Every Storm That Comes Also Comes to an End

“Everything has to be perfect,” I tell Jack as I finished lighting the candle that was placed in the middle of the table. “Avery deserves this and I can’t let one thing be out of place.”

“Is that why you asked your mom to cook?”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t be bagging on my poor cooking skills. Pancakes are the extent of my culinary adventures. Mom makes the best pot roast, gravy, and mashed potatoes around. I had to ask her to make it.” I place the bowl of peas on the table, placing the serving spoon inside of it.

Jack sighs. “So how are things between you two?” He hops off of where he was sitting atop the counter, reaching down to pull on his shoes.

I grin. “Amazing. Things are really good. I’m glad I decided to take it slow.”

“You know…” his pause made me look over at him. I raise a brow. Jack sighs. “Alex, maybe the baby steps are a bit drastic. I mean, I’m glad you’re trying to earn her trust, but it’s been a fucking month now and you haven’t exactly let anything happen. Don’t you sometimes just have the urge to like…rip her clothes off or something?”

I clench my jaw. “Of course. I’m a fucking 24 year old man. I just want to make sure she knows that I’m for real this time.”

Jack nods. “Fine. But just make sure not to prolong the baby steps for too long.”

“I won’t.”

“Good.” He grabs his keys and phone before saluting me. “I’m off to Zack’s. We’re planning on cuddling and popping in a good rom-com.” I laugh, waving him off. “See you later, horny-boy!”

I gasp before he’s out the door.

I glance back at the elaborate set-up of food I had for Avery. I check my watch and see I have exactly ten minutes before she said she’d be here. I smile to myself and make sure the table was how I wanted it before I run to my room, taking off my gym shorts and pulling on my black skinny jeans. I stuff my feet into some Converse and make sure my red v-neck is on straight.

I was back in the dining room minutes later after styling my hair and brushing my teeth when I hear a knock on my door. I couldn’t help but get those butterflies in my stomach and feel my heart pounding against my rib cage.

“Breathe, Alex,” I soothe myself. “It’s just Avery.”

But that’s exactly why I’m nervous.

I go over to the door and open it, my stomach dropping at the sight of her before me. It was like my chest melted and I felt like my knees were about to go out from under me at any moment.

Her brown hair was in luscious curls, reaching to below her chest. Her eyes were that deep hazel shade that told me she meant business, and her lids were colored a light brown that made her orbs pop. Her lips were that red color she knew made me go crazy and her heart-shaped face looked to be just glowing.

My eyes move down her body, a trail of heat going down my own figure before settling south of my stomach. I had to bite the inside of my cheek. Control yourself, Alex. Remember: baby steps.

She was dressed in this sexy black number that was strapless, showing off her lovely chest (sorry, I had to mention her boobs) and her hourglass shape; that tiny waist and shapely hips. Her tanned legs looked astounding, the dress stopping about an inch and a half above her knees. She paired them with a pair of red, fiery pumps, making the problem in my pants grow a little worse.

“Ave,” I breathe, shaking my head to clear my fogged brain. “You look…”

She grins, but I could tell there was a smirk hidden behind it.

God, did I miss this sexy, confident, bold Avery. I knew what I did took that away, although she had always stayed stubborn. That was a quality she kept after I broke her, and I will always admire her for keeping that.

“I’m at a loss for words,” I confess, grabbing her hand and pulling her into my body. She gives a little squeal. “You’re gorgeous. I feel so underdressed.”

“Nah,” she says in her smooth voice. “You’ll always look good no matter what.”

I felt my heart give a flutter and I lean down, connecting our lips. That date just started and she was already getting my all hot and ready. But I knew we needed to eat before we did anything so else, so I kept our kiss short. I wanted to keep it going so bad, but I made sure I stayed focused on my original plan.

“I have dinner ready,” I say as I break away, leaning my forehead against hers. She nods, her breathing a bit labored from our passionate lip-lock. I take her clutch and place it on the counter. “Let’s go eat.”

She pecks me on the lips, leaving me a bit dizzy. “Let’s eat.”

We move to the dining room, her eyes widening a bit at the table set up with food. Avery looks over at me, a small skeptical look on her face. “I’m gonna guess…” she trails off, a bit witty.

“Yes,” I admit. “My mom cooked.”

She laughs, reaching over to kiss my cheek. “It’s fine. Her cooking is delicious.”

“I agree.” We share a small chuckle before sitting down, beginning to spoon food onto our plates. Soon, we were eating and making small, comfortable talk.

As dinner went on, and conversation was kept up, I couldn’t help but watch the way Avery moved and ate. She seemed to be a bit…adventurous tonight, if that was the right word. She would slowly eating the mashed potatoes off her spoon, looking up at me from behind her long, sexy lashes. It made me shift in my chair. And sometimes she would use her foot to run up my leg under the table, and dead Lord, did it create a large mess behind my zipper.

After we had both finished everything on our plates, I stand up. “My mom made peach pie for dessert,” I tell her. “Let me go get it.”

She also gets to her feet, stopping me. “I have something else in mind for dessert.”

Her words in my ear made another trail of heat go toward the area below my belt. I have to take a deep breath. “Oh, God, Avery. You are gonna be the death of me.” I turn toward and she immediately curls her arms around my neck, attaching our lips before I could even say anything else. Her tongue weaved with mine and I instantly fell under her spell. It was hard not to just give in. Finally though, I force her to stop, moving my head out of her reach.

“Ave,” I breathe, my heart pumping harder than I could have ever imagined. “This is definitely…definitely the opposite of…of baby steps.” I couldn’t help but concentrate the feel of her petite body against mine, her chest moving against mine, our hearts knocking together. I could feel my boner just get harder.

“Alex,” she murmurs, her lips sucking against my neck. I groan, my head falling back to give her better access. “Baby steps are gone. We should take fucking leaps. I need you so bad.”

Oh God… “You know when you talk like that…”

“Good,” she breathes, looking up at me with that sexy stare again. “I want you, Alex. Right now. No more fucking baby steps. Come on. I can feel your bon—“

“Avery…” I breathe as she starts attacking my neck again. She suckles at a particular spot beneath my collarbone, making my knees turn to jelly right before her. “If we keep going I won’t be able to stop.”

“Then don’t stop.”

I growl. I could feel those walls, my will, breaking down. I had been trying so hard to make sure we didn’t move too fast. But she was doing just that. “Avery…remember what we…” I swallow as her fingers start to explore. “What we talked about…”

She shushes me, pulling away. “Alex…I need you.” And that’s when I heard it. That tone in her voice I had grown accustomed to when we had been engaged. The tone that told me she was so turned on that she could unravel at any moment.

“Avery…”

That’s when she reached behind her and unzipped her dress. My face freezes, my eyes blowing wide as the dress falls and pools at her heeled feet. She was wearing a sexy pair of lingerie, black with red lace and bows and oh my god, I felt like my hard-on would break through my denim because I felt so turned on. She gave me that lusty little stare that immediately got me hooked.

My walls crumbled. Another growl rips from my throat. “Come here.”

I grab her and crush her into me, crashing my lips against hers like my life depended on it. She moans into my mouth as I gather her into my arms and begin to carry her into my bedroom. She kicks off her shoes on the way there before we were stumbling into my room. I drop her onto my bed and she starts going to work on my belt.

Our lips were still hot and heavy against each other, teeth biting and tongues caressing and fingers touching and it just felt so right to be like this with her again and it’s like a missing part of me had come back.

I groan into her mouth as she got my belt off and on the floor.

“Are we really doing this?” I murmur as we continued our kissing, our bodies falling back against the bed as we continue to roll around and remove clothing.

“Fuck yes,” she moans back.

Eventually, we were both in our undergarments. I look down and admire her for what she was. Beautiful and sexy and gorgeous and everything I had been missing for this past year. I felt whole again.

“Fuck baby steps,” I growl before plunging down and we became one.