A Picture of Desire (3 page)

The wantonness of her own expression sent a shiver of longing through her body.

Before she could utter another word, Todd walked behind the jewelry counter and pulled Ava into his arms. She wanted to resist. She knew she should stop him. But every nerve in her body screamed with hunger wherever his hands touched her skin, and she was helpless to protest.

“The woman in that photograph wants to be kissed,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.

His lips found hers and she opened her mouth willingly, needing to feel his tongue as it slipped between her lips and moistened her own.

He broke their kiss, and spoke again. “The woman in that photograph wants to be touched,” he said.

His hand touched the hem of her skirt and then slowly slid up her leg, pushing up her clothing until his fingers reached the center of her desire. He brushed the crotch of her lace panties, feeling the wetness that had soaked the fabric.

“You want me,” he said. “I can feel it. I want to taste it.”

Ava couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips. He bent his head to kiss her nipple through the thin silk of her blouse and bra, and the sensitive bud hardened at his light touch.

Todd groaned and pressed against her, pushing her toward the wall behind them. Ava was grateful for its support against her back. Every muscle in her body felt weak, yet it vibrated with intensity. She felt like she was both drowning and inhaling pure oxygen.

They were in public. Behind the counter of a jewelry store. A customer could walk through the door at any moment. Beth could return from lunch. Even Ken might surprise her with a visit.

But Ava didn’t care. She couldn’t even think about the possibility that someone might see her half-dressed and in the embrace of a man who was not her fiance. She only knew that she wanted Todd. And she couldn’t resist him any longer.

Cool air rushed against her skin as he pushed aside the fabric of her panties, exposing her most private part. He slipped a thick finger inside of her and pressed hard into her body.

“You’re so wet,” he groaned.

Ava ground her hips against his hand, wanting to feel the pleasure of his skin rubbing her clitoris. With slow, rhythmic motions she pushed herself against him as he thrust his finger in and out of her. Her hand reached out and stroked his cock through his pants, and she marveled at how hard it was.

Abruptly he pulled his finger from her, holding it close to her lips. She wasn’t surprised to see it glistening with her own juices. The desire that ran through her made her so wet—so moist—that her inner thighs felt slick. She bent her head and let him slip the finger into her mouth so she could taste herself, knowing that was what he wanted.

He moaned and reached for his pants, and she heard the sound of his zipper. In one movement he had pressed her harder against the wall, her panties pushed to the side, and the tip of his cock just ready at her entrance.

She thrust her hips toward him but he pulled back. “I want this to be slow,” he whispered. “I want to savor every moment of feeling you for the first time.”

The tip of his penis slipped into her, and Ava groaned with the need to be filled by him. She wanted to feel him—all of him—inside of her.

He slid into her some more, and now she could feel the restraint in his body. His muscles were tense. His breathing was ragged. She knew it was taking every ounce of his control to hold back.

And she was tired of waiting.

“Please,” she begged, letting her desire paint her voice with the hoarseness of passion. “I want you now.”

With a moan he pushed himself into her, filling her with his manhood and making her body convulse with pleasure. She wrapped her arms around his back as he thrust against her, rubbing her clitoris with his body while he buried his thick cock inside of her.

Ava could feel the orgasm building up inside of her. “Don’t stop,” she gasped.

His thrusts came faster. She could hear the heaviness of his breathing. She could feel the tensing of his muscles. She knew he was ready.

So was she.

Waves of pleasure pounded her body like the surf beating at the ocean’s shore. She gripped his shoulders and groaned his name, unable to stop herself from admitting her satisfaction. She felt a jet of wetness inside of her as he shuddered against her, and another orgasm rippled through her muscles.

He fell against her, murmuring her name, and she was almost overcome by the release she felt. Their bodies were slick with sweat and the wetness of their act. The scent of sex and perspiration filled the room. And Ava felt, all at once, both euphoric and exhausted.

Then she was struck by the reality of what they had done.

Sweaty, red, and ashamed, Ava pushed Todd away from her. She adjusted her panties and pulled down her skirt. Unable to meet his eyes, she combed her fingers through her hair. Their act had been so primitive and so animal. She’d never lost control like that. Never had let her passions override her sense of propriety. Ava was embarrassed.

“Don’t do that,” Todd growled. “Look at me.”

Ava looked up at him through her lashes. His eyes were still dark with desire, although she saw something else in the twist of his mouth. Anger? Fear? Annoyance?

“That was something we both wanted to happen. Something we’ve been working toward for a long time. Don’t cheapen it by acting ashamed,” he said.

“Cheapen it?” Ava laughed harshly. “I feel like a ten dollar hooker. How can it get any cheaper than fucking in the middle of public? We just went at each other like rutting animals, and anyone could have seen us at any time. And that’s not the worst part! The worst part is that you are my fiance’s brother. In case you’ve forgotten, I am supposed to be marrying your brother next month.”

“I haven’t forgotten that,” Todd said. “But he’s not right for you. And you’re not right for him. I’ve known it since the day I met you. What I don’t understand is why it’s taking you so long to figure it out.”

Ava shook her head. “You’re wrong. Ken is the man for me. I love him. We’re going to forget this ever happened.”

“If Ken is the man for you, then why was my cock the one you just fucked?”

Ava pulled her head back as if she’d been slapped. “Get out,” she said. “Please. Just go.”

“Can’t you see that marrying my brother would be the worst mistake of your life? And the worst mistake of mine?” Todd’s voice was low and quiet. It was the first time she had ever heard him sound furious, as if her choice to marry Ken filled him with rage.

She thrust her chin forward, determination glinting in her hazel eyes. “I don’t love you, Todd. I love Ken. Yes, I enjoyed our moment together. But I regret it. Love is what makes a marriage, not sex. I belong to Ken,” she said again.

“You don’t.” She heard the thread of anger that weaved through his words. “You don’t.”

“Go away, Todd,” she said, surprised that she was strong enough to say the words. “This never happened.”

“I’m going to give you some space,” Todd said, “because I know you need some time to process what just happened and how you feel. But I also know that after you think about it, and after you relive how damn good it was, you’ll understand what I am saying to you.” He reached out and brushed her cheek with his fingertip, a gesture so loving and gentle that Ava felt her belly warm. Then he turned and left the store.

By the time Beth returned from lunch, Ava had combed her hair, reapplied her lipstick, and buttoned her blouse. There were no outward signs that she had just had sex with her fiance’s brother. But every once in while throughout the rest of the day, Todd’s semen would slip out of her and soak her panties. It was a constant reminder of what she had done and how good it had felt.

She still shook with the memory. But the pleasure was tainted with guilt, and her heart twisted when she thought about the way she had betrayed Ken.

The day was almost over when Beth spoke, snapping her gum. “You’re quiet today. Are you thinking that maybe you’re marrying the wrong brother?” She leaned against the jewelry counter and looked at Ava with shrewd eyes.

“What?” Ava dropped the sales receipt in her hand, ignoring it as it fluttered to the floor.
Did she see something? Hear something? Does Beth know that I was seduced by Todd in the middle of the store?
Ava thought.

“Well, that Todd sure is one good-looking guy. I figured since he came in to see you today, that maybe you were thinking twice about marrying Ken. I mean, Todd’s so hot that I would drop my panties in a flash for him.”

Ava laughed nervously. “No,” she said. “He just wanted to talk to me about some wedding details. He’s our photographer.”

“Uh huh,” Beth said, snapping her gum again. “He didn’t look at you like he was a photographer. He looked at you like you were a piece of steak and he was a hungry lion.”

The bell above the door tinkled again, but Ava didn’t look up. She was afraid that it was Todd. Or, worse yet, Ken. She wasn’t prepared to face either of the men.

“Ava,” Beth hissed.

Reluctantly, Ava looked up. But rather than seeing the face of her fiance or recent lover, she saw the young man who had been shopping earlier that day.

But his charming smile was gone.

He’d pulled his hood over his head so that most of his face was cast in shadows, but she could see the glittering of his cold, blue eyes. Totally devoid of the charm they had exuded earlier, they seemed predatory.

He held a gun, and it was pointed at Ava.

“Into the back room. Both of you. Now.” His words were clipped and short.

Ava felt frozen. Unable to move. Unable to breathe. She only stared at him, wondering how her initial assessment of him could have been so wrong.

“Move!” he snarled.

Beth grabbed Ava’s arm and almost yanked her into the storeroom. There, surrounded by cardboard boxes and piles of paper, they turned to face the robber.

He grinned, but the twist of his lips wasn’t charming. It was frightening.

He tossed a roll of thick tape to Ava. “Tie her hands behind her back.”

Beth turned her back to Ava, her shoulders shaking. Ava’s fingers trembled as she fumbled with the tape, the sound of it unnaturally loud in the quiet room. She dropped the roll and bent to retrieve it.

“Hurry,” the man muttered, “or I might find it quicker to simply put a couple of bullets in your heads.”

Ava wrapped the tape around Beth’s wrists, nodding when the job was done. The man gestured for Beth to sit on the floor. “Do her legs, too,” he said.

When she had completed the job to his satisfaction, he turned his attention to Ava.

“Turn around,” he growled. “Put your hands behind your back.”

She knew she shouldn’t comply. She knew she should fight. But the sight of the gun in his hand—it looked so cold and so deadly—paralyzed her with fear. So she obeyed.

The ripping sound of the tape and the sticky feel of it against her skin made her heart race.

I’m helpless,
Ava thought.
Helpless.

The man seemed to hear her words as if she’d spoken aloud. Instead of ordering her to sit beside Beth, he spun Ava around so that she faced him. His gaze roamed over her body, and Ava cringed at the lascivious look in his eyes.

“You’re certainly a sweet treat,” he said. “I plan to take all the jewelry and money in this store, but maybe I’ll take you, too.”

Ava backed away until she felt a cold, concrete wall at her back. The man advanced on her, his eyes glittering. When he reached her, he pressed his body against hers, and she could feel his hardness against her leg. She had to turn her head to prevent herself from gagging.

He was so close that she could smell his breath, redolent of peanuts and chocolate milk.

Then he reached out a hand and grabbed her breast, squeezing it painfully. Beth’s gasp echoed in the room. Ava had to force herself to not retch at the revulsion she felt. She mentally berated herself for not reaching for her knife before he had tied her hands, even though she knew a knife would never have been enough against the gun he held. In an instant every horror story she’d ever heard about sexual assault and rape went through her mind. She sobbed and closed her eyes, preparing herself to face the abuse the man had planned for her.

Suddenly, in an instant, the man’s hand was gone. Ava kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut, not wanting to see what the man was doing. She heard a shuffling noise. A grunt. Then she heard a bump and a thud. Fearfully, she opened her eyes, unsure what she would see.

The man lay on the floor, unconscious. Beside him stood Todd. He stared at the man on the floor, his expression one of dark fury. Then he glanced at Ava and the crease in his brow relaxed, and his eyes filled with worry. He strode quickly toward her and gathered her in his arms. “Are you okay?” he asked. She could hear the concern in his voice.

And the love.

Ava nodded, leaning against the comfort of his hard body. Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she considered the fate that might have been in store for her. “He had a gun,” she gulped. “He could have killed you.”

“I know,” Todd said. “But I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.”

The man’s motionless body lay on the floor. Ava was tempted to kick it. “Did you kill him?” she asked.

Todd shook his head. “I just knocked him out for a little while,” he answered. He went to Beth and removed the tape from her hands and feet. For the first time ever, Ava saw that Beth was speechless.

“You should probably call the police,” Todd said, gently.

Beth nodded. “I’ll do that,” she said, and slowly left the storeroom. Ava could see that Beth’s legs were shaky and her gait was hesitant.

Todd turned his attention back to Ava, stroking her cheek with the tips of his fingers. Her breathing had just begun to slow, but it quickened again when her gaze met Todd’s dark eyes.

“I guess I should untie your hands,” he said softly.

She nodded, unable to speak.

“But I kind of like you tied up,” he said with a loving smile.

Ava remained silent. He gently reached behind her and removed the tape from her wrists, slowly peeling it away so the adhesive wouldn’t hurt her skin. Then he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him, his eyes questioning.