was just enjoying having him close when he steered the motorcycle off the interstate and onto a ramp. Looking around, she noticed lights and buildings that she didn’t think she’d ever seen before. He pulled off onto a wide spot in the road near the top of the ramp, killed the engine and took off his helmet. She took that as a sign he was ready to get off. It was a weird place, but she took the hint and carefully stepped off the motorcycle.
She looked around while she waited for him to get off, noticing that she could see lights from miles around.
“I wanted to take you somewhere beautiful, somewhere memorable.” Cowboy lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “But I didn’t want to have to share you with a couple hundred people and it’s not the most convenient time of day. This is the tallest place I could drive to in a reasonable amount of time, to show you the lights. It might not seem like there are a lot of people around Dickenson, but when you see it this way, it feels different.”
He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Ava leaned back into his chest, reveling in his warmth and the safe way he made her feel.
“What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.” She didn’t know what else to say. She’d had no idea how many people were scattered away from the center of town. It made for a stunning light display that nearly took her breath away. She didn’t know how long she stood there, taking in the view, but it was long enough, she didn’t feel bad turning away from it to spin in Cowboy’s arms. She looked up at him for a moment, then spoke.
“Take me home. I’ve got something I want to show you myself.” Hoping he wouldn’t misunderstand, she stretched up and kissed him, coaxing his lips open, she tried to pour all she was feeling into that simple, but oh-so-complex touch.
They made it to the door of her apartment. Once inside, Ava turned on him and pushed him back against the door, looking him up and down while giving what she hoped was an almost feral grin.
“Stay,” she told him, then stripped out of her jacket and tossed it aside, then turned her attention to him.
She started at his waist, sliding her hands up under the vest he wore, pushing it off his shoulders then tossing it on top of her jacket where it had landed on the seat of a nearby chair, then turning her attention to his shirt.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?”
Ava looked up at Cowboy’s face through her lashes, noting that the normally icy green had darkened, she hoped with desire.
“That depends. Do you like it?”
“Do I like a woman who doesn’t hesitate to let me know what she wants and doesn’t seem to mind taking charge once in a while? Fuck yes. As long as she knows that her being in charge is only in the bedroom, or at least only when it comes to sex.”
His gaze raked over her body in a way her body seemed to feel. Her nipples tightened and ached, and heat pooled low in her belly as her core clenched and seemed to throb for a moment in its need to be filled.
“Outside of that, I’m open to discussion, but I won’t be led around by the nose, or even by the cock.” He met her gaze, as if trying to make sure she understood him.
Words seemed to catch in her throat. She looked down, wondering if she’d gone too far. She’d had one man who had told her what to do and how to do it. She couldn’t do that again, she knew.
A finger under her chin brought her gaze back up to meet his. “I don’t want to control you. I don’t want to stop you from being you. I just want to make sure you’re as safe as we can make you. I love watching the way you experience life. The last thing I want to do is break you or your spirit.”
Something fluttered in her chest. If she hadn’t thought so before, now she knew she was falling in love with him. After her experience with Hank that should terrify her. Oddly though, it was just the opposite. She felt more secure, more anchored.
“In that case, I better make it worth it.” Ava tucked her hands under his t-shirt and smoothed them up along his torso to his chest, letting the thin cloth bunch over her hands as she worked her way up his body. “Off,” she said when she’d revealed most of his torso.
Without waiting, she bent to flick her tongue back and forth over the tiny button of his nipple.
“Fuck, woman. You're going to drive me out of my mind like that.” He tossed the shirt aside. “Angel, let’s take this into the bedroom.” His hands smoothed up her belly, stirring heat in her core.
Ava let her hands drop to his belt. “I don’t care where. I just want you.”
“Fuuuck.”
There was a thump against the door. Ava jerked her head up. Who was knocking on her door at this hour? Then she realized. It had been Cowboy’s head as he let it fall back. She couldn’t help the satisfied grin from spreading across her face as she bent to give his other nipple the same attention.
His hands cupped her breasts over her bra, his thumbs flicking across her nipples and drawing a groan from her as she continued to tease him.
Ava couldn’t help the small squeak that escaped as he scooped her into his arms.
“Where’s the bedroom?” his voice had gone low and rumbly.
Ava pointed to the right doorway, but pressed a kiss against his shoulder as he carried her to the bed.
“There’s no way I’m going to take you the first time bent over the back of the sofa, Angel. You’re too special for that.”
Heat flashed through her. “Bent over the back of the sofa?” The idea had never occurred to her but now that he’d put the idea in her head, she wanted to try it.
“I’m not saying it will never happen, just not for our first time.” He set her on the bed and stood.
She watched his gaze skim down her body as he stepped back, then took a seat in the chair in the corner where she liked to sit and read.
“I can’t wait to get my hands on you,” he said as he bent to unlace his boots. “But I’m going to do this right.” He pulled off one boot, then the other dropping them beside the chair before standing again and closing the distance between them. He took Ava’s hand and tugged her to her feet before placing a kiss on her lips. Gentle at first then with more feeling and passion.
Ava ran her hands up along his arms then wound them around Cowboy’s neck. She tugged him closer and wanted nothing more than to feel his skin against hers.
After a moment she broke the kiss, unwound her arms from around his neck and reached behind her to undo the fastenings at the back of her shirt. She fumbled with the unfamiliar catch and bit back a curse as she couldn’t get the thing to release.
“Let me.”
Cowboy’s patient tone calmed her nerves a little and she turned to let him see the back of her shirt. She picked up her hair off the back of her neck to give him access to the halter as well. No point in only the shirt halfway off.
In seconds, her shirt fell loose. Ava clutched it to her front a moment then shook her head at how stupid she was being. She’d been trying to take the top off, why was she so desperate to cover herself now?
She turned around and looked up at Cowboy, her face heating.
“You’re beautiful.” He smoothed the back of one finger down the curve of her cheek. “And if you’re not ready, this doesn’t have to go any farther.”
“No,” she reached out and laid one hand on his chest, “don’t go. I want this. I’m just, I don’t know. It’s been a while.”
“You’re sure?” He watched her with what she felt was concern in his eyes. She fell a little harder in that moment.
“I’m sure.” Ava took a deep breath and dropped her top. “Now come here.” She grabbed the waistband of his jeans and tugged him closer to her, when he got close enough, she stretched up and kissed him again, eager to let the heady feeling his kisses brought take away her hesitance and embarrassment.
It didn’t take long until she forgot her embarrassment and the desire hazing her mind drove her to become more aggressive. She ran her hands up and down his torso, tugging him closer so his chest hair tickled her nipples and only served to make her more eager for him.
Cowboy brought his hands up along her torso, wrapping around her and seeming content to slide along her back. She wanted more.
So much more.
But she didn’t know how to ask for it. Hank had never allowed her to be so forward, and had belittled her when she’d tried, telling her it wasn’t fitting for a woman of God to be so into sex. Or like it so much.
She pushed thoughts of Hank and what he’d said to her from her mind. He wasn’t here, and never would be again. She was moving on and Cowboy seemed to like her just the way she was.