Ava #2
“But this time is different because my friend Skylar is amazing. You’d love her.
She’s actually my roommate and was the first person I told about John.
She came home to a full-on meltdown after the first time Eric kissed me, and I spilled the whole thing to her.
She set me up with the therapist who’s been such a huge help to me.
Skylar… she understands loss. Her younger sister was killed in an accident when Skylar was in law school. It messed her up badly.”
“That’s so sad,” he says, seeming genuinely moved. “If you think I’d like her, I wouldn’t be opposed to meeting her. But not a blind date. Set something up with a group so it’s not insanely awkward. And make sure she knows the point of the evening.”
“You’re really going to let me do this?”
He shrugs, but there’s a helplessness to it that tugs at my heart. “Emmie’s not coming back, and I am getting rather sick of my own company. It might be time to stick a foot into the shark-infested waters.”
I clap my hands in unrestrained glee. “This will be so fun!”
He groans. “God, what’ve I gotten myself into?”
Two weeks later, Eric and I host a dinner party at his place. We’ve invited Rob, Camille, Amy, Jules, Miles and Skylar, who said she was willing to meet him if I thought she might like him. Naturally, she was deeply affected after hearing he lost his fiancée in the cruise ship attack.
“Has he dated at all since then?” she asked.
“No.”
“Ah, well, at least you’re not dragging me into a total emotional minefield or anything.”
“Did I mention he’s insanely hot and all pent up?”
She rolled her eyes. “Save the sales pitch. I’ll meet your boss, but only because you’re asking me to. No expectations, though, you hear me?”
“I hear you loud and clear. But I think you’ll really like him.”
“Ava! Stop. There’s nothing in this world more awkward than a setup.”
“Um, getting your skirt caught in your underwear is worse, or tripping over a grate and face-planting on the sidewalk, or—”
“Enough. I’m doing this for you, so don’t make me regret it.”
“Promise you won’t regret it.”
Now that the big night is upon us, I’m nervous for two people who’ve become friends. I want them both to be as happy as I am with Eric.
Speaking of the man who makes me so happy, I’m standing in his kitchen tending to the bruschetta I made as an appetizer when he slides his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck. He’s fresh from the shower and smells delicious.
“My mouth is watering,” he says. “It’s like an Italian bistro in here.”
“I’m worried I used too much garlic. If Miles offers to take her home, she won’t want to kiss him if she stinks like garlic.”
Eric laughs. “You’ve worked yourself into a panic over this evening.”
“He’s suffered so much. Imagine if they hit it off.”
“Are you prepared for the possibility that they may not click?”
“No! Don’t even say it. I want him to go crazy over her.” I bite my lip as another thought worries me.
“What? Whenever you torture your poor lip, that means your wheels are spinning.”
I push my ass back against his erection. “Quit acting like you know me so well.”
“I do know you that well, so you may as well tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m just kind of worried that Sky looks a tiny bit like his late fiancée.”
He goes stiff behind me, and not in a good way. “You’re just thinking of that now?”
“It’s not going to be a problem,” I say with more bravado than I feel. “It’s only a slight resemblance, and besides, Sky is fabulous. Anyone would love her.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, sweetheart.”
I turn to face him and slide my hands up his chest to link behind his neck. “Thanks for letting me use your place tonight.”
“My place is your place.” He kisses me. “You know that.” He gave me keys months ago so I could come and go as I please.
“You told Rob and your sisters to act normal and not stare at them, right?”
“Yes, dear. I follow all your orders like the awesome boyfriend I am.”
“I just want this to be perfect for them, but especially for him. He’s such a nice guy, and he deserves to be happy again.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d be worried about this guy Miles you think so highly of.”
“You have nothing to worry about, as you well know. I’m just… invested in him after all the time we’ve spent together.”
“Not to mention the similarities of what you’ve been through.”
“That, too.”
“I get it, babe, and I know I have nothing to worry about. His story is heartbreaking, and it’d be great if he found someone wonderful to start over with the way I did.”
“And the way I did.” I kiss him and toss in some tongue because he deserves it after letting me take over his home the way I have in preparation for tonight.
“That was very unfair,” he says when we break apart, breathing heavily when the kiss turns into a passionate embrace as most of our kisses do. He rubs his hard cock against me. “You’re going to let me walk around like this all night?”
I glance at the clock on the oven, see that we have thirty minutes before our guests are due to arrive and turn off the heat under the pots on the stove. Grasping his hand, I tug him along behind me.
“Um, excuse me. What’s happening here?”
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
“You lead, and I’ll follow.”
In the living room, I push him down on the sofa, and he lands hard, making me laugh. I kneel before him, undo his belt and carefully unzip him, working around the huge bulge in his pants.
“Ava,” he says on a protracted groan. “You’re killing me.”
“We can’t have that now, can we?” I bend to take him into my mouth and go for broke, determined to finish him off in under five minutes so I can get back to the stove. It takes only four minutes before he’s gasping in the aftermath of an almost-violent release.
“Holy shit. That was… Holy shit.”
I pat his leg, lean forward to kiss him and get up to fix my makeup before our guests arrive. “Zip up before you get caught with your dick out, babe.” I love that his hands are shaking as he zips his pants.
I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth and reapply my lipstick.
Eric joins me, wrapping his arms around me like he did in the kitchen. “You are amazing, and I love you. Not just because you gave me the best blow job ever, but because you’ve become everything to me, and I can no longer imagine my life without you right in the middle of it.”
My knees go weak under me, and only his arms tight around my waist keep me from sliding into a puddle on the floor. “Eric…”
“It’s okay if you aren’t there yet, but I’ve been there for a while now, and it’s become almost painful trying not to say it too soon.”
I meet his gaze in the mirror. “It’s not too soon, and I love you, too. I have, probably, since the day I met you, and you saved my life with a slice of cheese pizza.”
His smile is giddy and joyful. His happiness is mine, too. “You saved my life in a million ways, but especially with your sweet sincerity. You have no idea how much it means to me to know I can trust every word you say.”
“I think I know.”
“Yeah, I guess you do.” He turns me to face him and gazes down at me. “I love you, Ava.”
“I love you, too, Eric.”
It feels more official this time, when we say it face-to-face.
He kisses me softly and sweetly. “And the blow job was fucking epic.”
That makes me laugh so hard, I mess up the kiss. But that’s okay. There’ll be plenty more of them to look forward to later.