Chapter 12 – Riley

I should pull away.

Ava's fingers are still barely touching mine, like a challenge she isn't voicing out loud. The room is too quiet, save for the sound of my own breath, coming too fast.

I don't know what the hell is happening.

Or maybe I do.

Maybe I've known for a long time, and I just didn't want to face it.

Because if I do, there's no going back.

Ava shifts, her knee brushing against mine. It's barely anything. A whisper of a touch. But it's enough to make me tense.

Enough to make me want more.

Her gaze flicks down to my lips, and something inside me snaps.

I don't think.

I don't hesitate.

I just move.

One second, I'm sitting there, frozen in place. The next, I'm grabbing the front of her shirt, yanking her toward me.

Our mouths collide, messy and desperate, all teeth and heat and frustration.

Ava gasps into my mouth, like she wasn't expecting me to finally give in. But she doesn't hesitate—doesn't stop. She kisses me back hard, her hands flying up to cup my face, tilting my head just right.

I groan, deep and guttural, as she licks into my mouth, tasting me like she's been waiting for this just as long as I have.

Maybe she has.

Maybe that's why we fought so much.

Maybe we weren't supposed to be enemies.

Maybe we were supposed to be this.

I bite her lower lip, tugging slightly, and she whimpers, her nails digging into my shoulders. The sound goes straight to my core, making my thighs clench together.

Jesus.

I don't even think I've heard Ava whimper before.

It makes me want more.

I push forward, guiding her back until she's against the couch. Her legs spread just enough for me to slide between them, our bodies pressing together, hot and desperate.

Ava moans, and fuck, it's the best sound I've ever heard.

I want to hear more of it.

I press a hand to her waist, feeling the heat of her skin under my fingertips. She arches into me, gasping against my lips.

Her body is so damn responsive, like she's been waiting for this—aching for this—just like I have.

My fingers slide under her shirt, skimming along her stomach, and she shivers, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Riley," she whispers, voice wrecked.

I pause.

That's all it takes to make me hesitate—to make my brain catch up to my body.

Because Ava never says my name like that.

Like she wants it. Like she wants me.

And if we go any further…

There's no turning back.

I pull back just enough to look at her.

Her lips are kiss-swollen, her pupils blown wide. She's breathing hard, her hands still gripping my shoulders like she doesn't want me to stop.

And fuck, I don't want to stop either.

But I need to hear her say it.

"Ava," I murmur, my voice rough. "Tell me you want this."

She blinks, eyes dark and heavy-lidded.

Then, slowly, she smirks.

"You think I don't?"

I groan, dropping my forehead against hers, trying to hold onto the last shred of control I have.

"You better be sure," I rasp. "Because once I start, I'm not stopping."

Ava licks her lips.

Then, without breaking eye contact, she grabs my wrist, guiding my hand lower.

"Then don't stop."

Ava's breath hitches as my fingers skim higher beneath her shirt, tracing the soft curve of her waist. I feel the tremor that runs through her body, the way her muscles tighten like she's fighting herself—like she's trying to stay in control.

But she's losing.

And I fucking love it.

She exhales shakily, her nails digging into my shoulders, holding on like I might disappear if she lets go. The way she's looking at me—like I'm the only thing she wants in this moment—makes something deep in my chest clench.

I lean in again, my lips ghosting over hers, teasing. "You're shaking."

Ava swallows hard. "You're making me."

Fuck.

I kiss her again, slower this time, lingering. She tilts her head, deepening it, her lips parting beneath mine. I take my time exploring her mouth, dragging my tongue against hers in a way that makes her whimper again.

God, I could get addicted to that sound.

She shifts beneath me, pressing closer, and I feel the heat of her body through her clothes, the way she's so warm, so soft. I press my thigh between hers, and her breath stutters, a choked noise escaping her lips as she grinds against me—instinctual, needy.

I grin against her mouth. "Impatient, aren't you?"

Ava scowls, but it doesn't hold any real venom. "Shut up."

I chuckle, dipping my head to kiss the curve of her jaw, trailing lower to the spot just beneath her ear. When I nip at it, she gasps, her back arching.

"You like that," I murmur, dragging my teeth against her skin.

Ava exhales sharply. "Riley—"

Her voice is breathy, wrecked, and it makes heat pool low in my stomach.

I press open-mouthed kisses along her throat, savoring the way she trembles beneath me. Her scent is intoxicating—warm and faintly sweet, like vanilla and something undeniably Ava.

She fists my shirt, pulling me back up, crashing her lips to mine again. It's messy and frantic, like she can't get enough.

Neither can I.

I reach for the hem of her shirt, tugging it higher, my fingers brushing against bare skin. She gasps, breaking the kiss, her chest rising and falling hard.

We're right there.

On the edge of something we can't take back.

I search her face, my pulse pounding. "Ava."

She meets my gaze, her lips parted, eyes dark with want.

Then she grabs my wrist again, guiding my hand exactly where she wants it.

Her voice is barely above a whisper when she says, "Don't stop."

Ava's fingers dig into my back as I kiss her senseless, her body pressed flush against mine. The heat between us is unbearable, like a slow-burning fire that has finally erupted into an inferno.

I slide my hand further beneath her shirt, fingertips grazing over bare, heated skin, and she shudders, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps.

"Riley," she whispers, her voice strained with need.

It's the way she says my name—like she's surrendering to something she can't fight anymore—that shatters the last piece of restraint I was holding onto.

I pull her shirt over her head, tossing it somewhere behind me. My gaze drinks her in, my pulse pounding at the sight of her flushed skin, the way her chest rises and falls with anticipation.

"You're gorgeous," I murmur, my voice rough, raw with want.

Ava exhales shakily, her eyes locked onto mine as she reaches for my shirt. "Then take this off," she murmurs, fingers curling into the fabric.

I let her pull it over my head, and the second it's gone, she touches me—palms sliding up my stomach, over my ribs, her fingertips trailing over every inch of exposed skin. Her touch is featherlight, but it makes my whole body tighten with need.

I push her back against the couch, covering her with my body as I kiss her again, deep and slow, taking my time exploring her mouth. My hands roam over her, memorizing the feel of her soft curves, the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips.

Ava's breath catches when I trail my lips down the column of her throat, nipping and kissing, until I reach the sensitive spot just above her collarbone. She whimpers, arching into me, her body so damn responsive to every touch.

I press my knee between her thighs, feeling how warm she is, how ready. Ava gasps, her hips rocking forward in response, her nails dragging down my back, making me groan.

"Tell me what you want," I murmur against her skin, voice thick with desire.

She bites her lip, her hands sliding lower, gripping my hips. "You," she breathes. "I just want you."

Those words undo me.

I trail my kisses lower, over the swell of her breasts, my tongue teasing against sensitive skin. She lets out a soft, desperate moan, her fingers tangling in my hair, holding me there like she never wants me to stop.

And I don't.

I worship her, taking my time, savoring every inch of her. She trembles beneath me, her body moving against mine, her breath ragged and needy.

When I finally move lower, pressing open-mouthed kisses down her stomach, she gasps, her hands clutching at the couch.

She's already so worked up, her body taut with anticipation, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

I pause just above the waistband of her jeans, glancing up at her. Her eyes are dark with need, her lips parted, her whole body trembling.

"Still want me to keep going?" I murmur, teasing.

Ava glares, but it's completely ruined by the way her body is practically begging for more.

"Riley," she growls. "If you stop now, I swear to god—"

I grin, hooking my fingers into the waistband of her jeans, sliding them down her legs.

"Don't worry," I whisper against her skin. "I'm not stopping."

Ava gasps as I trail my lips down her stomach, slow, teasing, my hands mapping every curve of her body. Her skin is so warm, so impossibly soft beneath my fingertips, and every small sound she makes fuels the fire already raging between us.

Her hands clutch at my shoulders, her nails pressing into my skin like she's barely holding on.

"Riley," she murmurs, her voice breathless, pleading.

I glance up, meeting her gaze. Her pupils are blown wide, her lips kiss-swollen, her entire body a picture of aching need. She's stunning like this—laid out beneath me, flushed and desperate, and all mine.

"You're beautiful," I whisper, pressing a lingering kiss just above the waistband of her underwear.

She exhales shakily, hips shifting against me, and I feel the way she tenses, waiting, wanting.

I slide my fingers along her thighs, feeling the way her breath stutters, the way she trembles. "Relax," I murmur against her skin, letting my lips follow the same path as my hands.

She lets out a soft whimper, her whole body arching toward me.

God, she's so responsive.

I press a kiss just above where she wants me most, my fingers hooking into the waistband of her underwear, dragging them down slowly. Her breath catches, her chest rising and falling hard, anticipation making her body taut with tension.

When I finally touch her, she gasps, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer.

And I give her exactly what she needs.

She moans, her back arching as I work her up inch by inch, my name spilling from her lips in broken, breathless gasps. She's completely lost in it, lost in me, her body moving against mine in pure, desperate need.

The sound of her, the way she comes undone beneath my hands and mouth, is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

When she finally shatters, her whole body tightens, her breath catching in a soft, gasping cry. I hold her through it, kissing my way back up her body, feeling the way she trembles beneath me.

Ava blinks up at me, still breathless, her expression soft, vulnerable.

I press a kiss to her lips, slow and deep. "You okay?" I murmur.

She exhales shakily, her hands sliding into my hair, pulling me closer. "More," she whispers.

And who the hell am I to deny her?

Ava's body is taut beneath me, every soft whimper and desperate gasp fueling the hunger burning in my veins. The way she responds, so eager, so open, makes me want to ruin her in the best possible way—to make her forget everything but the way I make her feel.

Her fingers dig into my back, nails raking across my skin, and I groan against her throat, sucking a mark there, claiming her in ways words never could. She lets out a broken moan, her hips grinding up against mine, and I nearly lose control right then and there.

"Riley," she breathes, her voice a mix of need and impatience.

I smirk, teasing my lips lower, tasting every inch of her like she's something to be savored. "Patience," I murmur against her skin, my hands sliding over her thighs, parting them just enough to hear her sharp inhale.

"I don't have patience," she huffs, but it turns into a breathless whimper as I press a kiss lower, my fingers tracing a path that has her entire body tensing beneath me.

Her back arches, her legs wrapping around me, and I feel how much she needs this—how much she needs me.

"You're so damn beautiful like this," I whisper, dragging my lips up her inner thigh, feeling the way she trembles under my touch.

Her breathing is uneven, her hands sliding through my hair, tugging me closer, demanding more.

And I give it to her.

The second my mouth meets her, she gasps, her whole body tensing and shuddering. I hold her down, anchoring her as I take my time, teasing, tasting, making her fall apart inch by inch.

Her moans grow louder, breath hitching, her body writhing under my touch. She's close—I can feel it in the way her thighs tremble, the way her fingers tighten in my hair.

"Riley—" Her voice is desperate, wrecked, and it makes me ache with how badly I want her.

I don't stop.

I push her further, drinking in every sound, every gasp, until she finally shatters, crying out my name, body shaking beneath me.

I kiss my way back up her body, feeling the way she still trembles, still gasps for air. When I reach her lips, she pulls me down into a slow, deep kiss, her fingers sliding over my skin, making me shudder.

Ava's breathing is still ragged, but she flips us suddenly, pinning me beneath her, a smirk playing on her lips.

"My turn," she murmurs, her voice husky, dark with promise.

And this time, I'm the one gasping for air.