Chapter Ten
Ava
Reed has good wine — like really, really good wine. I’m on my second glass and I’m finally feeling relaxed after River’s kiss in the office.
Bella and I have been sitting out here for the past thirty minutes while Reed finishes off a couple of work bits and orders dinner for us.
“Right, ladies, dinner will be twenty minutes.” He takes a seat next to Bella on the outdoor couch opposite mine, and immediately pulls her into his side.
He is totally obsessed with her. That man fell hard and fast for our girl, not that I can blame him — Bella is gorgeous, inside and out. I love the fact she got the man she’s always wanted, the man she’d saved herself for, and the man who had no clue she was in love with him.
“So, talk to me, Ava. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
Yeah, did I also mention he’s charming?
“You were right,” I chuckle. “It seems River may have some feelings for me that I didn’t pick up on or see coming.”
“Bella said something happened today, but my little brat wouldn’t tell me what. She said I had to hear it from you.” I can’t help but smirk at his words; he wouldn’t have her any other way.
“You love when I’m a brat.”
“No,” he says as he gazes down at her. “I love what I get to do to you because of it.”
I’m laughing at how much Bella is blushing as I tell him about what happened in River’s office this morning.
“Okay, so he’s confirmed what I suspected all along: that man wants you. Question is, do you want him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why? What’s holding you back?”
“We’ve had the worst relationship for five years; I don’t know if I can just switch that off.”
“You can’t.” His words take me by surprise.
“You can’t forget everything he’s done to you, and no one is asking you to, not even him.
What you can do is try to move on from it together.
You both need to talk so you understand why he did what he did, where he was coming from, and his reasoning for it.
” He looks at me, his head tilted. “Is there something else?”
Christ, does Bella get anything past him?
“What if we do try this and it doesn’t work out? What then? Our parents are together. That will be awkward as fuck when we have to see each other again.”
“Because it’s been so great so far?” He snickers. “Since the two of you met, you’ve hated each other, well, you’ve hated him. What exactly would be different if things don’t work out? You can just continue to ignore each other like you have for the past five years.”
When he puts it like that, my concerns seem silly. He’s right, we’d just go back to how things have always been — to hating each other. Why does the thought of that fill me with such regret?
***
It’s Thursday night and I’m about to knock on a door I never expected to find myself standing outside of.
I’ve spent every moment since Monday night’s discussion with Bella and Reed debating what exactly it is I want to do.
I’m still not sure I’m doing the right thing, but I know I’ve been a mess since River kissed me in his office.
A needy, hot, turned-on mess.
Pulling up my big girl panties, I raise my hand and knock on his door; a few seconds later I hear footsteps the other side. I take a deep breath to prepare myself as I hear the latch click just before the door swings open, but nothing could have prepared me for what I’m faced with.
A wet River fresh from the shower.
Holy shit, he’s ripped.
He’s wearing lose shorts and nothing else, a towel is flung round his shoulders catching the water droplets currently dripping from his hair. The hand that was sweeping his hair back from his face pauses as he catches sight of me on his threshold.
“What are you doing here, pipsqueak?” His voice is a deep, gravelly rasp and does things to my body a voice alone shouldn’t be able to do.
I’ve always found River attractive, but lately it’s more than that — he’s affecting my body in ways he’s never done before.
“We need to talk.” I finally manage as I pull my eyes away from his impressive six pack. “Can I come in?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why? There are things we need to discuss.” My voice is firm, I’m not letting him shut me out, not on this. I need to understand what the hell is going on.
“Pipsqueak, you step one foot through this door, it’s not talking we’ll be doing.
” My eyes fly to his as his words register.
“I’ve resisted you for five years, but I’ve tasted you now.
If you walk through this door, I won’t stop like I did the other day.
I won’t stop until you’re screaming my name and full of my cum. ”
“But you’ve always hated me,” I whisper.
“No, pipsqueak, I’ve always wanted you, even when I shouldn’t have. I still shouldn’t, but fuck if I can keep saying no when it comes to you.”
“I don’t understand, River. We need to talk. I don’t know where all this is coming from.”
“After. We can talk after, but you can’t deny me any longer.” His dark gaze meets mine, his eyes hooded. “I need you.” He steps to the side, opening a space for me to enter his apartment.
He’s giving me a choice, a choice I’m not sure I’m strong enough to resist. Who am I kidding? My body is already begging me to cross over and let him do what he promised.
It’s insane. I shouldn’t want this, I shouldn’t want him, and maybe once this is done, I won’t want him again. I’ll get this idiocy out of my system and realize that I do in fact hate him and that’s it. Nothing else between us. But unless I step over this doorway, I won’t know.
So that’s exactly what I do.