She groaned and covered her face with her hands. Ava wanted to strangle Davis in that moment. A kernel of shame filled her at how cowardly she’d acted. “You were the first guy I’d ever felt so comfortable with and liked so much. I’d had crushes before, but you were different. I felt so at ease with you. When you didn’t call, I didn’t want to deal with the disappointment head-on. All this time… I bet it was Davis. He wasn’t very responsible in college, especially when he had a boyfriend.” She knew her brother’s brains were routinely in his pants when he had a new lover. She didn’t want to think about the other reason she’d considered Brice hadn’t gone after her.
“Look, you know where I stand now. I want you. You want me. The only thing that’s standing in our way is you. And I won’t let you ignore your needs. So I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, and when you decided you want to take a ride on my so-hard-I-could-hammer-nails dick, then you know where to find me.”
She shook her head. She had to think things over, see how she felt about this new information, and figure out if in fact this could work like he seemed to think it would.
Four days was not weeks or months. She opened her mouth to tell him this, but he stopped her with a raised hand.
“I’m just telling you how I feel. I want to be honest with you, get things out in the open. Also I owe you a spanking for not telling me you were safe or when you’d get home. Come on. You can show me your finds.” He held out his hand to her; she accepted and let him guide her over to the couch with her bag of comics in tow. “I haven’t been in ages, and I’ve missed a couple issues of
Batman
.”
She placed her bag between them as they settled on the couch. He oohed and awed at all the right moments and commented on each issue. Brice picked the books up and flipped through them with care. “You need to get extras so you can read one and keep one in pristine condition. Comic books are an investment, after all. Do you have storage bins?”
Her inner geek girl purred under this appreciation of a usually discarded form of literature. “I need to get a new one for here. I plan on going back to Orlando at the end of the month. Your schedule is jam-packed, so there’s no actual time to do anything but shop for the basics and get you to the places you need to go.”
“We’ll make time.”
As they sat together on the couch, she took a moment to study him. He hadn’t been drinking alcohol; nothing but organic went into his body. Brice had even stepped up his workout routine: going for a swim when he got up and using the complex gym. If he kept this up, he would definitely help get his team into the play-offs. But only if he didn’t get distracted.
Sex with him wouldn’t be bad—not in the least—but would he enjoy some of her desires in the bedroom? Spanking was one thing; what about all the other stuff? She wasn’t sure. He seemed so open and out there, and God knew it had been a long time since she’d felt wanted and desired. It’d be nice to have a partner who wasn’t so close-minded and actually needed and yearned for her.
She licked her lips and decided to take a shot. To be as honest as him. “Brice?”
He put down a graphic novel and looked up at her. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“I do—am attracted to you,” she confessed. “And it’s sexually frustrating listening to you at night.”
Brice took her hands and gave them a squeeze, but he said nothing.
She pressed on before she lost her courage. “I’m… I’ve read about bondage. Would that be something you’re interested in?”
Her heart hammered against her rib cage. She tried to ignore how damp her palms had become. Sweat beaded on her brow and upper lip as the seconds ticked by, stretching out like elastic. She waited for it to come back and smack her hard. Her face tingled with heat.
I should’ve known, should’ve learned from Perry
. Tears formed in her eyes. She looked down; he still held her hand, hadn’t let go. Ava tried to pull away. She was a freak and knew it; his silence confirmed it.
“Ava, look at me,” Brice commanded, voice low, hard, direct.
She met his gaze, waiting to see the disgust she’d seen so many times in Perry’s eyes.
“Why do you want to do bondage?”
There was nothing but static in her head before she answered. “I want to give up control, to trust someone, to know I’m being taken care of and my needs, my desires are being accepted. I want to be able to fall and let someone catch me. I want to know what it’s like to be… I’ve always wanted to…” She struggled to find the words and make him understand.
Ava licked her lips and tried again. “The idea always fascinated me. To allow someone to tie me down, take away my sight, and I have to trust them,
completely
. If I can find someone who will take care of me, fulfill my sexual needs, that would be…”
He reached out and cupped her cheek. He gave her nod. “Go on.”
She inhaled, then went on before she lost her nerve. Some of the fear faded away, but some still remained, bringing up images of Perry’s disgusted expression and cruel, twisted lips. “I like the pleasure I get from the idea of pleasing someone else and the praise I would receive from following orders or a command.” She knew she was wading into unfamiliar territory but couldn’t stop herself now. “Most people would be disgusted or think it childish, that I should’ve left that behind when I was a kid. But the reward I could get, the fulfillment I’d receive from pleasing my partner, who’s told me his desires and I’ve carried them out… I want to feel that.”
An ache filled her chest, followed by a yearning so strong it took her breath away. She prayed Brice understood, that he got her. Rather than ask if he comprehended what she was saying, she looked toward the TV screen. The hockey game blurred, and her tears slipped over her cheeks until they dried up. She didn’t bother to hide them. He’d already seen them. Brice’s hand hadn’t moved from her cheek. His thumb stroked the last tracks of wetness before he turned her head toward him.
“Honey, I understand. I get a rush out of giving my lover pleasure, knowing only I can give it to her, that she trusts me when I tie her down and cover her eyes. It makes me hard just thinking of you bound to my bed, legs wet, pussy slick, and your body primed for what I have to offer you. That I’ve found someone who shares my desires in the bedroom, it’s just… I’m in awe. It’s not just the power of being in control that I get off on. It’s the intimacy, the sharing, the ability to give my lover what she needs and for her to trust me with not only her body but her safety. I haven’t had that in a long time. You honor me, honey.” He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I promise I won’t betray that trust.”
She snuggled in next to him and allowed him to hold her. He wrapped both arms around her and hugged her to him. Exhaustion tugged at her eyes. She wasn’t completely open to a sexual relationship with Brice just yet. They had to work on more communication and establishing a nonsexual aspect to their interactions. For now she would accept comfort from him and think on how to proceed. She wasn’t averse to falling into bed with him, just being cautious and aware of their situation.
“You rest. I’ll finish watching this, and then you and I will go to bed.” He kissed her temple and settled down to watch more hockey games, taking notes as he went.
She didn’t protest when he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. “Have to shower and change into nightclothes,” she grumbled but was too tired to go upstairs after all the walking she’d done. Her jeans felt tight and molded to her legs, her feet pulsed with pain from all the walking, and she was emotionally empty. She’d never told Perry why she’d needed to be bound or any of the other things in the bedroom. He wouldn’t have understood, but Brice did. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and her body could relax and unwind fully.
A gentle worry blipped in the back of her head.
What will happen when this was over? Can I truly trust him with my heart?
She tried to push that last thought away. For once the sex-starved nymph remained silent.
He pressed a kiss on her forehead and laid her down. “There’s always morning, honey. We’ll talk more.”
As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light, not even protesting when he pulled off her shoes, socks, and jeans and tucked her in.
Chapter Seven
Brice gathered the comic books, cleaned the couch, and turned off the TV before he crawled into bed. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as he molded his body to hers. This was heaven, complete and total peace. He could picture spending nights just like this after games. They could go out to dinner, catch a movie, or just cuddle up in the hotel room before curfew and order pay-per-view and room service. He doubted Coach would go for it, but it was nice to think about. She would be a welcome sight after a long time away from home.
He pressed a kiss to the back of her head and inhaled that sweet, soothing vanilla scent. He wondered what she’d spoken to her father about. Him maybe? If they had, it might account for her desire to be open and honest with him. He hoped her father hadn’t encouraged her to stay away from him, although if he had warned her off, Ava wasn’t taking his advice. Brice was happy they had cleared the air. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to risk getting hurt, but at the same time, he wondered if her ex had anything to do with her refusal to just dive in and explore their attraction. Brice wanted more than just sex—that much he knew—and all he could do in the situation was keep telling her that he was serious.
He snuggled into her warmth. It felt right having her in his arms. When this babysitting period ended, he didn’t want to let her go, but how to convince her? That was the question.
He had a new sense of direction and a hunger. Brice wasn’t going through the motions anymore. Watching old footage had shown him just how badly he’d played these last few months. What a selfish bastard he’d been. He couldn’t believe anyone on the team hadn’t tried to kill him, although would he have noticed their hostility toward him? Probably not.
His head had been so swathed with his own issues he wouldn’t have taken account of any change in the air. He wasn’t lonely or aching, and now he knew why she’d never called him.
Brice ignored the throb in his cock. When he wasn’t thinking about hockey and the upcoming game, his mind wandered to Ava and all the things he wanted to do with her. They’d spent nearly ninety-six hours together, and he didn’t mind one bit. She fit like a glove. He was sure his parents would love her. That’s if they could stay in town long enough to meet her and not just fly in for charity and social events.
He knew his parents loved him and his siblings, but sometimes their absences made him feel as if he had been abandoned. Brice had turned to hockey to fill in the gap. It hurt to see how close Davis was with his parents. James and Josie had always treated Brice like family, but it wasn’t the same. There was still a hole inside his heart. Now that he had Ava back in his life, some of that pain had faded.
When the loneliness and issues started, he hadn’t turned to his brothers or his teammates. He’d wanted to deal with it on his own. Now the team thought he needed a babysitter to keep his libido and alcohol consumption in check. He flexed his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her nape. Fate had been kind to him; she’d brought back Ava in his life. For that he could be grateful. As his eyelids slid closed, he wished it was after the game and they were celebrating a win.
* * * *
His alarm blared to life. He groaned and yawned. It was too fucking early. Enveloped in comfort and warmth, he tried to ignore it, but the blasted thing kept beeping. He opened one eye and looked over to the window. Dawn had barely made a dent in the inky-blue din. Thin streams of gold, orange, and red hung low in the atmosphere, making way for day. With a sigh, Brice slipped out of bed and stretched before he opened the curtains fully. He got dressed in sweats and headed down to the pool for a few laps and then to hit the gym. He loved being so alone and able to work out in peace. The other thing he loved: waking up with Ava in his arms. She hadn’t even stirred when he got out of bed. Her features had been so peaceful and relaxed, open and beautiful, the makeup worn away. She wouldn’t like that some of her eyeliner and lip gloss had been smeared on the pillow, but he didn’t care. He preferred her with very little to no makeup at all, like she’d been in college. Ava was a natural beauty.
As he did laps, he turned over his current situation. His hockey game was improving and would only get better—that was good—but sleeping alone left him horny and frustrated. Sure, that could be used in the game, but he doubted he could function with so much sexual frustration swirling within him. He and Ava had been open and honest with each other, and now he wanted to act on it. She trusted him enough to tell him her needs in the bedroom, but he couldn’t ignore the annoyance he felt that she couldn’t give him even a little bit of room in her heart.
Tonight he was determined to get her to finally give in to at least one of her needs. Maybe spank her but no sex. As much as he wanted to, when he finally sank his throbbing cock into her tight, hot, wet pussy and fucked them both stupid, there would be no reason to deny their attraction. He could balance both hockey and seducing her. There were no problems so far, and Alexi was on board with her being in his life, but Brice needed to talk to her father and the rest of the team, see how they felt about the notion and make them understand this wasn’t a fling. He was serious about her.
He did the last lap and got out of the pool. He dried off and put on sweatpants and a T-shirt and stuck earbuds into his ears and headed for the gym. Another hour down, which he ended with yoga before he jogged back upstairs to his apartment. He still wasn’t sure how he could convince Ava to go along with his idea of trying to take off some of their sexual needs with a little mutual masturbation.
The scents of scrambled eggs and bacon wafted toward him when he entered the door. His stomach rumbled. A plate was already set up for him, with a basket of croissants placed in the middle of the table. She turned toward him, annoyance on her face. “You could’ve woken me. I need to get some exercise done. I’m starting to feel lazy.”