Chapter 3

three

?. . .?

Ryan

The bell above the door jingles as I step into the cozy bookshop, warmth enveloping me. Ava glances up from the counter, her eyes widening slightly before a soft smile graces her lips. As if drawn by an invisible force, my feet carry me towards her.

"Well, look who's back," she says, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Did you forget something last time?"

I lean against the counter, flashing her a crooked grin. I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but I can't seem to stop myself. "Just couldn't stay away from your charming company, I suppose."

My eyes linger on the delicate flush creeping up her neck. The urge to trace its path with my fingertips is almost overwhelming.

Ava raises an eyebrow, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "Is that so? And here I thought you were just here for the books."

"Oh, the books are a definite perk. But I have to admit, the banter is even more enticing."

She laughs softly, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. "Careful there, you might make a girl think you're flirting with her."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" The words slip out before I can stop them.

A beat of silence stretches between us as Ava holds my gaze. Anticipation coils in my gut, mingling with the simmering attraction that grows stronger each time we meet.

"I suppose not," she finally murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you know what they say about playing with fire..."

"Sometimes the risk is worth the reward, don't you think?"

I know I'm treading on dangerous ground, blurring the lines between casual acquaintances and something more. But with Ava, I can't seem to help myself. She awakens a desire I thought long buried.

Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and I find myself mirroring the action. The air between us crackles with unspoken tension, a dance of push and pull that leaves me aching for more.

My gaze trails over her curves, appreciating the way her soft sweater clings to her enticing figure. She shifts under my appraisal, a delicate flush creeping up her neck. I wonder if her skin would feel as smooth as it looks, if her pulse would race beneath my fingertips.

Ava clears her throat, breaking the charged silence. "Did you, um, need help finding anything specific today?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could recommend something." I step closer, drawn to her. "Something that might surprise me."

Her eyes widen slightly, but she doesn't back away. "I think I might have just the thing."

She turns, leading me deeper into the store. I follow, admiring the sway of her hips and the way her dark hair cascades down her back. She stops at a shelf, her fingers skimming over the spines until she plucks out a worn paperback.

"Here, try this one." She holds it out to me, our fingers grazing as I take it from her hand.

Electricity arcs between us at the brief contact, sending a jolt straight to my core. Ava inhales sharply, her lips parting in surprise. I fight the urge to pull her close, to crush my mouth against hers and taste her sweetness.

"Thanks," I manage, my voice rougher than intended. "I trust your judgment."

"You shouldn't." The words are barely audible, but I catch them nonetheless.

"And why is that?" I lean in, invading her space, breathing in her scent of vanilla and old books.

She tilts her head back, her eyes darkening with an emotion I can't quite place. "Because you don't know me, Ryan. Not really."

"But I want to." The confession hangs between us, raw and honest. "I want to know everything about you, Ava."

Her breath hitches, her chest rising and falling rapidly. I can practically feel the heat radiating off her skin, the tension coiling tighter with each passing second.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she whispers, but there's a yearning in her tone that belies her words.

"Let me be the judge of that." I raise my hand, slowly, giving her time to pull away. When she doesn't, I brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, my knuckles grazing her cheek. "I'm willing to take the risk, if you are."

Ava's eyes flutter closed at my touch, a shaky exhale escaping her lips. I can sense her internal struggle, the warring desires within her. I know I should step back, give her space, but I'm captivated by the way she responds to me.

"Ryan..." My name falls from her lips like a prayer and a plea all at once.

"Tell me to stop, and I will." My thumb traces the delicate line of her jaw, marveling at the softness of her skin. "Just say the word, Ava."

Her eyes open, meeting mine with an intensity that steals my breath. In that moment, I know I'm lost. I'll gladly drown in the depths of her gaze, surrender to the fire she ignites within me.

The world narrows to just the two of us, poised on the brink of something dangerous and exhilarating. The air hums with possibility, and I can almost taste the sweetness of her lips, feel the curves of her body pressed against mine.

But the decision is hers. I'll only take what she's willing to give, even if it means walking away with nothing more than the memory of this moment.

So I wait, my heart pounding in my chest, as Ava weighs the consequences of giving in to the desire that burns between us.

Her decision will change everything.

Ava's lips part, a shaky exhale escaping as her tongue darts out to moisten them. My gaze is drawn to the movement, transfixed by the glossy sheen it leaves behind. I imagine capturing that lush mouth with my own, tasting her sweetness, drinking in her sighs of pleasure.

She sways closer, and I feel the heat of her body radiating through the scant space between us. It takes every ounce of my restraint not to haul her against me, to let my hands roam over her soft curves until she's trembling with need.

"Ryan, I..." Her voice wavers, uncertainty warring with longing in her eyes. "We shouldn't. This isn't...I'm not..."

I silence her protests with a gentle brush of my thumb over her plump lower lip. "Shh, it's okay. We don't have to do anything you're not ready for."

Even as the words leave my mouth, I know I'm teetering on the edge of my control. The primal, possessive part of me wants to lay claim to her, to brand her as mine until there's no doubt in her mind that she belongs with me.

But I won't push. I'll let Ava set the pace, even if it means enduring the sweetest kind of torture as I wait for her to decide what she wants.

Her teeth sink into her lip, worrying the tender flesh as she searches my face. I wonder what she sees there. Does she glimpse the hunger I'm barely keeping in check? The dark promise of pleasure I long to fulfill?

"Kiss me." The words are barely a whisper, but they ring out like a clarion call in the charged silence.

I don't hesitate. Cupping her face in my hands, I lower my mouth to hers, finally taking what I've craved since the moment I first laid eyes on her.

Her lips are soft and yielding beneath mine, parting on a gasp as I slant my mouth over hers. I lick into her, savoring her unique flavor—sweet with a hint of innocence that makes me want to corrupt her in the most delicious ways.

Ava melts against me, her curvy body molding to my harder planes as her arms wind around my neck. She meets me stroke for stroke, giving as good as she gets. It's intoxicating, the way she responds so passionately, so uninhibitedly. As if she's been waiting for this—for me.

A part of me knows we're moving too fast, that this is crazy, we just met, that we're hurtling towards something neither of us may be prepared for. But with Ava in my arms, her tongue tangling with mine as our kiss turns deeper, hungrier , I can't bring myself to care.

All I want is to lose myself in her, to make her mine in every way that matters. And from the needy little moans she's making, the way her nails bite into my shoulders, I'd say she wants the same.

It won't be gentle. It won't be sweet. But it will be unforgettable.

Suddenly, Ava pulls back, her chest heaving as she stares up at me with eyes clouded with desire. "Ryan... we need to stop."

"Why?" I growl, my voice raw with arousal. "We both know you want this." I take her hand and press it against my erection, making sure she can feel just how hard she makes me.

Ava gasps, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson, but she doesn't remove her hand. Instead, she digs her nails in slightly, as if she's as torn as I am.

In the end, however, she's the one with enough strength to break our connection. "Because...because I'm scared."

Scared? Of me? The thought sends a jolt of possessiveness through me. "You have nothing to be scared of, baby. I'd never hurt you."

Ava bites her lower lip, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. "I know...it's not that I'm scared of you... it's..."

"Then what?" I prod, my voice gentler now. I want to help her, to rid her of whatever ghosts are holding her back.

"I'm scared of myself," she whispers. "I've never felt this way about anyone before, and it's crazy cause it's too fast, I'm terrified of getting my heart broken again."

Wait…again?

I almost see red at the thought of another man touching her.

"Who broke your heart?" I bark out.

She jumps at my voice, and I work to lower my volume. "Who hurt you, sweetheart?"

She bites her lip before she shakes her head. "I mean, I guess it's silly. Although we called ourselves ‘boyfriend and girlfriend,' we never really did anything except kiss."

My shoulders relax only to tense back up again. She didn't do anything other than kiss, so I don't have to imagine another man inside her, but she did kiss, so now I have deal with the thought of another man's lips on her.

I can't quite contain the growl that rumbles up out of my chest at that thought.

Ava looks up at me with wide eyes, startled by the possessive sound emanating from deep within me. "Ryan?" she whispers uncertainly.

I take a deep breath, trying to rein in the jealousy swirling inside me at the thought of her with someone else, even if it was just kissing. I have no right to feel this way, but the primal part of me wants to erase any trace of another man's touch from her mind, her body.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, cupping her face gently. "I just...I don't like the thought of anyone hurting you. Of anyone else touching you."

Her breath hitches at my confession, her pupils dilating with renewed desire. "I've never been touched...not really. Not the way I want you to touch me."

Fuck . Her innocent admission nearly undoes me. I lean in, my lips brushing the shell of her ear as I whisper roughly, "Tell me how you want me to touch you, Ava. Tell me what you need."

She shivers, her hands fisting in my shirt. "I...I want your hands on me. Everywhere. I want you to make me forget everything except how you feel."

A low growl escapes me at her breathy plea. "I can do that, baby. I'll make you forget your own name by the time I'm done with you."

Ava whimpers, arching into me as if she can't get close enough. I slide my hand into her hair, tugging gently until she bares her throat to me. Trailing open-mouthed kisses along the slender column, I nip and suck at her fluttering pulse, marking her as mine.

"Ryan, please..." She's panting now, her hips undulating against my thigh, seeking friction.

"Please what? Use your words, sweet girl." I scrape my teeth over her collarbone, soothing the sting with my tongue.

"Touch me," she begs. "I need your hands on my skin. I need you."

Satisfaction hums through me at her wanton plea. "Then let's get you out of these clothes. I want to see all of you, touch all of you."

Ava nods frantically, already tugging at the hem of her sweater. Together, we strip her bare, until she's standing before me in nothing but a pair of pale pink panties.

My hungry gaze rakes over her curves, committing every dip and swell to memory. She's perfect, from her full, heavy breasts to the flare of her hips and the softness of her belly. I want to worship every inch of her until she understands just how exquisite she is.

"You're so fucking beautiful," I tell her reverently, skimming my hands up her sides. "I could look at you forever and never get tired of it."

Ava flushes under my heated gaze, a delicate pink blooming across her skin. She crosses her arms over her chest self-consciously, as if trying to hide from me.

"Don't," I command gently, taking her wrists and urging her arms back to her sides. "Don't hide from me. I want to see you, all of you."

She bites her lip but nods, allowing me to drink in the sight of her nearly nude body. My hands itch to explore, to map out every curve and valley, to commit her to memory with my touch.

I start at her shoulders, trailing my fingertips down her arms, feeling goosebumps rise in my wake. When I reach her hands, I lace our fingers together, squeezing gently.

"I'm going to make you feel so good, baby," I promise, my voice a husky rasp. "I'm going to touch you until you're trembling, until you're begging for more."

Ava whimpers, her head falling back as I lower my mouth to her neck again. I can't resist tasting her, dragging my tongue over her racing pulse before sucking lightly. She gasps, her fingers tightening around mine.

Releasing one of her hands, I skim my palm down her side, over the dip of her waist and the flare of her hip. Her skin is like satin, impossibly soft and smooth. I want to feel it against me with no barriers between us.

Hooking my fingers in the waistband of her panties, I glance up at her, silently asking for permission. Ava nods, her eyes dark with longing. Slowly, torturously, I drag the scrap of lace down her legs until she can step out of it.

And then she's bare before me. Completely exposed. Mine for the taking.

I have to clench my fists to keep from pouncing on her. She deserves to be savored, worshipped. And I intend to do just that.

Starting at her ankles, I run my hands up her calves, over her knees, along her plush thighs. Ava's breathing grows labored as I near the apex of her thighs, her arousal evident in the slickness coating her folds.

"Ryan," she pants, her hips canting forward. Seeking. Needing.

"I've got you," I assure her. "I'm going to take care of you."

With that vow, I part her glistening lips, groaning at the feel of her molten heat. She's so wet, practically dripping for me. I circle her clit with my thumb, reveling in the choked cry that tears from her throat.

"That's it, let me hear you," I encourage, increasing the pressure on her sensitive bud. "I want to hear every sound you make as I pleasure you."

Ava mewls, her hips bucking against my hand as I tease her entrance with my fingers. She's so tight, her body resisting the intrusion even as she tries to draw me deeper.

"Please," she begs, desperation lacing her tone. "I need...I need..."

"What do you need, baby? Tell me." I dip one finger inside her, just to the first knuckle, marveling at the way her inner muscles clench around me.

"More," Ava gasps. "I need more of you. All of you."

Satisfaction rumbles through me at her plea. Slowly, I ease my finger all the way inside her, groaning at the exquisite feel of her silken walls. She takes me to the hilt, her body welcoming me like I was made for her.

"Oh God," she whimpers, her nails digging into my shoulders. "Ryan..."

"That's it, take my finger. You're doing so well." I pump into her leisurely, letting her grow accustomed to the stretch before adding a second finger.

Ava tenses for a moment, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face before it melts into pure bliss. I scissor my fingers, gently stretching her, preparing her for what's to come.

All the while, I keep up the relentless pressure on her clit, circling and rubbing until she's writhing against me, lost to the pleasure I'm giving her. Her breathy moans and sighs are the sweetest music, urging me to drive her higher.

"I'm...I'm close," she pants, her hips moving frantically now. "Ryan, please...I need..."

"I know what you need." Curling my fingers, I find that spongy spot inside her, massaging ruthlessly. At the same time, I capture her nipple in my mouth, sucking hard as I flick the tip with my tongue.

Ava shrieks, her body going bowstring taut as her orgasm crashes over her. I feel her clenching around my fingers, a flood of wetness coating my hand as she comes apart for me.

I work her through it, easing my touch as the aftershocks roll through her. She collapses against me, her face buried in my neck as she struggles to catch her breath.

"That was...I've never..." She trails off, seeming at a loss for words.

I chuckle, pressing a kiss to her damp temple. "And we're just getting started, sweet girl."

Ava shivers at the promise in my words. When she pulls back to meet my gaze, her eyes are glassy with sated desire, but there's a fledgling hunger there too. She wants more, craves it.

And heaven knows I do too, but just then, we hear the tinkle of her shop bell ring.

Ava freezes and then scrambles to get dressed.

I'm inwardly cursing, my cock aching, yet strangely enough, I'm also sated. Just seeing her fall apart for me was more than enough for me.

She tries to smooth out her ruffled, just-had-her-first-orgasm hair before she hurries to the front of the store with a smile plastered on her face to greet the customer.

I readjust my aching cock and take my leave, but not before I shoot Ava a smoldering look that lets her know I'll be back, and very soon.

Ava Dawson is now mine .