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38
Ava’s kitchen was already in disarray again. She wandered to the fridge and dragged it open. The only edible thing inside was leftover pizza, so she grabbed a slice and ate it cold. She wandered back to her bathroom, standing in front of the mirror long enough to feel uncomfortable. She stared at her puffy eyes and dark circles and made a face of mild disgust. She splashed water on her cheeks, dried it off, and applied a modest amount of makeup despite the fog of depression that seemed to bear down on her.
She was scheduled to start her new job in three days. Why in the hell did she seem so miserable about it?
Sifting through the clothes in her closet, she threw on some casual black leggings and an oversized charcoal sweater, onesthat matched her mood.
Knock-knock.
Ava furrowed her brows and made her way to the door. She opened it, stopping cold when she realized…
It was Will .
The sight of him made her stomach somersault with nerves.
“Hey.” Will leaned against the wooden railing of the front porch, hands in his pockets. A gray hoodie clung to his toned stomach, onenearly as tight as his dark jeans. “Look… I’msorry.”
“No, I’m sorry.” Ava lowered her eyes to the groundand took a deep breath. “Want to come in?”
Will nodded and stepped inside, petting Kuda as he made his way to the couch.
The couch had memories, ghostly imprints in the material from their intimacy.
Kuda launched onto his lap and licked Will’s face. “Oh, thank you, Kuda. That’s so much love. Who’sagoodboy ?”
The Pit Bull went wild from the affection, jumping off his lap and darting around the house at warp speed.
Ava smiled. “He’s a goofy boy.”
Will sighed deeply, unsure of where to start with a more in-depth apology.
“—I'm sorry I overstepped,”Ava said instead. “I had good intentions, I promise.I just… I went overboard.”
Will shook his head and buried the lower half of his face in his pressed hands. “No. You did something kind. I overreacted. The proposal… was a bit overwhelming, I’ll be honest. But it’s clear you’re so good at what you do… did …”
“No. Do ,” she corrected. “Got hired this week.”
“Wow, that’s… fantastic. Congratulations.” He didn’t seem overjoyed by the news.He leaned back into the couch. Ava perched on the far end, sitting delicately on the edge of her seat.“What you proposed… a franchise … an incorporation… it’s a massive commitment.”
Ava scooted closer and placed her hand on his. “It is. I don’t know what I was thinking. You have enough on your plate with a kid and your clients… in my head, it was more like a grand romantic gesture.I like you…a lot .I wantedto make your life better. Not control youor burden you.”
“I know. I just lashed out because I didn’t know how to feel about all of this. Plus, you offering to get involved... I’ve always heard horror stories about people who mix their work with their home life, andfrankly,that scared the shit out of me, too. I like you a lot, too, Ava. You and me... we felt right to me. I didn’t want to lose that if I could help it.Oh, the irony…”
“I can’t promise that I won’t ever feel jealous,” she said. “If women are touching you, lusting after you, what’s not to say after we fight one day that you don’t give in to temptation?”
He grasped her hand tighter. “Ava, there has to be trust . I have not done anything except try to build that trust. I understand jealousy. I feel it sometimes, too. Hell, I felt it when your ex-husbandwas over here with his fucking hands all over you.”
She noddedand rubbed her foot on the edge of the coffee table.
“Give me a chance to prove that I would never do anything like that to hurtyou.”
She smiled weakly, feeling a slight rush of hope and optimism that he was talking about their future.
“I want you back, Ava.” He stared into her eyes with longing.
The words hit her like a tsunami, flooding her with a warm flood of joy.
“I miss you. I miss your vivaciousness . Your energy . Your kind nature. Your body …Jesus Christ.”He bit his lip and studied her for a moment, locking every inch of her in his memory.
Ava smiled. “I want to be with you . I’vemissedyou. Starla, too.”
He laughed to himself quietly.
Ava grinned. “What? What’s so funny?”
His eyes finally met hers. “You know we’re crazy for doing this, right?”
“People get in relationships all the time—”
“I mean Man Maid . We are crazy for doing this, you and I. Starting a business together.”
Ava gasped. “Are you saying… you’re in ?”
He nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m in.”
She fought the urge to scream, covering her mouth. “You aren’t going to regret this!”
“Lately, I only seem to regret the things I don’t do.”
“Like what?” She grinned. “What do you regret not doing?”
Will smiled, leaned into her,and pressed his lips to hers. Ava melded against himas their tongues entwined. The kiss sent a boltof arousing current down the length of her body.
He stripped off her sweater, pulling it over her head by the hem, auburn hair bouncing as it freed from the fabric. His eyes trailed to her breasts, oneshoisted up in a plum-colored bra. He tossed the sweater to the floor and traced his fingers down her neck, gliding it along the tops of her breasts before hooking his finger into the fabric between them. With a gentle tug,he pulled her closer to him.
Their lips meshed, tongues softly caressing one another. Ava reached for the zipper of his hoodie, gliding it down and shoving the fleece- lined fabric over his shoulders to expose the soft, gray t-shirtbeneath.
Will struggled to free one of his arms from the sleeves, and they snickered.
She needed to feel his flesh on hers, their hearts pounding together with no barrierbetween them. She yanked at his shirt, eager to remove it. Will took it off in aswift motion, carelessly tossing beside the couch.
Their breathing hastened, each breath louder and more ragged. Sucking one of his lips between hers, she playfullynibbled.
Will pulled away and stared witha look ofsmolderingintensity that made her skin flush with warmth.
She wanted him.
Needed him.
Ava wasn’t about to wait another minute. No interruptions, no delays. The world around them faded into obscurity, leaving only the two of themwrapped in a cocoon of desire, feeling theagonizing promise of satiation.
Will unclaspedher bra and rubbedhis hands across the sacred skin. Skinthat haunted him like an erotic slideshow ever sincehe’d tasted her against his front door. Hepulled her closer, but close was not close enough .
He wouldn’t be satisfied until he was inside of her , feelingher slick warmth wrapped around him.
Absorbing the scene, he took a moment to appreciate the sexual deity awaiting him. Her heaving breastsin his face, stomach glistening with a sheen of sweat, inner thighs dampand warm.
She bit her lip with alookthatsaid all the things she’d utter if there wereany breath left in her lungs.
He trailedkisses along her throat, drifting down, skimminglips along her tantalizing flesh before enveloping one of her pert nippleswith his tongue.
She gasped, runninghands through his hair and leaning into his lips. She felt lightheaded at thedelicious warmth of himagainst her skin,pelvis writhing against his growing erectionwithfrantic anticipation.
He pulled away, giving her nipple one more playful lick before his hands shifted down. He gripped her ass tightly in both palms, aggressively pulling herhips closer to his cock, seeking the wetness between her pale thighs.
“ Fuck, I want you ,” Will growled,lowering to his knees before heron the floor. She leanedback into the leather. He watched her for a moment, breasts heaving.Her lookwas a potent mixture of longing and lust, and hewanted to savor every… fucking…second .
He traced his hands across the top of the leggings, hooking his fingers into the waistband. She tipped her hips, and he pulled the stretchy fabric down her curves and tossed itto the floor. She stareddown at him with a look of eagernessthat sent another rush of blood to his throbbing cock. Parting her legs with his hands, he trailed kisses up her thigh and dove deep, gliding his tongue up her sweet, wet slit.
Ava moaned as itexplored her depths.
Slowly, agonizingly, he circledher clitoris, feeling her abdomen tighten beneath one palm and caressing herbreast with the other. Ava squirmed, drawing her legs up on the edge of the couch, spreading them wider, allowing him to go deeper. She dugher heels into the groaning leather.
Will voraciously lapped, savoring her taste,gently slidinga finger inside of her. She moaned as he slipped in a second one.His thumb massaged her sweet spot, making her buck from the sensation. She rubbed her fingers through his hair, silently begging for more with every sway of her hips. Pleasure rocked through her body, sending a pulse of warmth through herlike a hot flash.His skillful fingers coaxedher closer to the edge, suckling her through euphoric growls .
Her moans only drove him to want to please her more.
Her body quaked with an orgasmic shudder. She cried outinto the air, pelvis pulsating around the slow withdrawal of his fingers.
“ Fuck me ,” she panted.
He locked eyes with her, licking the wetness from his lips. “ Beg for it. ”
“ I want you inside of me .” She squirmed, aching for him, eyes fluttering with an aftershock from her climax. “ Pleeeeease, ”her breathy word was drawn out as she pleaded.
Alook of pure excitement flashed across his blue eyes. Without another word, his jeans and briefs were shed, abandoned on the floor near hers. He rose, abs flexed, muscles taut.
Ava couldn’t take her eyes off his thick cock, which stood rod-straight,aggressively sprung to attention.The rumors she'd heard had proved true about him, and Ava had met her match.
She leaned forward and took him into her mouth, slow and deep, feeling him in the back of her throat as Will stroked her hair lovingly. His head laid back limply. His mouth opened in a silent gaspas she swirled her tongue along his firm crown and hard shaft.
It felt like bliss .
She glanced up at him, eyes moss-greenand full of lust, saying far more than her mouth ever couldif it was not already occupied. She savored his taste, taking him so deep into her throat that hegroaned.
Will pulled her back gently by the hair,dicksliding from her heavenly lips. Hecrawled on top of her like a stalking lion, never blinking, ready to prey.
His heart was beating a mile a minute, reminding him just how alive he was.
Gazing into her eyes, it all felt so different.
Deeper…
This wasn’t just sex .
This was something more . Something that went far beyond flesh against flesh.There was care . There were feelings , ones that heightened everything to a level he’d never experienced with other women.
Ava mewled as Will slid inside of her.
His head rushed fromthe long-awaited sensation of her tight, pulsing pussy flexing around his girth.
She turned her head, groaning into the leather as his thickness filled her, plunging slow and deep.
He felt hertremble against him, face contorted.She rocked her pelvis against him slowly, back arching, breasts in the air, moaning from the friction.
He thrusthard and deep, burying himself deep inside of her.
It was a feeling he never wanted to end.
He leaned down to kiss her, dick throbbing against her hot walls. He gazedinto her eyes, caressing the side of her face for a moment before sliding himself in deep again.
“ Fuck ,” he whispered into her ear.His gruff tone was enough to tip her over the edge of no returna second time.
At that moment, she knew she could never go back to the way life was before meeting Will Jessup.
His body savored every ounce of her pleasure as she trembled beneath him.
As the crashing waves of her second orgasm simmered, she looked up. His brilliant blue eyes studiedher. She wrapped her legs around his hips. His thrusts quickened.
It took every ounce of restraint he could muster to focus on somethingelse, anything else,other than the orgasm building inside him. He bit his lip hard to redirect his mind as her moans intensified. The feelof her nails dragging across his back spurred his body to release.
His body expertly workedto stroke every sensitive spot, but some feral part of his mind urged him to bury himself inside of her and come undone.
Ava’s heart pounded against his own.
His thrusts grew fevered, gaze steely. His nearing orgasm made her muscles grip him harder.As Will’s cock pulsed, Ava savored the feel of him finishinginside of her in the mostintimate display of trustshe could fathom.
Their bodies melded into one sweat-beaded form on the couch.Absorbing the sight of her, Will couldn't speak. She was breathtaking, dewy, and radiant with an otherworldly air of beauty.
This woman was adream come true.
A sense of peace washed over them both. He nestledinto the too-small nook of the couch beside her and scooped her in his arms. He lay there for a while,clutching her tight, savoring the warmth of her China-smooth skin.
Soon, Ava was fast asleep, naked in his loving arms.