Page 17 of Advantage Love

I imagined pulling her into my room, her back pressing against the wall as I pinned her there, my hands framing her face. She’d try to fight me, but I’d break her resolve with a single kiss, deep and commanding, leaving her breathless and wanting.

I’d whisper filthy promises against her skin, my lips trailing down her neck, her collarbone, the curve of her shoulder. I’d feel her body tremble under my touch, her nails digging into my back as she surrendered completely.

The idea of her submission wasn’t about power. It was about trust. It was about her giving me every part of herself, knowing I’d never let her fall.

And when she begged for more, I’d give it to her.

My hand clenched into a fist, and I forced myself to stop. This wasn’t helping. If anything, it was making things worse.

I stood abruptly, moving to the window. The cool glass against my palm grounded me, a sharp contrast to the heat still coursing through my body.

I needed to focus. To remember why I was here. Avery’s career depended on me keeping my shit together. Her comeback wasn’t just about her. It was about everything I’d worked for, everything I wanted to prove.

Damn it though, she made me want to throw all the rules out the window.

I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly.

Five weeks in, and I was already teetering on the edge. Another three weeks of this, and I wasn’t sure I’d survive. One thing was certain: when this was over, when we’d both gotten what we wanted from this arrangement, I wasn’t letting her walk away again.

No. Avery Blake was mine.

She just didn’t know it yet.

Chapter 12: Avery

After last night, Luke had avoided me all day, but tonight was date night, and he couldn’t avoid me any longer. If I had my way, tonight would end with him, inside me.

His hand settled on my lower back as he guided me through the crowd and into the restaurant, the heat of his palm searing through the thin fabric of my dress. I hadn’t missed the way his fingers lingered, the subtle pressure as though he couldn’t help himself.

Good.

We were seated near the back, away from prying eyes but close enough for the media to get their shots through the windows.Luke thanked the hostess with his signature charm, pulling out my chair before taking his own.

I waited until the waiter poured the wine and disappeared before making my move.

“So,” I said, swirling the deep red liquid in my glass, “did you enjoy the show last night?”

Luke’s hand froze halfway to his glass. His eyes met mine across the table. “Fuck Avery. Give me a break. I don’t want to have my erect dick on every newspaper.”

I leaned in, lowering my voice to something just shy of a purr. “No. I’d rather have it in me.”

His jaw tightened. “Avery.”

“Relax. I’m just having fun” I said, dragging my finger along the rim of my glass. “I’m just curious though. Did you like what you saw?”

The muscle in his jaw ticked, and I knew I had him.

His gaze dropped to my lips, lingering before snapping back up to meet my eyes. “`Yes,” he growled out.

I leaned closer, resting my chin on my hand, my voice soft and teasing. “I was thinking about you, you know. While I had my fingers inside me.”

His breath caught, so slight that anyone else might have missed it. But I didn’t.

“I imagined it was you,” I continued, my words slow and deliberate. “Your hands. Your mouth. The way you’d take your time, teasing me until I was begging you for more.”

Luke’s fingers curled around the edge of the table, his knuckles whitening. “Avery.”

“You told me not to stop,” I said, my tone light, conversational, as if we were discussing the weather. “And I didn’t. I came so hard, Luke. But it wasn’t enough. I want more.”

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