Page 90 of His Greatest Treasure

I feel weightless when she sits and guides my cheek to her thigh before soothing my sore scalp with gentle strokes of her fingers. My eyes droop shut, a sudden wave of exhaustion crashing into the bliss lulling me into a state of half-consciousness.

“You’re good at that,” she says after a few more moments of silence.

I hum in question, holding her leg to maintain contact.

“I’m . . . You were right. I’ve never done that before. It’s embarrassing, so don’t make a big deal out of it.”

The insecure tone of her voice causes me to open my eyes, looking for hers in the light of the setting sun outside.

“It’s embarrassing for them, not you,” I grunt.

“I didn’t push for it, though. Even with Chris, I never asked him to go down on me. He said he didn’t like it, and that was that for me. The last thing I wanted was to have to beg for something like that in the bedroom, especially from him. That would have been far more mortifying than never having experienced it at all.”

I sit forward and reach for her panties, still tucked to the side, and pull them back in place. Smoothing my thumb across the waistband, I kiss the inside of her thigh before doing the same to the other.

“You’ll never have to beg me for anything, Avery. Not outside of the bedroom or inside of it. I promise you that. Chris was never deserving of you, but I hope to be.”

“Oliver,” she whispers, cupping the back of my head.

A smirk toys at the corner of my mouth. “Avery.”

“I hope you know how worthy you are of everything you want for me. Happiness, love, success. I’ve always been the type of person who sets everyone else’s well-being above mine, but you’re the same way. There has to be a balance somewhere for us to find.”

Her words are nails in the coffin I’ve willingly fallen inside of. I’ve already begun falling in love with her, and now, I wait for her to jump in after me.

“We need to find an even ground.”

“Easier said than done, but we both deserve to be able to trust someone else to take care of us when we need them to.”

“You’re right.” Climbing to my feet, I bend to bring our faces together. Her lips still taste like faintly like cherry when they meet mine in a soft kiss. She exhales into my mouth, and I swipe at hers with my tongue. “We need to go before we lose our reservation.”

Avery stands on her feet and smooths her dress back down her thighs while I watch her brazenly. It’s impossible to wish away my erection while standing this close to her.

“We could always just order in and stay home. Eat on the patio and watch the sunset. Maybe go for a swim later,” she suggests, her voice dropping an octave at the last suggestion.

“We’ll swim after I’ve taken you out.”

“Promise?”

I grasp the material of her dress where it rests on her hip and nod, keeping a tight hold on my self-control before I rip it clean off. I’ll have her again soon. And this time, I want her to soak my face before taking my cock eight inches deep in her perfect pussy.

“I promise, princess.”

30

AVERY

My legs are still jellyas we stare at the first course in front of us. I’m nursing the same glass of white wine I was a few minutes after Oliver ordered the bottle. It’s my favourite kind, but I’m already buzzing, and the only thing alcohol will do is make me completely lose my inhibitions. I’m weak enough already after being eaten like dessert on my kitchen table.

The restaurant he chose for us is high-class. We’re on the rooftop patio surrounded by lanterns and a garden of flowers that I’ve been wanting to go up to and explore. It’s romantic, and I’m flattered that he wanted to take me somewhere like this.

The filet mignon on my plate smells really damn good, grilled to a perfect sear with a light-coloured juice leaking onto the plate around it. Six sprigs of asparagus are beside it, dusted with freshly grated Parmesan and paired with a hefty scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes. My stomach growls, but it’s drowned out by the soft music playing.

“It seems the only meal we know how to eat together is one with steak,” I joke while unrolling my fork and knife from their napkin blanket.

Oliver takes a gulp of his beer, a smirk tugging around the rim of the tall glass. “I’m a simple man.”

“Are you? In what way?”

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