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Evan
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Avery was by far the strongest woman I had ever come across, and that was saying a lot. In the law enforcement field, women had to be extra tough and go above and beyond to prove themselves. The few women in the field I had tried to get to know were softer. The others were the women who were in it for the glory, the title, not the love of the job. Avery wasn’t like either of those categories. She was tough, and she loved her job. Avery and I had that in common. The love for what we did.
Avery had the hardness, even the callous nature that was nearing unapproachable, but she wanted love. She wanted to be loved so badly, it hurt me to watch as she struggled with her emotions. Listening to the story about her parents, it was no wonder she distanced herself from all things emotional. It was just easier, and I knew exactly what that was like. Drowning myself in my job was simpler than facing what had happened to my parents. Coping had become a distant thought, and I’d learned to just bury my emotions. But Avery made me want to bare my heart and soul to her. To tell her all my deepest, darkest secrets.
She let me drive her car again, and as we drove to her place, I knew this was it for me. She was it. There would never be anyone else who could compare to Avery. All my girlfriends in the past, if you could even call them that, seemed like minor steps on my way to her. I wanted to tell Avery I loved her. Right now. Right there. And I didn’t care how absurd that sounded. Sure, we’d just met a few days ago, but I felt it deep in my core. Every time I looked at her, I could see our future, fighting crime side by side and making love every night like our lives depended on it. Every time she said my name, I wanted to hold her. So yeah, this was it for me. It was the type of love that went down in the history books. The type of love that would last a lifetime, through all obstacles, through all hardships. I knew, though, that just getting her to say there was a we, was quite a feat. So, for the time being, my love would be something I would keep to myself. I just didn’t know how long I could. But the last thing I wanted to do was scare her away when I had just found her.
“We could always just go to your place?” Avery asked as she smiled seductively. “I want to see where Evan Bradley lives,” she teased. Her demeanor had changed. Before, I had known she wanted me, but since then she was completely relaxed, her body leaning into me as I drove. She reached out and put her hand over the hand I was using to shift the gears of her car. Her lean fingers slipped in between mine and glided in and out. Who knew that something so simple could be so incredibly erotic? I wanted to stay in that moment forever, but the thought of her in my apartment made me sick to my stomach. She knew about my past and my financial responsibilities because I’d told her in the car earlier, but I just didn’t know how much of that I wanted her to see.
“My apartment isn’t really Avery worthy.” I cleared my throat as I spoke. I half hoped she wouldn’t hear.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She tensed against me, and her hand jerked away from mine. I briefly took my eyes off the road and glanced at her. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips pressed so tightly together they’d almost disappeared. Ah, shit.
“I’m far from high maintenance, Evan,” she mocked. “You think I care that you don’t have money? That you have to work overtime just to make ends meet? Is that what you think of me? Some shallow woman?” She moved closer to me as I stopped at the red light, shifting the gears. I knew her eyes bore into me, and I wasn’t even looking at her. Hell, I was too scared to look at her. I thought her stare alone could probably kick my ass.
“Well?” she asked, urging me to reply. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Her arms were draped across her chest, lifting her breasts. I gulped. God, how could a woman be so scary and hot at the same time?
“It isn’t that. I just....” I gripped the steering wheel. “You just deserve better than what I have to offer. My apartment is a pit. I don’t want you to see that. To have to experience that.” I sighed. “You just deserve better.” I gently pressed on the gas pedal as the light turned green and tried to refocus on the road.
I felt her soften a little, the tension in the air slowly breaking.
“Evan, I don’t care if you live in a cardboard box. If this, whatever this is, has a chance of working, you have to let me be a part of your life. All of it. The good and the bad.”
I pulled into the parking lot of a Walgreens. I couldn’t focus on driving with this conversation. I cut the engine and turned to face her. Avery appreciated no nonsense and was always straight to the point. That’s what I was going to give her. My honesty, my frustration.
“Really, Avery? Whatever this is? And I have to let you in? Coming from the woman who wouldn’t even give me the time of day? That’s rather hypocritical.” Love? Yes, this was absolutely love. She was single-handedly infuriating me and turning me on at the same time. I took my hand off the wheel and adjusted my hardened cock. As she looked down at my length pressed against my pants, her green eyes sparkled, and she bit down on her bottom lip.
“I suppose I deserved that.” She let out a small laugh. “Listen, we both have to learn to open up, let people in. I know I do, and I’m not asking for your whole life story. I’m just asking to go to your apartment.”
I groaned. She was right. I couldn’t keep her from my apartment forever.
“Fine,” I grumbled as I turned the car back on. “We’ll go to my place.”
“Thanks.” She smiled and sat back in her seat.
“But you owe me. Big time.” I smiled. I couldn’t believe I was opening up this part of my life to a woman I barely knew. I’d never wanted so much for a woman to like me or want me. As I glanced at her, I couldn’t help but push those hesitant thoughts aside as I considered a few ways she could repay me. Mostly involving her lips on mine, her hips grinding underneath me. Ah yes, if that was how she repaid me, payment wouldn’t be so bad.
Avery’s eyes burned with need as she licked her lips.
“Oh, I will absolutely repay you.” I found myself shifting gears and increasing my speed. Now, all I could think about was getting her in my bed.
