Chapter 20
LINCOLN
The door clicked shut behind us. My penthouse was quiet, dimly lit, and for once, it didn’t feel cavernous and empty.
Not with Ava here. I convinced her to stay rather than get another hotel.
She stepped out of her heels with a sigh, her gown swishing around her ankles as she padded toward the windows.
The city lights spilled across her silhouette, catching the shimmer of her dress and the curve of her bare shoulders. She was beautiful. She wore an extravagant gown and was draped in diamonds, which I had to beg her to accept as part of her role as my “girlfriend”.
I loosened my tie and watched her from the minibar as I poured us drinks.
She fit here. Not just in this space, but in my life.
I’d been fantasizing about having her in LA for good—not as a temporary guest or a pretend girlfriend for the sake of her investigation but as the real deal.
My partner. This was what I’d envisioned when we were barely into adulthood, and I told her I loved her.
Realizing that I was getting ahead of myself, I focused on preparing our drinks.
“I’ll never get tired of this view, Lincoln,” she gushed, staring out the window. “It’s beautiful.”
It was, but not as beautiful as her. I smiled and rounded the bar, holding two glasses. “I know you love it. You spend at least half an hour every day with your nose pressed to the window.”
Her soft laughter floated around the living room.
My eyes were fixed on her face as she accepted the glass I offered.
She looked radiant and relaxed. In my space.
The temptation to tell her what had happened years ago, how I felt about her now, what I wanted for us, was overwhelming.
The feeling came up at least once a day.
However, as always, I tamped down the urge because I didn’t want to disrupt the fragile ease between us.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a sip. Her eyebrows went up. “You knew what I wanted.”
I gave her a half-smile. Of course I did. I watched her like my life depended on it. Taking in everything about her as I desperately tried to relearn her, to gauge how best to get her back. “I’ve noticed you tend to go for the citrus blends.”
I leaned against the window and watched her admire the view of a well-lit LA.
“Thank you for tonight, Lincoln,” she whispered without looking at me.
“You’re welcome.”
We went to the charity gala she had been plotting to crash. Only she didn’t have to sneak into this event. Rather, she walked through the front door on my arm. Michael was one of the biggest sponsors of the yearly event, so getting in was not an issue.
“Since your friend Michael is so involved, I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t find anything. He’s one of the good ones.”
My lips twisted into a wry smile. She’d gone in hoping to find connections to Dorian Vauxhall.
She was establishing a chain of characters in the shady game, but there was a major missing piece.
The person directly involved with Vauxhall, the major link between him and Hollywood.
All the others we discovered were just pawns, like Phoenix.
“I could have told you that you wouldn’t find any connection there, because if my friend wasn’t one of the good ones, we wouldn’t be friends.” I shrugged. “But I thought I’d let you find that out for yourself.”
She only nodded.
“There are still good people here. Ava. Not everyone is up to no good.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to emphasize that. Maybe because I was desperate for her to see that I was one of those good people, despite my mistake years ago. I tortured myself every day for hurting her the way I did.
She looked at me then. Her expression softened, and something flickered in her eyes—affection, maybe. One could hope.
“I know, Lincoln. I guess I have to wait until your party to see if I get anything.”
I had a feeling she would. All the right people had RSVP’d—so many people whom I barely even exchanged a word with in passing.
That was Hollywood for you. There was no need for deeper, genuine connections.
All you needed was money, a famous name, some clout, and people flocked to you.
The lure of an extravagant party on a private island also helped.
Ava drained her glass and turned to me. “I still can’t believe you’re doing all of this just to help me.”
It was like she was waiting to find out what the catch was. Unfortunately, there was still a little skepticism in her eyes when she looked at me—completely my fault. I’d simply have to work to get rid of her doubt.
When I took the last sip of my drink, Ava stepped forward without a word and plucked the glass from my hands. I watched, amused and confused, as she walked to the bar, her hips swaying, to put the glasses down. She then walked back to me, her eyes locked with mine, unwaveringly.
I lifted an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to pour us more drinks.”
She stopped in front of me, close enough that I could count the freckles across her nose. “No,” she said, her voice low. “I want something else.”
The words hung between us. There could have been a sexual suggestion hidden in there somewhere, but I’d learned not to assume anything. “What is it that you want?”
Her eyelashes lowered, and pink tinged her cheeks. “Was that night between us a one-time thing?”
My pulse ticked up. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her. She was so close… temptation within reach. “What makes you think that?”
“Because…” She peeked through her lashes. “You haven’t tried to touch me since. I’ve been crashing at your apartment for four days now and nothing…”
I swallowed hard as I watched the disappointment flicker on her face. Satisfaction surged through me. I’d been patiently waiting for this. For her to tell me that she wanted me.
“And that’s not alright with you?” It took every ounce of control not to have her naked and under me already.
Her eyelashes fluttered up. “Not at all.”
My exhale came out with a little laugh. “Ava, I didn’t want to push. I didn’t want you to think I convinced you to stay here with ulterior motives. I want a repeat of the other night.” I craved it. “But…”
“You were being a gentleman?”
“It’s been so fucking hard,” I confessed. The number of times I jacked off, knowing she was under my roof… I think I broke a world record.
Her giggle, ringing with satisfaction, surrounded us. “You can stop being a gentleman now.”
I grinned as she clutched my lapels and pulled me in. She kissed me with the same passion I poured into it. As if we wanted to devour each other. Her palms slid over my chest, and I circled her waist to pull her closer. She tasted like heat and the citrus cocktail she’d just had. Delicious.
Every soft sound she made as I ravenously explored her mouth pushed me further.
I walked her back, never breaking our connection, until her back pressed against the glass of the window.
I moved away from her lips to trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck, while my fingers found the zipper of her gown.
She moaned and tilted her head. “Lincoln, I need more. Please.”
Her breathy plea did something to me. The note of desperation in her voice made me feel wanted.
“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll give you everything you need,” I rasped, dropping to my knees as her dress fell to the pool around her feet.
I helped her step out of the elaborate creation and shoved it aside.
When I looked up at her from that angle, I groaned.
She wore a lace set that left little to the imagination.
The way the fabric molded her curves was just… sinful.
Heat simmered in her eyes as she gazed at me. Her lips glistened from my hungry kisses, and they parted as she breathed heavily.
“Damn…” I drank her in. “Ava, you’re unreal.” She looked like a goddess.
She bit her bottom lip, pleasure swirling in her eyes.
“Take your hair down,” I murmured.
She reached up and tugged at the pins and clips holding her hair in an elegant updo. Locks of hair fell one by one until dark waves tumbled around her shoulders in a messy halo.
My heart thudded almost painfully against my ribs. “Beautiful.” And all mine… at least, I wanted her to be. I was working on it.
The pink in her cheeks deepened the longer I stared at her. Then, I lifted her leg over my shoulder, pulled her panties aside and took a taste. Her head fell back against the glass, and her hips jutted out.
“Lincoln.”
I hummed in response, already lost in her sweet, womanly taste.
Her fingers threaded in my hair, and her hips writhed, moving in rhythm with the strokes of my tongue.
Her gasps and moans filled the room, each one getting louder.
I lavished attention on her most sensitive areas until she clutched my hair tighter and bucked uncontrollably against my face.
She moaned my name, and I swore I almost orgasmed. It sounded amazing—erotic music to my ears. I increased the speed and pressure of my tongue, determined to bring her to ecstasy. To feel her come undone in my arms and watch pleasure contort her beautiful face.
And there it was. Her body went rigid, and she went off.
Her back arched off the glass, and a cry tore from her throat.
I watched her through my eyelashes as she trembled and gasped for breath.
It was something I could watch all day. I continue to stroke her with my tongue, prolonging her orgasm as much as possible.
When she fell back and her knees almost buckled, I caught her.
Throwing her other leg over my shoulder, I stood up in a swift motion.
Ava shrieked when she realized she was airborne and straddling my shoulders. Her fright lasted only a second. I had a firm grip on her as I strode to my bedroom. She covered her face and giggled like the girl I fell in love with.
“Lincoln, you cannot carry me around like this.”
“I beg to differ.” Lying her on my bed—because I’d been dying to have her in it—I took off my clothes. I then peeled off the little she had on—a strapless bra. I gave an appreciative assessment of her delectable body, and then practically dove between her legs.
After another heated kiss, she purred, “You’ve gotten even better with your mouth.”
I smirked with unabashed pride. “Naturally. Lots of things get better with age and experience.”
She watched me with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Her fingers traced the line of my jaw. “Is that so? What else has improved?”
Leaning in, I brushed my lips against her collarbone. “My patience,” I said, kissing the curve of her shoulder. “My focus.” Another kiss on her chest. “My ability to make you cum over and over.”
Her breath hitched, and her nails grazed my back. “You’re cocky.”
I grinned. “Confident.”
She laughed softly, but it melted into a sigh as I snagged her nipple between my teeth.
As I swirled my tongue around the hardened bud, she arched her back, pressing her breast more firmly against my mouth. Her fingers twisted in my hair, urging me on. I obliged, sucking and nibbling, then moved on to the other one.
In the meantime, my hand slid between her thighs to cup her mound. She was already soaking wet from my earlier ministrations. She whimpered, lifting her hips to meet my touch.
I traced a finger along her slit, making her shudder.
With no more hesitation, I plunged two fingers into her tight heat.
I groaned at how beautifully she clenched around my digits.
She was so perfect, every inch of her. She cried out, her hips rocking against my hand.
I pumped my fingers in and out, curling them to hit that special spot.
Not long before my thumb found her clit to rub firm circles, she screamed and shuddered again.
My eyes were glued to her face as she shook and panted, “Oh my God… Lincoln…” She didn’t get anything else out because I flicked her clit again, and she gasped.
“What’s that now?” I teased. “Two orgasms?”
Breathless, she smiled at me. “I think it's your turn.”
I shook my head. “You have no idea how much I’m enjoying this. Ready for number three?”
She moaned. “God… yes… no… I don’t know. Give me a minute.”
Chuckling, I planted a gentle kiss on her shoulder. “It’s okay. We can stop if you want.”
Just as I was about to roll away to get her cleaned up, she pulled me back. “No. I want to feel you inside me now.”
My heart did that skipping thing again as I kneeled between her legs and spread them apart. Our heavy breaths of anticipation mingled as I positioned myself at her entrance.
“Do we need protection?”
“No.”
My eyes locked with hers as I began to push forward slowly. I hissed through my teeth the further I went. She felt incredible. We both moaned when I was buried to the hilt. Our bodies fit as if we were made for each other.
Her nails dug into my arms as I sped up, losing myself in her. I became riveted by the look of sheer pleasure dancing across her face. Wanting to give her more, I lifted her legs over my shoulders to hit another angle.
The way she screamed my name was every man’s dream. So satisfying. She was close. I could feel the way she gripped me tight. My own release was building up, and my pace became erratic. Reaching between our sweat-slicked bodies, I caressed her clit, determined to make her come undone again.
With a keening cry, she quaked in my hold, her walls clamping like a vise around me. That set off my orgasm, and I followed her with a shout. Feeling drained yet strangely invigorated, I gently lowered her legs and collapsed beside her.
After my breathing steadied, I turned to her with a grin. “That was three. Are we going for four?”
She half-groaned, half-laughed and shuffled onto her side to face me. “I think I’ll work with three for now.”
I pulled her close, tucking her head under my chin. It was a reflex, so I didn't think much about it. However, Ava instantly relaxed, sighing her contentment. My heart lifted with hope. I drifted off to sleep, thinking that maybe I’d win her heart again sooner than expected.