Page 31 of The Little Black Rose

Zeke

Moving isn’t so hard when you don’t have to actually haul furniture. After taking inventory of the stuff I’d need, I’d ended up deciding not to text the guys. There was no point when I could haul everything I needed in the trunk of my car. And since I’m keeping my apartment––for the time being––I can always come back to grab more stuff if I need it.

I also ended up going into work this morning to prep for Zoey, which is why I have a box filled with a half-dozen of Death by Chocolate donuts in hand as I knock on Ava’s door. They’re her favorite, and I can’t wait to see her smile when she sees them. I’m already fulfilling my end of our bargain, and I haven’t even unpacked yet.

“Hi,” I say when she opens the door.

“Hi,” she repeats, her gaze dropping from my face to the box in my outstretched hand. “Is that…?”

“Death by Chocolate,” I say, my mouth curving up at the hunger that flares in her eyes.

“Gimme,” she says, reaching out to take the box, which I snatch out of her reach at the last second.

Her growl makes me laugh, and I shake my head. “Aren’t you going to invite me in, first?”

“Hand over the sweet treats, and maybe I won’t murder you,” she says, lunging for the box again.

I hold it up over my head, and she steps over the threshold, her body brushing against mine as she tries to reach her prize. She teeters sideways, losing her balance, and my free arm automatically curls around her waist, steadying her. We both freeze, our gazes clashing, and I slowly release her before taking a step back and offering her the box.

“Sorry,” I murmur, and she shakes her head as a nervous laugh titters out of her.

“Thanks,” she says, taking the box and cradling it to her chest before turning away from me. Looking back over her shoulder, she adds, “Grab your stuff and come on in.”

I watch her disappear into the house through the open doorway, then turn to jog back to my car in the driveway. Pulling my suitcase from the trunk, I set it on the pavement before pulling out the box I packed with framed photos, a few books, and other necessities that wouldn’t fit in my luggage. Holding the box with one arm, I close the trunk and grab the handle of my suitcase, pulling it up to engage the wheels.

As I shuffle into the house and close the door behind me, Ava’s voice rings out from the kitchen.

“Down the hallway, second door on the right.”

“Thanks,” I call back, wheeling the suitcase behind me as I make my way down the hall.

The door she indicated stands open, and I flick on the light as I head inside. I’m pleased to see it’s a large room, a second primary bedroom with its own en-suite bathroom. There’s a king-sized bed covered in a dark blue comforter, two nightstands, a dresser topped with a flat screen television, and an overstuffed chair in the corner with a matching ottoman.

Pleased with the accommodations, I walk to the bed and set the box down before picking up the suitcase and hefting it up onto the mattress. Deciding to unpack later, I wander back out in search of Ava.

I find her in the kitchen, a smear of chocolate at the corner of her mouth as she sticks her thumb between her lips and sucks it clean. I freeze, my breath catching in my throat as my dick swells in my pants.

Fuck, that’s hot.

What? No. No, no, no. Not good.

“Oh, hey,” she says, noticing me finally with a nervous chuckle and waving her fingers toward the now half-empty box of donuts. “These are delicious. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I say, moving forward slowly and hoping she doesn’t notice my…predicament. I point to the corner of my mouth. “You’ve got a little something…”

“Oh,” she says, scrubbing a thumb over the spot and, hand to God, licks the frosting from the digit right in front of me.

I don’t know if I’m going to survive this.

I was just fine without sex before Ava. I didn’t tell her this, but she was my first since Samantha. With relationships completely off the table and a distaste for meaningless sex with strangers, I did just fine, taking care of my own needs for years. Hell, maybe that’s why I lost my head with Ava that night. I’d gone so long without so much as a kiss, I’d gone completely feral at the first touch of her lips on mine.

And now? Knowing how she feels in my arms, her pussy gripping my cock in the most delicious of ways? It’s going to take every ounce of my control to restrain myself, especially when she does things like sucking her fingertips.

Because as much as I want this partnership between us to work, that’s all it can be. I still have no desire to give away my heart. Never again. And I respect Ava too much to ask her to be fuck-buddies. Hell, she’d probably sock me in the face if I even suggested it.

“Do you want one?” she asks.

“What?” I bark, refocusing on her face.

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