Page 30 of We Never Kissed

“I don’t care,” I said shortly.

Narrowing her gaze, she said, “Since when?”

I shook my head, torn between everything I wanted and the sense of doom—however irrational—looming over my head.

Setting down the remote, she turned her body to face me. Her wavy dark hair draped over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” she said, stroking her hand across my cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“This… This whole thing feels off.” I glanced around the room, my eyes landing on a framed photo on the mantel of all of us at one of our trips up to Big Bear. Ava, barely a teen, looking adorable and innocent. “I don’t know if I can do this with you tonight.”

Instead of getting annoyed with me, she grinned, leaned in, and dragged her lips along my jaw. “You didn’t have a problem the other night, on our date…”

Her bodywash floated under my nose, and all I could see was her in the shower, her skin glistening with droplets of water. “That was different,” I whispered. “We weren’there….” When her lips found mine, I didn’t fight it. I couldn’t. Tucking my hand behind her neck, I held her in place so I could get my fill of her, plundering her mouth like a starved man. Instinctively, I leaned back as we kissed, pulling her with me until she was flush on top of my body, her knees straddling my lap. My hands smoothed down her back, and I stopped at her round ass, where I pressed until she moaned into my mouth.

“Holy hot cross buns!” Gunnar said from the doorway, and the two of us popped up, breathing heavily and exchanging awkward glances.

I didn’t say a word because I’d either come off looking like a jackass or say something rude that would piss one of them off.

Ava pulled her tank top back into place and said, “We’re…just about to watch a movie.”

“Looked more like you were making one.”

I shot a glare his way, but he threw up his hands and said, “Ah, shit, I just remembered I’m supposed to facetime my honey Cheryl.” He waved a hand at us and walked by, adding, “Keep that volume up nice and loud now, kids. I hear any panting, and I’ll come back wearing a bow and a smile.” He laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

“I’m sorry,” Ava said with a wince once he was gone.

I clenched my jaw. “And you’re going to live with that guy.” Somehow I had to come to terms with that. Or maybe I should just have Ava move in with me. Then I could tie her up in my bed and never let her go.

“He’s not growing on you just a tiny bit?” Her brows hung in wait.

I had to be fair—at least the guy supported us. And he was fucking funny sometimes. “I don’t know. Ask me again after you guys move in together.”

Grinning, she said, “How about we forget all that and watch a movie?” She pulled the blanket over herself and halfway over me. “Maybe we can cuddle?”

It was an ambitious plan that was tougher than we’d both thought. Twenty minutes into the movie, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Feeling those silky thighs, which she’d draped over me, knowing only a thin pair of pajama bottoms and some panties separated me from heaven… As if my hand had a mind of its own, it caressed along her inner thigh, moving higher and higher each time.

When my fingers brushed inside her shorts, along the seam of her underwear, I heard her breathing labor, glanced over and saw the heady look in her eyes. I definitely didn’t want to alert Gunnar to anything, but I had to have this small taste of Ava, bring her a little pleasure. Clearly she wanted it. Tempting fate a bit more, I continued moving my hand where I knew she craved it to be. Her chest filled and mine did too. Her mouth parted, and I closed the distance between us, connected our lips, searching with my tongue. As our kiss grew deeper, more intense, so did the movement of my hand until Ava’sgroans of pleasure grew so loud I drew back, smiling with pride but also to give her a warning look as I slowed my hand. She, of course, giggled but gripped my wrist to hold it in place, then leaned back in to capture my mouth.

This side of Ava was surprising and completely welcome. I brushed my lips over her mouth. “God damn, Ava…” I whispered. “Do you know how bad I want you right now?”

“I actually do,” she said breathlessly. Her eyes darted to the hall. “We could go in my room?”

My girl’s will power was worse than mine. “What happened to waiting?” I said with a small grin so she wouldn’t think I was criticizing her. “That was your idea.”

“I know, but… It literally feels like we’ve been waiting years for this.”

I knew exactly what she meant, but I wasn’t about to have our first time be under the Steadmans’ roof. “Don’t get me wrong. I want you…Badly.” I ran my thumb over her bottom lip, aching to kiss it again, but another pang—something else—hit me square in the gut. “Physically, emotionally…I want it all. But, Ava, there’s already been these feelings here that I don’t quite know what to do with, you know? You, Sammy, your parents…I’ve loved you all for so long and now with you…there’s all this other…stuff, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to reconcile that.”

Her gaze had held mine with every word I spoke, atenderness in them I wasn’t sure how to take. She sighed. “You’re right. I feel that too.” Then she giggled. “It’s just…when you touch me…pretty much all reason goes out the door.”

I didn’t resist then, moved in and nipped at her mouth. “Now that’s my girl.” My hand was still resting between her legs, unmoving. “We’ll have our time…” With my lips against hers, I said, “And I’ll want you to scream my name. Tonight, though… I can at least give you a little preview, but you’re going to have to keep that little mouth quiet.”

Chapter 17

Ava

“You are such a little liar.” Gunnar pulled a box off the counter and moved it to the kitchen table before hopping up on top of it to sit.

“Come on, we need to keep working,” I said with a whine to my voice that I regretted. I did not want to become the mom of our apartment. Plus, whenever I’d gone to his place, it was always well-decorated, neat, and clean. “We’re never going to get this shit done if we don’t keep at it.”

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