“No,” I answer without hesitation, breathing out harshly as Colin finishes up the last stitch. He did a pretty good job distracting me.
“Then if you know what’s good for you, take your girl home, make love to her, and tell her what’s on your mind. Don’t waste any more time,” he says, wiping the remnants of any blood off the surrounding area. He applies gauze and wraps it with a self-adhering bandage. I’m pretty thankful he’s got medical training. I sure as fuck didn’t want to sit in an emergency room tonight.
“Is it going to cause problems with my stomach?” I ask.
“You think anything was going to stop me the night of the storm?” He eyes me with a quirked brow.
“Another fair point, but Colin, you almost died.”
“You just almost got stabbed in the gut after defending your future wife’s honor.”
“Yeah, okay, I get it.”
“I’ll check on Bryn and let you know what’s going on after I send Ava up to you. No reason for you to come back down to the beach unless you really want to.”
“I just want to go home.”
“That’s what I thought.” Colin claps a hand on my shoulder and points to the counter as I rise to go to the front door. “There’s a kit with extra supplies for keeping that clean. I want to see it in a day or two to make sure it’s good. Talk to you later, bud.” Colin starts for the back door.
“Hey Colin?” I question to get his attention, and he turns to me. “Thanks for having my back down there.”
“I’d follow you into a dark alley anywhere if it means I get to help kick some ass. I always got your back. Knives or intruders can get fucked,” Colin answers with a crooked smile.
I grin back at him like a fool as I step out onto the porch and make my way to the truck. It takes me a minute or so to maneuver up into the cab, the soreness settling in a smidge. I’m kind of glad Ava wasn’t here to see it. I’ll be damned if my plans of getting her under me are thwarted by a stupid cut.
Less than five minutes pass before Ava comes out the door. She’s so beautiful in that purple v-neck tee, her long legs striding toward me in those short shorts I’m about to rip off. She opens the door and pulls herself up.
“I would’ve grabbed the door for you, but moving is…” I shut my mouth before I ruin this for myself.
“Is...” she interrupts, “less than ideal. I would’ve driven. Are you okay?”
“I can still drive us home. I’m okay, babe.” I reach across the seat to grab her hand, lacing our fingers together before pulling out of the drive. Things are quiet the minute or two it takes to pull into the driveway. I look around the landscaping, just in case something is out of place.
“I’ll go get the door open,” Ava says, jumping down out of the truck. It makes me move faster. I know we changed the locks, but I feel uneasy about her going into the house alone.”
“Wait for me,” I say through gritted teeth as I slide down out of the truck. She stands there with wide glistening eyes, andfuck, I need to hold her. She holds her hand out to me, and I take it softly in my own, pulling it to my lips and kissing the back of her knuckles before walking to the front door. My heart thunders in my chest as I think about tonight and what I’m about to ask her.
Unlocking the door, I push our way into the darkness, flipping on the table lamp and looking around as she flicks the lock shut. I walk to the garage door and back doors to check the locks on them as well. Pulling out my phone, I see that no incidents were reported for any of the alarms. Probably should’ve checked that first. The cameras are all working and clear. I blow out a breath of relief.
Ava sets the dish of pickles wrapped with cream cheese and ham on the island, reaching in for one. She practicallymoans with delight as she pops one in her mouth, and my dick twitches.
“If you sound that good eating one, you better share some of that shit with me. I fucking love pickle rollups.”
Ava’s giggle is a balm to my soul after the past couple of hours as she slides one of the bites into my mouth. It’s as delicious as she made it sound. I pull her in close, but she’s timid as she comes up against my abdomen. I pull her closer regardless of the sting and claim her mouth with my own. She tastes of pickles and Ava. A perfect combination that I’ll never tire of.
“Can we go to bed? I may not be able to give a hundred and ten percent this time, but honey, I’ll try. I need to be inside you,” I whisper against her lips, desperate to hear her say yes, and not caring for one second if I sound pathetic. She nods against my lips, seeking them out again. I deepen the kiss, tangling my fingers into the strands of her silky, dark hair. She takes my hand, pulling away from the kiss even though my lips chase after her. A small smile graces the corners of hers, making me want to bridge that distance, but it’s overridden by the need to feel her skin against mine as she leads us to the bedroom.
Once inside, she closes the door, and I grasp her face between my palms, tipping her up so I can devour her mouth again. She sighs into the kiss, surrendering herself to the heat of the moment. I moan in return. I love the feeling of when she completely gives herself over to the pleasure. Gives herself over to me. Her fingers find the hem of my shirt and slide it up gently. She’s already panting when she pulls away so she can make sure she doesn’t hurt my wound as she tentatively pulls the shirt up and over my head. She’s careful with my left arm, avoiding the bandage as much as she is able.
Her fingers trail my skin lightly. Although the touch is light, it burns. It burns so deep, I feel it in my bones. She undoesmy shorts and drops them to the floor along with my boxer briefs. Her fingernails rake up my thighs as she bends to kiss my chest, right above my heart.Damn, my heart aches for her.Every cell of my body aches for her.
“Bella, Ineedyou naked. I can’t wait much longer,” I plead as she pulls off her purple shirt. She smirks in the moonlight.
“Get in bed, Marcus,” she whispers, but it’s not an ask, it’s a command. I nod as I bend to kiss her lightly one more time. I can give her as much control as she gives me. I can surrender to her. I justneedher. I don’t care what that entails as long as it ends with our souls connecting.
I slip beneath the covers and position the pillows behind me so I’m comfortably sitting against the headboard and my abs aren’t really stretching. I watch with fascination as Ava strips off the rest of her clothes. She climbs across the bed to me and kisses along my belly, stroking around the bandage lightly with her fingertips as if she’s considering whether or not this is a smart idea. The cut travels a good six inches from beneath my navel to the left side of my body. I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling it away from her face so I can see what she’s doing. She pulls down the covers to reveal my hard cock and slides her fingers around it, stroking lightly to tease me.
“Ava…” I plead, not knowing exactly what I’m asking for but laying myself bare for her.
