Out of Time (Face the Music Book 3) (18 page)

When he eased one finger into her she rocked back, wanting more. As his tongue worked its magic she came, her breath catching as she rode out the wave. Her hand was wrapped around his shaft, the head so close to her lips. She’d already tasted him on her tongue … he’d want to come soon. She gave him another lick, taking her time now her attention wasn’t elsewhere. He was still touching her, her skin slippery. His fingers felt so good.

She was aching for more. The need still tightening her belly. It wasn’t wrong if she loved him. They were together. He wanted to be with her. They were this close already, what difference would it make if they did sleep together?

Everything and nothing.

Last time they’d been together she’d decided she didn’t want to wait. She wanted it to be him. That was her choice … and she would live with the consequences. She gave him a last lick and glanced up.

There were condoms in the drawer of his bedside table. She’d seen where he’d grabbed them from before. Her heart was thumping, but with the decision made, the nerves had untangled.

She stretched forward and opened the drawer.

‘What are you doing?’ He tried to pull her back, but she had what she was after … a string of them.

‘I want you.’ She pulled one off. She was starting to think. What if he was just using her to get through this? She was falling for that game. What if she was using him? She was going to lose her virginity in a rock star’s bed. The thought made her smile.

‘You got me. I can’t get up … not sure I want to.’ He kissed her clit, the cold of his lip ring pressed against her skin. His tongue pressed into her.

She shivered, but rolled the condom on. She was sure she heard him give a mournful groan. He didn’t understand what she wanted. She had to say it. ‘I’m going to turn around now.’

His hands remained on her hips. ‘Why … I thought you wanted this?’

‘I want
you
.’ She said it more slowly and with more certainty as she gently pulled away. Should she be on top or on the bottom?

He propped himself up and looked at her. His brown eyes were dark with lust. He looked like he was ready to pounce. He really wanted her. Not because she was naked in his bed or happened to be convenient. It was more than that, even though he hadn’t said it. ‘Are you sure? You can’t get a refund later.’

She nodded.

He raised his eyebrows.

‘I’m sure.’ Not one hundred per cent … she was down to about ninety-five per cent sure. If he kept asking, she was sure that would keep dropping. ‘Umm.’ She glanced at him, still sprawled on the bed as if he were completely comfortable. ‘I’ve never done this bit before.’

‘I haven’t done
this
in nearly ten years. And I didn’t know what I was doing that time.’ He sat up, wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and then kissed her. ‘You don’t have to.’

‘I want to.’ Ninety per cent. ‘Just stop asking because it’s making me nervous.’

‘You shouldn’t be nervous … okay, maybe you should be. I don’t know.’ He went back to kissing her. Together they lay back on the bed. He was leaning over her, his legs tangling with hers, his shaft against her hip. As his fingers eased into her, she rocked her hips.

She needed more.

While her eyes were closed and she was distracted, he moved over her. Nerves, excitement, lust. She wasn’t sure that she could breathe.

‘If you want me to stop, tell me, okay? I’m not going to be pissed.’ He nuzzled into her neck, tickling her with every kiss. Then he was there, nudging at her entrance.

She spread her legs a little further, but he wasn’t in a rush. He rocked his hips against hers and she moved with him. The pressure increased and he was pushing in, then he stopped.

It hurt, but not as much as she’d thought it would. It was more … uncomfortable. Guess all the other stuff they’d been doing had made it easier.

‘Okay?’ he asked, dead serious.

‘Yes.’ She wanted him to move, to get past this point. Even if they stopped now, it was done. There was no fanfare and no demons. Just Mike trying to remain very still in case he hurt her. He was looking at her as if he was expecting her to break.

‘You want more?’ He kissed her, withdrawing ever so slightly.

‘Uh-huh.’ She drew in a breath as he sank deeper into her.

He groaned and took several measured breaths. ‘I’m not going to last long after all the teasing with your tongue.’

His tongue had definitely done the better job, making her come before she’d got him close … or had he been closer than she’d thought? He moved slowly, and while she could feel the build-up of another climax, the discomfort was distracting.

He gave another couple of thrusts, the last one deeper, and she realised he’d been holding back. His lips found hers and he stilled, with a small groan that she’d heard more than once before, as he came.

So that was sex.

She was pretty sure it would be better next time, but she was kind of liking being this close to Mike. He brushed a strand of hair off her face and kissed her again, lightly. But he was still looking at her with that intense kind of stare.

‘What?’ Should she be concerned?

‘Nothing. I was just wondering how I ended up so lucky.’

Before she could say anything else, he was pulling away. The ache between her legs was entirely different this time. She watched as he ditched the rubbish, then gathered up all the clothes.

She started dressing. She hadn’t come around with this plan in mind. Not that she regretted it. She glanced out the window. It was almost dark. She was missing her family dinner. When she looked at Mike, she knew where she’d rather be.

***

Ava got home later than she intended. She recognised her father’s car parked on the street. Damn it. No doubt he’d already seen hers, but he was the last person she wanted to see right now. She could smell Mike on her skin. For a moment it felt as though there was a neon sign flashing above her car proclaiming what she’d done. However, there was no sign and no one would ever know except Mike and her. No one needed to know. And it was none of their damn business.

She parked on the front lawn and took a moment to gather her things and her thoughts. Her body still twinged. She regretted not staying the night already, but Gemma and Kirsten had arrived back while she and Mike were eating dinner. And while he’d introduced her as his girlfriend, she’d seen the look of shock on their faces.

They hadn’t known that he was seeing anyone; she hadn’t exactly been telling people either. There had been too many questions and she wasn’t ready for them. All she’d wanted to do was rationalise what had happened in her own mind.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, it had been a good idea, and she had wanted it. It was just that now, everything had changed. In her rear-view mirror she watched as her father got out of his car. He didn’t look like he was ready for an argument, but then she could count on one hand the number of times she’d ever heard her parents argue—all of them after his mother had moved in.

She swore again, erased the annoyance from her face and went with resignation. It had been a long and odd but interesting day. When she got out of the car he was waiting. He looked at her black dress—did he think that she’d lied about the funeral?

‘How is your boyfriend?’

‘I think he’ll be okay. It wasn’t a shock, but it is no less devastating.’

‘I’m sure the family will pull together.’

She glanced at him. ‘It was only Mike and his mum. He’s … he’s an orphan.’

Her father frowned. ‘What happened to the rest of his family?’

‘In England. He doesn’t know where his father is. Hasn’t seen him in twenty years.’

‘So you’ve been with him all day?’ He asked as if expecting her to change her story.

‘I told you it was the funeral today and that I probably wouldn’t be at the family dinner.’ She didn’t need his permission to live her life. Ava closed the car door. ‘I’m tired.’ And a little sore.

‘We missed you.’

‘I’ll be there next time.’ She couldn’t wait for that, but she knew that she’d go because of Mum and Rose.

He put his hands in his pockets. ‘I never meant to push you out of home.’

Ava sighed. ‘You didn’t do the pushing.’

‘I let it happen. I thought my mother knew best. I didn’t want you to be hurt the way she was. I remember my father leaving …’ He shook his head. ‘I’m sure
Mike
can relate.’

She nodded. ‘Probably. Families break up. It happens.’

‘I know. Your mother has been reminding me of the freedoms we had—her parents were less than strict. Too liberal, in my mother’s words.’

Ava knew that already. Her mother hadn’t made a secret of that and she had often clashed with her mother-in-law about Ava and Rose. They had tried to be good to stop the arguments, but the more they behaved the more that had been expected, until they could barely breathe.

‘Why don’t you bring him next week?’

‘What?’ She didn’t want to inflict her family on anyone, least of all Mike at the moment. That might be enough to break him. She could see how strung out he was, and knew he’d used sex to forget for a little while.

‘I have spoken to my mother. She will respect your choices … or at least not say anything.’ Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. But it must have taken a lot for her father to go into battle for her. What had Mum said to him? She shouldn’t have judged him so harshly.

‘And you?’

‘I want you to be happy.’

Was she? It was hard to be happy when Mike was hurting, when she’d thought she was losing him in the week before the funeral. She still wasn’t sure where they were exactly, but she had to trust they would get through it. ‘I’ll ask him … but he may not be ready. Maybe make it the week after?’

Her father nodded. ‘That would be good. I look forward to meeting him.’ He hesitated then turned around.

Ava took a few quick steps to catch up. ‘Dad?’ He turned and she gave him a hug. ‘Thank you.’

He smiled and she realised how distant they had become over the last few years. ‘I’ll make sure I’m there next week.’

‘I’d get suspicious if someone died every week.’

Chapter 17

Mike had woken up at first light. His bed still smelled like Ava and for a few moments he wanted to stay in those memories. He wished she was with him. But the king-sized bed was empty, though his mind was full of the memory. They’d gone slow. It had been good. He hoped it had been good.

He hoped that she wasn’t regretting it. She’d waited this long. Why last night?

She’d left pretty fast once Gemma and Kirsten had arrived.

He scrabbled around for his phone and typed Ava a message. Too early? Better early than late and his track record was poor.

I’m glad u came round last night. Miss u this morning. Luv M.

He’d then stayed in bed for as long as he could, putting off doing anything else … he’d lasted about half an hour. He was awake so he should do something. In the end he’d gone for a ride as a distraction. It had been pretty aimless but it had killed a couple of hours—he hadn’t broken any speed records, but he hadn’t been trying. However, it was nice to be moving.

When he got home Ed’s car was in the driveway.

His stomach sunk. This would be the reckoning from yesterday. He hadn’t even had breakfast yet. He opened up the garage and parked his bike. Really glad he’d worn an old pair of shorts instead of bike pants.

The kitchen smelled like coffee as he walked into the house. His stomach growled. Gemma and Ed were at the table talking. Mike was sure that his ears were burning.

‘I need to eat.’ And get ready to sit down and have some kind of discussion. If it had been anything non-serious, Ed would’ve raised it one afternoon at his place. But he’d come here.

Gemma living here might have solved his financial issue but it was complicating things—he couldn’t say that he hadn’t been warned about that. He poured a bowl of muesli, made a coffee and checked his phone.

Maybe next time I’ll stay ;) You’ve been invited to a family dinner.

Jumping into bed didn’t equal meet the family, not in his books anyway. Ava got off lightly. She’d met his family. For a moment he wasn’t sure he’d be able to breathe again, but he did and it hurt less.

‘What are you doing in there?’ Ed called.

‘Making breakfast. You came to my house. You don’t get to rush me.’ It would’ve been nice to have a shower, but that wasn’t going to happen either. He replied to Ava.

Should I be worried?

Yes. You are the first boyfriend I’ve taken home.

Read between the lines, she hadn’t told her family about the others.

OK. Give me a date & time. I’ll pick u up.

She sent through the details. He had nearly two weeks before having to pretend that he hadn’t done all the wrong things with their eldest daughter.

‘I can hear your phone buzzing,’ Ed said.

Mike picked up his coffee and bowl and made his way into the dining room. A few unused paper napkins still sat on the table. ‘I was saying good morning to my girlfriend.’

Ed gave him a look that was somewhere between shock and disbelief. ‘I didn’t know you had one.’

‘I didn’t tell you, that’s why.’ And it was none of Ed’s business.

Ed glanced at Gemma. She shrugged.

‘I met her last night. She seems nice.’ Gemma smiled.

Last night she’d been asking why he hadn’t introduced them at the funeral. It hadn’t been at the top of his list and he hadn’t really spoken to Ava yesterday … they hadn’t done a whole lot of talking last night either.

‘Good for you.’ But Ed still looked puzzled, as if he couldn’t quite work out how it had happened. Yeah well, that made two of them, but when something was going well he wasn’t dumb enough to stop and ask why.

Mike started eating. He hadn’t noticed how hungry he was, or maybe it was just giving him something to do. Either way, conversation was hard to come by. Were they waiting for Dan?

Ed looked at his cup. ‘I realised yesterday that we might have a problem.’

Mike swallowed what he’d been chewing. ‘I’m going to apologise to Dan. I …’ Dan had been out of line but Mike had taken it further than it should’ve gone. ‘I don’t know. It all boiled up.’