Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Jase The shrill whistle cuts through the air with an insistent blast.

Avery…

I shove past bodies to follow the sound and find her alone in the hallway. She’s slumped against the wall, knees drawn up to her chest…and she’s crying. What the fuck?

I scoop her up in my arms, carry her to the nearby bathroom and lock the door behind us. I set her on the counter and push her hair back from her face. “Avery, baby…Tell me what happened.”

She sucks in a shuddering breath, biting her bottom lip. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess.” She uses the back of her hand to brush the stray tears from her cheeks and looks up at me with a pained expression.

“Whistle? Did someone touch you? Tell me what happened.” My blood is pounding in my veins. If someone hurt her, I will lose it.

She shakes her head. “No, nothing like that. It’s just…I saw someone from my past…remembered things I didn’t want to remember…” Little hiccups rack her chest, and tears still swim in her eyes.

If I could take away whatever she’s been through, I’d do it. I hate how powerless I feel. “Avery, tell me who he is. Let me handle this.”

She swallows down a sob. “Not he. She. And please don’t do anything, it’ll make things worse.”

She?

Fuck. I hate her past; I hate whatever this is that won’t let her move forward. “Avery, talk to me.”

“Not about this, please, Jase. Don’t make me. Can we just pretend…for one more night…please?”

The look in her eyes is breaking my fucking heart. “Tell me what you need. I’ll do it, Whistle, please. Tell me.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t tell you, Jase. I don’t know how.”

Using two fingers, I tip her chin up. “Then let me make you forget whoever did this to you. Let me help you.”

She nods slowly, her green eyes searing mine with their intensity. “Please…”

She doesn’t say another word, because my lips crash against hers, but a low moan breaks in her throat. This is the only way I know how to help her, and it seems she’s okay with letting me try.

My fingers find the button on her jeans, my tongue still stroking hers. Despite her fears and warnings about going slow, we both know we’ve been building towards this the entire time. It’s the only weapon in my arsenal to drive her past away. And I will use it. I know of no other way to bring her relief.

Operation Avery’s First Orgasm is a Go.

Avery My jeans and panties are at my knees, constricting my movements, but my limited mobility doesn’t hamper Jase any. His fingers find the spot my body needs him most, stroking, rubbing, stopping briefly to wet his fingers with his mouth, then caressing me again. The way his slick fingers slide across my sensitive flesh makes me cry out. He lifts my shirt and pulls down the cups of my bra so I’m exposed, kissing and suckling each of my breasts, his mouth and tongue constantly exploring, keeping rhythm with his fingers that are sending me closer and closer to the edge.

His wet kisses move to my throat, and I shamelessly rock my hips against his hand, needing more.

Reading my body, he pushes one finger inside me and lets out a groan of his own when he penetrates me. He knows my body better than I do and he gives me what I need before I even have to ask. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment.

I’m about to come undone, and Jase is taking me there. I lock my knees, my hands scrambling for something to hold onto just as I’m almost there. Suddenly Jase removes his hand and plants a chaste kiss on my lips. Is he stopping?

“Jase, don’t stop. I think I can come…”

He looks at me with a devilish smirk. “Oh, I know you can, baby. But the guys can hear you, and I have a feeling you’re going to be even louder when I make you come. Let’s go to my room.”

Crap! They were listening? I realize the party that was in full swing when we started this has gone eerily quiet.

He slides my panties and jeans into place, zipping and buttoning them for me, while I stand there uselessly, trying and failing to calm my frantic heart.

“When we go out there, just ignore them. Okay?” He drops another kiss on my mouth and I merely nod.

I’m not sure how long we were tucked away in the bathroom – at least twenty minutes, I think. Jase takes my hand and exits first. The hallway is clear, but when we pass by the living room cheers erupt –

applause, whistling, hoots and hollers. My cheeks flame like never before. God, this is embarrassing. I tuck my chin to my chest, not daring to meet their eyes, and follow Jase to the staircase. We jog up all three flights to the attic and are breathless once we reach his room.

Turning on the soft lamp on his dresser, Jase shuts and locks the door, then turns to face me. I’m sure my cheeks are still flushed, but he doesn’t seem to mind my awkwardness. He stalks toward me like a predator casing its prey, grasping my hips to guide me backwards to his bed.

The things he did to my body, the responses he elicited, I know it’s no use pretending I don’t want this.

Every fear has been silenced; every thought is tangled up with Jase. In this moment, I feel like I could let my past slip away, like I could start fresh with Jase and forget all about Brent and the mistake that shall not be named. This could be my last chance. Stacia could be learning about my past right now.

“Just give me one chance to show you how good we could be together,” he whispers.

The seductive tone of his deep voice and the promise of more breaks all my self-preservation. “Yes.”

Jase doesn’t hesitate, and gives my shoulders a playful shove, so I fall back onto his bed, sitting on the edge. Jase lifts my shirt over my head, and with a quick flick of his wrist, my bra drops open too. I let it fall down my arms and toss it to the floor.

Jase’s intense gaze is locked on mine. His lips are parted and slightly swollen from kissing. “God, you’re beautiful.” He drags his knuckles softly across my throat, tracing my collarbone. As if trying to read what I’m ready for, or more importantly what I’m not ready for, Jase remains fully-clothed, but helps me remove my jeans. We lie together on his bed, legs tangled together, as close as two bodies can be. I can feel each pounding heartbeat, each breath against my neck. Needing some sort of coverage, I insist my panties stay on, but Jase works around them. He begins exploring my body again, lightly rubbing my arms, trailing kisses down my chest and stomach, and when he settles between my legs and glances up to gauge my reaction, I merely watch him and wait to see what will happen next.

There is no willpower in me to stop him.

He pushes my panties to the side and plants an open-mouth kiss there. Holy Toledo, the sensation is like nothing else. Jase’s warm, wet mouth sends my hips shooting off of the mattress. His tongue slides against me again, and I come undone, bunching the comforter in my fists and calling out his name. The pressure intensifies and then waves of pleasure crash through me. The feeling is more than I ever expected. I will need to do that again. Often.

Jase holds me after, and continues lightly stroking his fingertips down the length of my bare arms as aftershocks make my muscles tremble. My emotions tangle inside me. I feel pure bliss in this moment, happy and safe with him. Then I’m struck by a wave of guilt, because as nice as all this, I know it’s been built on a lie.

A few seconds later, Jase returns to kissing me, his hips pressing insistently into mine. His entire body is hard and ready. I run a hand through his hair, like I’ve wanted to do since the first night I saw him.

Dropping one more light kiss against my mouth, Jase leans back just slightly to watch me. My breathing is finally returning to normal, though my heart is still pounding.

“That feel good, babe?” he asks.

“Amazing. Thank you.”

His smile grows. He’s clearly proud of himself over my loud and very unladylike orgasm. “Anytime.”

“I’m sorry I can’t…return the favor.”

“It’s okay,” his voice is thick. “That’s not why I did it. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“It’s not that…it’s just, I’ll gag.”

“Hmm.” He stokes my cheek. “We’ll work up to it.”

“Is it really that important?”

“It’s kind of my favorite.” His lips curve in a soft smile.

Oh brother…