Page 41 of Beautiful Lies
My left hand wandered over to Ava’s thigh. She didn’t swat it away. Success.
“The night is young,” Ava muttered.
I gave her thigh a gentle squeeze, testing it out, and once again she didn’t deny me. Ava and Eden took over the conversation, chatting about bridesmaid dresses, color schemes, flowers, and all things wedding-related while Killian and I powered through our dinner. It sounded as if Ava was not only the maid of honor, but she’d assigned herself as the wedding planner. I wasn’t sure I’d even get an invitation to the wedding, let alone get asked to be the best man.
“We’ll put together a spreadsheet tomorrow,” Ava said, warming up to her topic. God help Eden. When Ava took over a project, you could be certain she’d go over the top and throw herself into it one hundred percent.
My hand ventured farther, sliding along her inner thigh. I heard her suck in her breath as my fingers found her sweet spot and rubbed against her clit. Her lips parted, and her breathing shallowed so I applied more pressure. She bucked against my hand.
“Ava?” Eden prompted. I felt like she’d been talking for a while but we’d both missed whatever she had said.
“Hmm?” Ava lifted her glass of wine to her lips and took a sip. “Great wine. Great food… everything is…”
My dick strained against my jeans as I rubbed between her thighs. Oh God. This was the sweetest form of torture. I was so turned on I could barely see straight.
“Great,” Ava finished, her voice breathy.
Eden was talking. Ava was nodding in agreement. Maybe she was even answering. Who the hell knew?
Ava lifted her wineglass again and I could tell she was close by the way her legs trembled. I stroked her, my finger pressing against her clit through the leather. Her body spasmed and her glass tipped. Red wine splashed down the front of my shirt.
She set her glass on the table and eyed my blue button-down shirt. “How did that happen?”
I smirked. “No clue, butterfingers.”
Eden jumped up from the table and grabbed paper towels from the kitchen. Killian retreated to his bedroom and came back with a clean T-shirt. I blotted the wine with paper towels before I stood, my shirt stuck to my skin. “I’ll help you clean up,” Ava said, nudging my arm. It sounded like a promise, one I was all too willing to go along with.
When Ava and I got into the guest bathroom, she closed the door behind her, forcing us into a confined space that was too small for both of us. “I can’t believe I just let you do that,” she said, her voice low. “We’re supposed to be friends… not…”
I gave her a wicked grin as I adjusted myself in my jeans. Christ, I was so hard. Her body brushed against me as she tried to get past and I sucked in my breath. “Maybe you should give me a minute on my own.”
Her gaze lowered. “Are you going to jerk off in their bathroom?”
“Wanna watch? Or do you want me to finish what I started?”
“Yes. No. Absolutely not,” she said, pressing her lips together.
She turned her back to me, ran a washcloth under the water and squirted hand soap on it. She was watching me in the mirror above the sink as I unbuttoned my shirt, waiting for the big reveal, no doubt. I could have stepped aside to give us more space, but I stayed where I was, right behind Ava. I peeled off my wine-stained shirt and tossed it on the tiled floor. She turned around to face me, her eyes studying the dragon on my chest. For a few long moments, she stared silently before her eyes lifted to mine. “It’s so beautiful,” she said, her voice hushed.
I gave her a little smile. “To hide the ugly.”
She lowered her eyes and ran the washcloth over my chest, her movements jerky. I could see that she was struggling for composure, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Her face always gave her away. She was on the brink of tears. I’d never been able to handle her tears and had always wanted to kiss them away, make things better for her. Ironic that I’d made her cry more than anyone ever had.
I took the washcloth out of her hand and finished the job myself then rinsed the washcloth and wrung it out. I pulled on Killian’s T-shirt and Ava snatched up my stained shirt from the floor. “I’ll wash it for you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I took the shirt out of her hand. “I can do my own laundry.”
Cupping her chin, I tilted her face up to me. Her gray eyes searched mine, her lips slightly parted. I lowered my head and brushed my lips against hers. Gripping her bottom lip between my teeth, I bit it then sucked on it to take away the sting. Her body leaned into mine, soft and yielding and I wanted to take her right here, right now. Lift her onto the vanity and fuck her until the only word on her lips was my name. But this wasn’t the way I wanted her. I wanted all of Ava.
I released her and walked out of the bathroom, wiping her lipstick off my mouth with the back of my hand before I joined Eden and Killian in the kitchen.
I nudged Eden away from the sink. “I’ll do that.”
“Thanks.”
I rinsed and stacked the plates and silverware in the dishwasher while Killian ground fresh beans and brewed coffee in his sleek Italian machine. No doubt the coffee was for me, the only person at this little party who had to abstain from alcohol. He pressed a mug of coffee into my hands and topped off everyone else’s wine glasses. Sucks to be me. I added milk and drank my Columbian roast to the tune of Macklemore’s “Starting Over.” At some point, Ava joined us, and she and Eden powered through the chocolate truffles.
“So… here’s my idea. We can do an exhibit together,” Eden said, smiling at me like she’d just solved all our problems. “I’ll do it if you do it with me.”
