Page 16 of Love Me Fearless

Ava closes her eyes as it all comes undone. This time, she’s completely lost to her pleasure. No inhibition. No witty comeback. No doubt. And no fear. It’s like catching her lost in sleep or in a rare moment of stillness. Right now, she’s not studying or planning ahead or problem solving. She’s not even thinking. She’s right here, with me.

How can you do this to me?

With a shaky exhale, she buries her face in my neck. I hold her close as my climax peaks and I let everything go.

The bed feelsbarren when I wake, the sunrise sending golden light into the room. I sit up, my heart racing. “Ava?”

A muffled sob coming from the floor hits me like a bucket of ice water. I follow the sound to the far side of the bed, where Ava is sitting, her knees pulled against her chest and a blanket wrapped around her.

I scramble to the floor next to her. “Ava, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

This only seems to make her cry harder. She buries her face in her hands. “Don’t call me that.”

“Okay.”

I caress her hair. Just like last night, it’s smooth and silky. But it’s cold, like she’s been down there for a while. The idea of her crying on the floor alone is sending alarm signals through every part of my body. I need to fix this. But how? I don’t know this version of Ava. What happened?

I want to warm her up. Preferably with another orgasm. Orthree. But something tells me that’s not what she wants. At least not yet.

“Did I hurt you?”

She wipes her face. “I need to go.”

“What?” I grab her hand just as she’s about to pivot to her feet. “Ava. Wait. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“This!” she says, her face tensing. She closes her eyes and turns away, like she can’t stand to look at me. “I’m so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” I fire back, my confusion turning to something I can’t control. Last night was incredible. Better than anything that’s ever happened to me. A little confusing maybe... I rub the back of my neck. But fucking awesome. At least for me it was.

“Let me hold you,” I say, my voice thickening in my throat. “I’ll get you warmed up and you can tell me what’s going on.”

She shakes her head. “That’s what got me into this mess.”

Wait a sec…she thinks last night was a mistake? I rack my brain for signs I missed that she wasn’t a fully willing participant, but I come up blank. “You’re scaring me, Ava. Did I do something wrong?”

“No. It was exactly as I’d imagined it. Better, actually.” She sobs into her hands again, her shoulders shaking. “It…was…perfect.”

“Then why are we here on the floor? Come back to bed so I can make it all better.”

With a mournful moan, she rolls away from me and stands. “The answer to this is not more sex.”

“Why not?” I wince as soon as the words leave my mouth. I didn’t mean it like that. My pride is starting to sting and it’s twisting my words.

Ava tightens the blanket around her, a look of determination on her face. Like she’s gathering her courage.

I jump up to block her from leaving, my skin prickling with dread. “Don’t go. Not until you talk to me.”

“Last night wasn’t supposed to happen, okay? We’re friends,Hutch. Friends don’t do…” Her face twists in anguish. “What we did.”

“We both wanted it,” I say. “At least that’s my recollection.” My cock gives an unhelpful twitch as memories flash through my mind. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you’re scared. Fuck, Ava. Tell me anything except that you’re walking away.”

“It’s not your fault,” she says, grabbing her duffel bag from the floor. She swats the tear from her cheek, her pretty eyes so full of torment that my insides are quietly shredding.

“This isn’t making any sense!” I don’t mean to yell. I’m not a yeller. I never lose my cool. Especially not over a woman. Except Ava isn’t just any woman. She’s…

Fuck!

Ava darts for the ladder, her dark hair flashing in the rays of sunlight filtering through the window. How can the sun be shining right now when my world is unraveling?

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