“You’ve got three minutes,” I breathed out, then laughed when he sprang into action by lifting me, throwing me on the bed, then tearing my jeans down.
With them trapped at my ankles by my boots, Avery held my legs high as he lined himself up.
His eyes cut up to mine from under his brows. “Three minutes?”
“Two and a half.” I giggled, then gasped when he shoved in with determination to make this the fastest quickie known to man.
I gripped the edge of the mattress and held on as Avery fucked me hard and fast. I wasn’t going to finish this round but watching him throw his head back and bite down on his lower lip gave me a rush that couldn’t be replicated. Bringing a man to the brink of pleasure with my body was a powerful part of being a woman. Sending him over the edge fueled the addiction that ruled my libido.
Avery’s pace faltered and his heavy panting filled the darkened space. “Jesus Christ, Hells.” The tortured whisper gave way to a guttural groan and two sharp thrusts.
I circled my hips while he arched his back and buried himself as deep in me as possible. After coming with a violent shudder, he remained frozen in place—his chest rapidly rising and falling the only movement in the room.
“Holy fuck that was intense.”
I laughed, then slapped his thigh. “If only we had more time. Now, out you get. I’ve got to get back to the compound.”
Avery pressed a hand to my stomach to stop me from wriggling. “Compound? What compound?”
“I’ve said too much already. Move your ass.”
He hissed a curse and released his biting grip on my legs. While cupping his cock to catch the cum glistening at the end, he waited for me to pull my underwear and jeans into place, then stepped in to kiss me.
“I don’t love you,” he murmured huskily.
I snickered against his mouth. “And I don’t love you too.”
That was how we used to say goodbye. Saying “I love you” changed things. It created vulnerability where Avery and I couldn’t afford any. Those three little words resulted in something greater to lose than just the loose, yet complicated, strings we willingly wove around ourselves.
Without knowing exactly when it happened all those years ago, Avery had become my safety net. My dependable rock. He was the only person I allowed to be more than just sex, and that was a big deal.
I kissed him one last time, then strode for the exit. “Catch ya ‘round, Montgomery.”
“I meant what I said, Hells: make sure you call me!” he called to my retreating back.
I laughed over my shoulder. “You took more than a year and a half to find me, Ayve, so it’s only fair I return the favor.”
“That’s because you’re a fuckingenigma!”
The wordenigmawas playfully shouted as I closed the door on his apartment. I laughed to myself knowing that I’d left him cupping his dick, satisfied, and wearing nothing but a shit-eating grin.
The drive back to the compound was quick given the time of morning. I slowed at the large, menacing security gates and pulled up at the retina scanner. Once I’d jumped through all the security hoops and gained access to the compound, I drove in, parked, and made my way down to the second lower level where my room was.
Only Mac and I shared this level permanently, while Jade, Lexa, and Tiff had rooms here if they needed them. Predominantly being just me and Mac in residence, I wasn’t surprised to see her door already ajar.
I knocked lightly and stuck my head into her room. “Hey.”
She came into sight tying her dreadlocks at the back of her head. “Hey. You heading out?”
“Soon. You?”
“Yeah. Going for a run since I couldn’t fucking sleep.”
“Do we ever sleep properly, though?”
She scoffed. “Exactly. Back early to make a good impression with the boss, huh?”
I returned her scoff. “As if. I don’t need to kiss-ass when I’m this good.”