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Chapter twenty-one
STONE
Pullingmyselfoutof Ava’s bed and into my own this morning was hard, but I was only supposed to help her through the storm. I don’t know how she’d feel if I was still there when she woke up, but the way she burrowed into my chest and actually slept through it made me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling. And when she wiggled that perfect ass into my crotch, it got harder to remember why.
She’s not there when I get up. Mason and Reid haven’t seen her either, so we head out for breakfast without her. When I get back, she’s standing behind the kitchen counter cutting a lime in another sinful bikini.
“Hey,” I say as I come in, and she looks suspicious at my easy tone.
“Hi. How are you?”
“Good. You?”
“Fine, thanks. No guys?” she checks, looking past me.
“They’ll be back later. I thought we could—” The patio doors open, cutting me off, and I turn to see Cole standing in the doorway nearly fucking naked.
“Aves—oh, hey Stone.”
Why’s he surprised to see me? It’s my fucking house.
“Cole,” I say bluntly. I don’t have an issue with Cole beyond this thing he has with Ava. I think I’m destined to hate anyone she’s with, and it’s nothing to do with the betrayal to my brother. He can fuck right off for all I care. It’s pure jealousy, and I know it. I leave them to it, not trusting myself to not rip his head off if he touches her in front of me, grabbing the bag with what I bought while I was out before I go upstairs. I make my way to Ava’s room and her door is open, so I don’t have to reveal my secret just yet. Not that she deserves any of this, but I can’t help myself. I don’t like any woman to be scared. That’s what I’m telling myself. It’s not that I’m falling for someone who is brazenly cheating on the person she’s already with for money. Definitely not. It doesn’t take long to switch the decorative linen curtains for some thick blackout ones, and then I head to the gym to try and kill some time.
I head down a couple of hours later, and Ava is saying goodbye to Cole.
“Nice to see you, as always, Stone.” He smirks as he goes through the door, and I’m nearly at the kitchen when Ava calls out to me.
“Where did you go before?” I stop and turn to her, shrugging. Is she in my T-shirt?
“Didn’t fancy watching you throw yourself at Cole.”
“I thought we were giving this slut stuff a break?” she asks.
“Seems you can’t, though, doesn’t it?”
“What the fuck is your problem?”
“No problem.”
“Really? ’Cause you’re being a fucking asshole.” I chuckle as I turn back round to carry on to the kitchen.
“Trust me, this is not me being an asshole,” I throw over my shoulder.
“Lucky me,” I hear her say as she goes up the stairs. She comes back down quickly, though, and I pretend my whole body doesn’t come alive when she’s near me as she picks a drink out of the fridge I’m looking in. When I turn, she’s leaning against the counter in front of me.
“I’m confused.” She sighs. I guess she noticed the curtains.
“Welcome to my world.” I step towards her, placing the drink down on the counter and taking the hem of the oversized T-shirt she’s wearing between my fingers. “This is mine.” It’s the one I gave her yesterday, and I’ve never seen someone look hotter than Ava does in my clothes.
“Stone,” she breathes, but I’m not sure if it’s a warning or a plea. It’s not relevant, because in the next breath my lips are on hers and my brain stops working. I can’t think of one stupid fucking reason to not kiss her and lose myself in the taste of her. I pin her against the counter with my hips and she arches her back, pressing into me and running her hands through the back of my hair. My fingers are gripping into her hips, and just as I’m about to feel her bare skin, the front door slams. We jump away from each other.
“Honey, we’re home,” Mason calls from the foyer. For fuck’s sake. I can’t tear my gaze from Ava. Her lips are plump and pink, and her pupils are blown. And that’s just from a kiss. God, I’d love to see her come and how dishevelled she’d look after. She breaks eye contact, stepping around me and pulling the fridge open, hiding her face for a few seconds just as Mason and Reid appear in the kitchen entryway.
“You’re both here… not killing each other?” Reid questions.
“We agreed to the bubble. I can be civil,” I say, but they both scoff at that. Thankfully, they’re on the other side of the counter, and it’s doing a great job of hiding my erection.
“Aves, grab some mixers out of there. We’re drinking.”
“Everything okay?” she asks Reid, doing just that.
“Fine,” he replies, but Mason gives me a look that says it isn’t. I bet it’s Reid’s asshole father giving him shit again. But if he doesn’t want to talk about it, then we won’t. I could do with a distraction myself.
“Okay, let me get changed and I’ll whoop Mason’s ass at that game again,” she jokes, and he laughs.
“Deal!” I love that she’s trying to cheer him up and knows exactly how already. She heads upstairs and it goes quiet while they both stare at me.
“What?”
“What is going on?” Mason asks.
“Nothing.”
“Come on, dude, I’ve had a shitty afternoon,” Reid whines. “Take pity on me. Give me the details to cheer me up.”
“Your dad being a wanker again?”
“As usual.”
“You know you can move in here whenever you want.” That’s the truth. They’re both here so much anyway, and Dad doesn’t mind—we have plenty of space to spare.
“I know, but it seems like such a big step away from them.”
“Good, they’re the worst,” Mason mutters.
“They’re not that bad. They just want me to be a certain way.”
“Yeah, but that way is straight, Reid. You can’t do shit about that.”
“Whatever.” Ava comes back then and his smile gets wider. “Ready, Aves?”
“Ready,” she says, rubbing her hands together. She’s changed into a tank and some sweats, casual for the evening but stunning nonetheless. I have an image of seeing her on the beach that time and how completely different she looked. Why she would ever make herself look like that when she’s so naturally beautiful, I have no idea.
We play video games for a while until we all get bored of being beaten by Ava every single time. I mean, Reid and I are used to it from Mason, but he makes her play over and over and over again, just trying to get one win.
“Okay, enough,” she says, laughing as she puts the controller down. “I’m going to get carpal tunnel.”
“Fine. To the champion!” He picks up his drink, and we all toast as Ava laughs some more. I’m so glad we agreed to getting along for the week, because I love seeing her like this, so carefree and easygoing. I hate watching everyone torment her, even if she doesn’t seem to be phased at all. My natural instinct is to protect her—make sure she’s happy at all times—and I hadn’t realised how draining it was to have to hold myself back from that so much. She’s changed the way my head works. How has she done that? There hasn’t been one girl I’ve even cared about enough to make sure they get any pleasure from our encounters, but after a few weeks, I want to give Ava everything. God, it probably didn’t even take weeks—I would’ve given her whatever she wanted in that club. I’ve fallen for her so hard, and I don’t think I even want to stop.
Am I destined to repeat my dad’s mistakes? Is Ava really like my mother? It doesn’t seem possible. She seems so real,from her manner, to her reactions to me. I remember the way she breathed my name in the kitchen earlier, the feel of her curves under my hands and how she pressed her chest to mine, and I have to rearrange myself. Could she fake that? Am I in so over my head that I can’t see it? I don’t even want to think about it, because the answer must be yes. She’s engaged to Lewis. For business purposes. The Ava I have in my head isn’t the Ava that exists outside this bubble. So I’ll have to make the most of this version of her while I can.
My attention is brought back to the group by Reid running through the kitchen. My eyes turn back to Ava as she gives a hearty laugh.
“What’s going on?”
“Mason dared Reid to jump in the pool fully clothed,” she says with a roll of her eyes, but she’s still chuckling. I didn’t even realise they’d moved onto Truth or Dare. We hear a splash, and it’s a minute later that he comes back in, wearing only his wet boxers.
“Those sudden movements were not a good idea.” He grabs his side and moans as he grabs a blanket from the sofa and settles back down. He is definitely going to puke tonight.
“Your go, princess,” Mason says, ignoring Reid completely. Lightning flashes outside and she flinches, but Mason is up from his spot between us and closing the curtains before I can.
“Truth,” she says.
“What’s with the storms?” I know he’s curious. Mason isn’t a judgemental person, and I hope Ava knows that.
“It’s called astraphobia,” I answer for her in case she’s embarrassed. I know this because I googled it after the first night to see how to help. I don’t look over at her but feel her looking at me, and it takes a little while for her to answer.
“It’s a fear of thunder and lightning,” she says. “My father threw me into the garden after I disappointed him at a dinner once. The storm started, but he didn’t let me back in, even when lightning hit a tree feet from where I was standing. He made me stay out there the whole time until it passed. I was eight. Now I freak out that lightning’s going to hit me, or I’ll get hit by something and die, which I already know is ridiculous, but I can’t tell my brain that.” She says it all at once, like she’ll change her mind if she doesn’t get it out.
“Fuck, Aves.”
“It’s not a big deal,” she says, and I risk a look at her. Her eyes are full of emotion, but you can see the shutters slowly coming down.
“Truth or dare, Stone,” Mason asks, taking the focus off Ava.
“Truth.” I’ll give her one back.
“Something you’re sorry for,” he says with an arch of his brow, thinking the same thing as me. Reid lurches forward, covering his mouth as he quickly gets to his feet. “For fucks sake,” Mason groans as he runs after him. Ava is still quiet in the corner, so I carry on.
“One thing I’m sorry for is that bet.” She looks over at me but doesn’t answer. “Not that I did it, but that you found out that way.” I would never apologise for taking the bet—Dane needs to know he hasn’t got one fucking ounce of a claim on Ava. She narrows her eyes slightly but doesn’t look so vulnerable anymore, so I’ll take it. “Truth or dare.”
“Dare.”
“I dare you to come over here.” I know she will because she can’t resist a challenge. She scoots over, and when I think she’ll stop in Mason’s place, she spins and straddles my lap. Fuck. “I dare you—”
“I don’t think it’s your turn,” she says in a husky voice that goes straight to my dick. Maybe she’s been thinking about our moment in the kitchen earlier too. Or maybe she’s just drunk as much as I have tonight.
“Truth,” I say, holding onto her hips so she stays exactly where she is.
“What were you thinking about when you zoned out just then?” She notices everything. I can’t decide what to tell her. That I’m pretty sure she has to be as manipulative as my mother, but I’m willing to pretend she isn’t for just a few days with her? Pathetic.
“How glad I am that we’re in this bubble.” She frowns slightly, as if trying to work that out, and I squeeze her hips. “Your turn.” Her eyes flick to the door, as if checking we’re still alone.
“Truth.” There’s so much I want to know, but so much of it could shatter this fake calm we’ve created and I want to hold onto it for as long as possible, so I lighten the mood.
“Who’s your favourite: Mason or Reid?” She laughs as her eyes widen and she grins widely. I guess we’re both happy to pretend.
“Are they the only two options?” She fidgets on my lap and leans forward as I pull her hips closer and cock my brow at her. “I’m not on either of their laps right now,” she very helpfully reminds me and my dick, her mouth inches from mine. I can’t help but watch her lips as she speaks. “Your turn.”
“Dare,” I pick. She smiles as she leans in even more, whispering against my ear.
“I dare you to stay still while I do this.” She brings her hands up as she pulls back, wrapping one around the back of my neck and tracing my lips with her fingertips with the other. It’s pure torture, and the sparkle in her eyes shows she knows it.
“Ava,” I warn.
“Sh, just stay still.” She replaces her fingers with her mouth, and it’s all I can think about. She’s slow and sensual, and she moans when my tongue snakes into her mouth, completely snapping my restraint.
“Okay, your fun is over.” I take both of her hands and hold them behind her back, rocking my hips up so she feels my length exactly where I want it. Keeping her hands where they are in one of mine, I grip her chin with the other, holding her in both places and taking back control. I kiss her with more force than she did me, and she’s clearly okay with that because she rocks against me, gasping into my mouth. “Ava,” I growl, warning her for the second time.
“Stone,” she whispers against my lips, and I need to feel her more than I need to take my next breath.
“How drunk are you?”
She huffs a laugh at my question.
“Sober enough to consent. Not drunk enough to beg.”
“No?” She holds her breath as I drop my hand from her chin to snake it into her sweats. I run my fingers over the lace of her underwear and growl in my chest when I feel how wet she is. Slipping my fingers inside the lace, I have some fun of my own, stroking her in between her clit and entrance but not putting pressure on either. She rocks her hips for friction, but I still them with my other hand, having to release her hands to do so. She places them on my shoulders, leaning her head down on top of one of them.
“Stone,” she whimpers, and I chuckle through my lust.
“Are you sure you won’t beg?” She pulls her head back to glare at me, and just as her mouth pops open to sass me I thrust two fingers up inside her. Her eyes widen, her cheeks flush, and a gasp replaces whatever she was going to say, but I don’t give her time to catch her breath, plunging my fingers in and out while keeping her hips still with my other hand. My dick strains underneath her, but for once it’s not the most pressing issue—I can’t fucking wait to see Ava come. I let go of her hip to bring her lips down to mine again and she takes the opportunity to grind, adding the speed and force she wants. I’m not even sure if I’m fucking her with my fingers or she’s fucking my hand, but Jesus, if it’s not the hottest thing I’ve ever felt, feeling her tightness around me and her arousal coating my hand. My thumb finds her clit and she breaks our kiss as she tenses, moving just far enough to moan my name as she shatters, clenching around me. I watch her face the whole way through, knowing this is now my favourite memory ever. Her mouth is slack, her brow furrowed, and her eyes blazing. Fuck she’s sexy. She catches her breath for a moment, and just when I’m about to flip her onto her back and really fill her up, she drops a peck on my lips and climbs off my lap.
“Thanks.” My mouth drops open as my brain tries to catch up to what is going on. I think all of the blood is in my dick; I’m not thinking at full speed. I continue to stare at her as her grin grows from where she’s now sat, back in her space at the other end of the sofa. “I seem to remember you owing me one.” No.
“Ava,” I growl from deep in my chest. “Get back here now.” Her eyes light up with her accomplishment just as Mason and Reid shuffle back into the room, and I cross my legs, holding my drink over my lap to try and cover up exactly what we were doing.
“Sorry, guys,” Reid mumbles. “I’m going to head to bed.”
“I’ll walk up with you,” Ava offers. “I think the night’s over anyway.”
“Did he manage to piss you off again?” Mason sniggers.
“I think it might be the other way around, actually.”
I watch her with fire in my eyes as she walks away from me, and I finish my drink with Mason as quickly as I can without causing suspicion. I go into my room when Mason heads to his, grabbing the key and heading straight to Ava’s. The key won’t go all the way in, though, or turn. She must’ve left her key in the other side. Intentional, or an accident? I head back to mine and have a very cold shower to calm my frustrations. That girl is my biggest weakness. I swear, no one else would be brave enough to try to get one over on me like that, let alone succeed. I’m so screwed.
