Release the Stars (22 page)

“Yes.” Charlie followed her example.

“I think you forgot to say that this woman is also wise beyond her years—years of which there are no visible signs whatsoever on her face or other body parts—and who deserves to have all her wishes obeyed from now until further notice.” Ava took a pace sideways and stood next to the coffee table.

“It’s true that this woman can get carried away at times. But, despite being spoiled and pampered from a young age because of her extraordinary looks, this woman has been able to maintain a sense of balance and not grow too massive an ego.”

“This woman sounds like such a fucking catch, Charlie.”

Charlie’s resolve finally broke and she rushed to Ava’s side. “You have no idea.” Charlie folded her arms around Ava’s waist.

“You’d better not be foolish enough to let go of her again.” Ava stared down at her.

“Never.” Charlie pressed her body against Ava’s and rested her head on her shoulder.

“I believe the woman asked for a kiss,” Ava whispered in her ear.

Charlie looked up. Ava’s scent surrounded her, her arms rested on her shoulders, her hair tickled her neck. “If I remember correctly the woman asked for much more than that.”

They both broke out in a giggle. Tension seeped from Charlie’s muscles. She gazed into Ava’s eyes.

“The woman most certainly did.” Ava grinned madly at her. “But first things first.” She slanted her head and kissed her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“Charlie, wake up.” Still drowsy with sleep, Charlie forced one eye open. Instantly, a smile burst on her lips at the sight of the person looking back at her. “Today’s the day, Charlie.”

“Jesus. What time is it?” Charlie couldn’t care less about the time. It was Sunday and that was all she needed to know.

“I don’t think you understand.” Ava trailed two fingertips up Charlie’s chest underneath the sheets. “We have no time to waste here.” Her fingers reached Charlie’s nipple and squeezed.

“Ouch.” Over the covers, Charlie grabbed hold of Ava’s assaulting hand. “Some of us were up half the night. It wasn’t you, Snoring Beauty.”

“You’d better take that back.” Ava’s fingers stiffen underneath the sheets, and she managed to flatten her hand against her breast. “And if you think that’s going to stop me, you don’t know me very well.” Ava slipped on top of her and started tugging down the sheets, baring Charlie’s chest. “How many times a week do you work out, Charlie? Because I’m in the gym almost every day.” Ava demonstrated her strength by curling her fingers around Charlie’s wrists and pinning them above her head. She was naked as well and her nipples caressed the skin of Charlie’s belly. “I’ll give you some respite if you tell me the first sentence of your new book is about me.” Ava smiled down at her.

“You can’t ask me that. It breaks the magic of the first draft.”

“Bullshit.” Ava shifted her weight forward and brushed a nipple across Charlie’s lips, then quickly pulled away.

“I just can’t win with you.” Charlie sagged back into the pillows, secretly relishing the firm grip Ava had on her wrists. Because of the power she was exerting, her biceps popped, and her clavicle appeared more inviting to lick than ever. “You don’t play fair.”

“I’ll show you how fair I am.” Ava narrowed her eyes and the skin around them crinkled. She leaned over and kissed Charlie on the nose first, then firmly on the lips. The kiss quickly transformed into a deeper one, and when Ava slipped her tongue out of Charlie’s mouth, she was breathing heavily. “I want you, Charlie Cross, that’s all.”

Ava let go of Charlie’s wrists and lay down beside her, yanking most of the sheets off Charlie in the process. “Did you have a good start?”

“Very.” Charlie found Ava’s hand with hers and interlaced their fingers. “That improvised writing desk you set up for me is very inspiring.”

“I’m glad.” Ava rested her head next to Charlie’s and pressed a kiss to her cheek, then her temple.

Charlie pulled their intertwined hands to her mouth and kissed the back of Ava’s hand. “I can’t believe you actually woke me up for this.”

“Because of your neurotic antics, we missed a lot of precious time together. It’s only fair that you make up for that by sleeping less.” Ava’s breath was hot on Charlie’s cheek. “And what I’m asking of you is hardly punishment.”

Charlie’s skin broke out in gooseflesh at the thought of what Ava was asking of her. “You’re not even going to make me breakfast first?” Charlie wasn’t the least bit interested in breakfast. She’d barely eaten since Ava had turned up on her doorstep last Thursday. Her stomach was wholly upturned by butterflies.

“Why are you stalling, Charlie? Are you nervous?” Amusement shone through in Ava’s voice.

Hell no, Charlie wanted to say, but decided to be truthful instead. “A little, I guess.”

“That’s so sweet and adorable.”

Sweet and adorable were not words Charlie wanted associated with what she was about to do. “We’ll see about that,” she said, and started to slide away from Ava. “You stay here. Don’t move an inch.” Charlie got out of bed and regarded Ava. Judging by how silent she had fallen, she was ready for what would happen next—so ready she’d woken Charlie up for it.

Charlie grabbed the harness they’d examined extensively together the day before and disappeared into the bathroom.

She and Ava had gone over the instructions together—and it wasn’t all that difficult. But Charlie hadn’t done this in a very long time, and she had to brace herself, hands on the sides of the wash basin, and take a few deep breaths. There would only be one day in her life when she’d fuck Ava this way for the very first time.

At last, Charlie took another good look at the straps and the dildo. It had traveled quite a distance already and finally come all this way—just like Charlie. She maneuvered herself into it, tightening the straps around her buttocks, the silicone toy standing proud between her legs. Despite the sense of power it gave her, Charlie had to mumble a few words of encouragement to herself. To show herself like this to a new lover was highly intimate. The addition of a toy always demanded an increased level of trust and abandon.

Charlie stepped back into the bedroom. Ava lay on her side, her elbow propped underneath her, her head resting in her palm. At the sight of Charlie all strapped-on, her eyes widened. As a manner of invitation, she threw the sheets to one side. Charlie walked to the bed at a solemn pace, the toy dangling between her legs. When she climbed on, Ava came for her instantly, bringing her hands to Charlie’s neck, pulling her close.

“You walking over here is one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen,” she whispered, before kissing Charlie. There was nothing slow or tentative about this kiss. It was all intent and probing tongues and pulling Charlie as close as possible by the back of her neck. There was no doubt as to exactly how much Ava wanted this. Funny how Charlie had believed it would be the other way around. Now, sitting here with Ava’s hands all over her, she couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Charlie pushed Ava down onto her back. No more words were needed now. She sat naked with nothing but a dildo strapped to her loins. Beneath the panel of the fabric keeping it all together, her clit pulsed along with her heart. Even when she’d finally allowed herself to indulge in images of her and Ava together, this particular scene had been off limits. Charlie hadn’t dared to dream this boldly. She hadn’t dared to do a lot of things.

But here she was, in Ava’s bed, the ocean outside ebbing away for the low morning tide, Ava looking up at her with lust in her eyes. No wonder Charlie hadn’t yet experienced the overwhelming sensation of all her dreams coming true since arriving in LA.
This
was the only dream that mattered. She was worthy, and she was ready. And she had Ava by her side.

Charlie lay down next Ava and kissed her. Their lips met again and again in a frantic, charged connection of mouths and tongues. The dildo was lodged between their upper thighs, and the feel of it against her skin made Charlie’s flesh sizzle.

“Fuck me, Charlie,” Ava said when they broke from their kiss. “God, please, fuck me.”

A wicked grin spread over Charlie’s lips. She remembered how Ava had teased her the very first time she’d been in her bedroom, how she’d made her wait for it. It was Charlie’s intention to do exactly the same. She wanted it all now, wanted to explore every nook and cranny of Ava’s body, drive her completely crazy before giving her what she wanted.

“Why don’t you turn around,” Charlie said. It wasn’t a question.

Ava responded with a prolonged stare into Charlie’s eyes, before turning on her belly, her arms slipping underneath the pillow she rested her head on.

Charlie gasped at the image of beauty displayed before her eyes. Ava’s dark skin looked scrumptious against the cream sheets. Her back flowed into her behind in a sensual curve. Without thinking, Charlie extended her hand and stroked Ava’s smooth skin. At first, she used only her fingertips and let them skate over the soft expanse lightly, creating a field of goose flesh in their wake, but soon, Charlie couldn’t resist and caressed Ava with her full hand. By the time she’d dragged it all the way up Ava’s legs, she was kneading, her own arousal and impatience reflected in her actions.

Charlie wanted this just as much as Ava—if not more. Making her wait wasn’t an easy task. She planted her hands on either side of Ava’s back and lowered herself until her body was flush against Ava’s. The length of the dildo pressed into the soft flesh of Ava’s behind. Charlie kissed her neck, her shoulders, and slowly made her way down, until her lips reached the curve of her ass. Charlie bared her teeth and sank them into Ava’s behind gently. Beneath her, Ava squirmed with delight and, surely, impatience.

As lovely as Ava’s backside was, Charlie had to see her face. “Turn back around,” she asked, a much more pleading tone in her voice than when she’d asked the first time.

“I’ve been awake for hours, Charlie.” Ava reached out her hands and pulled Charlie to her. “Thinking about this. I’m ready.” There was urgency in her voice—need. Their lips met again and Ava’s tongue was hot and slippery in Charlie’s mouth, making her resolve crumble. She would need more time to learn to say no to this woman. Or at least, not yet. Charlie let her hand roam across Ava’s skin, her fingers searching out her nipples. She wanted to play with them for hours, take them into her mouth, gaze at the perfect roundness of Ava’s breasts, etch their shape into her memory forever, but her pulse was ever-quickening, her pussy swollen against the strap-on harness.

“Fuck me,” Ava repeated. The way she said it made Charlie’s head spin a little.

Charlie pushed herself onto her knees and took a short moment to revel in the beauty of Ava’s body. Her hands lay draped above her head, her chest completely exposed. The ease with which she offered her body to Charlie set her blood on fire. Most exciting of all, however, was the look in Ava’s eyes. It was demanding and vulnerable at the same time. It was the look of a woman Charlie never wanted to disappoint again. Ava Castaneda, the woman who compelled Charlie to find herself again.

Charlie kissed Ava’s nipple, her hand grabbing for the other one. Intoxication overtook her. She was inebriated with raw lust for Ava. Charlie let her body take control. Her one hand squeezed while her tongue flicked Ava’s nipple. Then, Charlie felt a hand on hers. A hand that pushed hers down. Ava forced it down as far as she could. Her legs were spread wide. Charlie propped herself up a bit and looked into Ava’s eyes. The same pleading look of need shone in them. Charlie let her hand drift lower, over Ava’s pubic hair, to the wetness pooling between her legs.

She gasped when she discovered how wet Ava was for her, how ready. Charlie darted her fingers over Ava’s soaked sex. It was all softness and arousal and desire. Juices soon coated her fingertips. She locked her gaze on Ava’s, and slipped two fingers inside.

Ava’s muscles tensed instantaneously, but Charlie was still sitting next to her, and her position was not right. She gave Ava one more deep stroke, her own body tensing at the feel of all this warm, slick body, then retreated.

“Oh, Christ,” Ava moaned. Her hands were above her head again, her features drawn into an expression of pure agony. “You’re such a tease.”

Charlie tried to ignore Ava’s pleading and moved between her legs. The tip of the toy touched Ava’s upper thigh, and it was enough to make her writhe underneath Charlie’s gaze. But Charlie wanted to do something else first. She needed to taste. She lowered her head to Ava’s pussy, inhaled her scent, and kissed the spot right next to her clit, then traced a path along Ava’s drenched, puffed-up lips, let her tongue slip inside, until, finally, she dragged it up to Ava’s clit again, and licked before sucking it into her mouth.

Ava moaned louder and Charlie needed to stop. Reluctantly, she pulled away from Ava’s pussy. Charlie cupped some of Ava’s juices in the palm of her hand and stroked them along the shaft of the dildo. She inched close enough to let the tip skate along Ava’s lips and gave her clit a quick nudge with it.

“Oh, God.” Ava moaned. “Please, Charlie, please.”

Delighted by the moment, Charlie acquiesced. She shifted her weight forward, and, slowly, pushed the dildo inside of Ava. The sight of the pink toy disappearing between Ava’s lips made Charlie’s mouth go dry. Her heart hammered in her chest.

“Oh, yes,” Ava said. “Oh, yes, Charlie. Fuck me.” Ava’s voice was a low whimper, insistent but quiet.

Half inside, Charlie changed position, draping herself over Ava’s body. The choice between watching the dildo enter Ava’s pussy or the enchantment on Ava’s face from close up was an easy one for Charlie to make. She thrust into Ava, slow and gentle at first, and every time she pushed forward, her clit met the panel of the harness.

Charlie had watched Ava on TV for years. She’d seen her enjoy food, put on a serious face when she had to eliminate a contestant, and celebrate when a winner was announced. None of Ava’s TV faces came close to how her features contorted in a mask of pleasure, a study in the focus of ecstasy, a display so utterly beautiful and arousing, Charlie believed she might very well come just at the sight of it.