18.
They ended up in Avery's bedroom.
All of the urgency from their previous encounter was gone. Maybe because they both realized that this would not be the last and only time, or maybe because they finally understood their relationship a little bit better.
Avery wasn't going to question it. No urgency but the butterflies were still there. Everywhere Mark touched seemed to tingle. He kissed her, taking advantage of her parted lips to taste her with his tongue, moaning at her easy acceptance.
He made slow work of undressing her, stoking every inch of skin he exposed, drawing it out. Mark pushed her hands away when she tried to repay the favor. It wasn't until she was fully nude, laid back on the bed as he raked her with his eyes, that she realized he was trying to hold himself in control. She wouldn't have minded the urgency but the man was practically worshiping her as he bent low and dropped hot kisses along her inner thigh. His fingers parted her and his tongue invaded her folds, his mouth leaving her gasping for air at the sensations that spread through her.
"Mark..." Avery moaned out his name, reaching down to tangle her fingers into his hair. She moved her hips in time to the flick of his tongue, taking in short panting breaths as he teased her right to the edge. And then he stopped and pulled back, sucking at the skin of her inner thigh, making her groan in frustration. "That's...a dirty...trick..." She managed to say as she tried to catch her breath. Mark chuckled against her leg, letting his hands slide up and down the smooth skin of her thighs, her belly, her hips.
"Give me time. I'll get you there." His deep voice was husky. Filled with need. Avery felt like she'd melt if he'd just keep talking to her in that sexy, low tone of his. She soothed her fingers through his hair, waiting to see what he had planned. It didn't take long. As soon as she caught her breath his fingers were on her again, spreading her, giving his tongue easy access to her most sensitive area.
Once again, he pulled back right when Avery was nearing the point of no return. Now her frustration was more real. The teasing was too much. She wanted him so much it was a deep ache.
He kept himself maddeningly out of reach. But he stroked her body with his hands, and kissed his way up her body, stopping to cup her breasts, sucking lightly at her nipples. Avery managed to grab the shoulders of his t-shirt and yanked at it in frustration. "I know...you want to prolong this...but if you don't get naked soon I am going to lose my mind." She paused every time he found a new place to suck on as his continued exploring her skin.
"Bossy." He pulled back and let her tug the shirt up over his head. She tossed it to the side, her eyes taking in the smooth skin, the muscular core. She still needed more.
He pulled back and Avery watched through passion clouded eyes as he unzipped his jeans and worked them down his hips. He managed to get them off without getting off the bed. Any other time she might have found it funny. This time, the sight of him was enough to dry up all the spit in her mouth and make laughing impossible. She had seen him naked of course but she didn't think the excitement for him was ever going to wear off. The thing she had previously mistaken for fear was nothing more than an unrelenting need that seemed to take over her mind.
She saw the matching need in his eyes when he finally raised them to meet hers. And realized he was doing everything he could to hold himself in check. She wouldn't complain if he just took her now. But she knew he wanted to slow it down and savor their time together. So instead of pulling him down and insisting he do something to put out the fire he'd started, Avery sat up and reached out, letting one hand trail down his chest, his stomach. She felt the muscles flutter under her fingertips as she went lower on his belly. Her fingers brushed his hard cock, and she smiled at the way it seemed to swell into her palm. She stroked him lightly, once, twice, not applying any pressure, just feeling the soft hot skin overlying the hard cylinder. She heard him moan softly when she finally let her fingers close, only providing a slight bit of friction as she moved slowly up and down the shaft.
Avery let her free hand slide up and down his thigh, feeling the taut muscles under his skin. She leaned forward, and flicked her tongue out, lightly touching the head of his cock. Mark's hips jerked involuntarily toward her and he groaned. She figured two could play the game he had started. She parted her lips and took him into her mouth, letting her tongue swirl over the sensitive skin. She tightened her fingers against him, feeling him thrust lightly against her, unable to control the movement of his hips. She listened to the sounds he made low in his throat and pulled away, letting go of him completely as soon as the pitch in his moans changed.
He had to laugh at that. It was low and throaty and sexier than any sound Avery had ever heard. So it didn't surprise her when he didn't give her a chance to resume her efforts. He pushed her down on her back and moved between her thighs, probing at her, the need overtaking everything else.
Almost. He entered her in one smooth thrust, making her cry out and rake her nails against his shoulders. And then he stopped, not moving, puffing harsh breaths against her neck. Avery tried to move her hips, but he had her pinned down pretty effectively. Instead, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tangled her fingers into his hair, pulling his head until she could kiss him senseless.
And Mark finally started moving. Slowly. Inch by inch. He pulled out until only the head remained, then slid home, kissing her the entire time, making her moan into his mouth with every sweep of his tongue against hers. When he was fully sheathed he rotated his hips slightly, grinding against her before pulling back and starting all over again.
It seemed to go on for hours. But it was over way too quickly. Avery felt her climax building and pulled him closer, hugging him tight as the sensations overcame her and she cried out against his shoulder. And then she held on through the aftershocks as he thrust into her to his own shuddering end, whispering her name hoarsely into her ear, sending hot shivers down her back at the sound. They lay there, holding each other, neither wanting to move or lose their intimate contact. Avery felt herself on the verge of speaking and stopped herself.
She knew how she felt about him. Still. After all the years that were between them. She'd given him her heart twenty years before. And he still had it. He'd always had it. It hadn't been just some lighthearted teenage crush. She had loved him but hadn't known how to articulate it.
Now that she could articulate, she was terrified it might scare him away. To know that she still had those feelings, and that they were still as strong as they were before life had changed so much. He'd said that he had never had a normal relationship. He also had not mentioned being in the market for one. So Avery was afraid she was setting herself up for another heartbreak. Only this time she was way more attached.
