Grey grinned. Apparently his girl had solid intuition and knew how to hold her own. She’d managed with Lola and again now with Simon. He hoped she realized her own inner strength.
She turned to Grey, dismissing Simon. “You ready to go home?”
“With you? I was born ready.” He glanced at his manager. “I’d say it’s nice to see you, but given you’re still playing mind games, not so much.” He led Avery around Simon and walked out the door.
They settled into his car, and he turned to face her. “We still good?” he asked, hoping that her replies hadn’t been a performance for Simon’s sake. He didn’t want her to return to being worried about the rocker lifestyle.
“Your manager’s an ass but we’re fine.” She buckled her seat belt and met his gaze.
“We don’t need to talk?”
“Is that what you really want to do now?” She snaked a hand across the seat and settled her warm palm on his thigh. “Because I thought we had bigger, more important plans.” Her hand slid upward, closer to his aching cock.
Message received, Grey thought, turning on the ignition and heading out.
* * *
Avery’s thoughts were running all over the place. If she put aside the fact that her underwear was in Grey’s pocket, the most prevalent thought in her head was taking back control. She wasn’t going to let her fears stop her from experiencing what was bound to be the best sex of her life with a man she still had deep feelings for. Nor would she allow Grey’s manager to run her off. And for whatever reason, that had been his intent. His polite British accent hadn’t covered the fact that he’d intentionally tried to intimidate and scare her by reminding her of all the women who surrounded and wanted Grey.
For right now, Grey was here with her. She’d seen him signing autographs and on the stage, and there he was in his element. She wouldn’t want to take that sense of self away from him and knew better than to believe that he suddenly desired a normal life away from the fans and the spotlight. But she did think he believed it, when in reality all he needed was a break from the insanity of being on the road.
At some point, boredom and the need for more would reassert themselves; but as long as she was aware that day was coming, she could keep this thing between them in perspective. She was an adult, perfectly capable of handling a short-term relationship. She wouldn’t insult Grey or what they shared by calling it an affair. When it came to them together, it was always so much more. It just couldn’t be forever.
She swallowed hard, locking the harsh truth away in a box where it couldn’t hurt her. Just like she’d boxed away her father’s choices that had never included her. Unless he’d needed her … Nope. That wasn’t pushing things away.
“You’re quiet,” Grey said, intruding on her not-so-pleasant thoughts.
“Just thinking,” she said.
“About?”
“Us.” She shook her head, clearing it of all negative emotions. “Can’t you drive faster?” She didn’t want anything to intrude on what they had planned, and this trip without panties was making her antsy and needy. Even now, without underwear, she was wet.
His laughter rumbled through her and set her on fire, bringing her back to the moment in the bathroom. She’d never come so hard, so fast. In the years since Grey, she’d chosen men who were the opposite of her ex. Safe men. Men who didn’t challenge her, who didn’t excite her … who didn’t remind her of Grey.
Now was the time to live in the moment. Avery had never been good at doing that, but dammit, she was going to try.
They pulled up to a luxury condo complex, a high-rise building with a security guard in the lobby. Grey kept a hand on her back and led her into the elevator that, with his personal key card, took them directly to his floor.
Her body tingling with anticipation, they stepped into his apartment, and he shut the door and locked it behind them. The sound reverberated through her with finality, putting punctuation on what they had planned.
“Grey, I—” She never finished her sentence. No sooner had the lock clicked than she found herself against the wall, Grey’s lips on hers.
She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him back for all she was worth.
Today had taught her something. It was one thing for her to back away from Grey out of fear, another for someone to try and take him from her. Two someones in the span of half an hour. At least that’s what Lola’s warning and Simon’s boasting about women loving Grey had felt like. She needed to take control of the situation and do what she wanted. She even needed to stop letting her own insecurities and fear get the better of her. She was here and she was with Grey.
He was relentless, his lips devouring hers, and while last time she’d been the one taking, this time she wanted to give. She wanted to feel, taste, and experience him in living, breathing color. She pulled up his shirt, and he yanked it off, giving her an entire blank slate to enjoy. She ran her hands over his taut abs, his hard stomach, and smooth, tanned, tattoo-covered skin. Every touch aroused her senses, and she leaned in close, inhaling, drinking in his familiar musk-laden scent.
Unable to resist temptation, she licked his chest, eliciting a shuddering moan from him. She grinned. “You like that.”
“And you like that I do.” He grasped her
wrists, pinning them against the wall.
She sucked in a breath and met his darkened gaze.
“Grey?” she asked, surprised by both his sudden show of dominance and how much she enjoyed it.