Chapter Nine
River
I’ve jerked off that many times, I think I’ve got blisters forming on my hand.
I can’t get the image of her spread out on her bed with the dildo between her legs out of my mind.
It plays on repeat, all day, every day. I can feel my restraint slipping on an hourly basis, too much more and I know I’m going to snap.
It’s Monday morning and I’m praying she doesn’t stop by for lunch today. I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself from spreading her out on my desk and eating her instead.
“Hey.”
I’m hallucinating. I must be, because it’s ten in the goddamned morning and she’s here.
“I can’t make lunch today, I’ve got a meeting, so I brought coffee, instead.” She places it on my desk in front of me, but I don’t take it, I can’t. If I move even an inch I’m going to pounce on her.
She’s dressed to kill — well, kill me — in tight fitting slim pants, a loose peach shirt, and sexy black strappy heels. I want to close my door and strip every item from her so she’s as naked as she was Friday night.
I close my eyes and count to ten, but she’s still standing there when I open them, still looking just as tempting as she did ten seconds earlier, only now her scent has permeated my space. I need her to leave. Right now. I push back from my desk so abruptly she jumps.
“You need to go,” I rasp.
“I just wanted to say thank you again for Friday.”
She hasn’t moved, she’s still standing in my office, in my space, tempting me with how fucking perfect she is.
“Please, I need you to go.”
“River?” She cocks her head at me.
“Just fucking go, Ava. I need you to go. NOW.” I spin away from her, not wanting to see the hurt blooming across her features. My hands are shaking as I drop my head into them and a feral groan leaves me. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever said her name, and I said it with such viciousness.
I hear the click of my office door and know she’s left.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry,” I grate out.
Small hands wrap around my waist, and I feel her body press against my back.
She didn’t leave.
“Why didn’t you go?” I growl as I spin in her arms.
“I don’t know,” she whispers as I back her up against my desk.
“I needed you to go.”
“Why?” I lift her to sit on my desk and my hips push her legs apart.
“Because of this,” I say just before my lips stamp over hers.
The minute my lips touch hers, I know I won’t ever kiss another woman again. Why settle when you’ve tasted perfection?
She gasps into the kiss, and I take the opportunity to slip my tongue into her mouth, tasting coffee, sweetness, and her.
One of my hands threads through her hair, holding her in place, while the other cups her hip and pulls her against my erection. She moans as she feels me, lifting her hips into my own, trying to get closer. I deepen the kiss with a rough growl, needing to taste all of her, needing to make her mine.
She pulls back from me, gasping for breath, her eyes wide and pupils blown. Her shaky fingers raise to her lips, touching where I just tasted.
“I need one more taste, one more and then you can go back to hating me.”
I slam her to me and pour everything into the kiss. Every emotion, every moment of craving I’ve felt over the last five years. I give her everything while I can, because I know she’ll pull away. My actions since we met have all but guaranteed it.
My lips leave hers and trail across her cheek, leaving a path of kisses in their wake until I reach her neck. I graze my teeth along the column of her throat, and she gasps as goosebumps break out over her skin.
“River,” she cries as I bite down on the soft skin near her ear.
As if her voice breaks the spell she’s found herself in, she pulls back from me sharply.
“I-I-I have to go,” she stammers as she pushes at my body.
I step back from her, giving her the space she needs and she jumps down from my desk and rushes to the door, turning to face me just before she opens it. There are no words exchanged, only a shake of her head as she tries to understand what just happened before she turns and walks out of my office.
Shit.
Ava
Oh my God. What the hell just happened?
I knew something wasn’t right when he asked me to leave. Something told me that I needed to stay, some intuition kept me in that room and made me walk over to him. I never expected that, though; for him to devour me like I was his last meal.
River Scott really knows how to kiss.
A tremble racks through me as I recall the way he kissed me, touched me. Bit me.
I grab my cell phone from my bag and bring up the video chat icon, calling the girls immediately.
“What’s up, girl?” Mia answers first.
“Wait for everyone, I think I’ll only be able to do this once.”
“Well, color me intrigued.”
The other two faces of my besties fill my screen, and I take a deep breath before I tell them exactly what just happened.
“Holy shit.” The three of them breathe pretty much in unison; it’s uncanny how in tune we can be sometimes.
“I knew we were pushing him, but I don’t think I ever actually believed this would happen,” Bella says, the shock evident on her face.
“I’m going to ask, because, hello, it’s me. Why are you not currently in his office getting banged on his desk?” Mia states bluntly.
“Mia! It’s River — he’s my brother.”
“No, he’s not.” Apparently, it’s Harper’s turn to pipe up. “He moved in when you were seventeen, you were practically an adult, and he was twenty-four. Neither of you are blood related. I’m sorry, Ava, but nobody in their right mind would call that man your brother.”
“Do you like him?” My eyes find Bella’s on the screen, and I shrug, unsure of what to say. “How did kissing him feel?”
“Amazing.” I don’t even have to think about it, my answer is immediate.
“Can you get past everything he’s done? Because I’ll be honest it all takes on a different meaning when you realize he’s secretly been pining for you all this time.”
I take in Harper’s words. Can I? Can I put everything he’s done behind us? Do I even want to? Do I want to try whatever this is with River?
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“Look, you don’t have to make a decision now. Sit on it, think about what it is you really want, and how River makes you feel. This is big, Ava, it can’t be rushed.”
“Why don’t you come around our house tonight?” Bella asks. “Reed might be able to help you see things from a different perspective.”
That’s not a bad idea actually.
“Yeah, sure. Thanks, Bella, that’ll be good.”
“Okay, come straight from work. We can have a drink outside before we eat.”
“Okay,” I nod. “Thanks girls. Love you all.”
“Love you.” They all chorus back.
They’re the best friends in the world; I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them sometimes.