Page 53 of More Than Anything

“I told her that you weren’t, but I told her I had to tell you about what happened between me and her. I think she was glad.”

Lydia nodded. “Good. I want to be her friend too, but only if we have that honesty between us.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Lydia threw her legs across Avery’s lap. “I’ve thought about it.” Avery had no idea what she meant until she said, “I want to stay. But we’ll have to just sleep, if that’s okay.”

Avery reached for her and drew her up into his lap. “That’s more than okay.” Pulling her in even closer, he tipped his head and pressed his lips to hers.

Lydia leaned into him and clasped her hands behind his neck, and Avery’s arms wrapped like steel bands around her, holding her to him, begging her without words to stay with him, to want and need him, to love him and be his. He prayed that kiss would never end, and he knew that when it did, he’d just want another one, and another one after that. One of her hands stroked the side of his face and it was silken against his skin, warm and soft and gentle, soothing even. When he kissed across her jaw and up the side of her face, then nipped her earlobe, she hissed out, “Oh, god, Avery, I love you.”

“I wish you had some idea how happy that makes me,” he whispered back, his breath warm in her ear, her scent flowing in with every breath he took. “I can’t imagine not having you in my arms, angel. I’ve wanted you since the first instant I saw you. I love you more than anything.”

She let out a tiny sob. “Oh, Avery! Oh, lord, I was so horrible to you! I’m so sorry! How could you ever forgive me? I treated you like shit and you were so nice to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

He pulled back and looked at her, his eyes smiling. “For what?” Taking her face in his hands, he wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

“For being patient. For being kind and loving. For not giving up on me. God, you should’ve, but you didn’t.”

“It wasn’t hard being patient and kind to you. I knew who you were deep down, and I wanted that Texas twister, the one I couldn’t get out of my head.” He didn’t know what else to say. He’d known all along.

That first day he’d seen her, when she’d tottered up his front steps in those heels and started banging on that door, he’d fallen for her, fallen hard, and his heart had been broken at her hateful words, the way she’d screamed at him, and the hours she’d put into trying to make him miserable. But every time she’d come back, somewhere deep inside he’d counted it as a chance to win her over. Sending her to jail had been the hardest thing he’d ever done because he knew with that one action, he might be doing something he could never undo, something she’d never, ever forgive him for. But he didn’t know what else to do.

And there she was, in his arms. There were no words for the love he felt for her. He thought briefly of Shannon and almost laughed. He’d been crushed when she left, but he knew that what he’d felt for that woman was nothing compared to his devotion to Lydia. His love for the woman on his lap was nothing short of miraculous.

“I don’t have anything with me. You got an extra toothbrush?”

Avery chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I do.”

“Can we go to bed? I can sleep in one of your tee shirts, don’t you think?”

He nodded. “I’m sure that can be arranged. Come on.” Hands on her waist, he lifted her from his lap and set her on her feet. “Go on up. Third drawer on the right-hand side of the dresser. Just pick one. I’ll be up in a minute after I’ve locked everything up.” He watched as she climbed the stairs, turning at the top to smile at him before she disappeared.

Avery locked the front door and then the back. He left the light over the stove on in case anyone came down for a drink in the night, then started the dryer before he headed up the stairs. When he opened the bedroom door and walked in, every drop of blood in his body headed straight to his cock.

Lydia stood with her back to the door in nothing but her panties. He watched, mesmerized, as she bent over, picked up his tee shirt, the one that said “Harvey’s Gas-n-Go,” and slipped it on. She reached up, flipped her hair out of the neck of the shirt, then turned and gave a little jump. “Oh! I didn’t know you were standing there!”

“Yup. I kept hoping you’d turn around,” he said, his eyes smiling.

“No. I’m a lot of things, but I’mnota tease,” she said, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Too late. I’m already in trouble,” he groaned, stroking the front of his jeans.

She crossed to where he stood just inside the doorway and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I hope Danette goes home tomorrow. I hate for that to go to waste.”

He snickered. “I thought you said you weren’t a tease?”

“I’m not. Get in the bed. Let’s get some sleep.” She took his hand and dragged him across the room, then crawled across the bed on her hands and knees. One look at her panties peeking out from under his tee and Avery almost came undone right there. “Well, go on. Get those jeans off. I’m exhausted.”

Avery peeled off his tee shirt and then his jeans, followed by his socks. After a stint in the bathroom brushing his teeth and combing his hair, he slipped under the sheets with Lydia and waited until she’d curled into his side. His arms wrapped protectively around her and she sighed against his skin. “Ohhhhh, this feels nice, huh?” she purred.

“Yeah. It does.”

“I guess you’re pretty tired too,” she said, her fingers playing in the hair on his chest.

“Yeah, but I won’t sleep a wink,” he sighed.

“Why?”

---