Chapter 15
Logan
She liked me. She was attracted to me. Inside my own head, I was reminded of the cartoon “Rudolph” when he finds out that the female reindeer Clarice likes him. “I’m cute, I’m cute, she said I’m cuuuuute.”
“So, you’ve been mean to me because you like me?” I asked, a bit of jibe in my voice as a smile took over my face. It might have even been a bit cocky for the moment, but I tried to make it a joke.
It helped to lighten the mood. She smiled back before coming to sit, this time closer.
“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds so fifth grade.”
Her laugh was melodic, deep and from the belly. It made her eyes crinkle at the sides as she smiled hard and I noticed, for the first time, a crease-like dimple in her left cheek.
“But I can’t like you.”
And she was serious.
“Because I’m a recovering alcoholic.” My response made her take pause. Her eyebrows shot high on her forehead, the whites of her eyes glowing in the dim room.
“No!” She yelled her answer at me. “Logan, no. I mean it. I’m really proud of you and how well you’re doing. In the beginning, I was nervous about your drinking, but getting to know you, it doesn’t concern me at all. You’re so dedicated to your sobriety and everything about improving yourself.”
None of this was making much sense. She’d been paying attention to my actions, how I’m taking care of myself. She’s attracted to me, even liked me. Yet says she couldn’t.
“So, it has to be what happened with me and Lanie.”
That scared me, because I was never going to be proud of that night. I’d never forgive myself for it, even though Lanie had. And now to learn of Ava’s past, it all made sense.
“I wanted that to be why I hated you,” she said.
She reached out, her fingernail mindlessly running along the seam of my sweatpants on my calf.
“I hated that you did that to her. Then I saw how Lanie was with you a couple weeks ago in the Student Center, her and Xander. I mean, they adore you. Who am I to judge you if they no longer do?”
She looked up after saying that. The impact of her words hitting me.
“There are plenty of reasons for me to not be a good choice for you, Ava.”
As I said the words I didn’t want her to listen to, my hand went to hers on my leg, covering it, holding it, squeezing it. Our fingers threaded together, her tiny hand in mine, as my thumb rubbed the tender skin on the back of her hand.
“But there’s still one reason I haven’t told you,” she said. “Macie and I made a pact before you moved in. We promised each other that neither of us would fall for you or hook up with you, that it would be bad for the house.”
So I was deemed off-limits by the two of them. That was interesting indeed.
But being off-limits seemed to be the only thing keeping her from wanting to be with me.
Standing, I pulled her with me. Our hands remained entwined as our gazes lingered, both of us shifting on our feet. Eventually, one hand looped behind her neck, the dark tendrils of her short hair filtering between my fingers. I watched her lips part as a soft sound emanated from her mouth.
Leaning down, my mouth against her ear, I whispered, “So, I’m your forbidden secret, is that what you’re telling me?”
Her cheek rubbed against my mouth in what seemed to be her validation of our current situation. My lips rubbed along her cheek and back to her ear. I found myself nibbling on the many earrings along her lobe, then moving my lips back to whisper to her.
“Ava, is that what you want? Do you want me to be your forbidden secret?”
Pulling back, I held her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. Her emerald eyes stared back.
“I need you to tell me, I need to hear you say it,” I said.
Her face tilted in my hold, her eyes fluttering closed. But just as quickly, her lids slid open and her cheeks bobbed up and down in my hold.
“Yes, I want that,” she whispered. “So much.”
My forehead pressed against hers to feel the warmth of her skin. The desire to kiss her was strong, but I needed to proceed with caution. My head and heart had to be the ones thinking, not my dick. I couldn’t fuck this up.
Backing away, but keeping my hands on her arms, I held my finger up.
“One sec.”
I placed a bunch of the blankets and pillows on the floor, making a pallet. The candles on the table offered a glow above us. And even though my phone might die, I chose to put some soft music on in the background.
Kneeling on the blankets, I reached out a hand for Ava.
“Come here,” I said.
Taking it, she knelt with me, our faces close. I kept some distance between us so I could look at her, admire her.
“You’re beautiful, Ava.”
I stroked her cheek with the backs of my fingers, down to her clavicle, over to the top of her chest. As I did, her nipples hardened under the tight tee she wore.
That was when I noticed the piercings on both her nipples, and fuck, that was hot.
It took everything in me to not grab them, pinch them, but I stayed the course.
“So freaking beautiful, skin so soft.”
My finger trailed up her neck and landed on her full lips, pulling down the bottom one.
“I’ve dreamt of kissing these perfect cherry lips.”
I pushed my thumb into her mouth, against her tongue, getting it wet.
Finally able to run my finger along that damn sexy lip ring.
As I rubbed the wetness along her lip, it glistened in the candlelight, begging for me to kiss it, bite it.
The moan I elicited from her was deep in her throat, and my dick reacted.
It swelled against my pants, and I was desperate for her to touch me.
“Then do it, Logan,” she said, her words breathy. “Kiss me, please.”
Our lips collided as my mouth claimed hers.
Our tongues fought a battle that started weeks ago, and I had finally been granted permission to strike.
My lips found that ring, pulling it into my mouth gently, giving it a tug.
First with my lips, then my teeth. My tongue dipped back inside her mouth, a delicate dance between us.
Her hands raked through my hair, down my back, to the hem of my shirt. She lifted it up and over my head.
Pushing away from me, she looked at me in awe. Her finger marked a hot trail across my chest as it dragged down my torso, over the band of my pants, a nail teasing to go in. Her eyes came back up to mine, those green orbs sparkling as they shimmered in the glow of the snowy light from the window.
“I’ve never seen someone with a body like yours, not up close,” she said. “Every part of you is like it’s carved of marble, like you were made from a mold of perfection.”
Her compliment swirled inside me, creating a tornado of heat fighting to get out. My fingers itched to move, to touch her skin, her body, as she knelt as an offering in front of me.
“Ava.” Her name came out as a tortured whisper. “May I take your shirt off? And touch you?”
Unexpectedly, she gripped my face in her hands, forcing me to look directly at her. Her look was soft, though her grip wasn’t.
“Logan,” she said. “We’re doing this, and I want it. I love that you’re asking for my consent, and here it is. For all of it. You don’t need to ask again. You have my permission to do anything to me.”
I nodded as best I could as she continued to hold me in her steel grip. As she released me, her lips came to mine, a soft kiss to replace the wicked hold.
She whispered against my lips. “Is that what you needed?”
I pressed my forehead to hers, suddenly holding back tears, and nodded. When we pulled away, she wiped at my eyes and then kissed the delicate skin there.
“My tender Tank,” she said, then laughed lightly.
I didn’t realize how important her consent was. Obviously, it became more important after hearing her thoughts from our first weeks together. But getting it put my mind, and my heart, at ease.
And roused my cock.
“I’d like you to get back to work, Mr. Somers,” she said.
“Don’t need to tell me twice.”
My finger went to the edge of her shirt along her collarbone, following it to her cleavage.
A spot I’d fantasized about many times. As the tips of my fingers grazed the swell of her breast, my hand flattened on her skin.
The anticipation of seeing her piercing was too much.
I pulled her shirt down until her peaked nipple popped out, complete with a silver bar ring.
A perfect dark circle surrounded it, begging to be put in my mouth. My mouth watered at the notion.
“Ava, christ, you are so fucking hot.”
My fingers were going to do some magic first. Gripping the bar and her nipple between two fingers, I gently twisted and pulled while watching her. Ava’s head fell back as her mouth opened.
“Logan,” she moaned.
Good, she liked it.
The other breast needed to be freed. I pulled at the material of her shirt, and it popped out. The sight of both her white, smooth breasts in front of me, waiting for me to touch them, was overwhelming.
“Ava, fuck, your tits are amazing.” My hands grabbed them both, pushing them together as my thumbs flicked the bars on her nipples.
“Do you want me to take my shirt off?” she asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I love what the shirt is doing, offering them up to me. They’re fucking perfect, do you know that?”
Bending down, I took one plump nipple in my mouth. I couldn’t wait any longer.
It was ecstasy. As I pulled it deep in my mouth, my tongue and teeth alternated having their way. She loved when my teeth grazed at the metal and skin, moaning loudly as she pulled my head tighter against her chest, clutching me, tugging at my hair.
Moving to the other breast, I did the same. My mouth worked her one nipple, while my fingers pulled and pinched at the other.
Ava writhed against me. Her hand slid down my side, across to my front, gripping my cock through my sweats. As she pumped me through the material, I sucked on her tits, back and forth, with a fury.
But then I pulled away. And she looked confused as her hand stilled.
I needed more.