Avery’s POV

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as James led me into the private spa area. He had surprised me and planned the perfect date with almost all of my favorite things wrapped into one: swimming, pampering, fun, and of course eating. And for such a small person, I could really pack it away, which was probably one of the reasons that I enjoyed cooking so much. But that was beside the point…

“Wait here, I’ll be right back, babe,” James said, kissing my temple and heading over towards the front desk. I smiled at him, watching him go and laughing at his antics. He watched me over his shoulder as he headed toward the receptionist, nearly knocked into a poor elderly couple. I giggled when he profusely apologized and was that a blush? God James was such a goofball but he knew how to make me laugh and distract my thoughts.

There was no denying that I was a lot happier after I decided to start causally dating James. He just seemed to understand me and my current needs, which was a huge relief. He never pressured me into anything or pushed the limits with what we could do—he was just there for me wholeheartedly. I just hoped he would remain patient.

James’ dedication to me alone helped me to finally accept and admit that there was nothing left worth holding onto with Brian. And whenever I found myself doubting that realization, those pictures I saw weeks ago that were engraved in my memory never ceased to remind me. Though the pain and memories that came with those thoughts didn’t always make moving forward easier.

But the more time I spent with James, the less my mind wandered to the past, and I think that had a lot to do with my gorgeous distraction. James really did everything in his power to keep me occupied and happy. And let me just say, it was working. Nonetheless, when I was alone, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. I still felt guilty about what I was doing but I always pushed that thought away, knowing that there was no need for me to feel that way anymore. Brian moved on so I was too.

“All right we are all set. Are you ready for a dip in pool?” James asked as I shook my head and pushed those thoughts to the back burner. I wasn’t about to screw up this fun date by living in the past; I had done that enough already. “Swimming before our messages at two.”

I nodded and put a smile on my face, taking James’ muscular arm as he led me down the hallway. “I just need to change into my swimsuit,” I replied, unable to fight the blush that was coming over my face. “I can’t just walk around in swim shorts all day like some people,” I teased, elbowing James in the ribs. And it was true; the guy had been wearing his swimsuit all day. I guess I just didn’t put the pieces together.

“Okay, okay, don’t worry I’ve got it right here!” James laughed, moving away from me as I poked his ticklish spots. He handed me the bag at arms length so that I couldn’t tickle him any further. “The receptionist said there was a changing room over here.”

James guided me down the hall and stopped outside of the single stall changing room. “Do you need help with that?” he asked, wagging his eyebrows at me. “You know, just incase you cant tie your own straps.”

“I think I can manage, but thank you for your generous offer,” I laughed before turning and heading toward the changing room. I knew he didn’t mean anything by his words, but I still felt self-conscious.

I mean, sure James had seen me in a bikini loads of times but I just wasn’t ready to take the next step with him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t ever touched me before either; his hands had roamed and groped my body multiple times when we’d made out. Oh god James always made me feel so good and I wanted him, but I was afraid to move forward. I knew that if we slept together that I wouldn’t be able to stop my feeling from growing and I was petrified of getting hurt again. I couldn’t go down that path again, not when I was just starting to put the pieces back together.

“Umm…James?” I called a few moments later, opening the door and looking down into the bag he handed me. There in the bag was a red polka-dot bikini that surely wasn’t mine. “This isn’t mine…”

“Sure it is,” James smirked, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“James, I don’t own a bikini like this…” I assured him, holding it up with a confused expression.

James just threw his head back and laughed, but I didn’t see what was so funny. “You do now, babe. I picked it up for you last night while you were studying.”

My jaw dropped as I looked at him. No guy had ever bought me clothing in my life, especially not something that I absolutely loved. It’s little frilly edges and cut were perfect and adorable. Who was this guy? “You bought this for me?” I gapped.

James pushed himself off the wall and closed the distance between us, that handsome smile adorning his face. “Yeah, I couldn’t exactly go through your dresser without you thinking I was creep, could?”

He had a point. “I-I guess not…but you could have just told me. You didn’t need to buy me anything special…I’m from California, I have dozens of bikinis,” I said, biting down on my bottom lip. James really didn’t have to waste his money one me.

“And miss that priceless look of surprise on your face? Don’t be ridiculous, Ave. Beside, if you don’t like it, I can always take it back….” James reached forward and snatched the bathing suit out of my hands with a playful smirk on his lips.

“I didn’t say that,” I quickly took it back out of his hands, causing his smile to grow.

“So you do like it?” There was that cheeky smile on his face as he rocked back and forth on his feet with his hands deep in his pockets. I playfully pursed my lips and looked down to the ground. “Come on, just say it….” His hands were suddenly around my waist pulling me into him. “Say it…you looovvee it,” James breathed in my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck.

“I love it,” I whispered sheepishly with a small smile. I looked down at our feet, feeling the red burn come back over my cheeks. James loved it when I admitted he was right, which was all the time. How the hell did this guy know me so well, anyway? Was it because we had been spending time together for the past three months now?

“Good, now go change into it so I can enjoy it too,” and with that, James quickly kissed my lips, spun me around, and gave my ass a light spank. I gapped at him over my shoulder as I went back into the dressing room only to see him laugh at my reaction.

I quickly changed into the bikini and walked out of dressing room, feeling my cheeks heat up as soon as I opened the door. I knew James’ eyes were raking over my body in the revealing fabric. “Damn…Ave…” was all he could muster before he pulled me into his arms. “You look…damn…fucking stunning, babe.”

“Thanks…I guess you have good taste after all,” I teased, trying to hide my tomato red face behind a curtain of hair. Suddenly calloused fingers brushed my cheek, forcing me to look up and meet those hazel eyes.

“There is no reason for you to be embarrassed in front of me, babe. Hell, I think you’d look hot in a paper bag.” God I Ioved the sound of his laugh. For some reason it just made me smile.

“You’re just saying that,” I scoffed as he led us out to the pool area. “No one looks good in a paper bag, and I mean no one.”

James stopped by the edge of the pool and looked at me with a raised brow. He slowly leaned down to my ear. “Well then you know what?” he breathed, sending shivers down my spine when his hot breath touched my neck.

“What?” I barely whispered, not liking how my body was betraying my wishes.

As much as I tried to slow down my emotions, I could deny the fact that I liked James. My body made that very clear when he touched me and looked at me in certain ways. It was a totally different feeling then I had with Brain though, more like a crush instead passionate love. But I knew that if I completely gave into James and slept with him that I would eventually develop deeper feeling for him and I was not willing to go there yet. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. The fear and anxiety of going through that pain again put a mental wall up that I was having a hard time tearing down.

“I must be a little biased then…” James’ hot breath touched my lip seconds before he kissed me, moving me backwards on the pool deck. “But…” he said against my lips mid-kiss. “You know what I like better then seeing you in a bag?”

“Hmm…”I hummed against his lips, his hungry kiss pushing all my thoughts away. All I could concentrate on now was how good his lips tasted—like cinnamon toothpaste and his own unique flavor. James was a good kisser that was for sure.

“I like too see you wet too!” And the next thing I knew, James picked me up and tossed me into the pool. The cool water and the shock of being thrown into the pool had me gapping when I resurfaced.

“James!” I hissed, wiping water out of my eyes. “That was a dirty rotten trick!” I angrily hit my hand to the water, splashing him. I didn’t understand why guys always thought that was a funny thing to do. News flash, it wasn’t and usually pissed girls off.

“But you love swimming,” James teased, kicking off his flip-flops and taking off his shirt. My eyes instantly moved to his toned abs and tattoo covered chest, his beautiful artwork and physique momentarily distracting me. “I just thought I’d help you out.”

“Oh you are so going to pay for that!” I shot back, putting my hands on my hips and glaring him down. Oh, no one threw me in the pool and got away with it! I remembered the last time Johnny and Zacky did that I mercilessly splashed them until they got out and apologized.

“Oh, yeah? And what are you going to do about it, Ave?” James asked with a laugh. So now he was taunting me? I don’t think so! He slowly sat down on the edge of the pool and put his feet in the water. Oh, he was going to get it!

“This!” With all my might, I yanked him by his ankles into the pool and I was surprised when it actually worked. Once he resurfaced, I started splashing him. To my surprise, instead of shielding himself, he just started to splash me back.

“So you’ve got tricks now do you?” he shoved wave after wave toward me, pushing me back little by little. “Well, so do I!” The more water he pushed towards me, the more I backed up, covering my face.

“Okay! Okay!” I surrendered, covering my face with my arms as James backed me into a corner.

“Do you surrender?” James’ fingers were suddenly at my sides, tickling me under the water against the way. What was this; harass the shit out of Avery day? He had been relentless with his teasing and flirting today, not that I really minded. James kept me on my toes, distracting me from the dark and depressing thoughts that still tried to find their way out of the back of my memory.

“You’re such a cheater!” I laughed, trying to squirm away from his fingers, but he wouldn’t budge. I was trapped between his massive muscular body, well at least compared to mine, and the wall.

“I am not a cheater, you started the teasing today, Missy!” James cried, tickling me harder. I tried kicking at him and ducking under the water but damn this guy was fast. It was almost like he predicted my movements, or maybe just the feeling of him touching me slowed me down. His hands slowly sank lower and lower down my body with the tickles, driving me crazy.

“I-I did not! Just—haha—”

“Admit that you surrender then!”

“I-I-I surrender!” I laughed, almost crying from the tickling. As soon as the words left my mouth, James stepped into me, pressing his body to mine against the corner of the pool. He looked down at me with a mischievous smirk on his face, closing the space between us. His muscular chest pressed into mine as one hand pulled my hips into him. I could feel exactly how he felt towards me right now and there was a very hard reminder stabbing me in the stomach.

“You what?” he whispered, his lips brushing mine with his words. My chest quickly began to rise and fall from his proximity and our pent up sexual tension. Damn James was hot and I couldn’t think of anything else but him right now. “Tell me again…” he whispered hoarsely.

“I surrender,” I breathed, my voice shaking lightly as our eyes locked. Somehow I suddenly felt like I had said a lot more that I actually wanted to with just that phrase, though I couldn’t deny the desire growing between us.

A wicked smirk fell over James’ face and before I could question him, he slid one of his hands into the back of my hair and reeled me in, claiming my lips with a vengeance. James’ tongue was demanding as it moved into my mouth and I responded hungrily, feeling the heat growing between my legs. I slid my hands into the back of his hair, my fingers wrapping around the strands, pulling and tugging, trying to draw our hungry mouths closer. In this moment everything in my brain had turned off and I couldn’t get enough of him.

One of his hands moved to my left breast, sliding into my bikini top, claiming it with a rumbling groan in the back of his throat as he cupped it tightly. I let out a soft moan as he pinched and rolled my nipple between his fingertips. It was as if an electric current was sending sexually-charged tingles to the junction between my legs.

I was on fire and totally unaware of our surroundings as James’ lips moved to my neck while his other hand moved to my leg. My breath caught in my throat as his hand began to stroke my inner thigh, slowly moving towards the place that was starting to ache with desire. When his fingers brushed the side of my bikini bottom, I dug my nails into the back of his neck, closing my eyes, aching for his touch.

“Mmm….Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me,” James growled against my neck before playfully biting. He ran his finger very slowly over the outside of my bikini and it had been so long since anyone had touched me there that I nearly melted. I moaned lightly, closing my eyes and arching into his body. “You are positively sinful, Ave.” What did he just say?

I instantly froze at those words, my whole world crashing down around me. Suddenly all I could see where those mesmerizing dark brown eyes staring back at me and I instantly felt sick to my stomach. No…no…no…this couldn’t be happening! Brian used to say those words to me all the time and hearing them again sent me into a panic. I couldn’t do this! I wasn’t ready! And worst of all I felt guilty…

“Ave? Ave are you okay?” James asked, noticing my sudden rigidness.

I took in a shaky breath as I slowly opened my eyes, feeling my heart racing a mile a minute in my chest. James looked both confused and hurt and I suddenly felt even worse about this. He didn’t do anything wrong besides give me exactly what I wanted. I was the broken goods…I was the one ruining things. “Avery, talk to me.”

“I-I’m fine,” I lied, forging my best smile. I knew I was the worst liar in the world but I couldn’t exactly tell him that he reminded me of my ex-boyfriend whom I was desperately trying to forget about. Though James didn’t look like he believed me. “Honest,” I tried again. “I-I’m just cold…the water is a little chilly.” It was a little cold but not anywhere near the frigid temperature it would take for me to respond the way I just did.

“You’re cold?” James questioned in disbelief. I felt awful for this because James didn’t deserve this. He did nothing wrong! I was the crazy one with stupid issues that were bogging me down. “Well…I can warm you up,” he offered, coming closer to me again.

“No!” I said a little too quickly and mentally kicked myself, especially when I saw the hurt look on James’ face. “I just mean…the last one to the other side of the pool is a rotten egg!” I yelled and quickly dived under the water, leaving James alone. Fuck, I knew I had messed this all up and I would make it up to him. I did like James and god knows I wanted him just as badly as he wanted me. And damn it, next time I was going to make it happen!

Only a week and half later my mind still found one reason after another to freak out before we actually had sex. Whether it was something James did that reminded me of Brian or my irrational fear of falling for the guy and getting hurt again, I just couldn’t let it happen. And god knows I wanted it too! It had now been almost five months since I had sex and I was aching for it. But no, every time I got close, my mind got in the way. Tonight’s most recent try wasn’t any different and I was starting to feel like James was getting frustrated with me. Though I couldn’t blame him. I had given him the worst blue balls known to man tonight and I felt terrible.

“Ugh…” I groaned as I moved behind the bar. It was the start of my shift and Maya had started an hour ago. “This fucking sucks…” I muttered, putting my forehead down on the bar. Thank goodness we weren’t busy right now.

“What’s the matter? Not ready to leave James’ house after a wonderful weekend off with your boyfriend and mind blowing sex?” Maya teased, coming up next to me and pouring a beer from the tap. I hadn’t seen her in a few days because she had been working on her capstone project. We had about two weeks left of our college careers before we could officially start on our dreams.

I groaned again because that was the problem—there wasn’t any sex! Well…oral, but that didn’t really count in my book. “He’s not my…hell I don’t know what we are…and…” I blushed madly, unable to say it out loud.

“And what?” Maya asked, raising her brow at me. “And what do you mean he’s not your boyfriend? Sure as hell seems like it to me!”

I sighed and put my head in my hands, pulling my blonde locks. “I don’t know okay?” I was frustrated enough and I didn’t want to think about it anymore. “I just can’t go through with it.”

“Can’t go through with what?” Oh, come on Maya, don’t play dumb.

“IT,” I emphasized, as Maya’s mouth formed and ‘O’. She leaned down close to me and turned me away from the patrons just as both James and Ben walked in the door. Great…

“Why not? He’s not forcing you is he?” Maya asked and I frantically shook my head.

“No…I-I” I sighed again, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I just cant go through with it…I feel guilty, see his face no matter how I try not too, or think about falling for him and getting hurt and I can’t go through that again, M. But I want him so badly…”

Maya sighed and pulled me into a hug. “You just need to relax and give it time. It will get easier and god knows James has the patience of a saint. Just take it easy and try not to think so much,” Maya advised and I nodded. She was right; I was always too much in my head. “And if you need to, I can get you something to relax.”

“You mean like drugs?” I gapped at her, shaking my head.

“Please don’t act like you haven’t done drugs before, Ave” Maya said rolling her eyes.

Ben’s POV

“So I haven’t seen you in three days now and I find you here talking about drugs?” I chuckled as I approached the bar. Apparently I had walked up on the wrong part of their conversation but I couldn’t help myself. I was going through sever Maya withdrawal.

Maya had been spending day and fucking night in the library trying to finish some project for school and I really couldn’t wait for her to be done with that. It was really taking up too much of our time in my opinion, especially when James got to share the weekend with Blondie while I was alone. Thank fucking god she would be done in two weeks, I just hoped that she and Blondie would stay in the UK.

“Ben!” Maya gushed, pulling away from Blondie and throwing her arms around me. “What are you doing here?”

“You think I was going to let another day go by without seeing your beautiful face? I don’t think so and I hope you’re done with your project because you’re coming home with me tonight regardless,” I warned her, sitting down on bar stool as Avery passed me a whiskey.

“Is that so?” Maya teased, leaning forward and kissing my lips. I licked my lips when she pulled away, feeling my cock spring to life in my jeans. Damn it had been too long.

I leaned forward on the bar and wiggled my eyebrows at her. “Yeah, you are coming home with me, even if I have to kidnap your sexy ass…” I teased, grabbing Maya by the back of the head and crashing her lips into mine. I forgot how good she tasted and how much of an effect she had over me. This woman was my fucking destiny.

“He-hem…” I groaned lightly as I pulled away to see Blondie looking at us with wide eyes and hands on her hips.

“Can I help you? You want a kiss too, Ave?” I teased, earning a smack on the shoulder from Maya.

“No, but I know Maya would like to keep her job. You can’t do that here…there is no PDA while behind the bar,” Avery warned and I rolled my eyes. Fuck her for being a cock block. Hell, I was certain that’s what she was born to do by now, since James was too pissy to have gotten any. What was she a cock tease? “So bye-bye,” she continued, shooing me away.

“Are you fucking serious right now?” I asked, looking between the two girls.

“Dead serious, not get out of here because David is here tonight,” Avery said and I sighed. I knew Blondie wasn’t my favorite but now she was moving down my list.

“Well, when you’re done, you know where to find me, love,” I told Maya, leaning forward and kissing her cheek, and whispering the things I wanted to do to her. “Just don’t make me wait too long because I fucking missed you the past three days…”

And with that, I left Maya looking at me agape at the bar. I definitely left her with something to think about and I hoped she would add more too my erotic suggestions when I had her to myself later.

Just as I turned to look back over my shoulder, someone crashed into me and pushed my back against the brick wall with brut force. A pair of lips forcefully made their way to mine and I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise when I looked down to see that dark hair. What was she doing? Oh, fuck it; I didn’t care because this is right where I wanted her. I wrapped my arms around Maya’s small frame and kissed her back hungrily. Damn I missed the feeling of her on my lips, her taste, her passion—and that’s when it hit me—there was no turning back. I was falling for this girl.

“Come to the backroom with me…” Maya said in a breathless tone, her brown beauties staring up at me. It was right then that I lost it and the widest smile came over my face.

Without another word, I scooped her up into my arms, in a passionate kiss and headed back toward the back storeroom. I moved us both down the hallway, not caring who we ran into, passed, or even that she was still on the clock. All I could do was kiss ever inch of that beautiful body and pray that she would stay with me tonight.

“Which way?” I groaned against her lips when we came to four doors at the end of the hallway.

“Left,” Maya rasped out as my lips moved to her neck. I pulled her small frame onto the room and pressed her back to the door. She instantly wrapped her legs around me and I pressed her warm core against the raging mass in my pants, her hands moving through my long hair. “What have you done to me?” she breathed, shaking her head.

I pulled away from her neck after leaving a trail of kisses, my eyes locking with hers. “What do you mean?” I asked her with a raised brow. My fingers moved to caress her soft cheeks.

Maya licked her lips and let out a light chuckle. “This…all of this,” she motioned around to nothing in particular. “This isn’t me but here I am, stuck with your handsome ass and I-I’m feeling things…” she hissed. “I’m not supposed to do this. I’m not programed this way—“

“Just shut up, Maya,” I growled before smashing my lips into hers in a hungry and desperate kiss. Her tanned hands pushed against my chest while our tongues fought for dominance. I couldn’t get enough of her. Maya was my drug of choice and I pulled her closer, feeling her core grind against my dick.

Our lips didn’t part as we feverishly made out all the way to the desk in the corner of the room. Without hesitation, I stood Maya on her own feet and pushed everything off the desk before setting her there. Within seconds, her thin legs wrapped around my waist, painfully pressing me against her warmth. That little black skirt she was wear and thin lace panties weren’t helping either.

“Oh, God…” she moaned, my teeth sinking into her neck.

A few minutes later, we both had lost our shirts and pants and we clung to each other in just our underwear. The storeroom was hot but the feeling of Maya’s skin against mine was even hotter. Her lips moved over my neck and shoulders as lifted her to my erection, my dick teasing her entrance though those lace panties.

“Fuck, Ben…” she moaned as I gave that perfectly round ass a squeeze. Maya threw her head back and her hair cascaded down her fully exposed back, her lips parted just slightly in the most seductive way possible. “I need you…” she cried, gripping the edge of the desk that was so conveniently under her ass and my hands. “Please,” she almost begged, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy while I rubbed my dick over her dripping wet folds. A wild growl escaped her lips when I pressed deep inside those oh-so tight walls with out warning.

“You are so fucking…tight…” I rasped, mercilessly slamming my full length into her as my lips captured hers again. The sexiest part was feeling her moan against my lips as her hips bucked back at me wildly as her nails dug into my flesh. If she kept that up, I would undoubtedly have some new artwork to show off on my back.

Maya moved her hands down to the top of the desk, supporting her body as she thrust her pelvis forwards, burying me deeper inside her. “Fuck….M…” I rasped, as I moved faster and faster. I could feel her body reacting to my every move and I knew she was on the verge of release.

Seconds later, she threw her head back as a violent orgasm ripped through her body, her hands moving to clutch me for support. As Maya screamed my name, I released myself inside her, letting out my own bestial growl.

“Fuck…that was…amazing…”I breathed, holding her tight just as the storeroom door burst open.

“What the hell is going on in here?! Maya?! Ben?!”

Maya and I both looked at the door to see her boss David staring us down, looking extremely pissed off. Shit this wasn’t good. Maya quickly pulled away from me and quickly scrambled to get her clothes, her cheeks burning red. “David, I can explain—“

“Save it Maya…” David said, covering his eyes as she got dressed. “You know the rules…and fuck…You’re fired. Get your shit and get out of here.” David looked extremely disappointed as he hung his head, shaking it slightly.

“David please…” Maya begged and were those tears welling in her eyes?

“I’m sorry Maya…but you’re done here.”

Notes

So Avery can't give in to James completely. Does that mean she still has some hidden hope for Brian? Are the guys coming in soon? We may be getting close... ;)