Chapter 16: Chapter 16

AVERY

The Uber eases to a halt in front of my apartment. I swing the door open and tumble out onto the sidewalk, unsteady on my feet. Reed comes to my rescue, scooping me up and carrying me into the building.

“Thought I was supposed to get up the stairs before you caught me?” I say, my words slurring just slightly.

“Speeding up the process,” he says in a low voice as he easily takes them two at a time, hardly seeming to notice my additional weight.

“You’re so strong,” I mumble, lacing my fingers behind his neck.

We arrive at my door, and he sets me down, pressing my back against the wall and holding me in place by my hips. I arch into him.

~That second tequila shot was probably a bad idea~, I think as I run my hands up his arms.

He groans, forehead pressed to mine.

“Where’s your keys?” he asks, voice strained.

I pause, tapping my chin and pouting my lips. “Umm…”

He sighs. “Never mind. I’ll just wake Olive.”

He raises his fist to knock on the door.

“No, no! Don’t wake her! She has to get up early,” I hiss.

I pull his hand back to my chest, fingers curling around his. He stares, slowly pulling his gaze up to mine.

~He’s so handsome. Perfect bone structure. Mesmerizing golden eyes.~

“You’re a very pretty boy, Reed Everett. The prettiest boy, in fact,” I murmur.

He chuckles. “Thanks, drunk girl.”

He reaches into my pocket, searching for my keys. I sway my hips and stretch out my arms overhead as his hands coast along my body.

“Oh! Find what you’re looking for, Mr. Muscles?”

His face moves closer, his breath smelling faintly of alcohol as he smiles.

“Got it,” he says, jingling them as he holds them up.

I feel a pang of disappointment as he pulls away to open the door.

“Aw, that’s no fun.”

Reed laughs again, a deep, hearty sound as he lifts me into his arms. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed, drunk girl.”

“Hey!” I yelp in surprise, but I cling to him as he carries me through the dark apartment to my bedroom.

He turns on the lamp on my nightstand and sets me on the edge of the bed. Without thinking, I quickly strip down to my underwear and crawl under the covers. Reed tucks me in.

“Another time, drunk girl,” he whispers, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead. “Good night, Avery. I’ll see you later.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight. I look up at him with dreamy eyes.

“Don’t go.”

He freezes. “Avery, I need to go.”

“No, you don’t. Stay. Please,” I plead, pulling him closer.

He laughs it off, trying to loosen my fingers. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Stay,” I insist, tugging him onto the bed until the line of his hard body is pressed against mine.

“You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

I know exactly what I’m doing. I’ve wanted Reed for so long, and now I’m ready to make my move. There’s a throbbing sensation between my legs that can’t be ignored any longer.

My hand slips beneath the covers, the other still wrapped around the back of his neck, holding him close. He watches me with a smoldering gaze, struggling to keep his eyes on my face and not to where my hand disappeared to.

But I know he can feel it as it slides between us. I see desire and temptation on his face as he tries to control himself.

“Avery…you shouldn’t do this.”

“Shouldn’t or can’t?” I challenge, raising an eyebrow.

“Can’t,” he groans. “You can’t do this.”

I feign innocence. “Do what?”

“Touch yourself.” He swallows hard, planting his hands on either side of my head and holding himself above me. “You can’t touch yourself in front of me.”

“Yes, I can,” I purr, my fingers sliding between my legs and feeling the dampness on my underwear.

Just that slight touch makes me moan. Another groan escapes him as he clenches his jaw.

“Avery.”

~Is it a warning? Or a plea?~

“Reed,” I say in a breathless whisper.

My fingers continue to explore, slipping into my underwear as Reed’s intense gaze both condemns and praises me. I gasp as my hand reaches my throbbing center. It feels so good already, and I haven’t even spread myself apart yet.

“Tell me you don’t want me to, and I’ll stop,” I tease, my finger gently probing at my entrance.

There’s no denying what I’m doing now. My movements press against him through the comforter, revealing my actions. He can’t pretend it’s something else.

“Avery.”

Reed’s gaze turns ravenous as he loses the battle, his head dropping to watch the covers shift between us.

“Tell me to stop.”

I spread my legs beneath him, the cool air hitting where I’m sticky and sensitive. Another moan slips from my lips, pulling Reed’s golden gaze back to mine.

His handsome face tightens. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, and my stomach flutters at the thought of it replacing my fingers. I moan again as a new wave of warmth spreads between my thighs.

I want to show Reed Everett what he does to me. What he’s always done to me.

My gaze never leaves his as I touch myself, my mouth opening to release desperate moans with each stroke. He watches me intently, but he never touches me.

“It feels so good, Reed. I don’t want to stop. I’ve done this so many times dreaming it was you,” I confess, my eyes shimmering with a truth I’ve long denied. “I never thought one day you’d watch. I can’t hold back. I’m going to…”

My words trail off as my breath comes in quick desperate pants. His head tilts as his eyes darken.

Stars explode in my vision as my orgasm hits. He doesn’t say a word as my body convulses beneath him, my pleasure so intense it steals my breath, making me whine and whimper his name as my nails dig into his forearm.

He leans in, his tongue tracing my sweaty upper lip as I come down, his gaze intimate and sincere. But the line between us has been blurred now. Obliterated really.

He sighs, resting his forehead against mine. We share the same dazed expression before he pulls away and slides off the bed. I watch him take off his shoes as I fight to keep my eyes open.

I’m suddenly exhausted. I barely notice as the mattress moves when Reed climbs in behind me. He pulls me into the curve of his warm body, and I close my eyes, quickly slipping off to sleep.

REED

There’s so many emotions running through my mind as I hold Avery, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she drifts off to sleep.

~Shame. Awe. Want.~

I should have looked away, but I couldn’t. All I could do was stare as her pretty face was swept up in forbidden passion. Swept up in a fantasy about me.

When she confessed she’d pleasured herself while thinking about me before, something burst inside me. Knowing that she wanted me and had wanted me for a very long time made my chest swell with joy.

But as soon as she finished, feelings of regret and guilt washed over me. I should have stopped her. I should have left. I shouldn’t have watched because now it’s all I see when I close my eyes.

Watching her touch herself while I was right there…fuck. It took every ounce of my self-control to not join her. To not put my hands on her…my mouth.

I sigh, pulling her closer against me. I want to be better. I want to prove to her how much she means to me before I make a move, but I’m finding it hard to resist her.

~Maybe I should just tell her the truth. Let her know just how serious I am about her. Let her know I’ve thought about her for a very long time.~

My eyes grow heavy as I debate about what to do. Avery nestles into my chest, and I smile.

~Maybe I’ll just sleep on it for now.~