This Man (This Man 1)

‘You need to think about this, Ava. When you’re tempted to run again, think about how you feel right now. Think about me. ’

‘Yes. ’ I breathe, struggling to dampen down a fast buildup of pressure. I want to carry on like this forever. I want to feel like this forever. This is exactly why I’ve been avoiding him. I’m weak and feeble in my attempts to brush him off. Or is he just determined? Well, either way, I always end up at square one again…giving myself to this man.

I rock my hips up to meet his every thrust, and he lowers his mouth to mine, taking my lips leisurely and lazily, matching his blazing hip rhythm with his tongue.

I whimper, digging my nails into his arms. I’ve got to stop marking him and drawing blood. The poor man is mistreated almost every time. He drives slowly forward, circles deeply and withdraws lazily, time and time again. I can’t hold out for much longer. How does he do this to me?

‘Does that feel good?’ he whispers.

‘Too good,’ I gasp on a lazy grind.

‘It does. Are you there, lady?’ he asks against my lips.

I nip his tongue. ‘I’m there. ’

‘I’ve got you, baby. Let it go. ’

The racking shudder that courses through my body has me clenched around Jesse’s arousal, shaking wildly against him as I moan my release into his mouth. The last, deep thrust, followed by a jerk and hot sensation flooding me, signals Jesse’s release. He holds himself deep and clenches his eyes shut, while paying loving attention to my mouth, moaning long and low. The pulsating of him is triggering my muscles to tense around him, all in time to his throbs. I’m draining him dry.

‘God, I’ve missed you. ’ he whispers, burying his face in the crook of my neck and nuzzling before rolling onto his back. He holds his arm up, and I move into his warm, firm chest, resting my cheek on his pec. I’m so screwed – totally fucking screwed.

‘I love sleepy sex with you. ’ I muse dreamily.

‘That wasn’t sleep sex, baby. ’ He brushes my hair from my face with his spare hand.

It wasn’t? ‘What was is then?’

He kisses my forehead gently. ‘That was catching up sex. ’

Oh, a new one. ‘I like catching up sex then. ’

‘Don’t like it too much. It won’t happen very often. ’

A stab of disappointment pierces me. ‘Why?’

‘Because, lady, you won’t be running away from me again, and I don’t plan on being away from you very often either. ’ He inhales in my hair. ‘If ever,’

I smile to myself, throwing my leg over his thighs. He clasps my knee, rubbing circles over my skin with his thumb, while I trace my fingers across the surface of his scar. I’m compelled to know how he got it. He hasn’t mentioned it, except to warn me off asking, but it’s not like it can be overlooked. I need to know more about him.

‘How did this happen?’ I ask as I follow the line around to his side.

He inhales tiredly. ‘How did what happen, Ava?’ His words leave no room for movement or interrogation on the matter. He doesn’t want to talk about it.

‘Nothing,’ I whisper softly, making a mental note not to ask again.

‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ he asks in a blatant change of subject tactic.

‘It’s Wednesday, I’m working. ’

‘Take the day off. ’

‘What, just like that?’

I feel him shrug. ‘Yes, you owe me two days. ’

He makes everything sound so straight forward. It’s okay for him, with his own business and no one to answer to. I, on the other hand, have clients, a boss and a pile of work to do.

‘I have too much to do. Besides, you abandoned me for four days. ’ I remind him. He still hasn’t explained himself. Will he now?