"Thank you," Avery said.

"It's just the truth, sugar." He grinned, and she melted inside, the heat of the afternoon sun having nothing on the heat Grey generated inside her.

Because she was finally looking at him, and she was instantly aware of more than her own emotions. His tanned, bare chest filled her line of vision, and her pulse began a heavy beat in her veins. Desire kicked in, making itself known in telling ways, her s.e.x filling with need, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s suddenly heavy and aching to be touched.

"Now let's get back to what changed your mind about staying here, with me?" he asked.

"Oh, that."

He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. "Yeah, that."

She blew out a deep breath, forcing herself to concentrate on what he needed for a change, and that was answers.

They weren't simple, but she owed him the truth. "On the one hand, there's the practical consideration. I really do need to stay someplace safe."

He nodded. "We all agree on that. But if safe is all you're looking for, across the hall works just fine."

He was right. "I know. But after everything that happened with my father at lunch, all I wanted to do was see you. I wanted to talk to you." Her mind had been filled with thoughts of him. "I already knew I had to make a decision about where to go, and after talking to my sisters, I realized I'd be deluding myself if I thought I could stay anywhere but with you." She drew a deep breath for courage and said, "We click, Grey. And I can't run from that anymore."

"Thank f.u.c.k," he muttered and she couldn't help but grin.

"I can't promise what the future will bring," she had to add. "But I'm here now, and I'm trying to give this thing a shot."

It wasn't something she'd consciously decided at lunch, but rather as she'd sat here unloading her burdens, letting him help her ease her pain, she'd understood running away was no longer an option. She needed to try.

At Avery's words, Grey's heart pounded hard in his chest. She was baring her soul in a way she'd never done before, because it pertained to them. She was admitting that she was as invested as he was ... he hoped. But he also knew his own needs could be setting him up for a hard fall he wasn't prepared to take. He heard what she was saying, but he had to make sure he processed correctly.

"We need to be clear, sugar. I want to see where things go for real. Are you on board?"

Her honest, open gaze met his. "I am."

She'd just given him everything he'd asked for and all he needed to hear. He pulled her across his lap and managed to switch places so she straddled him now. The skirt from her dress flipped up easily on its own, her moist panties coming into direct heated contact with his rigid c.o.c.k, which strained against his workout shorts.

"Mmm. You feel good." She rocked her hips and, at the same time, placed her hands on his bare chest, skimming his flesh with her orange-painted fingertips.

Goose b.u.mps and arousal hit him hard.

"You feel better." He slid her dress up and over her head, tossing it to the ground at their feet.

"We're outside," she said, her eyes open wide.

"We are." He flicked his wrist and divested her of her bra, adding to the pile, then cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands, squeezing the mounds with his palms before zeroing in on her pert nipples, tweaking and toying with each.

"Oh G.o.d." She rolled her hips against his d.i.c.k, moaning as she obviously hit the right spot.

He gritted his teeth, counting in his head, holding back the need pulsing through him at breakneck speed. If he let go, he'd come hard in his pants like a teenager with no control. And that wasn't happening.

"I want to see you come for me. Right here under the warm sun and open air." His apartment was high enough that n.o.body else could see her. n.o.body could share in the bounty that was Avery.

"I need to," she said in a hoa.r.s.e voice, her nipples tight, body trembling.

He leaned in and pulled one of her nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the distended tip before grazing the hard nub with his teeth.

She whimpered and arched her back, pushing her breast deeper. He plucked at her other one before switching it up, wrapping his lips around the other nipple and playing with the damp one with his fingers. All the while, she moaned and sighed, rocking against him and keeping him riding the edge.

Unable to wait, he slid his free hand into the waistband of her barely there panties and cupped her wet heat. "f.u.c.k, sugar, you're soaking."

"Just for you." She rolled her hips back and forth, her sighs louder, music to his very attuned ears.

"Come for me now, and I'll make sure it's the first of many." He felt confident making that promise since his c.o.c.k pulsed in rhythm to her now-jerky moves, ready for action.

He slid his finger over her c.l.i.t, rubbing back and forth, until she gripped his head, pulled at his hair, and screamed her climax as her body shuddered around his hand and over his confined d.i.c.k. He kept the pressure on her s.e.x until she collapsed against him.

"That was beautiful," he said, bracing his hands around her cheeks and pressing a kiss to her lips. "You ready for more?"

Her heavy eyelids lifted, and she met his gaze. "Bring it on."

He chuckled, liking this brave, open Avery. He lifted her up and moved her to the edge of the lounge. He slid his shorts off and kicked them aside, then reached for her panties and removed them with one quick pull.

"Grey!"

"No time for subtle seduction. I'm ready to come, and it's got to be inside you."

His normally more reserved Avery scooted back in the chair and spread her legs wide. Her shaved, pink p.u.s.s.y glistened and beckoned to him, which was clearly her intent. He met her open gaze, and he knew what a gift she was giving him. That she was willing to try a relationship, to put her insecurities aside, that was everything.

He moved over her. Her gaze dropped to where his c.o.c.k poised at her entrance, her juices coating his head before he even slid inside. He'd never forget the sight, wanted her to take it in too.

But he also wanted her attention when he thrust home, inside the only place he belonged. "Look at me," he said, barely recognizing his desire-roughened tone.

Her violet eyes met his as he inched into her body, slowly filling her up as completely as she did his heart. In her gaze, he saw acceptance of them, and everything he hoped for.

No longer could he hold back. One fast jerk of his hips and he joined them completely, and not just where their bodies connected. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s slid against his chest, her nipples rasping against him. She wrapped her arms around his back, and he felt the beat of her heart, pounding solidly against his chest. He no longer needed to look into her eyes to know they were bound in every possible way. He wasn't letting her go and prayed outside forces wouldn't work against them or rip them apart.

Then he stopped thinking, because his hips shifted and he saw stars. He moved, rubbing against her c.l.i.t, and she gasped at the sensation.

"I promised you more, remember?" he asked, not letting up on the pressure until he rocked her into another o.r.g.a.s.m, her moans and sighs bringing him almost to the edge.

Once the quakes of her body subsided, he pulled out. His c.o.c.k was aching and hard, but he wanted one more climax out of her. Wanted to take her places n.o.body else ever had or would again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, almost limp beneath him.

"Want you on top." He eased her up, slid beneath her, and settled her astride him, his rigid erection easily sliding back into her.

"I can't. Not again," she said, but her actions belied her words, and she began to ride him, her body taking over any purported exhaustion.

"Oh G.o.d!" Her eyes opened wide as he obviously hit her sweet spot, and d.a.m.ned if he didn't light up from within too.

"Harder, Grey!"

f.u.c.k. His entire body was already rigid, his b.a.l.l.s drawing up tight. He was so d.a.m.n close already. His hips involuntarily jerked up and she screamed.

"Oh s.h.i.t, I'm coming again," she cried, her words a moan as she bucked against him, sucking his c.o.c.k in deep, her slick walls contracting around him. "Grey!"

He let go then, his climax lost in the s.e.xy, beautiful sounds of her release. He spilled everything he had and everything he was inside her, until she collapsed, her limp body draping over his.

A week into their new status quo, Avery couldn't believe how seamlessly her life meshed with Grey's. She liked the right side of the bed, he already slept on the left. She was a grump without coffee in the morning, he owned a machine with a timer that he was used to presetting the night before. And in realizing he had a huge s.e.xual appet.i.te, she discovered an untapped part of herself that felt the same way.

In past relationships, she didn't normally spend the night or let a guy stay over. She wasn't a cuddler, and she didn't like awkward mornings after. And since she hadn't been all that into s.e.x with the bland guys she'd deliberately chosen after Grey, wrapping it up quickly had been easy. She knew, thanks to her previous times with Grey, that he'd exceeded every experience she'd ever had ... or would ever have. What she didn't know was that once they lived together, she would come to crave him so badly.

Morning s.e.x? A necessity. Before bed? h.e.l.l yes. More than once, if he had any say. Cuddling became mandatory. Quickies during the day? Check and check. In fact, with Grey a work-from-home guy and her a work-from-home girl, she was pretty sure she'd turn into a nymphomaniac if they kept things up.

s.e.x aside, their days meshed too. In the early morning, he exercised at the gym in his condo, and Avery worked on either a written blog or video. One day Rick drove her to the hospital to volunteer with the kids.

As far as the taping, she didn't want her viewers to know anything was different, so Grey went to her place and picked up the poster that was always her backdrop for her video blogs and hung it up on an empty wall in the guest room. Earlier in the week, Olivia had come over and helped her set up the guest room so she could do videos surrounded by her makeup and accessories. Somehow she was able to make it work. Afternoons, Avery made them lunch like she would do for herself at home, and dinners were a mix of ordering in, one of them cooking, or going out.

The paparazzi, after circling her at the apartment, had seemingly disappeared. No more mentions on blogs or newspapers, and Grey had his legal counsel on notice just in case something happened again. Granted, it had only been a few days, but Avery appreciated the lack of attention, not just on her but on them. They were able to focus on themselves, and while they were wary and careful, there were no huge incidents to hit Avery's anxiety or cause her concern for the future.

He liked to work on his music or meet with the contractor for the apartment next door in the afternoons, and that's when Avery dragged Rick around town to get sponsors for the prom she had planned. Life went on, and work didn't suffer.

And when she and Grey wanted to go out for a meal, they would duck out of his parking garage, alternating between her BMW and Rick's un.o.btrusive black sedan, so they could go somewhere for lunch or dinner unnoticed. They drove an hour beyond Miami and found fun places where they could walk the beach and be alone. She wondered if it was possible that, with time, the curiosity about Grey and the other band members would disappear completely. While reminding herself that a week hardly set a precedent, she'd begun to feel more than a sliver of hope.

Hope was a dangerous thing, but she couldn't contain hers, not when she was experiencing a level of happiness as an adult that she'd always thought was beyond her. And she wanted to hold on to it for all she was worth.

A few days later, Lola called early one morning, asking Avery if she'd like to meet for lunch. Avery had woken up with a migraine headache and wasn't up to driving, but she was curious about what Lola wanted, so she had invited her over instead.

She hadn't seen the other woman since the awkward night at Lola and Rep's house, and Grey hadn't mentioned her. He was at a meeting with Chloe Mandrake, lead singer of the punk rock band Night Madness, about Grey writing a song and collaborating for their next alb.u.m.

When Avery had asked him about whether or not he needed a manager, he'd said he'd rather use his lawyer to deal with contracts if things reached that point. Meanwhile, he seemed excited about the opportunity, and to her surprise, Avery was too. She didn't want to hold him back in his career, and she didn't want him to feel like he couldn't move forward because of her anxiety or fears. She wanted to believe in them, and she was trying as promised.

Which didn't mean she wasn't intimidated by the fact Grey was hanging out with the punk rock princess who was definitely s.e.xy and hot with her tattoos, heavy makeup, and curvy body. She was. And she knew Chloe lived in L.A., and she'd be foolish not to think Grey would need to travel sometimes in order to work with her and the band. But he came home to her at night. And she was trying.

Lola arrived, dressed in a short, short miniskirt, bright red ankle-high cowboy-style boots, and a cropped top over a bandeau. And Avery reminded herself once again, Grey came home to her. And she was trying.

"I really appreciate you letting me come over," the other woman said.

"I was surprised to hear from you."

Lola took a seat across from Avery on the outside patio. Good thing she was in a single chair, surrounded by white wrought iron tables, and not on the lounger where Avery and Grey had consummated their new relationship agreement. Avery chose that seat for herself.

She pulled a pillow over her lap and tucked one knee beneath her, attempting unsuccessfully not to think about that day with Grey. She flushed with heat at the memory of how she'd been naked on the terrace, her b.o.o.bs and a.s.s out for the world to see. Not the world, since n.o.body had a view here, but it had sure felt that way. She hadn't cared.

After the way her father had ignored all that was important in Avery's life and even Avery herself that day, all she'd wanted was Grey. Because he looked at her like she mattered. He touched her like she was his reason for being, and she knew if she dropped her walls, she'd admit she felt the same way.

She'd needed him then, wanting everything Grey had to offer her, too much to worry about propriety or being naked outdoors.

"Avery? Are you okay? Your cheeks are red," Lola said, bringing her out of her fantasies.

"Just the headache," she murmured, although in reality the headache was much better.

"Do you want to sit inside where it's cooler?" Lola offered.

"Maybe in a little while. I'm okay for now, thanks."

Lola nodded. "So, I guess you're wondering why I called?"

Avery managed a nod despite the mild pounding in her head.

"To apologize. I would have called you sooner, but I know you had a lot going on with the paps and the other issues. I just ... I was looking out for a friend, and I did it the wrong way."

To the other woman's credit, she looked genuinely contrite. And from what Avery knew of Grey, he wouldn't pick a best friend who wasn't a good person.

"I have older brothers who can't manage to b.u.t.t out of my life. And a sister who would do the same given the opportunity, so I get it. You're his family, and I want you to know I respect that."

Lola blinked, and Avery wondered if she was choked up. "You have no idea how relieved I am," Lola said, her voice cracking, confirming Avery's suspicions.

Avery leaned forward and met the other woman's gaze. "I won't hurt him without breaking my own heart in the process. I know that's not everything you want to hear, but it's the best I can do."

"n.o.body's perfect, especially me." Lola met her gaze, and Avery believed an understanding had been reached. "So how is the prom planning going? Grey told me all about it."

Avery smiled, pleased Lola asked about her pet project. She'd been on the phone all week and met with so many different people, changing up the basic idea. She was excited to share it with Lola.

"It's great. We decided to copy the model at Memorial Sloan Kettering Children's Hospital in New York. Instead of teenagers only, we're doing a party for all the kids in the cancer wing of the hospital. It's a combination pediatric and teen prom, so everyone has something to look forward to."

Lola smiled. "That's so amazing. I really admire your dedication."

"I ..." Avery cleared her throat and decided to just say why she'd researched other hospitals and changed her plans. "I donated bone marrow to my half sister when I was nine. I know what it would have meant to her to have something fun on the horizon. Young or old, girls love to dress up, right? And the boys ... well, they'll deal."

"I love the idea. I really do. And so will the kids."

"I hope so because I had to call shops all over Miami who cater to all different ages, boys and girls, to get dresses and clothes. It's been a huge undertaking, but I'm thrilled. The hospital finally gave the official okay yesterday." She'd met with Dr. McCann, and he'd been so impressed with the amount of sponsorships he'd agreed on the spot.

"Anything I can do to help?" Lola asked.

Avery would never impose on one of Grey's friends for an in-person appearance, but since Lola was asking ... "Would you mind signing pictures or something for the kids? We could put them in the goodie/giveaway bags for the end of the night."

Lola's expression lit up at the idea. "I'd love to. Let me see what I can get my hands on. Text me the date, and I'll make sure you have things in time."

Avery clapped her hands in excitement, just imagining the kids' expressions to have something signed by Lola Corbin.

They chatted for a little while longer before Lola rose to her feet. "I'm going to let you rest now, but thanks for seeing me. And for accepting my apology."

Avery waved away her words. "It's in the past."

"Good. I hope we can try dinner, the four of us, again?"