Trust in Me

Shortcake was handling everything better than I thought she would, which meant I hadn’t given her enough credit. The girl was stronger than any of us realized.

Over dinner she told me how everything had gone down, and I was angry and disappointed for her when it came to how she was received by her so-called mother, but Avery had done what she had come here to do.

And it seemed her father expressed at least some amount of remorse or distress. The dancing comment . . . I got what it meant. There were so many things that Avery lost out on, and due to their own ignorance, so had her parents.

She still wanted to see Molly tomorrow, and no matter what I tried over dinner to change her mind, she was determined and I was going to support her the best I could. But to be honest, I wanted nothing more than to get her back home and away from all of this.

When we returned to the hotel room that evening, Shortcake immediately disappeared into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I watched her retreating form with an arched brow. She had been acting weird since the end of the dinner, in a hurry to get back here. I had no idea what she was up to, but I forced myself to lie down instead of joining her in the shower, which was something I wanted to do really, really badly.

I discovered the remote control and was still trying to figure out what channel was what when steam rolled out from the opened bathroom door about twenty minutes later. I looked up and the air halted in my lungs.

She stood in the doorway, her hair a dark red, clinging to her shoulders. She wore only a white towel.

Holy shit.

I sat up, speechless as my gaze swept over her, starting at the tips of her painted toes and ending at her flushed cheeks. My skin tightened as she walked to where I sat, her fingers curling around the knotted towel between her breasts.

I closed my eyes. “Avery.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder and climbed up, like she had done the evening on the couch, straddling me. “Cam?”

A small grin split my lips; it was all I could manage as I clutched her hips.

“What are you up to?”

“Nothing.” She paused. “Everything.”

My gaze dipped to the knot. “Those are two opposite things.”

“I know.” She pressed down on my erection, sending a bolt of red-hot pleasure through me. “Kiss me?”

She didn’t give me a chance to respond, which was fine by me. Her lips brushed over mine, a sweet sweeping of her lips. My hold on her hips tightened when she parted my lips with her tongue. The kiss went on until I was aching for her.

Hell, I was always aching for her.

“Touch me,” she whispered. “Please.”

Who in the hell was I to deny her? I ran my hands under the hem of the towel, gliding them over her thighs, coming close to the center of her heat.

“Now,” she demanded.

I laughed at her bold demand, but I wouldn’t be rushed. I brushed the back of my hand over her dampness, smiling when she moaned. “What do you want?”

She made a sound of frustration. “I want you to touch me.”

Bringing my fingers close to where she wanted me, I retreated quickly. “I am touching you, sweetheart.”

Her eyes flashed. “You know what I mean.”

“I don’t.”

“Please.” She pressed her forehead to mine. “Please touch me, Cam.”

I leaned back, brushing our lips together. “Well, when you say it like that, I think I get what you mean.”

“Finally,” she groaned.

I laughed again and then nipped at her chin. Her body jerked when I cupped her between the thighs. “Like this?”

“Yes.”

As I kissed the center of her throat, I slipped a finger into her wetness. “And this?” My voice was gruff, heavy.

Her back arched. “Uh-huh.”

Wrapping an arm around her so she didn’t tumble backward, I pressed down on her clit. Her body tensed in the most amazing way. “What about this?”

Her hips tipped forward. “Oh, yeah. Definitely that.”

“Definitely that?” I pumped my finger in and out of her slowly.

Avery moaned, and I could listen to a chorus of them all day, but then she reached between us and unraveled the knot. The towel slipped away from her, fluttering to the floor.

My hand stilled.

My heart jumped.

My cock hardened and throbbed.

Rosy breasts thrust up, cheeks flushed, and legs spread wide over mine. . . . Dammit, she was . . . she was stunning.

I ran my other hand over her breast, fixated when the tip puckered. “Fuck, Avery . . .”

She placed her hand over mine. “Don’t stop.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Not what I meant.” Reaching with her other hand, she found the zipper on my jeans. “I want you, Cam.”

“You have me.” I moved to her other breast. “You so fucking have me.”

Avery smiled as she wrapped her hand around my wrist, pulling my hand away from her heat. “I really want you.” She unzipped my pants, her fingers brushing me, and I shuddered. “Don’t you want me?”

“More than you know.” I groaned as she palmed me. “Avery . . .”

Her hand disappeared, and I didn’t know if I should be grateful or if I should start cussing. But then she tugged my shirt up, over my head. “I want this, Cam.”

When her words sunk in through the red haze fogging my thoughts, I inhaled deeply. “Are you sure, Avery? Because if you’re not, we don’t have—”

She kissed me, sliding her hands down my chest. “I’m sure.”

I froze, hands on her hips, and then rolled her onto her back. Over her, I caught her lips, kissing her with everything that I had in me. Maybe another guy would’ve asked her again or done something else, but those two words. I’m sure. They broke the tiny hold I had on my self-control.

Breaking the kiss, I stood and all but ripped off my jeans. When her gaze dropped and eyes widened, I couldn’t help but smile.

Avery looked almost untouchable as she lay there, staring up at me with those beautiful brown eyes. “I could stare at you for a lifetime. It would never grow old.”

“Even when I’m old?”

“Even then.”

Unable to wait any longer, I came to her. I wanted this moment to be perfect for her. I wanted everything to be beautiful and I wanted her to feel how much I loved her.

So I started at those tiny toes, working my way up her legs and over her soft stomach with kisses. I took my time, sucking and nipping until the peaks of her breasts were tight and she was panting. Every part of me felt hard, heavy, and swollen, but I wanted her ready, even if raw, intense desire rode me to drive deep inside of her.

Her body arched against mine as I reached her lips once more. Shifting my weight to one arm, I matched the thrusts of my tongue with my finger and then two, stretching her slowly.

She clutched my arms, my sides as she moved restlessly and when I put my mouth to her down there, she came apart in a way that almost undid me right then.

I was shaking like a weed in the middle of a storm as I rose, positioning myself between her thighs.