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To my burnout, you almost won, but not this round.
Sometimes you have to grab life by the neck and choke it real good.
Then she told me about a guy she was seeing who brought her an annotated book every time they hooked up.
What impresses you, Avery? Because I would do it in an instant, over and over.
“I promise, next time you’re wet around me, I’ll make sure it’s because of something you’ll enjoy.”
Avery’s laugh joins mine, and it’s a sound I want to replay endlessly.
Would she be this receptive to other lessons I want to teach her?
“Now that’s very distracting—” “Do you always have something to say?” she breathes, not pulling away from me. Kiss her, you fool! “Only when you’re so keen on talking back.” I stretch the moment between us like hot taffy. “Oh, just kiss me, Navarro.” This is either going to be the best or worst decision I make in my life but I don’t falter.
“I can show you quite a few uses for my ties that I know you would enjoy.”
Instead of responding with the truth—you’re brilliant, gorgeous, delightfully headstrong, and my list of nice things I think about you is ever growing—I keep my answer ambiguous.
“I would like to renegotiate the terms of our agreement.” “No.” “Yes.” Avery drops what she’s doing, plants her hands on her hips, and turns to face me. “What do you want, Navarro?” You. “If my group wins trivia,” I offer, “I get to kiss you again.”
That’s my girl.
“If my clothes bother you so much, all you have to do is ask, and I’ll let you take them off me.”
“Let’s get one thing straight.” His voice spills into me. “When I kiss you again, you’ll remember every single fucking second of it.” I gasp, but he continues, his free hand steadying me. “I promise that each one of your moans, your breaths, will pour out of you willingly. Because I know you want me as much as I need you.”
But it’s time to let go. Let go of the shattering temper within me and the misguided belief about my own happiness.
Upon closer inspection, it’s not just any espresso machine but the state-of-the-art Grinder 9000. This monstrosity has a ten-month-long waiting list and a price tag that could pay a year’s rent on a house in my hometown. The machine has unlimited syrup attachments and is able to concoct over twenty espresso drinks with a multitude of flavors. I want to scream with glee.
“I wasn’t sure which one you liked the most, so I bought them all,” Luca replies. I gasp. Which flavor I like the most? He bought. Every. Flavor?
Who’s this gorgeous man smiling and winking at me? What has he done to the pain in the ass I’ve grown accustomed to?
Luca presses the mug to his lips and sips. His bottomless dark gaze flashes at me with intent, and I watch, my jaw slacking in expectation. “For you.” He hands me the mug. “Hey!” I squirm and scrunch up my face. “I thought that was for me.” But I do sort of, kind of want to taste him. “It’s just a sip.” My arms fold in front of me. I want my own luscious coffee! “Besides, I wanted a taste of what you were about to taste like.” That does it. I am entirely speechless. Is he reading my mind?
The joyful look on her face when she saw that absurd coffee machine is permanently ingrained in my memory. It was worth every cent.
I wasn’t able to justify the fifty thousand dollars as an office improvement expense, so I just bought it with my own paycheck.
Avery could ask me to roast coffee beans by hand, and I would simply ...
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A cascading fluorescent glow illuminates Avery’s beautiful face. The hazel of her eyes leans toward brown today, and I love how the colors change slightly each time I stare into them. Her lavender summer dress makes her look like she’s being hugged by the sunset. The small size of her shoulders makes me want to pull her underneath my arm.
Truly, the way Joanna got under my own skin makes me understand how Avery could feel such fury with her. I have yet to receive the full picture of what was said, but her words and disappointment only confirm what I already presumed. Joanna hurt Avery. I’m going to make sure no one disrespects her ever again.
Her gaze meets mine, and I break into a smile, which she returns at once. This smile is my favorite look of hers—well, besides all that eye rolling, the stares, the curious curl of her brows. Who am I kidding? Her looks have always been and always will be my fucking favorite.
I’ve been enjoying making her sweet lattes for our daily meetings.
“Are you trying to trick me into a date?” Her hazel eyes are a deep green today, and they meet me in a dare. Yes, for the past three months. “If that’s what you want, then just say so.” She rolls her eyes, but her expression sets into a delicate smile. “Let’s go.”
“I didn’t know you could speak Spanish,” I say. “If by ‘speak’ you mean I can say the most elementary phrases?” she taunts. “Agua and una cerveza were some of the first lessons in Spanish basics.” The clumsy pronunciations rolling off her tongue flood my heart with warmth. My parents would love her for trying. “Any particular reason you’ve been learning Spanish recently?” Avery turns to me, a wicked look in her eyes. “Figured I can learn how to tease you in more than one language.” My lips curve up. I’m glad she’s learning. “We’ll have to see how good of a student you’ve been later.” My heart
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“How many more examples will it take for you to realize I remember everything about you?” he says. My heartbeat quickens. “Every ordinary and extraordinary piece of you, Avery, has a home within me.”
Holding onto him is like wrapping your hands around a steaming cup of coffee first thing in the morning. There is a comfort to it that is truly irreplaceable.
“I’m sorry to break it to you, but I guess you’re not as athletic as you were in your mascot days, cariño.” I can’t help but smile at the nickname. Darling. His cariño.
“I don’t know how to navigate something serious.” His eyes scan my face. “Then, for now, let’s just pretend this is one of our games.” “I thought you wanted to stop?” “The only thing I truly want is you,” he says. I sit here, simply staring at him. The rain is barely falling now. “I need to kiss you again, Avery.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he whispers.
“Will you ever stop trying to fight me?” “I doubt it,” I admit. He smiles. “Good.” “I’ve been quite harsh at times, haven’t I?” I hide in his chest. “If I can put it behind me, so can you, Ave.” “Alright, let’s call it water under the bridge.”
“Let’s get some ice on this ankle.” He begins walking, tucking me closer to him. “I live on Sixty-Fifth Street and—” “Did you forget I’ve taken care of you once before?” I rattle my brain for the memory. “Wait, so you knew I lived over sixty blocks away?” He nods, causing me to blush. “I would walk all of New York with you, Ave.” That dark stare digs into me once more before he raises his brow. “Now, we can finally discuss why you live above a bodega.” “So I never run out of snacks.”
I lean down and whisper into her neck. “I think I’ve learned to dislike my suits as much as you do.” “Why?” Her voice returns to that precious taunting sound. I guide my hands to her waist. “It’s one of the things getting in the way of me making you mine.” She smiles in response. “That can be easily rectified.” Who am I kidding? I am a selfish man.
Finally, I reach her mouth and look down at my goddess drenched from the thundering summer rain. “Avery, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Such a good girl you are, when you actually listen to me.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Lift your hips, my gorgeous girl.”
I turn to place my attempt at horchata on the kitchen island. Luca is engrossed between the pages of one of the romance novellas Lily keeps stacked on the counter, his grin peeking from behind the sexy cover of a muscular man holding a wrench. The title spells out The Loose Screw. I really hope he’s not reading one of the intricate sex scenes that Lily described to me only a few days ago. He notices me watching him and lets out a chuckle. “I should take this home with me. It has some very creative uses for a showerhead I’ll need to test out.”
I know with every molecule of my being that I can ask Luca to rearrange the ground beneath my feet and he wouldn’t hesitate to do it. So I don’t hesitate to tell him the truth.
“I like it when you misbehave,” I say, carrying her out of the closet and into the bedroom. “But I’m going to truly love making you obey.”
My fucking perfect goddess.
A merciless taunt takes her voice. “Can you not fuck me without one of those ridiculous ties?” “I can fuck you every way you like, Avery.” I make my way over to the bed, towering over her as she lies before me, shamelessly naked and on display. “Besides, we both know this is much more than a fuck, Avery.” Her cheeks flush. I delight in the blush I bring to her skin. “What if that’s all I want?” she teases. “Too bad.” I smile, and she mirrors my playful grin.
“Now that I’ve tasted you, Avery, eres mía.”
My gorgeous woman is splayed out before me, needy and at my mercy.
His glazed eyes return to mine. “Say my name, Ave. I love it when you say my name.” “Luca,” I moan. “Just like that.” His voice rumbles through me.
“Harder.” I wince as Luca fills the depth of me again and again. “I should’ve known you’d be as demanding when I fucked you.” Luca pinches my bottom lip with his teeth. “You were quite needy when you rode my face.” The words heat my cheeks. “And I should’ve known you wouldn’t be able to shut up.” “You want it, cariño.” He smiles. “I can see how fucking wild it makes you knowing I’m obsessed with your pussy.” I do want it.
