8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Spencer
I never would have thought this woman who is sixteen years my junior would be the one to put my world back together. I've always heard the saying that age doesn't matter when it comes to the heart. I never believed it. How could it not when their life experiences would be so different? But I've come to understand that they can complement one another, filling in the gaps one lacks.
Avery adjusts her glasses, a flush spreading over her cheeks. I smooth a hand up and down her back, savoring the contact. “My parents had pretty solid ideas about what my brother and I should do with our lives. They shot down anything that deviated from that plan. My brother rebelled and went into the Navy. He's nine years older than me, so I had a lot more conditioning. I couldn't follow my dreams. I had to go to college and get a degree in a technology field so that when, not if, my foolish ideas fell through, I'd have a career I could count on.”
“What did you want to do instead?”
She shrugs. “It didn't matter. I got the degree and the right job to go with it. I had an apartment with a roommate and my own car. It was everything I was supposed to have, and I hated it all.”
My hand clenches on my thigh. I can see my sweet girl trapped in a life she didn't want. I have to quell the urge to hunt down the people who made her unhappy and make them as miserable as they made her.
“When the company decided on cutbacks, I was laid off. My roommate had been lifting money from my purse. When she couldn’t do that anymore, she decided she'd move in with her boyfriend. I had to either find a new job and roommate in a place I hated or go somewhere else. That's when Grandma Dottie called and asked me to come to Hope Peak. She offered me a place to live, a temporary job, and a furry friend. I agreed, but not for any of those reasons. I finally had a chance to explore my dream without anyone frowning over my shoulder.”
“You dreamed of working for a grumpy asshole and reorganizing his office?”
She giggles. “Yes. Ever since I was a little girl, that's all I've wanted. Not Cinderella being rescued by the prince. Give me the Beast and six years of paperwork.”
I spank her ass. Seeing her smile is worth the teasing. “You're a romantic.”
“Yes. Worse than that. Don't laugh though.”
Why would I laugh at her dream?
“I'm a romance writer. Or at least I want to be. I know there's a ton of stigma, but romance readers and writers are smart. They're hardworking and they want a better life for people.” She falls silent, holding her breath.
Waiting for my approval? She doesn't need it. Not really. She has it anyway. I'd give this woman the world. “I can't wait to read your first book.”
She swallows hard. “You mean that?”
“Of course.”
Avery buries her head under my chin and holds me tight. “I think I might love you, Spencer Sullivan.”
The pressure in my chest is almost overwhelming. It's not pain this time. It's gratefulness, tenderness, and a deeper love than I've ever known. “I love you too.”
She sniffs and wipes her eyes.
“None of that.” I capture her wrist and bring her fingertips to my lips, sucking the salt from them. “There's something else I need to know.”
“What's that?”
“Will you be my Valentine?”
Avery laughs and kisses me. “You already claimed me for a date, remember?”
So I did.
The next evening, I arrive at Dottie's house. The stars are bright across the inky sky, with the moon just beginning to rise. My breath puffs white as I climb the porch steps and knock on the faded green door. I never realized it, but the door matches Dottie's old Cadillac. The Blackwood women are serious about their color coordination, it seems.
The door swings open, revealing a beautiful siren in a red velvet dress that hugs every curve. She looks like a forties pin-up girl. I can't wait to peel it off her and see what lies beneath. She's worn her hair down for the first time since I met her, the black locks curling slightly. She beams at me, then grabs her coat. When she turns, I spot a striped cat stretched across the floor.
“You be good, Oscar. I'll be back later,” she says.
“Much later.”
Avery grins and grabs my hand. “Where are we going tonight?”
“Somewhere special.” I'm nervous. I could have taken her to the finest restaurant in town, but then I'd have been sharing her with Hope Peak. I'm greedy for our time together. Plus, I'm betting on the future.
I help her into my truck, then drive back into the mountains.
“If you're taking me back to the office, I may protest.”
I smile a little. “You don't want a repeat of yesterday?”
She squirms in her seat. “I mean, I do ...”
Taking her hand, I bring it to my lips. “Not the office tonight.” I turn onto my gravel drive and park the truck. My cabin is two stories with a wide porch, four bedrooms, and the best view on the mountain. Will she like it? I turn to her and find the passenger door already open. Avery hops out and turns in a circle.
“It's beautiful! Is this where you live?” She hurries up the steps toward the door.
I bark out a laugh, lock the truck and rush after her. “It is. I made dinner for you.” My throat gets tight, and I have to clear it. “It's not fancy. We could still go out.”
She throws her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a searing kiss. “Or we could stay in and reheat dinner.”
“Jesus. You're perfect.” It takes two tries to get the key in the lock and the door open. Avery is giggling madly while I'm making a mental note to install a numeric lock tomorrow. Fuck this key shit. I barely get the door closed before she's shoving my suit jacket off my shoulders and opening the buttons on my shirt.
“You look great tonight. Did I say that? I love the suit. You'll have to wear it again when I can admire it on you instead on the floor.” She spreads her hands over my chest. “I've dreamed of touching you like this.” Her hands dip below my belt. “And like this.”
I'm already hard and aching for her. My hips buck forward, thrusting against her hand. I tear at my belt and zipper. “You want this?” I ask roughly, freeing my cock.
She wraps her hand around it, humming. “I do.” She strokes my length, exploring, driving me crazy.
I kick off my shoes and shed the rest of my clothes, trying not to break contact with her touch. It feels too damn good. “Your turn, sweetheart.”
“What if I want to be the one fully dressed this time?”
Not happening. Not when she looks like that. I spin her around, find the zipper, and pull it down. “I'll let you play femme fatale another night. Tonight, I need to see what's mine.” The dress slinks down her body to pool at her feet. She turns, revealing a red satin bra and sheer panties with a red satin bow. Am I drooling or is that pre-cum pooling at my feet? Goddamn.
Avery unhooks her bra and tosses it at me, then shimmies out of her panties.
“I don't think I can make it to the bed, honey.”
She laughs. “Have a desk handy?”
Yes, but tonight I want something a little softer. I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and yank her close for a hard kiss. When she melts against me, fingers threading through my hair, I palm her thighs and lift her up to wrap her legs around my waist. Her hot core slides over the head of my cock, and I groan a curse. She makes me feel like a fucking teenager.
I stride to the overstuffed chair and sink onto it, arranging her so she sits astride me. “This okay?”
She bites her lower lip and nods. “Can I touch you now?”
I can't deny her, but it won't be long. Not when I need her like this. “I'm yours.” I guide her hand back to my cock and show her how I like to be touched. Her breathing picks up, her hips squirming on my lap, looking for relief.
Her skin is soft, smelling like my favorite garden. I run my hands over every part of her, then take her nipple in my mouth. I suck one, then the other, driving her higher.
Her thumb slides over the head of my cock, making my hips jolt forward.
“Oh!” She does it again.
I capture her wrist and bring her hand up to kiss her palm. She can explore later. Right now, I need her to come for me. “You're so beautiful, Avery.” I slide my fingers between her folds, seeking her entrance. “Look how wet you are.” She rocks against my hand, biting her plump lower lip. “That's it. Good girl. You're going to come first.” I pump one finger inside her, then another. She's tight. Really tight.
I pause as a realization hits.
“Don't stop. I want you, Spencer. All of you.”
“Be sure, Avery. Once I’m inside you, it’ll be damn hard to stop.”
She kisses me. “I’m positive.”
I find her clit with my thumb, rubbing small circles until she shivers and cries out. Before she can recover, I angle her hips forward and thrust between her folds. “Ready?”
She grips my hair tight, almost whimpering her “yes” as another orgasm takes her.
I notch my head at her entrance and thrust home. Avery's back bows, pushing those luscious breasts in my face. I suck her pretty nipples until her body relaxes enough for me to move. Soon her hips are rolling and she's riding me. A flush steals over her cheeks, down her neck and across her breasts. She's the most goddamn beautiful woman in the world.
I bring her to the peak once more, then push her right over into a third orgasm. Her body clenches tight around me, dragging me with her. White flashes across my vision, then slowly fades.
When I come back to my senses, Avery is cuddled against my chest, breathing hard. “I like what you made for dessert,” she whispers.
A chuckle rumbles through my chest. “Care for seconds?”
She sits up slowly, running her fingertips over my stubbled cheek. “Can we have it in a bed?”
“We can.”
“What if I want more?”
Maybe she means more sex, but I choose to take her question a different way. “You can have a lifetime. If you want it.”
Avery presses a soft kiss to my lips. “That's what I was hoping for.”