Avery: Sensual Desire: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 2) (29 page)

Later, Kelsey and I sit beneath a palm tree, my back against the trunk, engrossed in a conversation.

Sky already left for another lecture, which neither of us are in—it’s not part of our program.

“
So the two of you are really together again?” Kelsey asks after I tell her all about the previous night.

“
I think so, but famous last words and all that. I want to wait and see how things go.”

“
That sounds sensible,” Kelsey says thoughtfully. “Who knows whether that bitch Pearl won’t try to throw another wrench into the gears.”

“
Well, let her try. I know she made an awful scene at Avery’s parents’ house recently, so I hope she stays away from him from now on. But anything’s possible.”

“
Hey, guys,” Cami greets us and sits down. “How are you doing?”

I beam at her happily. “Great, and you?”

“
I can’t complain either. What are you doing out here, no more classes?” Cami asks.

“
No, we’re done for today,” Kelsey answers.

“
Lucky you. I still have to sit through chemistry.” Cami groans.

I giggle. “Poor baby.”

“
Seriously. Delsin and the others have nothing scheduled today, so I’m the only one who has to stay until three,” she complains, leaning against the palm tree with me.

“
Well, I have to be at work by three, and my shift lasts until eleven tonight,” I say.

“
All right, all right, point taken.” She smiles.

“
Yep. I’d prefer to spend my time any other way.”

“
I bet you would. For example, in bed with Avery,” Kelsey blurts out.

Cami starts and stares at me. “No way!”

I shrug my shoulders and grin at her.

“
No, you’ve got to be kidding me. You’re really giving him another chance?” she asks, sounding happy.

“
Yeah. Yesterday we fought, we cried, and we did some other things,” I say evasively.

“
They had sex, both in bed and in the bathroom, after she stopped him from leaving and told him she loved him by referring to butterflies and tornadoes and chaos theory.” Kelsey sums it all up rather well.

“
Thank you, Kelsey!” I laugh.

“
You’re welcome,” she replies and sticks out her tongue at me.

“
Oh my God, I think that’s great, but what made you change your mind?” Cami asks curiously.

I shrug and sigh at the same time. “After Avery saved me from this thug two weeks ago, we almost ended up in bed.” I shake my head. “And then yesterday … when I came home from work … he was waiting for me in my apartment. I didn’t know how to deal with that. I mean, I switched on the light, and there he was. We fought, and I threw him out, but he wanted me to tell him that I didn’t love him. And I couldn’t say it. He left, and only then I realized how much I miss him. So I followed him.”

“
And then?”

Kelsey takes over. “They had sex, in bed and in the bathroom—”

“
It’s okay, Kelsey. She knows that part already.”

Cami laughs. “I just hope you don’t have to fight against any more nasty machinations by people like Pearl,” she says soberly.

“
I won’t let her go a second time.” Avery’s voice startles us all. “Hey, Dale.” He smiles at me.

I get up, and he pulls me into an embrace and gives me a lingering kiss, which I return with a sigh.

“
I just heard the whole story, so stop eating her face,” Cami wails, but she sounds amused by it all.

Avery pulls away from me. “Sorry, Sweet Thing. I just had to spend a few hours without her, so I couldn’t stop myself.”

I turn around and lean my back against him. Avery puts his arms around me from behind and holds me close to him.

“
I’ve gotta leave you guys,” Kelsey says. “I need to study, and I’m on the hunt for some books I couldn’t find in the library yesterday.” Normally we hug each other, but now she kisses me on the cheek. “See you tomorrow.”

“
Sure. Just don’t set the library on fire,” I tease.

“
I’m not promising anything, but I’ll see what I can do.” She grins. “Bye, Cami. Bye, Avery.” She walks away.

“
See you,” they call after her, and she waves back at them.

“
Did Delsin call you, Ave?” Cami asks.

“
He did. We’re meeting at the gym this afternoon.”

“
Okay, that means I get to spend the rest of the day with Thally and Hailey. If you didn’t have to work, I’d invite you, too, Dale.”

“
That’s okay. We can do something next week, when I’m back from Santa Monica,” I suggest.

“
You’re going to Santa Monica?” Avery asks.

“
Yeah, that’s the plan,” I tell him. “Thierry invited me to go, as I’m sure you remember, and he wants to finally do it this weekend.”

Cami raises an eyebrow. “You want to go on a trip to Santa Monica with your boyfriend’s brother?”

“
Um, yes. Why shouldn’t I?” I want to know. Why do they both seem shocked by the idea? Thierry and I made the plan many weeks ago, and I don’t want to cancel it just because Avery and I are a couple again.

“
I’m surprised, that’s all,” Cami says.

“
Tell me about it,” Avery grumbles.

“
Anyway,” Cami says quickly. “I’m going to drag my ass to chemistry now. I’ll see you later, Ave, and I’ll see you when I see you, Dale.” Cami kisses me on both cheeks first and then proceeds to do the same with Avery.

“
Say hi to Delsin for me,” I say.

“
Will do.” She smiles.

“
Bye, Sweet Thing.” Avery nods after her and lets go of me so I can pick up my backpack from the ground. I grab it and look up at him.

“
You don’t look happy,” I say when I notice the obvious jealousy in his expression.

“
That’s because I don’t feel happy,” he forces through clenched teeth.

I see him flex his fingers. “What’s the problem?” I ask, trying to sound calm instead of irritated.

“
You could have told me that you’re still going to Santa Monica with Thierry,” he grinds out.

“
Oh? Between fighting and fucking and getting some sleep, when do you think I should have mentioned it?” I counter dryly.

He scoffs. “How about this morning?”

“
Avery, it’s only for a weekend, and he’s booking two separate rooms, so stop your macho act. Nothing’s going to happen,” I say resolutely.

“
I still don’t like the thought of having to make it through a whole weekend without you.”

“
You made it through three goddamned months without me. A few more days will not kill you!”

He squares his shoulders and fixes me with his heated stare, sending fire through my lower body. “I’m coming along.”

I feel blindsided and can’t think of anything to say to that, so I throw up my arms and walk away.

“
Are you mad at
me
now?” he asks. But he sounds much calmer than he was two minutes ago.

“
No, but I have a feeling you’re mad at me, and I think this is bullshit!” I bark at him, almost against my will. I march away, feeling irritated.

“
Wait up, come on,” he calls after me and catches up a few moments later. “If you don’t want me to join you and Thierry on this trip, just tell me instead of muttering to yourself.”

“
I
do
want you to come,” I flare up, “will you stop it!” Then I shake my head at our intensity and suddenly start laughing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

Avery chuckles, pulls me into his arms, and kisses the tip of my nose. “You really are cute when you get angry.”

“
I’m not angry,” I counter. “
You
seemed angry with
me
for not telling you about the trip yet.”

“
All right, then you’re cute when you get all feisty with me.”

“
Well, look at that. If it isn’t Little Miss Crack Baby and the quarterback.”

The voice cuts through our exchange, and Pearl clicks her tongue.

“
What do you want?” Avery asks, clearly annoyed.

Her heels echo as she approaches us. I roll my eyes.

“
I just want to get a good look at the ridiculous couple you two make. You could have done so much better, Ave.”

“
What the hell is your problem, Pearl?” I interrupt angrily. “Are you offended because Avery dumped you or is it just because you’re nothing but a miserable slut who needs to destroy everything other people cherish?”

Her perfectly groomed eyebrows shoot up. “Don’t you dare, you little crack whore! You’re not in my league, nor are you in Avery’s. Even the dirt under my shoes is worth more than your sorry ass! But you’re going to realize that soon enough.”

“
You—” I try to pull away from Avery, but he won’t let me go.

“
Don’t,” he cuts me off, speaking soothingly. “She’s not worth it.”

But I tear myself away from him and rush over to stand right in front of her.

“
Well, where’s your big mouth when I’m ready to bitch-slap you?” I taunt.

She forces out a fake peal of laughter. Then I see her friends approaching. “Come on, Pearl, you’re making a fool of yourself here,” one of them says.

“
Your friend’s right,” I snap. “Is there anything else you want to say or are you too busy pissing your pants?”

“
Yeah, come on, lay a hand on me,” she snaps back. “My father’s a cop. He’ll just arrest you.”

“
I think your father would be ashamed if he knew what a cheap ho he raised,” I counter. Then I turn around to face Avery again. I ask him something that has been bugging me for a long while. “Did you actually love this woman?”

“
No, never,” he answers, taking my hand in his.

I move to stand next to him and smile brightly at Pearl. “It seems you got that thing about our leagues wrong, because the man you want prefers me.”

Avery puts his free hand in front of his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Pearl’s face falls, and I allow myself a chuckle.

“
That isn’t true. Tell her, Avery!” she demands shrilly.

“
Sorry, Pearl, but it is true,” he tells her. “The man who can love you has yet to be born.” Then we both turn around and walk home together.

***

We stumble into my apartment, because we can’t stop kissing. “Oh, I love that you can be that tough,” he says when I give him a moment to breathe.

“
You do?”

“
Hell yeah. You beat Pearl at her own game. I don’t think she’s used to that at all. And when you threatened to beat her up, that was damn sexy.” He grins and kisses me again, maneuvering me into the bedroom as I giggle and then tumble down on the bed. Avery doesn’t waste any more time undressing me, pulling down my panties, pushing up my skirt, and opening the fly of his pants.

“
I don’t give a damn about rumpled clothes right now. I need to feel you, and I can’t wait,” he growls, forcing his way between my legs and entering me within moments.

I gasp in surprise as he fills and stretches me so quickly. He glides in and out with fluent movements, making me moan louder. He muffles the sounds by crushing my lips with his own, proceeding to thrust his tongue into my mouth. The world around us ceases to exist for a passionate moment.

He begins to move faster, and I wrap my legs around him. I slide my hands underneath his shirt to feel his muscled chest.

I feel his penis twitch inside me, causing the warm waves of pleasure to spread again from my core through my entire body. My arousal mounts and borders on the unbearable, until I dig my nails into his back and explode.

He growls like an animal as I claw at him, and then I feel him come inside me.

Panting, he pulls away and drops down next to me. “Sorry for attacking you like that,” he says softly.

I giggle. “Anytime.”

“
You really liked that?” he asks, sounding surprised.

“
Oh yeah. And I feel so much better now. I didn’t expect to forget Pearl’s shocked face so quickly,” I tell him with a smirk.

He laughs softly. “You really showed her who’s boss.”

“
She had it coming. Someone needs to show her that she can’t treat people like crap, just because she doesn’t like them. It’s not my fault you broke up with her.”

“
No, it’s definitely not your fault. It was exactly the way she kept treating people that put me off. I remember meeting her and thinking she was nice and sweet, but as soon as we were together, she began showing her true colors. She couldn’t even be nice to Granny.”

“
How is Trudy anyway?” I ask.

“
She’s fine. But she keeps asking about you when I visit.”

“
We could pay her a visit together next week,” I suggest. “Do you think she’d like that?”

“
I think she’d like that a lot, and so would I.”

Chapter 17

“
I’m sorry I can’t go. Something unexpected came up,” Thierry says on the phone, only two hours before we agreed to meet up to leave for Santa Monica.