Saving Avery (25 page)

"Very soon," Nathan replies with a big grin.

My stomach turns, and I grab the edge of the table for support. Perhaps sensing my discomfort, my father quickly turns his attention to another topic. We all sit down, and I am thankful for the focus to be anywhere but on me.

"What is going on with you tonight?" Nathan asks in a hushed whisper.

"I have a headache," I lie.

"They should be serving the food soon. Maybe you just need to eat," he replies. He leans in close and says, "I can't wait to get you out of that dress when we get home. Every man in this place has been eye-fucking you all night. They want what they can't have." He kisses my earlobe, and I want to throw up. "If anyone so much as touches you tonight, I'll kill them." He hisses the threat, and a shiver runs up my spine.

It takes all of my willpower to stay seated at the table and not run out of there as fast as I can. My eyes search the sea of people, and I lock onto a dark gaze in one of the rear tents. In those eyes I see my future, and they instantly calm my nerves. I don't stare at Max for very long, but in those few seconds he gave me enough strength to carry on for a few minutes more.

I'm so anxious to hear Max's good news that I can barely sit still through the meal. My mind races as I consider all of the possibilities. Maybe there is someone who can finally help me. Maybe I will finally be able to leave Nathan for good. The maybes are piling up, but as long as there is even a glimmer of hope, I can hold on for another day. It will all be worth it in the end if it brings me to a life where Max and I exist and are happy together.

*

MAX

I'm starting to regret my decision to accept the invitation to this party. I know I wanted to be able to talk to Avery as soon as possible about my plan, but I wasn't counting on the fact that seeing her with Nathan would destroy me. I try not to stare, but my eyes constantly find her in the crowd. Nathan barely leaves her side. His hands are constantly straying to hold her by the waist or touch the nape of her neck or drift down her arm to hold her hand. He's staking his claim, showing everybody that she belongs to him. She is only a pretty thing to possess in his eyes. And every time I see him touch her, I find myself having a tougher time not exploding from all the pent-up anger inside of me.

I watch her mask fall into place. The happy wife to the perfect husband. The perfect daughter to the soon-to-be governor. But it's all a sham. It's in the moments when the cameras aren't flashing that I see the mask slip. I see a hint of her unhappiness. And it's all I can do not to go to her.

I'm careful in my watching of Avery. I never stare at her or in her general direction for too long. I always try to keep her in my peripheral vision even when I'm speaking to someone. And in all of that time, she never once glances my way.

As the night goes on, I grow more and more desperate for her gaze. My only solace is the champagne that seems to be dispersing through the crowd in absurd abundance. By my tenth glass, I am finally tipsy enough to numb myself to the point that I no longer have the pressing urge to walk up to Nathan and punch him square in the jaw.

I'm buzzed on alcohol, and it helps the pain I'm feeling deep within my chest. My soul is crying out for its counterpart and is being totally ignored.

I'm counting the empty flutes in front of me at the table when a waiter stops in front of me. "Champagne, sir?"

I don't even acknowledge him and attempt to wave him away. I know I shouldn't drink any more. I've had enough already.

"Sir?" he asks again.

I look up at the young man and notice he's holding out a flute with a note tucked around the stem. He leans down and whispers conspiratorially, "A woman asked me to deliver this to you."

I don't need to ask who the woman is. I know it's from Avery. I quickly take the items from his hand and secure the note in my palm. "Thank you."

He nods and walks away. Once I know it's safe and I'm alone, I unfold the note and read it several times.

Meet me in five minutes by the guest bathroom.

I take a long drink from the flute, draining it, and add the empty glass to my collection on the table in front of me. I stand and make my way across the lawn. On the way, I spot Nathan boasting amongst a group of ten other men. They are hanging onto his every word, and he plays the part of a gentleman all too well. The men laugh at his jokes and smile up at him like he is a god. If they only knew the kind of man they were really worshipping. He's nothing but a piece of shit, a wife beater and a cold-blooded monster living in a fancy life of deception.

Disgusted, I walk past them quickly and make my way into the house. The inside foyer and hallway are illuminated, and I follow the signs for the guest bathroom. The rest of the house remains dark, signifying that guests should not venture beyond that point.

I stand there, waiting, when I hear someone call my name. I turn, and my eyes narrow as I stare into the shadows of the adjacent room. I can see a silhouette of a woman. Blinking, I wonder if I did, in fact, drink too much champagne.

"Max," Avery whispers. Then I see her delicate hand as it reaches out of the darkness towards me.

I place my hand in hers and allow her to lead me through the darkened downstairs and up the grandiose staircase. She doesn't say a word as we walk down a dimly lit hall. We stop at the last door on the right, and she pulls me through, closing the door behind us. A lamp clicks on, and I squint until my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. Glancing around the room, I realize this is Avery's childhood bedroom. The walls are pink and purple and plastered with posters of boy bands from the '90s, horses, butterflies and flowers. Numerous trophies and awards line every shelf in the room for cheerleading, tennis, swimming and horseback riding competitions. Several pictures of her with horses litter the room, and her love for the animal has me smiling. She's going to absolutely love it at Diane's ranch, and I can picture her there in my mind already.

I walk over to a small white dresser and stare at a picture of her and her mother Olivia. They both share the same long, reddish-brown hair and beautiful blue-gray eyes. Olivia is sans all the makeup and costumes like she had been wearing in her movies Avery and I watched together. She's stunning. "You're the splitting image of your mom," I comment. Glancing at her, she smiles, and I know she finds that to be a huge compliment.

A large photo album rests on the edge of her dresser, and I open it. My fingers flip through pictures of her on the back of a motorcycle, standing at the top of a waterfall and getting ready to jump off and photos of her partying with her girlfriends. I take my time looking at every picture of her. I'm getting a glimpse of Avery years ago before she met Nathan, before he started to break her spirit. She looks so carefree and happy and was clearly a knockout even back in high school. I chuckle and say, "You look like you were a handful back then."

"My dad threatened me with boarding school on more than one occasion," she says with a mischievous grin.

I turn and pull her into my arms. I kiss the crook of her neck and linger there, breathing in her sweet scent. "Rebel," I whisper against her skin.

She lets out a small sigh, and it turns me on. "I miss you," she confesses. I can hear the catch in her voice, and it makes me hold her tighter.

"I miss you too," I whisper. I lean back and stare at her for a few moments. No words can describe how much I miss her and think about her and want to be with her every second of every day. So I let my mouth do the talking and crush my lips to hers. Her hands slowly trail up my chest and wrap around my neck, pulling me even closer to her. When we eventually part, she says, "You taste like champagne."

"Well, I probably drank enough for the both of us." I frown. "The alcohol is the only thing keeping me sane tonight." Sighing, I shake my head. "I can't stand seeing you with him, Avery. It's driving me crazy."

"I know. I'm sorry." She slowly pulls back from me.

I open my mouth to tell her about Diane and the farm, but all of that goes out the window the moment she starts to slowly unzip her dress. My mouth goes dry as the material falls to the floor. The sight of the black lacey corset with matching thong, garters and thigh highs is almost too much to bear. I can feel my cock painfully straining against my zipper.

She steps out of her high heels as my eyes drink her in. She planned this. She wore this just for me, and it turns me on even more.

"I need you, Max," she says quietly. Her voice sounds hot and sultry, and I swallow hard.

I pull her to me, molding her luscious body against mine. A perfect fit. My hands roam all over her soft skin, wanting more, not being able to get enough of her. My fingertips skim from her stomach down to her hips and touch the top of the stockings. My hands stop as I wonder if Nathan will get to see her in these tonight. She's going home with him after all. Not me. I frown and pull back from her as the idea invades my thoughts.

I rake my fingers through my hair. "Fuck…Avery…I can't stop thinking about how I'm not the one you'll be going home with at the end of the night." She stares at me with apprehension written all over her face. Her eyes look fearful, but what is she afraid of? Afraid of losing me?

"I want you to make love to me, Max," she whispers.

I close my eyes, savoring her words. Whatever needs to be said can be said later, because right now I need her too…more than anything. I close the distance between us and crush my mouth to hers in a fevered kiss. A moan escapes her, and I swallow it down.

Without breaking the kiss, I remove my clothes as fast as I can, our lips only parting when I have to pull my shirt over my head. Naked, I push her backwards until she falls onto the mattress. I kneel at the end of the bed and lock my gaze with hers as I dip down between her legs and breathe in her scent. A satisfied groan erupts in my throat as I lick her through the lacey material of her thong. She lets out a low moan and bucks her hips. Pushing the material aside, I lick the length of her slit before focusing my attention on her swollen, little clit.

Her hands fist in the sheets as she tries to hold back her cries. Placing my hands under her hips, I bring her closer to my mouth and begin sucking and licking her hard and fast. Within minutes, she comes apart in my hands. Her hand clasps over her mouth to muffle her cries as her body quivers under my tongue. It's one of the hottest things I have ever witnessed.

She slowly stands and pushes my chest gently until I fall onto the bed. I watch her as she unsnaps her garters and slips out of her thong. I sit up on the bed, stroking my length in my hand as she removes her corset, tossing it on the floor.

Avery straddles my lap and grinds her wet slit over me. I'm rock hard, and my cock is practically weeping to be inside of her again. I groan out in frustration when I realize I didn't bring a condom with me. "I don't have a condom," I say, and it sounds like a curse.

She hesitates, but only for a moment. "It's okay." She kisses me sweetly. "I need you, Max. Now," she begs.

The thought of being bare inside of her makes my cock pulse and my heartbeat quicken. No boundaries between us. "Fuck," I groan as she impales herself down onto me. I sink my teeth into my lower lip to keep from screaming out. It feels like heaven being inside of her. We fit together so well. It's like she was made for just me.

Once she has totally sheathed my length, I release a hiss of air between my gritted teeth. "You feel so good. So tight. So wet." I start to slide in and out of her, savoring every inch of movement. My mouth moves to hers, and I kiss her deeper than I ever kissed her before. My tongue invades her mouth, sweeping along her teeth and devouring her. I want her to know how much I've missed her, how much I've missed being with her like this. She moans against my lips.

My pace is slow and steady, and I feel her grinding down against me. "Faster, Max," she pleads.

I look up at her. We've never taken it fast and hard before, and I don't want to hurt or scare her. "Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes. Please," she begs. "I trust you."

I grip her hips and pump up as she comes down, and the feeling is euphoric. We have the perfect, torturing rhythm, and I wouldn't be able to stop even if I had to. Avery rides me fast, as if she can't get enough. I know I can't get enough of her.

The soft sounds of our lovemaking fill the room, and every one of her moans has me climbing to the edge faster and faster. My fingers dig into her hips as I thrust into her hard. Avery cries out one last time before collapsing onto my chest. Her core spasms and grips me over and over again as wave after wave of pleasure travels through her body. She's panting against me, whimpering through the orgasm, and I hold her close, savoring the feeling.

I pump into her one last time before gasping her name. I can feel my warmth spreading inside of her and the thrum of her heart against my chest. I hold her close, burying my nose into her hair, breathing in her flowery scent. "Avery," I sigh. She raises her head to gaze into my eyes. "I love you," I say before leaning up to kiss her softly. "You don't have to say it back. I just wanted you to know," I whisper against her mouth.

Tears fill her eyes, and she kisses me so deep, pouring all of her emotions into that kiss. She doesn't tell me she loves me too, but that kiss tells me exactly how she feels. I know she loves me.