“I liked it.”
He kissed me in response, which I figured was the most I could ask for. Then, he moved off my body and cleared the way so that I could get cleaned up. I closed the bathroom door, and leaned over the sink to look at myself in the mirror.
“Damn, girl.” I traced the bruised bite on my collarbone and smiled.
Then, while I turned on the water and got in my shower, I started to plot my revenge. If Carter wanted to mark me, even by accident, I could sure as fuck mark him back. Oh yeah and I’d have fun doing it.
Plan in mind, I pulled the night-shirt that hung on my towel rod down and slid it on. When I opened the door, I had a smile on my face. One that immediately vanished when I saw Chris and Liam sitting on my bed. The handcuffs were dangling from Chris' fingers, and he smiled at me knowingly.
Carter, though? I didn’t see him or his pants anywhere in my room.
He had apparently left. After the best sex in my entire life. That asshole had finally gotten his revenge.
“What. The. Shit?”
16
Carter
I didn’t run away. I forgot my phone in my truck. When I walked out of Avery’s bedroom after she got in the shower, both Liam and Chris were sitting in the living room with a giant bowl of popcorn between the two of them.
“That,” Liam said while applauding. “Was better than porn.”
Growing up with three brothers meant that I had the very useful ability to hide any sort of reaction or embarrassment. It also served me well as a police officer.
“Way to go, Malone.” Chris popped a handful of their snack into his mouth and crunched loudly. “You sneaking out before she demands round two?”
I looked down at my bare feet, and the fact that I didn’t have a shirt on, and raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m running away without my shoes … Or my shirt for that matter?”
“I mean, it’s exactly how I’d handle it after what she did to you.” Chris ate another handful of popcorn.
Liam shook his head. “Don’t listen to him. He’s crazy. The sex sounded too good to pass up on.”
“I’ve gotta get my phone.” I pointed at the door. “Try not to do anything stupid while I’m gone?
When I walked back in after getting a call from the captain about the Zucker case, Chris and Liam were gone from the living room.
“What. The. Shit?” Avery’s high-pitched voice came from the bedroom and I hauled ass back in there. Only to see Chris and Liam sitting on her bed, with my handcuffs. Avery stood in the doorway, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at the floor.
And that’s when I lost what little bit of my temper.
“You let her think I left?” I didn’t shout or yell. Nor did I step into the bedroom. In fact, I stood in the doorway, my hand clutched so tightly around my phone that I felt it start to bend in my hand.
“You should probably leave now, before I do something I’ll regret … and Avery will kick my ass over.”
Chris smiled at me, like he hadn’t just done the unthinkable. Liam, on the other hand, had the intelligence to grab Chris by the hand and pull him off the bed. He even gave me an apologetic smile. “She just got out of the shower. I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her you’d be right back. Even though,” he stared at me pointedly. “You took way longer than a few seconds.”
With that, Liam pulled Chris out of the room and I finally turned back to see Avery, a complete and utter mess. She had tears on her cheeks, and her hands were knotted in the front of a very familiar shirt.
“I see you’re putting my shirt to good use.”
Even with all Avery’s curves, my shirt still swallowed her whole, and she couldn’t be more beautiful if she tried.
“You didn’t leave to get back at me for abandoning you with my underwear on your face?”
“No.” I laughed. “I feel like maybe I should be insulted that you’d think that. I understand your hesitance to trust me, though. I wanted you that night, Avery. You’re the one that left. I don’t play games. I don’t play around when it comes to sex, and I sure as hell wouldn’t leave after getting to be with you.”
I’d just about had enough of this shit, too. Something about Avery drove me crazy and made me want to have her in my arms at the same time.
“Date me, Avery?”
Her eyes widened almost comically. “What?” She sat down on the edge of her bed and she put her hand on her chest like she belonged in an old movie. “What?” When she started floundering, I almost felt bad for her. Almost. But she hadn’t said yes, yet.
“We’re not kids. You know exactly what I meant. I want to date you. Take you out to eat. Make plans. You know, all that stuff.”
Avery stared at me like I had wrapped Christmas, her birthday, and every other holiday all into one package and handed it to her on a silver platter. At least for a second, but then all the hope and joy in her eyes vanished, and the walls I’d seen before were back in place.
“No,” I snapped at her. “We’re not playing that game again. You don’t get to close off like that again. Not when I told you I want to be with you.”
She gasped, taken aback not only by my tone, but by the fact that I’d invaded her space and wrapped her face in my hands.
“You’re mine, Ms. James. You know it, and I know it. Hell, Chris and Liam know it.” I kissed her. “Your mom knows it.” Another kiss. “My mom knows it.” And another. “Everyone who knows us knows that you’re mine. You’re the only one who’s fighting it.”
Avery closed her eyes, trying to escape the only way she could. “Shut up.” She didn’t struggle or move out of my hold though. Instead, she turned and pressed her cheek into my palm.
“I thought you left,” she admitted. “When I got in the shower. I really thought that you left to get revenge for what I did when I stole your brother’s truck. And then I’d have to retaliate. I don’t know what I could do to top that last one, though.”
Snorting seemed like the wrong thing to do, but I had to do something to get her out of her own head. Especially since I could see the wheels turning. I could see her searching for a hole in my logic, in my plan to date her.
“There’s no hole for you to find,” I told her when her eyes shuttered again. “Nothing for you to tear apart. I know you, Avery James. And what I know, I want. All of your craziness. All the psychotic behavior that you try to hide. When you have to get bailed out, I’ll be there. But I really hope you don’t make me do that. At least not for the first few months that we’re together. I’m gonna have my hands full with Lucas as it is.”
Speaking of Lucas, I had to tell Avery about my phone call with Chief Townsend. Then, I could get back down to the business of getting her naked and underneath me again. We had a long night ahead of us, and I had a spare uniform in my truck.
I let go of her, and sat down next to her on the bed, interlacing our fingers. “I can’t work the Zucker case,” I told her. “Since Lucas is going to be in my care. I can’t investigate the abuse.”
Avery sighed. “I know. But I’d rather have him safe, with you. I know the other officers are good. I mean, I’ve known most of them my entire life. I just … I panicked when I had to make that call, and you were the first person I thought of. The first one I knew I could trust with him. With my feelings for what had happened.”