HazardsDare (26 page)

Despite his instinct to go caveman on her and carry her to
bed, he let her capture his left wrist in her hand and lead him off the
pillory. Once they were beside the bed, she let him kick off his shoes,
stripped him and helped him onto the mattress.

“Lay down face up and grab the headboard,” Avery ordered
softly, her voice almost nonexistent after looking at him as if he was a
smorgasbord she was about to devour.

All it’d taken to get her to look at him that way was giving
her control, which wasn’t as difficult as he’d thought. Avery had no intention
of hurting him. He could see the truth of it in her eyes and on her face.

Taking his place on the bed, he reached over his head as
she’d commanded, grabbing two red-painted iron slats in the headboard. He
wouldn’t let go until she granted permission.

Hanging on tight, he watched her face as she climbed into
place, straddled his hips and worked herself up until her mons brushed his rod.
She parted her thighs a bit more, maneuvering herself so that his cock was
surrounded by her petal-soft vaginal lips.

There, she rubbed herself up, down and all around, not
letting him inside, but fucking him all the same. Good god, to be taken in such
a way was breathtaking.

He wanted to let go of the bed and fuck her. If he did, he’d
let her down. Giving her the reins, he held strong, hoisting and circling his
hips, thrusting and humping as if they were teenagers fully clothed and about
to get caught.

Her creamy wetness covered him, letting him know she was
ready to take him deep into her sweet, tight pussy. She arched and shifted,
positioning herself in just the right way. A switch of her hips and a thrust
later, his cock slid into her.

“Woman, you’re hotter than hades in August,” he praised,
loving the feel and grip of her tight walls.

Feeling as though they’d broken free of some sort of chain
that held them back because there was no latex barrier between them, sensation
was magnified, more intense and better than ever. His only thoughts were of
Avery and the incredible feel of fucking skin against skin.

Her inner muscles gripped him as she rocked herself. Staying
true to his word to hold on to the bed, he rocked and lifted his hips, making
sure he pushed up hard and deep.

Frankly, she rocked his world. “Love you, Avery!”

“Love you, Trevor,” she said, using his first name, emphasizing
it.

Carried off into a world of pleasure he’d never experienced
with another woman, Hazard tumbled over the edge first, coming so hard and fast
it stole his breath even as Avery stilled, trembled and collapsed on top of him
seconds later.

As if she couldn’t bear the thought of separating herself
too soon, she stayed where she was, wrapping her arms tight around him. “You
can hold me now, lover, please,” she granted.

“Thank you, baby,” he said, brushing his lips against her
forehead and wrapping the woman he loved into his arms.

The kiss to her forehead wasn’t enough. She rose slightly,
offering her mouth. “May I kiss you, Trevor?”

“If you don’t, I’ll kiss you first.” He just couldn’t hold
back anymore. Her mouth was temptation in itself, denying himself the taste of
her wasn’t an option.

Avery smiled, looking soft, sated and happy. Gently, she
lowered her head and kissed him, making love to his mouth with her tongue. She
tasted like Avery and faintly of sex.

He’d gladly taste her for the rest of their lives. Keenly
aware that the hours until he had to head back to Virginia were ticking down,
he tightened his arms and held on for as long as she wanted.

Several minutes later, he’d softened enough to slide out of
her.

“We’re not going back to condoms, Avery,” he declared. “Now
that I’ve had you without them, I can’t.”

“Me either,” she said. “It’s something I’ve never done. Not
with any man.”

He wished like hell he could claim that he’d never shucked
the use of a condom, but he’d had when he got married. After his divorce, he’d
gotten tested because he had to be sure his ex-wife hadn’t brought something to
their marriage other than infidelity.

“You’ve made me the luckiest man on the planet tonight.”
Hugging her again, he relished the opportunity while he could.

Begrudgingly, they climbed out of bed and he quickly went to
retrieve her clothes. Helping her redress and fix her hair, he waited until she
was sitting on the edge of the bed before he got dressed.

After cleaning up as best they could, she turned off the
iPod and he took the key out of his pants pocket to unlock the main door to the
red dungeon. As they stepped into the hall and he closed the door, the last
whiff of the sea swept by, fading away when the lock was turned.

“He left us,” Avery said.

“Seems like it,” Hazard agreed. “Maybe we’ll run into our
sailor friend the next time we visit Jax’s house?”

Avery turned to him. “I hope so. I never thought about
adding ghost exhibitionism to my bucket list, but sometimes the unexpected
takes you by storm.”

“Kiss me before we go back to the great room?”

“Yes.” She cupped his face tenderly, her fingers stroking
his jaw as she held him close for a kiss so tender that he felt in love with
her all over again.

“You think the others will know what we were doing?” she
questioned.

“More than likely,” Hazard answered, moving to walk beside
her.

“Do you mind?”

“No. I’m proud to be with you. Let them know it and be
jealous.”

They walked on. By the time they reached the great room,
very little had changed except Gabriel’s driver had joined the small throng.
She had keys in her hand and a very no-nonsense look on her face.

“Ready to go, Mr. Krystiyan?” Ms. Anderson requested. “It’s
started to snow.”

“In that case, we should go too,” Hazard said, gesturing to
Avery.

“I’m ready,” Avery said. “My purse is in the game room. I’ll
be right back.”

When she rushed off, Jaxon retrieved coats from the foyer
closet for all save Sawyer, his foreman and their dates. It took but a minute
for Avery to return.

“Planning to stay longer?” she asked Sawyer.

“We’re going to camp out here for the night,” Sawyer
explained.

“There’s plenty of room for all,” Jaxon offered.

“Thank you, but we’ll head back to the hotel tonight,”
Hazard said.

“It’s best,” Avery commented. “You’ve an early flight in the
morning.”

Jaxon came up to them, placing their coats across the back
of a sofa. “In that case, stay in touch, Trev.”

“You know it, my man,” Hazard promised, shaking hands with
his best friend.

Jax didn’t leave it at a handshake. He engulfed Hazard in a
tight hug, drawing him slightly away from Avery. “Love you, bro. You know that,
but have to tell you that you and Avery smell like Bart.”

“Bart?”

“I believe he was a Colonial or Revolutionary sailor from
Virginia where you found my pillory,” Jaxon revealed. “He’s harmless but
extremely curious about anyone who enters dungeon three. He has no fear of the
pillory, so I don’t think he was a prisoner. Perhaps someone he cared for was
or he had a tendency for kink in his era?”

“We thought we felt something or someone,” Hazard admitted.
“Sometime in the future, you should let me set up a time for my friend Morgan
Everhart and her fellow ghost hunters to come in and investigate.”

“We’ll see. A couple of ghost hunters from New England tried
to come out this way back in October. They were diverted by weather or
something and they haven’t tried since. Do you know them?”

“Based on discussions Avery and I’ve had during the week,
her good friend Evelyn and her boss Remy Sinclair had tried to visit Dare.
Eve’s the one who has a crush on you because of your books, but she is also
hung up on her boss. Tread carefully. Morgan will know more about the
ghost-hunting stuff, why?”

“Have them call me.” Jax stepped back. “I’m not sure about
my house yet, but I might grant them permission to investigate the town if they
can do so without jeopardizing the anonymity of those visiting or living in our
small town.”

“I’ll mention it to Avery. She knows Morgan’s friends better
than I do.”

“All right,” Jax said. “I meant what I said. Keep in touch
when you get back to football. I’ll be watching your games.”

“Might only be one and done,” Hazard warned.

“This is the Griffins’ year,” Jax insisted. “I feel it in my
bones.”

“Let’s hope so. Once the season’s over, I’m going to look
into moving to New England for a spell.”

Jax inclined his head. “You’ll still come to Dare when you
can?”

“Both of us will,” Hazard said, gesturing to Avery.

“That settles it. Take care of Red. Be sure to remember
she’s not your bitch of an ex.”

“Avery’s one of a kind.”

“The love bug bit you on the ass, didn’t it?”

“And then some,” Hazard admitted.

“Off to town with you two, then. I’ll not have you waste the
rest of the night up here in my creaky old home.”

“Your creaky old home is about to play host to four guests
all night. What kind of mischief will you get into?”

Jaxon didn’t answer. He grinned, telling Hazard all he
needed to know.

With that, he gathered his and Avery’s coats, helped her
into hers and slipped his over his shoulders. “Ready, love?” he asked her.

“Yes. Thank you, Jaxon. Your home is lovely.” She hugged Jax
tight, brushed her lips across his cheek and stepped back. “I’ll miss you.”

“Same here, Red, but you’ll see me tomorrow. I’ll check in
with you and take you to the airport Friday.” Jax flushed from her show of
affection.

“You don’t need to do that. I can hire a car or taxi.”

“Nonsense, go on, be safe. Trev, text when you get to the
hotel.”

“Okay, Dad,” Hazard said teasingly.

Leading Avery to the door, they stopped long enough for her
to hug Gabriel, Sawyer and Travis before Hazard could shake hands and say
goodbye. They were in his rental SUV when Gabriel’s entourage and driver headed
to the mammoth limo.

Avery suddenly shouted. “Wait, I need to give Taylor my
phone number.”

Before he knew it, she bounded out of the passenger door,
heading right up to the Hummer so quickly she failed to pay attention to the
fact that her fancy shoes weren’t meant to be snowshoes.

Exiting his SUV, Hazard headed her way fast. Too late, Avery
started to go one way, hesitated when she looked off toward the woods and
slipped, falling down hard.

“Avery!” Hazard rushed toward her, ready to scoop her up
until he saw her grabbing her ankle.

“I’m okay,” she insisted.

“Let me look at your ankle,” he urged, gently removing her
hand.

Her stockings were torn and swelling had started. Gabriel,
Taylor and the three lookalikes came over as fast as they could. The snow was
falling at a steady clip. It wasn’t too dangerous to drive, but a half-inch had
covered the driveway and made walking slippery.

Like Gabriel, Jax and his houseguests came charging forward,
all surrounding them.

“What the hell were you thinking, Red?” he demanded out of
concern.

“I wanted to give Taylor my phone number. I’d promised and
forgotten,” she explained. “Headlights way over in the trees caught my eye. I
wanted to go forward, but I went sideways. Jimmy Choos didn’t help.”

“There’s a rental house a mile away from here. Could have
been someone driving up the lane,” Jax said.

“You could have reached me tomorrow, beautiful,” Gabriel
assured. “I’d have made sure Taylor had your number and you wouldn’t have been
hurt.”

“I have the feeling you’re going to be busy then,” Avery
said. “Sorry for the hassle. I’m fine, really. I’d like to go back to town and
relax with Hazard.”

“Not until you go to the ER,” Hazard stated.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“Avery,” he warned. “Appease me, please. Let me make sure
you’re okay.”

“At worst, I’ve strained something. Nothing’s broken or
damaged except my ego and my hip is bruised.”

Whether he wanted her to or not, Avery struggled to stand
and he helped her. The second she put weight on her ankle, she wobbled and
hissed.

“Ow!” she cried out painfully. “Maybe you’re right.”

“That does it,” he declared, lifting her up off the ground.
“X-rays for you, love.”

“Take her to the twenty-four-hour clinic in town,” Jax
recommended. “I’ve an in with the nighttime nurse practitioner. I’ll call and
let him know you’re heading their way.”

“Thanks, Jax,” he said, heading off to his car.

“Taylor, I’ll get my number to Gabriel,” Avery shouted
toward the small crowd.

“No problem. Let me know how the X-rays turn out,” Taylor
called back.

Hazard wasn’t surprised that Avery and Taylor were already
friends. But he came to admire Avery all the more for doing what she could to
live up to a promise she’d made.

Carefully taking her to the SUV, he set her inside, pulled
the seat belt into place at her waist and closed the door. Heading around to
the driver’s side, he slid inside and put the vehicle in gear. Getting Avery to
the health clinic safely and quickly was his primary goal.

At two thirty in the morning, Avery was carried over the
threshold into the hotel suite by her own personal hero.

“I can walk, Hazard,” she said, even though it was really
nice to be taken care of and the clinic provided crutches if she needed them.

“Nope, doctor’s orders were RICE, rest, ice, compression,
elevate,” he replied. “I’m taking you to the chaise, getting you a pillow and
applying the ice as directed.”

As promised, he set her on the chaise, helped her out of her
coat and went to find a pillow for her to prop her leg on. She’d been
fortunate. Her ankle was sore and swollen, but X-rays ruled out a fracture.

The doctor declared that she had a mild muscle strain. Had
she damaged ligaments, it would have been a sprain and a lot more serious. The
treatment was the same, however. After wrapping her ankle in an Ace bandage for
compression, the icing, elevating and rest could begin.

She’d have to wear flat shoes, which she had brought with
her for the convention in Reno, and utilize the crutches to get around, but she
could worry about that tomorrow.

The doctor at the medical clinic prescribed a mild pain
reliever and anti-inflammatory, which was great, but was also making her
sleepy. Of course, after dealing with the clinic, an injury and having great
sex in one of Jaxon Wynter’s playrooms had much to do with how tired she was.

There was also something bothering her, a feeling she
couldn’t quite shake. Headlights in the woods had distracted her enough to slip
and fall and disappeared the moment everyone in the house, the limo and Hazard
gathered around her.

“Avery, what’s wrong?” Hazard asked while breaking open an
ice pack sent home with her care package and RICE instructions.

Ever so carefully, he un-wrapped the bandage as instructed
by the doctor, placed the cloth-covered ice pack on her sore, swollen ankle and
rewrapped the bandage to hold the pack in place and maintain the compression
needed for healing.

“That car I’d seen through the woods,” Avery said. “I keep
thinking about it.”

“If you’re uneasy about it, I’ll call Jax right now and get
Sawyer to check out the neighbor.”

“I’m not sure why I’m even bothered by headlights. But I
felt like someone was in the woods, watching us. It’s the same feeling I had
when I saw John studying us while we were on the balcony.”

Hazard rocked back and took his phone out of his pocket.
He’d already shed his coat and kicked off his shoes. Within seconds, he was
hitting keys on the phone’s screen.

“Jax, it’s Trev,” he said into the smartphone. “She’s doing
fine. Minor strain, has to rest her ankle, keep it elevated. Yes, I’m taking
care of her. Can you put Sawyer on the line? Thanks, man.”

“Hazard, it’s probably nothing.”

“It won’t hurt to tell him how you feel,” Hazard commented.

Avery knew he was right and listened as he talked to Sawyer.

“Well?” she asked when the call ended.

“Sawyer’s going to head into the woods. It’s been snowing
steadily since we left. If there are prints left or signs of someone having
been there, he’ll take note of it and go talk to Jax’s neighbor.”

“It could have been a kid,” she suggested. “I mean, maybe
all the cars and the gigantic Hummer caught his eye and he came to look. I’d be
curious.”

“Whoever or whatever it was, it made you uneasy,” he stated.
“I’m not going to ignore it. I’m calling my coach and making arrangements to
make sure you get home safely.”

“If you’re not at that meeting Friday morning, you get in
trouble,” Avery said.

“Don’t give a damn.”

“It’s your career.”

“You are more important than football.”

“That’s nice to know. But I won’t have you jeopardize your
team’s chances in the playoffs because I got a little spooked and busted my ass
and hurt myself. What if I change my plans and go to the airport with you in
the morning?”

“You have a spa appointment.”

“I can cancel it. I’ll call Alexander and Ryan and have one
of them pick me up at the airport. Ryan’s going to question everything
regarding my ankle strain and may even retake X-rays.”

Hazard stared at her for a minute. “I want him to do that
for you. You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. We can kiss goodbye at the airport. It’ll be
romantic. As it is, as much as I’d love to spend the rest of what’s left of our
time here together making love, sleep is about all I can muster until then.”

“That’s okay, love. Sleep’s about all I can do right now
too.” He got up and looked through her purse for her phone. “Here, go ahead and
change the flight reservations if you can. We’ll see if we can leave tomorrow.”

Avery began making calls and soon had her flight
arrangements changed to leave a day early. There was a minor fee for the
change, but she was able to take the same airline as Hazard was using. They’d
be in the same terminal.

“What time’s your flight again?” she asked before going
through with the itinerary changes.

“Nine,” he answered.

“Best I can do is ten,” she said. “Is that okay?”

“Sure. I’ll have Jax take us to the airport in my rental and
return it so I can help you to your gate and make arrangements with a flight
attendant to get you to your seat on the plane.”

Avery nodded, finished making her flight arrangements and
started to hand the phone to Hazard. “Call your brother, baby.”

Avery wrinkled her nose and texted Alexander. It was early
enough that he and Ryan were likely in bed. By habit, Ryan remained on call for
the clinic or hospital unless he made prior arrangements with one of his nurses
or an attending physician.

Two minutes after texting Alexander, her phone went off,
playing her brother’s familiar ringtone.

“Hi, Alexander,” she greeted sweetly.

“You broke your ankle?” Alexander questioned with little
patience. She gave him the benefit of having been woken up out of a deep sleep
or being interrupted during something far more intimate. “You’re coming home
first thing in the morning.”

“Slow down, Alexander, there’s no fracture. I’ve a minor,
accent on minor, ankle strain. I fell. Hazard took me right to the emergency
clinic.”

“He’s with you now? It’s almost three o’clock in the morning
there,” Alexander demanded, his deep voice going so low, he growled.

“Hazard? Yes, of course,” she said. “He’s taking care of me
as you wanted.”

“That’d better mean he’s looking out for you like a
bodyguard,” her brother warned. “Otherwise, he has much to answer for.”

Getting impatient and overcome with exhaustion and pain
medicine, Avery grumbled back at her brother. “Whatever Hazard and I have, it’s
between us. Now stop worrying. Will you or Ryan pick me up at Logan or do I
need to arrange a taxi or limo?”

Ryan’s sleep-roughened voice came over the line. “We’ll both
be there,” he assured quietly. “Alex is being difficult at the moment, but
nothing I can’t calm down in a bit. You okay?”

“For now, I’m fine. I’ve an ankle strain, nothing serious.”

“You have the ankle elevated and iced?”

“Yes, though the ice is due to be removed in a few minutes.
Hazard’s timing it.”

“All right,” Ryan said. “I’ll want a full report from the
doctor you saw. We’ll reevaluate the injury when you come home.”

“Is Alexander still angry at me, Ryan?”

“He’s concerned. It was hard for him to know you’d gone to
Dare on your own and he wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“He put Hazard in charge after Morgan had one of her
feelings. I’ve had the time of my life with him. He’s a good man and Alexander
has nothing to worry about. Turning my ankle was my fault, not Hazard’s.”

“Alex trusted the linebacker. Tell me I have good reason to
back you on your decision to be more than friends with Osbourne, Avery.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m really tired, Ryan. If
that doesn’t come across right, I’ll explain more tomorrow. Hazard and I have
been with friends most of the evening and I slipped on the snowy driveway.”

“Can I speak to him?” Ryan requested pleasantly.

“Certainly,” she agreed, handing the phone to Hazard.

Hazard took the phone and stood. He introduced himself,
listened and replied, “You’ve my word, Ryan…I love her, yes. I’ll make sure she
gets to the airport and onto the plane. Thank you.”

He ended the call and set the phone on the closest coffee
table. “Ryan said to make sure you text your flight number and arrival time.”

“I will when we wake up. For now, I’d like to make my way to
the bathroom, wash my face and get some sleep.”

“I’ll help you.”

“That’d be appreciated,” she said, knowing she needed his
assistance.

He helped her to her feet, put his arm around her waist and
acted as her crutch in getting to the bathroom. There, she asked for some
privacy to clean up and use the toilet and he granted her wish, promising to
return for her in ten minutes.

He came back when she let him know she was done and carried
her to bed. He’d placed a pillow at the foot of the bed, propped her ankle on
it and carefully removed the ice pack and wrapped her ankle before removing her
skirt and blouse, leaving her in her bra and underwear and settling the covers
around her.

“I’m sorry this is how our last night is,” she said
sleepily.

“Don’t apologize,” Hazard assured. “Get some shuteye. I’m
taking my turn in the bathroom and will join you in a minute or two. Okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, closing her eyes. There were things she
needed to do. Packing came to mind, sex would be nice.

But sleep came first. She didn’t even remember Hazard coming
to bed. Her last conscious thought was of him trapped in a pillory as she
fondled and sucked him off.

Hazard woke her sometime later. The sun was beginning to
rise outside their hotel room windows. It was time to go home.

More depressed than worried about her injury, Avery looked
up at the man she’d come to love. “Guess the fantasy vacation is over,” she
said.

“Only temporarily. Time to get you scrubbed up and ready for
the airport.”

“Did you call Jax after talking with Ryan?”

“Called him, made arrangements and packed your suitcase.”

Avery smiled at that. “You really are domestic, after all.”

“I’m not promising that your garments are perfectly aligned,
but they won’t be ruined or crushed, especially that red dress,” he said,
giving her a playful wink.

“My makeup and toiletries too?”

“All neatly placed in the small suitcase you had stored
under the bathroom sink. Your flatiron and hair supplies are safe and sound.
The outfit you were wearing last night is going to need some serious dry
cleaning.”

“I’ll get it done when I go home. Thank you, Hazard.”

“It’s the least I could do. How do you feel?”

Aware of the constant ache in her ankle, she tried moving
her foot as much as the bandage allowed. It wasn’t an unbearable pain, but it
was enough for her to admit she’d like Ryan to take a second look when she went
home.

Vacation really was over. This was simply not the way she
imagined this morning would go. Lots of sex during the night and when they woke
this morning was way better than this.

“I have a surprise, if it’ll help rouse you from that bed,”
Hazard offered.

“What surprise?” she asked, pushing herself up on her elbows.

“I arranged to have early room service delivered. I’ve
coffee, bagels and cream cheese.”

Despite everything, food sounded great. Her tummy grumbled
in desperation. “I could definitely eat.”

“Sit up for a minute.” Hazard helped her lean back against
the headboard, then placed a breakfast tray over her lap.

He scrambled onto the bed beside her without causing the
carafe to spill, poured out two mugs of black coffee, scooped in sugar and
added the right amount of cream to hers and handed it to her.

“Here you go, love,” he offered.

“You really are a keeper.”

“I’m glad you think so. When we talk tonight, let’s start
planning how we’ll follow up our vacation.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Are we talking Skype and
cybersex too?”

“Skype, yes,” he answered. “Cybersex, only if you’re up to
it.”

“I’m going to miss being with you for real.”

“Me too, Avery.” As carefully as he could manage, he leaned
over, kissed her softly and tapped her mug. “Drink or I’ll be tempted to find
ways to fuck you that won’t cause the slightest pain.”

Avery sipped on the excellent-tasting brew. “I’m not
objecting.”

“That’s nice to know. But it’ll take hours to do what I have
in mind and we’ll both miss our flights.”

“You’re sensible among all your other talents.”

“I try, baby, I try.”

He helped smear cream cheese on her cinnamon-raison bagel
and tore a piece off, feeding it to her. “I can feed myself,” she said after
she swallowed the still-warm toasted bagel.

“I know. It’s nice taking care of you.” He didn’t stop
tearing off pieces of bagel until she was more than halfway through eating and
drinking her coffee.

He scarfed down his own food, tossed back the coffee in a
couple of big gulps and stood. “Now we really need to move.”

Avery waited until he set the breakfast tray on the floor
before she tried to get up. As she knew he would, Hazard was right there, his
arm firmly around her waist, acting as the brace she needed before putting
weight on her ankle.

Since it was her left ankle that was strained, she’d be able
to drive when she went home because her Honda CR-V was an automatic. It was a
relief. Walking was difficult, but not impossible.

When she went to the airport, she’d use the crutches she was
sent home with. For now, they were propped up by the chaise.

It hurt regardless of Hazard acting as her crutch, however,
a few steps toward the bathroom revealed that the discomfort didn’t worsen and
she could walk slowly. It was nice to have a linebacker’s steel-hard muscle
supporting her, so she kept him close until she was in the bathroom.