26. Micah

26

MICAH

A va leaned closer, and my heart began to race. Was this happening? The thing I'd dreamed of for so long, that I thought would never happen?

"Ava," I groaned, and she let out a breathy sigh. I angled my head forward, but then a thought crossed my mind that had me drawing back. "Wait. You kissed Grayson at the library, didn't you? I don't— It's not fair to him," I said, hating myself for my words because I was about to deprive myself of something I'd wanted forever.

Her lashes swept down, her eyes widening as she took in the fact that I was serious. "Micah…" she began. "Micah. Grayson is…Grayson. You know? He doesn't do girlfriends. That kiss was just something that happened in the heat of the moment. But you—I want this. Do you want this? Do you want me?"

"Yes. Fuck, Ava, you don't even know…" If we were going to do this, I couldn't treat it like it was nothing, a throwaway moment like her kiss with Gray apparently was. Which meant I needed to confess my own secret. "I need to tell you something. You kissed Grayson. I…I kissed Cruz. Or he kissed me. It was…unexpected."

Her eyes widened even further. "When did that happen?"

"After I'd been to your sorority house, when he drove me home. It came out of nowhere. I-I don't really know how to explain it."

A small smile curved over her lips. "Here I was, thinking you were both straight. Did you like it? Cruz is hot, isn't he? If you like that bad boy look."

"Uh, yeah." I could feel my cheeks flushing. "I guess I liked it. I mean, it was weird, because he was a guy, and I thought we were both straight too, but…yeah. I guess not."

She laughed, her eyes sparkling. "So that means in our little group, I've kissed Grayson, and you've kissed Cruz. That definitely means you and me should kiss next."

My heart stuttered. She wasn't serious. Was she? I cleared my throat. "Or Cruz and Gray could kiss." We looked at each other for a second and then fell about laughing. "Yeah, maybe not," I said when I'd finally recovered. "They'd kill each other rather than let that happen."

Her laughter died away. "Enough about them. Can I see your bedroom?" she said, instantly changing the atmosphere.

My bedroom. Ava Hayes wanted to see my bedroom. I swallowed. "Uh, sure."

As soon as we entered my room, she smiled, crossing over to my bed and seating herself on the edge, her long legs stretching out in front of her.

"Are you going to sit down?" She patted the bed next to her, and there was an offer I would never refuse. Not from her.

When I lowered myself to the bed, Ava scooted closer again. Fuck. Was this really happening? I couldn't believe she was here in my childhood bedroom, the place I'd jerked off to fantasies of her, never dreaming that she'd actually be here, wanting to kiss me. Her lips parted, her eyes darkening, and my cock jerked. Fuck, yes . This was really happening.

I lifted my hand, cupping the soft skin of her cheek, and her breath hitched. Closing the final bit of distance between us, I gently brushed my lips across hers. She kissed me back just as softly, our lips connecting in a slow slide. I traced the fingertips of my free hand up and down her arm, wary of pushing too hard. This girl was fucking everything , and she deserved to be cherished.

"Micah," she murmured against my lips. "More."

Fuck. I deepened the kiss, taking it from a mostly innocent closed-mouth one to a hotter, open-mouthed one that made her moan into my mouth and my dick lengthen in my jeans. I slid my tongue against hers as I drew my hands down the sides of her body to her hips. Then I pulled her into my lap.

"Fuck, Ava," I groaned as she straddled me, kissing me harder, winding her arms around my shoulders. Her silky hair fell down like a curtain on either side of us, and I swept it back from her shoulders, still unable to believe that this was actually happening. I gripped her hips, pulling her closer to me, and then she was sliding over my hard dick. The friction was so good, but it was torture at the same time, with my erection trapped in my jeans and our layers of clothes in the way.

"Feels so good," Ava whispered as I began to kiss down her throat. She rolled her hips down, and then again.I bit back another groan.

Sliding my hands a little higher, under the hem of her blouse, I trailed my lips across the exposed part of her collarbone. "I want you so much."

"Touch me." Raking her nails down my back, she arched into me.

I slid my hands higher, up her stomach, and then over the swell of her breasts, covered by the silky material of her bra. Her nipples pebbled under my touch, and my dick hardened further, throbbing inside my jeans. When I shifted a little, Ava let out a tiny gasp, her eyes flying open as she stared down between us.

"That must be uncomfortable." The very tip of her finger traced across my bulge. "Do you want me to help?"

Yes. I really, really did. "Mmm," was all I managed to get out before her fingers were working at my jeans, opening them up and giving my poor trapped erection some space.

Her pupils blew wide as she stared down at the tent in my underwear, precum darkening the material at the head of my cock.

"Wet," she murmured, circling the tip of my dick, making me groan and leak even more precum. "Guess what?"

"What?" I panted, my hands now inside her bra, palming her bare breasts.

"Ohhh…don't stop." She pushed into my hands, biting down on her lip.

"I won't. What?" Fuck, my dick was throbbing.

Her mouth went to my ear. "I'm wet too. So. Fucking. Wet."

Fuuuuck.

"Come here," I ground out, removing my hands from her gorgeous breasts just long enough to get her bra undone and yank her forward so her pussy was right on my dick. Our mouths met again, both of us lost in each other, wanting the same thing?—

Bang.

We flew apart at the sound of the front door crashing open. My dad was back? He never normally came back this early.

"My dad," I hissed, and Ava's wide, panicked gaze shot to the door. Scrambling off the bed, she twisted around, frantically trying to do her bra back up, while I just as frantically tugged my jeans over my rapidly deflating cock. I shot off the bed, getting Ava's bra fastened in record time, and getting the button on my jeans closed right before there was a loud rapping at my door.

Hide, I mouthed, jerking my head toward my large closet, and Ava nodded, darting over to it and managing to get inside right as my door began to open.

My heart felt as if it was going to pound out of my chest. Why had I told Ava to hide? I'd stupidly panicked. That was why. We were both adults, and I could've come up with some reason for her being here. My dad knew we were friends, after all. I was going to blame the fact that all the blood from my brain had been in my dick. How was I supposed to think rationally?

"Micah." My dad's brows were pulled together, his mouth set in a flat line, and my stomach churned with dread. When he said my name in that tone of voice, it meant something bad. When I was younger, after my mom had left us and before I'd started practicing martial arts, that tone had often been accompanied by a backhand, until he'd realized I was capable of fighting back. Not that I'd ever tried, but I think the fact I was almost as tall as him and probably stronger made him think twice.

Now, there was nothing physical. He used his words as his power over me. No more free ride through college. No roof over my head, no more food on the table…those were his usual threats if I ever stepped out of line—which was rare. I'd never been a troublemaker, but I couldn't help disappointing him sometimes.

"Yes?" I did my best to sound casual and kept my body turned away from my wardrobe. The last thing I needed was for him to get suspicious.

Stepping inside my bedroom, he kept his gaze trained on me. "I've heard a concerning rumor, and I'd like to know if it's true. Have you been spending time at the racetrack?"

"Uh…"

"Don't lie to me." He slammed his hand down on my desk. "You've been consorting with drug dealers? I expected much better from you. Do you understand what you've done? It's not only your reputation on the line, but mine." Not bothering to pause for breath or to allow me to respond, he continued. "I'm not an unreasonable man. Let this be my first and final warning. If I find out you've been at the track again, or hear you've been spending time with the wrong sort of people, I will not hesitate to take action. You can kiss your college ride goodbye, and you can look for somewhere else to live. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," I muttered. You asshole , I added in my head, inwardly seething. I wasn't sure what I was most angry about—him trying to control my moves, or the fact that he'd indirectly insulted Cruz.

"Good. We'll speak no more of it." The hardness left his face, and he clapped me on the shoulder. "I'm gonna be in the den watching game footage. Can I trust you to prepare dinner?"

"Yeah. I was going to anyway," I said, but he'd already gone, his interest in me lost now he'd said what he came to say.

When I was sure he was downstairs, I opened my closet and Ava stepped out, throwing her arms around my neck.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "He's awful. You don't deserve to be treated that way. I hate that he speaks to you like that."

"Me too." Wrapping my arms around her, I allowed myself to feel her comfort. When I drew back, I sighed. "Come on. We'd better get out of here. My dad will be too busy picking apart the game footage to notice anything else. I'll say I'm going to the store, and I'll take you back to the sorority house, okay?"

She nodded, but her mouth twisted. Her eyes met mine, and I could see the trepidation in them. "Micah? How did your dad know about the track?"

Good question, and it was one I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to.