Chapter 31
Ava
Summer morning light filters in through my window, and I stretch, finding myself alone in bed. I roll over and see that it’s almost eight-thirty. I drag my tired butt from the bed, grab clothes from my dresser, and shuffle off to my bathroom to get decent.
In the living room, I find Sydney curled up with Amy on the couch, typing away on her computer.
“Morning,” I mumble, not fully awake. I’m not human til I have some coffee in me. I scratch Amy’s head as she patters over to me in greeting. Sydney reads my mind.
“Morning! There’s fresh coffee already in the pot.”
“You’re amazing, but you already knew that.”
“The guys should be back soon to start changing things. Colin texted about twenty minutes ago to check in. That means the rest of the crew will be here within the hour.”
“What are you working on?” I ask while doctoring my coffee the way I like it. I mosey over to the loveseat positioned in the sun next to the big front window.
“I’m writing a book.” Sydney gives a small, shy smile, peering up at me over the laptop. She reaches to grab her coffee mug from the little side table next to her.
“Holy crap! That’s awesome, Sydney! You’d mentioned a while ago that you’ve always dreamed of doing that. What is it going to be about?”
“I’m working on a rough outline now, but you know me.” She smirks at me.
“Smutty romance?” I question with a tilt of my lips.
“You know it,” she admits, and we both snicker.
“Can’t wait to read it,” I say, sipping on my hot coffee, savoring how the warm liquid coats and slides down my throat, warming me from the inside out.
I lean my head back against the cushion, happy to just be still with one of the best people I know.
The clickety clacking of the keyboard is surprisingly soothing.
“What if it sucks? What if nobody reads it?” Sydney wonders aloud as she types.
“It won’t suck. You have an amazing brain with oodles of creativity knocking around in there. It’ll mean something to all of us, and we’ll be damn proud of your accomplishment.”
“Thanks, Avy.”
I smile at her little nickname for me. I can’t imagine how I’ve gone all these years without her. A knock at the front door has me peeking out the window. It’s the girls. I climb up to unlock the door.
“I brought donuts!” Jane hollers as she pushes her way in on a mission. She and Holly bustle toward the kitchen with all the goodies. Sydney smiles and shuts down her laptop.
“Goody, more sweets for my butt,” Sydney mumbles on her way into the room, still intent on eating one despite her comment about her butt.
“Girl, your butt still looks amazeballs,” Holly titters, rolling her eyes at her best friend. “Besides, it’s a holiday. Eat the donut.”
“I’m sure as hell eating one before the guys come in and snag the good ones,” Jane announces. “I guarantee they’ll be ruthless with their choices. These are from Whitney’s.”
We all sigh, reaching in to pick what looks like it’ll make our hearts happy. I go for a chocolate covered one filled with custard. The first bite is heaven.
“What the heck is with all the moaning going on in here?” Trystan asks with his megawatt smile telling us he’s enjoying the show. “Oooh, are those from Whitney’s?” He leans in, snagging up a chocolate-iced, custard-filled long john. “Shit, I’m glad I got here before all the guys.”
“Told ya,” Jane smirks over at Holly.
Trystan walks over to the door and hollers out about the donuts around the mouthful he’s chewing, and all the guys come barreling in like a bunch of starving teenage boys. Holly’s eyes widen even more, and we all laugh as they argue over who gets what.
“Morning, Bella,” Mark mumbles with a mouthful of a caramel-iced long john before kissing my cheek. I hear the girls swoon at his use of the Italian pet name.
“Come on, guys, let’s get this done. I have a few other things that need to be tended to before we party tonight.” Mark tosses me a wink, and the guys collectively chuckle as a blush creeps across my cheeks. Garrett gives Jane a sweet peck on the lips before following after Mark and the other guys.
???
Mark
We get the cameras and locks installed in record time, and I kindly thank them while simultaneously telling them to get lost. I’ll see them all in a few hours for the bonfire.
The stress of the past twenty-four hours needs an outlet.
That would include her as well. I can see it in the way she carries her shoulders.
She’s being brave, but I can tell she’s just done.
I lock the front door behind Trystan, as he is the last one out, then turn, exhaling deeply against the door.
“I second that,” Ava says from the couch.
I walk behind the couch, lean over and run my hand up the base of her throat, tilting her head back so I can claim her lips.
The kiss is tender, but I put all my pent up passion behind it.
She melts into the kiss, and as the provider of her safety, that little action warms my heart, letting me know she feels safe with me.
A low sound of satisfaction rumbles from my throat as I pull back from her lips an inch.
“Be right back.”
Ava hums in response, looking back down at the book she’s picked up.
I amble down the hallway to go start a hot bath for us.
Yes, us. I’m not usually a bath kind of guy, but relaxing with my babe sounds heavenly right now.
After I get it started, I add in what looks like her favorite oil and walk back out to her while it fills.
She looks adorable with her brows furrowed and her feet tucked up under her butt as she reads.
A stray strand of black hair has fallen from her messy bun, framing her cheek.
I feel the urge to tuck it behind her ear so that I can see that pretty face.
I walk up to her and grab her bookmark, setting it in the middle of her page before closing the book and relinquishing it from her hands. I set it on the table before reaching a hand out to her.
“A hot bath sounds heavenly right now.”
“Mmm, yes, it does.”
“I’ve got one drawing with our name on it.”
“Our?” she asks curiously over her shoulder as she starts moseying down the hallway.
“Would you rather relax alone?”
She turns as we enter the room and grabs for my hem. I smirk as she yanks it up playfully.
“I will never turn down a soak with you.”
“Good answer. Get naked.”
A sultry chuckle from her has my dick jumping to attention.
Not yet, dude, chill. I will it to indeed chill the fuck out even as she lowers her creamy blush pink panties to the floor, those plump cheeks screaming for me to just bite them.
I step in, lowering myself and making room for her between my thighs.
I hold out my hand, and Ava joins me, sighing as the water envelops us.
“I’m so glad I splurged for this big soaker tub.”
“Me too. Mine would’ve been rather cramped,” I quip, pulling her head back against my chest. I press a soft kiss to her hair.
“I was thinking today…”
“Uh-oh, this usually leads to a deep conversation or a project…”
Ava sits up and smacks at my knee playfully, and I squeeze her tush between my thighs, chuckling deep while bending to kiss her temple. She lets out a slow exhale and leans her head back against my chest again, looking up at me.
“What do you think about the back left corner of my lot behind the pond?”
“For what?”
“Do you think it’s a decent-sized area?” Her eyes glitter with a plan. I’ll give her anything she asks for.
“Again, for what?”
“Your workshop?” She looks slightly vulnerable as she asks, and my heart stutters in my chest.
“Ava…”
“You just said yourself, your tub would be too cramped. I can’t deal with a cramped tub.”
“So… a project and a deep conversation…” I say, bending to kiss her forehead. Soon there won’t be an inch of her without my lip prints on it.
“I’m sorry. It’s too soon, isn’t it? Forget I said anything.” She looks back down at the water, fidgeting and drawing a circle on her knee. “I just figured with you moving in and us talking about a dog that we’d start dreaming a litt–”
“Baby, I’ll give you any dream you want. It’s not too soon for me. You just surprised me is all. You want me here, with you? You want to dream with me?”
She nods, looking back up at me and swallowing nervously. “It’s all I can think about lately. Dreaming with you is my dream.”
It’s my turn to swallow nervously. That is the best thing anyone’s ever said to me.
Next to when she told me she loved me in the dark.
I tilt her chin back with my thumb a little further as I brush my lips across hers, loving the silky feel against my own.
I trace my tongue along them, and she parts them without any hesitation, allowing my tongue to sweep in and mingle with hers.
She moans softly, and I sigh back into her mouth in exchange.
The idea of getting to do this for the rest of my life with her lights up my world like the fireworks we’ll get to see tonight.
“I’ll dream with you, Ava,” I whisper against her lips, loving the way they tremble a little against mine.
After lying there talking about what we’ll do for the workshop and sudsing up each other’s bodies, I flick the drain stopper with my foot and tell her I’m taking her to bed for a few orgasms and a midday nap.