Page 34 of Lilies in Autumn

“Greyson, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain it to me.”

I stare at her and try to make eye contact, but she’s looking down, almost like she’s afraid to look at me. Something isn’t right. “Ava, look at me.”

She raises her eyes, briefly meeting mine before dropping them back down to the floor. I take a closer look at her, seeing beyond the clothes that show off her figure, and realize that she’s huddled as close to the door as she can get without leaning against it. Her body language is so closed off that I doubt anything I say will make much of a difference. It seems I need to show her what I’m thinking and how I feel.

“Ava, vixen, why are you standing all the way over there?”

“I-I just feel more comfortable over here,” she responds. “Besides, we had fun, but I’m sure you’re used to the kind of fun we had yesterday, hm?”

“You look like you’d rather be anywhere but here.” I advance on her, approaching her like an injured animal. “Yes, I’ve fucked other women, I’ve made them come on my fingers, my tongue, and my cock, but you are the only one that I can’t get out of my fucking head. You’re the only one who’s so fucking sweet that you bring handmade pastries to a college barbecue and refuse to take credit. You’re the only one that’s you, my little vixen. You promised me that you wouldn’t ice me out or ignore me after I made that pretty pink pussy come. Does it need a reminder of who it belongs to?” Finally, she looks at me with wide eyes. About fucking time.

“Greyson,” she groans, as though the walls can hear her speak. “We are on campus. We cannot hook up here.” She raises her chin in indignation, a fire warming her eyes and defrosting the chill I received from her initial reception. “Besides,” she continues, “we just met. I am your nothing. I’m just another girl that warmed your bed, an easy freshman that let you take a small piece of her innocence. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?” I chuckle, rubbing my thumb over my lip. Her eyes track the movement; she’s such a little liar. “Vixen, it was a big fucking deal. You got under my skin the moment I laid eyes on you in that indecent black dress last Thursday. We”—I gesture between us—“are fucking combustible. You can’t tell me that you don’t feel it too. And stop putting yourself down. You’re fucking amazing.”

“I-I don’t feel the same way,” she stammers out. She doesn’t acknowledge how she puts herself down or promise that she’ll stop. I caught on to her self-deprecating humor at the party on Thursday night and in my room yesterday. I don’t like that she doesn’t see herself as she is: a goddess.

I back her into the door, not giving her a chance to retreat. “You’re a fucking liar, Ava.” I run one hand over her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw, her plump lips, and the tiny mole above her full cupid’s bow before moving my hand lower to lightly circle her throat. “Tell me, sweet Ava, if I were to lower my hand, would I find your pussy soaking wet in these jeans?”

“Grey,” she exhales. I lean in, running my nose over her cheek. She smells like lemons and coffee, and I can get drunk on her scent.

“You smell like coffee, baby. I wonder, if I lick you, will you taste like it, too?” Without waiting for her reply, I trace her jawline with my tongue, savoring the feel and the saltiness of her skin. Her sharp gasp fills the room, and I retrace the path my tongue just took. “Mmm, you taste like heaven. Do you think you taste this good everywhere?” I lick my way down her neck, shifting my hand to cover every inch of skin above the high neckline. Her body is pressed firmly against mine, and I catalog every breath she takes and moan she makes. Her pulse beats rapidly against my hand, and I know she’s in this with me, feeling just as turned on as I am. I get my confirmation when her hips start to move against me, trying to find friction against my thighs.

I move my free hand to grip her ass, placing my leg between her thighs and pull her close. “That’s right, baby, rub that pussy over me. Use me to get off.”

“Grey,” she pants, increasing her movements. “Grey, I need, I need more.”

I feel a grin spread over my face, loving how responsive she is to my touch. When I had her spread out for me yesterday, she detonated, gifting me with the sweetest cries I’ve ever heard. I didn’t doubt her virginity; her pussy nearly strangled my fingers, but she was not innocent. I did not doubt that she spent her time fucking her hand while watching porn or reading romance novels. Her body sought its pleasure, rode my hand to a rhythm only we could feel, and she took her orgasm. She reached out and grasped it, she didn’t wait for me to just give it to her.

“Ava, tell me what you need.”

“Kiss me.” I dive in, capturing her lips. They’re soft beneath mine and taste faintly of cherries, like she rubbed ChapStick over her lips right before I dragged her in here. Her tongue sneaks out, pushing into my mouth and tangling with mine. I flatten her against the door before grabbing her legs and lifting her to straddle me. I let her lead the kiss, allowing her to set the pace as we eat at each other’s lips.

I pull back, breathing heavily as she stares up at me with swollen lips. She wiggles and starts to unwrap herself from my hold. Fuck that. I tighten my grip on her, not willing to put her down and sever the connection between our bodies.

“Vixen, are you still going to bullshit me and tell me there’s nothing there between us? That you feel nothing?”

“Greyson, I—,” she sighs, looking away from me. “It’s not that I feel nothing. It’s that I don’t know how you can feel so much.”

“Ava, look at me.” Her eyes slowly lift to mine, betraying every fear and anxiety rolling through her. I move my hand from her throat, tipping her chin up to prevent her from looking away. “I’ve been through shit, Ava. My parents split up when I was a kid, and when my mom was around, well, she wasn’t the kind of parent any child should have. I’ve been in therapy since I was eight years old; all I know is talking about shit. I don’t hold back. I don’t play games. I don’t fuck around. When I say I want you, it’s because I want you. I told you yesterday, you have consumed my thoughts for the last four days.”

From the moment that my mother left us, my dad did everything he could to make sure I didn’t have a toxic view of women, abandonment issues, or baggage. My mother never loved me, or if she did, she loved her drugs more. Luckily, my dad wasn’t an asshole and loved me enough for both of them. My weekly sessions with Dr. Eckle, my therapist, keep me clear and focused. I wasn’t lying when I told Ava that I don’t play games. The minute I meet a woman, I make sure they know that I don’t fuck without a condom and that I don’t want a relationship. It wasn’t until meeting Ava that I reconsidered, and I’ve got big enough balls to admit it. Dr. Eckle was always on my case to explore my vulnerability more and to open my heart up to being hurt. She was going to have a fucking field day with this.

“Wow, such a long time,” she mutters under her breath.

“Smartass.” I nip at her lips. Hers part in a smile, tempting me to resume our kiss before I finish what I need to say. I resist. How? No fucking clue. “You’re right, it hasn’t been a long time, but Dante is convinced he’s marrying your little pit bull, so I’m not alone.”

“Oh, Celeste is going to love that for herself,” she laughs. “I’m pretty sure she’s waiting for her Heathcliff or Darcy, and I’m not sure Dante fits that bill.”

“Let them figure that out for themselves. I know it’s quick, and I’ll take it as slow as you want to go, but Ava, I want to get to know you.”

She looks at me with her large onyx eyes. Seconds stretch into minutes while she stares at me, and I hold her between a door and my dick. It’s starting to get uncomfortable how hard I am.

“I need words, Ava. Are we exploring this? Or am I putting you down, adjusting my dick, and walking out of this room? If you tell me to leave, I won’t be happy about it, but I’ll fucking do it and leave you alone. So tell me, what’s it going to be?”

“Okay.”

Internally, I breathe a sigh of relief. Externally, I smirk and can’t wait to fuck with her a little. “Okay to which part, sweet Ava? I raised two different scenarios. Tell me which one you want.”

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