Ava's Pleasure (Welcome to Paradise) (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Ava's soft little body pressed into Logan's, warming his heart. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

She sighed. "I have never been so happy and so sad at the same time."

Tell me about it.
He rested his chin on top of her head and breathed in her scent. "Do you want to talk about it?" Part of him wanted to run from this magnificent woman in his arms, while the other side, the part he'd shut off from everyone except Julie, wanted to tie Ava to his bed and never leave her.

"When my parents and Bobby died, I felt like I was being punished. I threw myself into school and work to get away from the pain."

"Did it work?"

"No. I tried to repent for what I'd done, but I didn't feel at peace." She ran a finger over his arm.

The absentminded gesture soothed him. His dick grew hard once again. Logan could never have enough of his sweet Ava. Discreetly, he adjusted his body to hide his erection. "Do you feel guilty about what we've done?"

"Some," she said.

Logan's heart hurt and sickness rolled in his gut. "Please don't." He grabbed her hand. "What is done between us should be celebrated, not condemned."

"I don't know about that," she scoffed.

Logan maneuvered Ava onto her back and kissed her with everything he had.
Please stay,
he screamed inside his head. He kissed her again to keep the words to himself.

* * * *

Ava ground her hips into Logan's hardness. Spikes of ecstasy stabbed at her center as her tongue tangled with his. If this were a sin, she would happily burn in hell. Her nails raked down his back, eliciting a moan from Logan. Ava tore her mouth from his. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No." He nipped her bottom lip. "I don't really understand what you do to me, but I want more."

Logan leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers. She dug her nails into his hard glutes. The phone rang in the background. He abruptly stopped kissing her, leaving Ava light headed and unsteady.

"Shit." He rolled off her then stalked to the door and pulled it open. "I have to get that."

She watched Logan leave, purred her contentment, and snuggled into bed. Maybe she could convince him to doing more than kissing. Excitement thumped through her. She let her eyelids flutter shut. If his lovemaking was anything like his
kisses,
she was in for a treat.

"I have to report back to base," Logan said as he reentered the room.

Ava opened her eyes and shivered as air-conditioned air chilled her overheated skin. Dread covered Ava and did nothing to lift the arctic freeze filling her heart.
It's happening again.

She willed herself to look at Logan. He made such a handsome picture in the doorway. She tried to memorize every nuance of his magnificent frame. "Why?"

He moved to her. "I can't tell you." He cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Ava turned away and sat up. She slid off the bed and walked over to her suitcase
. What have I done?
Ava lifted her bag and carried it back to the bed. "If the rug is going to be ripped from under me, I want to be dressed for the occasion."

Logan came up behind Ava and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Ava, I'm sorry."

She stuffed her raw emotions down into the cold, dark place where she locked them away. "I understand."

Ava knew in her heart she would never see him again. Just like she never saw her parents or Bobby again.

Every time she let her true desires out, someone she loved died.

Logan turned her and searched her face. A vein in his temple throbbed. "I don't think you do." He stepped back. "I'm calling Maggie to stay with you."

"You don't have to. I can be here by myself."

"No, you can't." He scrolled through the contacts on his phone.

"Julie stays here alone."

"Julie can take care of herself."

Hurt and rage bubbled up inside her. "And I can't?"

Logan pressed a button on his cell and turned away.

Ava had never experienced such intimacy before, and he'd just dismissed her like a piece of gum stuck on his shoe. Before she said something they both would regret, Ava turned and rummaged through the contents of her suitcase. She found a blue sundress and tossed it onto the bed.

Logan spun, and eyed the item on the bed. "Thanks, Maggie, I owe you one." His mouth tilted into a lopsided grin as he disconnected. He fingered the dress. "I think you could fulfill a few of my fantasies in that."

Ava's heart tripped and she shimmied into a pair of white cotton underpants and hooked a plain cotton bra. "Yeah right, I have the body of a twelve year old boy."

"You're just right." He ran a finger over her clavicle. "Soft in all the right places."

His gaze dipped to her bra, and he licked his lips. "God." Logan checked the digital clock behind her. "We need to get dressed. Maggie will be here any minute."

Ava tossed the lightweight material over her head and smoothed out the wrinkles. She watched as Logan dressed. His beige khakis and sand colored T-shirt hugged every hot inch of his body. His arms rippled and bulged when he zipped his zipper. She felt heat flare on her cheeks.

A sexy smile crossed his handsome face.

"Please be careful." She forced the words out around the basketball-sized lump in her throat.

Logan replied with a cheeky wink. "I was born careful."

Before she could beg him to stay, a knock sounded at the door.

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "You may want to fix your hair."

Ava reached up and felt the rat's nest on her head. "I must look awful."

"You look great." He pressed a chaste kiss on her lips then rushed to answer the door.

Doom and gloom settled in her heart. Ava reached for her brush and pulled it through the tangled mess and tried to tell herself that the sting in her eyes was just from the brush tearing through the knots caused by the afternoon's activities.

Logan walked back into the room. "Careful honey. You'll have no hair left if you keep that up."

How could he look so calm and in control? Didn't he know her heart was breaking into a million pieces? She placed the brush on the nightstand and forced herself to smile. "Sorry."

A look Ava couldn't read moved over his chiseled features. He stepped over to her and wrapped her in his strong arms. "I hope you found what you were looking for." Logan pressed his lips to hers, giving her the most tender kiss she had ever experienced. He leaned his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.

She stopped her arms from moving to his shoulders. "I did find what I was looking for."
I was looking for you, and you're going to leave me too.

Logan's beautiful blue eyes opened and bored into hers, his hands slipped from her waist, and he straightened.

She braced for whatever he had to say, but he just left the room.

The pain Ava held in erupted from somewhere deep inside her soul. She sunk onto the floor and buried her head into her knees. She would never see Logan again. She just knew it.

Ava wanted to call Nick and tell him she was on her way home, but just didn't have the strength to find her phone. Pulling her knees tighter to her chest, she let the tears flow.

A hand touched her shoulder, and a gentle female voice wafted through Ava's grief. She wanted to tell the other woman to leave her alone, but she had a feeling Maggie wouldn't listen.

Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?
She leaned into the other woman.

After crying her eyes dry, Ava willed herself away from the warm comfort Maggie gave and stood. "I need to pack."

Maggie pushed to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"Home." Ava shoved what little she had out back into her suitcase.

"If that's what you want."

It wasn't, goddamn it. She needed to feel Logan's hard body on hers, inside her. She wanted to come apart in his arms over and over again.

Ava tossed her hairbrush violently hitting the wall and leaving a small dent. "Damn it." She collapsed onto the bed.

Maggie sat once again next to her. "I want to tell you something."

She swiped at her cheeks. "What?"

"In all the years I've worked downstairs, I have
never
seen Logan lose control like he did last night."

She must have had a skeptical look on her face, because Maggie went on.

"I have seen him do a lot of things in the club, but I have never seen him lose it like he did when you walked in." Maggie stood and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Ava to ponder the new information.

Chapter Eight

Logan
pulled his large, black Harley in front of
Paradise
. A small red Toyota Corolla had replaced Julie's lipstick red Mustang convertible. "What the hell?" Logan parked, anticipation and dread drummed through his body. It had been over three months since he was last able to contact home, and he wondered if something had happened to Julie's prized possession.

He turned off his bike, removed his helmet, then swung a jean-clad leg over the impressive machine. His body screamed in protest. Logan needed… What? Sex? No, he
needed
Ava.

He shook the thought from his head.
She has to have gone back home by now.
Logan tried not to think of the guilt and hurt on Ava's beautiful face. The tears shimmering in her sexy green eyes almost had him going AWOL.

This mission beat the shit out of him and his team. He needed to release the pent up aggression, anger, and desire that an assignment like that caused.

The enemy almost won this round. His head pounded from the weeklong debriefing and the two day trip back home.

"I need a drink," he muttered as he unlocked the back door then started up the stairs only to stop short.

"For cripes sakes, Nick. Hurry up, you're going to miss your plane."

Ava's annoyed voice washed over Logan from the slightly opened door. The sound of her helped settle some of his unease.

"You're the one who wanted to go out for breakfast," an agitated male voice said.

Logan's heart all but stopped in his chest. The thought of
his
Ava going out to breakfast with another man had his killer instinct coming to full alert.

"If you didn't flirt with every woman over the age of consent, we would have been back an hour ago."

"Give a guy a break. You come home three months ago all sad and depressed, eating ice cream like it was crack cocaine. Then, one night you have a dream and you're moving to Miami. A man needs some R and R after all that."

"Well every girl is entitled to an epiphany at least once in her life."

Logan bit the inside of his check to keep from laughing.

"Next time do it on your own," the man teased.

"Oh, please. You knew it was coming. You're the one who told your college buddy about me and got me a job interview at the homeless shelter."

"I just told him about your work with at risk kids."

Logan could almost hear Ava's eyes roll.

"Let's get you home so you can get the R and R you need."

Muffled chuckles wafted down the stairs.

"Stop hugging me," Ava said.

"I've earned at least a hug."

"For what?"

"Are you kidding? I've spent the better part of a week with you in that little car, driving your ass down here so you can start your new life. I have been without a woman's touch for over a week."

"Oh, poor baby."

Relief poured into Logan as he remembered Ava had a friend named Nick.

"I wanted to drive straight through, but
you
insisted on stopping every night and getting a hotel." Ava's annoyed voice became louder.

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to sleep while folded like a pretzel, shorty," Nick said

"Oh, shut up!" Ava opened the door wider. "Let's go."

Logan was too busy chuckling at the exchange to brace himself. Ava came barreling down the stairs.

"Umph!" All the air left his lungs as she bumped into his muscled chest. He wrapped his arms around Ava's small waist, pulled her to him, and inhaled her sent.

Finally, he had Ava in his arms, right where he needed her. His blood fired, fraying his already raw emotions.

She smiled up at him. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Her body flashed hot against his. He watched Nick come up behind them. The array of emotions playing over the other man's face was comical. Nick went from a look of aggravation, to protectiveness, to weariness, and finally acceptance all in a blink of an eye.

"It looks like I'm finding a cab," Nick said.

Ava stepped out of his arms and turned. "No, I'll drive you."

Logan cleared his throat and sent the other man an imploring look.

Nick held out his hand and smiled. "You must be Logan."

"I am." Logan shook his hand.

"Nick, nice to meet you."

In that one handshake both men conveyed what they wanted. Nick's hard shake said, "take care of her, and if you hurt her, I'll kill you" and Logan's firm grip said, "I understand and get the hell out of here".

Nick released Logan's hand and tugged Ava into a friendly hug. "You have things you need to deal with here. I'll find a cab."

"But—"

Logan pulled Ava into his arms. "Let the man find a cab."

Nick squeezed around them and opened the door. "I'll call you when I'm home."

"Okay. If you're sure," she said. "Oh, Nick." Ava leaned into Logan, her nipples puckering into hard nubs and pressing into his chest.

Nick stopped and turned. "What?"

"Don't forget you suitcase is in my car."

Logan wanted to smack the smile off Nick's pretty boy face.

"I won't. I'll see you in a few weeks, honey."

She ran her small hands up Logan's back. "Okay."

Logan drank in the feel of Ava against him. He cupped her chin, turning it up to look at him. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. What are you doing here?"

She flushed and maneuvered out of his arms. "I've decided to move to Miami."

Happiness engulfed him. Logan shifted onto the balls of his feet, and shoved his hands in his pockets. Every muscle in his body wanted to hold her again and keep Ava with him, where she belonged.

Over the last three months he'd come to realize she was the only woman for him. They were destined to be together. Logan had spent his life unknowingly searching for a place to call home.

It took him a long time to figure out that it wasn't a place, but a person. He loved Julie like a sister, but Ava was his home and he wanted her in his life forever. He hoped she felt the same way.

"Where do you belong?" He braced himself for the worst and hoped for the best.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "How long will you be home?"

Shit this isn't good.
Whatever the answer was, he needed to hear it. "A few weeks at the very least."

Her arms fell to her sides and Ava's eyes brightened. She made a noncommittal sound.

Fuck.
She's not going to tell him what he longed to hear. He scrubbed his hands over his face and noticed what Ava wore for the first time.

"Wow! You look different." His hands itched to rip off the jean shorts and tank top hugging every sexy curve. He ran a hand through her hair. "You never answered my question. Where do you belong?"

Ava let out a breath. "I've spent the last three months figuring out what I wanted out of life and I needed to learn about the psychology of the club. So I came down to see if Julie and Maggie could show me the ropes."

The thought of someone besides him tying Ava in hemp rope drove him crazy. "What did you say?"

"Oh, crap." She swiped a tear from her eye. "What I'm trying to say is. I belong here, with you."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He took her into his arms and lifted her. Logan walked up the remaining stairs into the apartment. "Where's Julie?"

Confusion strained her beautiful features. "She has an appointment and said she won't be back until this evening."

Logan made his way to the bedroom. Her scent wrapped around him, hugging him. "You've been staying in my bed?"

"Aunt Julie said it would be okay." She nuzzled his neck. "I missed you."

Ava in his bed, night after night, had fresh desire pulsing to his dick. He placed her on the bed. "You were all I thought about while I was gone." It was true. For the first time since he enlisted in the Navy, a woman occupied every thought. It almost got him killed.

Fresh tears welled in her beautiful eyes. She wrung her hands. "You awakened needs in me I didn't know existed."

Logan gripped her hands and looked down at her. "I'm sorry."

She smiled. "When I told Aunt Julie about our time together, she gave me the support I required. She told me about the first time you two met."

He couldn't keep the grin from spreading over his face. "Julie told you about the BDSM classes we took?" He wished he had been a fly on the wall for that conversation. Logan would've loved to see Julie explain the more aggressive parts of the lifestyle to Ava.

"Yes. She also told me, even though you like to be in charge, you don't enjoy the hard core Dom or submissive roles. You want a partner both in and out of bed that would be your true equal."

"I'm glad you had Julie." He tucked a stray hair behind Ava's ear. "So, I hear you have a job."

She beamed. "I finally put my education to use. I got a job as a social worker at a homeless shelter working with teens, and when I can, I'll work in the club helping Maggie at the bar."

Logan pushed Ava back on the bed. If Julie truly told her all she needed to know about him. She would understand his next move.

"I have needs." He stretched over her pressing her into the mattress. "I can be demanding and rough."

"I know." She moved her hips under him. "I can't wait."

God.
Logan's dick was going to break. "I want you—now. Take off those sexy shorts and that fucking hot shirt." He rolled to the side of the bed, opened the nightstand drawer and found a condom. He hoped she was as hot for him as he was for her. Logan didn't think he had enough restraint for foreplay.

She shimmied out of her clothes. "What do you want me to do?"

Lust filled him from head to toe. He ripped off his t-shirt and jeans. "Get on your hands and knees."

* * * *

Hot, wet heat coiled in her core. She thrust her bottom up in invitation. The desire to please Logan pulled at her heart. "Am I doing this right?"

"You're amazing." He grabbed her hips and ran a hand over her pussy. "You're soaked."

Logan's words seemed to cascade over Ava, leaving her with a warm feeling. "I've been waiting for this," she said.

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. Every day since Logan left, she had fantasized about this moment. Ava didn't want soft kisses and nice words, she wanted Logan to be himself with her. If she had anything to say about it, they would have plenty of time for romance later.

Logan rolled the condom over his fat shaft.

A ripple of unease skidded down her spine. "I think you got bigger." She hoped her untrained body could accommodate his size. "Honey, I've been waiting for
you
for a long time." His chest heaved and he thrust into her.

One long exquisite sensation started at Ava's toes, spreading throughout her, before settling where their bodies met. He overfilled her. Joy and love overwhelmed Ava's senses. Her pussy burned with his invasion and she loved it. No other man could fill her so completely.

Logan stopped. "Fuck, you're tight."

Her tender tissues stretched, trying to accommodate his size. She wiggled, inviting him to move and soothe the ache inside her. Logan pushed all the way in, a scream of ecstasy and pain tore from Ava's throat, setting her spirit free. She forced herself to take all of him.

Ava's heart swelled with emotion and drummed hard in her chest. She loved this man, and when their bodies were one, she felt complete. Her pussy clenched. "Please," she begged and pushed back, impaling herself on him.

* * * *

He groaned and thrust into her. Ava's sounds of rapture drove him to the brink. "Come for me, honey," he demanded. Logan swiveled his hips to make sure he hit her G-spot.

She moaned and her pussy spasmed hard around his cock.

"That's it." He wouldn't last long. White heat pulled at his balls. Logan drove hard one last time before he exploded. His chest burned as a guttural cry erupted from him.

He pulled Ava close and they both tumbled onto the bed. "Did I hurt you, honey."

She snuggled into him. "Some—but I liked it."

Logan studied her and saw his future in the depths of her emerald colored eyes. He settled next to Ava and pulled her to his side.

She yawned and nestled into him. "That was amazing." Ava yawned again. "Oh, sorry."

Logan wasn't tired in the least. Already he wanted Ava again, but by the sleepy tilt to her eyes, it was too much, too soon. Logan slid the condom from his still stiff cock and dropped it in the trashcan next to the bed. Running a hand through Ava's hair, he smoothed down those wild curls he loved so much. "Go to sleep."

He pressed his lips to hers. Logan packed the kiss with all the desire and love he felt.

Logan yearned for her to know he loved her, but he didn't know how to say it. He had never loved a woman like he loved the one falling asleep in his arms.

An hour later, Logan heard the front door open. Julie must be home. He had some things he wanted to talk to Julie about before Ava woke. He slid out of bed, and carefully pulled on his jeans.

The sound of his zipper seemed to reverberate throughout the space. He watched Ava's eyelids flutter and she tugged on the sheet. Logan cringed, and quickly slipped out of the room.

He moved down the hall. "Hey," he said in a whisper.

Julie slammed the refrigerator door. "Jesus Christ. You scared the shit out of me."

"Shh, Ava's sleeping." He took a few steps toward her.

"Sorry." She walked over and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're back."

"Me too." Logan grabbed Julie's hand and led her to the sofa. "Do you have time to talk?"

She glanced at her watch and sat. "Yeah, I have a little while before I have to be downstairs."

Logan tamped down the unexpected unease washing over him and took a seat on the large overstuffed chair across from Julie. "I want to know how you feel about Ava and me?"

"Well, that depends." She smiled. "What are your long term plans?"

Logan chuckled. When it came to the people Julie loved, she was like a pit bull. It felt weird being on the receiving end of her inquiry. "Are you asking me what my intentions are with your niece?"