The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,58
ex-wife wouldn’t have dreamed of going to bed without her intricate beauty routine. And there was no way she would have shared a hot dog and grilled corn with him the way Avery had in town today.
All in all, it had been perfect.
Maybe that was what scared him the most—the thought that the whole experience had really just been a perfect illusion.
Avery was leaving town once they settled Niall’s estate. Sooner if she could manage it. She’d made no secret of her unwillingness to stay, even though as far as he could tell she had no life to return to in California. That should be a red flag, as well. Despite their time together, he still knew very little about the details of her life before she’d appeared in Magnolia.
He could google her, of course. He didn’t depend on technology or social media, but he still understood how to use it. But that wasn’t how he wanted to learn about her. There was something in her past she was unwilling to share, and he wanted her to trust him enough to confide in him without him snooping.
Or maybe he could stop acting like such an idiot and find a way to enjoy a night of mind-blowing sex. She was staying in town for at least a few more weeks, so nothing said they couldn’t continue to enjoy each other, no strings attached.
Any man would consider himself lucky to have a woman like Avery warming his bed. The trouble for Gray was he didn’t know how to turn off the part of himself that wanted more.
He sighed and she shifted closer. For a woman who was maddeningly prickly when awake, she was a Velcro sleeper. Another aspect to the riddle of Avery Keller, and another part of her he found hard to resist.
“I can hear you thinking.” She repeated his words from earlier, spreading her fingers across his chest.
His heartbeat stuttered at the feel of her smooth fingertips.
“Then you should distract me,” he suggested, curling his hand over her hip.
She lifted onto her elbow, studying him for a weighted moment. He wondered if she’d question him and how he’d answer. Then she kissed him, and he let the worries disappear, burned off like morning fog under the heat from the sun’s rays.
This time they took it slow, a tangle of limbs and murmured promises. He could spend hours discovering how Avery liked to be touched, giving her the same kind of pleasure he felt when they were together. When they were both panting with need, he sheathed himself and entered her in one long thrust. She groaned and pressed closer, like she wanted more. He wanted everything, greedy for her in a way that should have scared him. But with her body quivering underneath his, all he could concentrate on was this moment.
Then there was the moment they both came apart, utter bliss with Avery crying out his name as he let himself go. Nothing had ever felt so damn good and he had a suspicion nothing would again. Arms wrapped tight around her, he drifted off to sleep, mind blissfully empty while his heart was unexpectedly full.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY MORNING, Avery waited until Gray’s truck was gone from the driveway before walking out into the bright September sunshine. It was the third day in a row she’d avoided him, and shame at her cowardice once again overrode her desire to talk to him and explain her behavior.
How could she explain something she didn’t understand?
After the amazing night they’d spent together on Saturday, she’d awoke Sunday morning with terror pounding in her chest. She had no business starting something with a single father, even if they’d agreed to keep it casual. Especially when nothing about her time in Magnolia felt casual.
She’d left his bed quietly, retrieving her clothes from around the room while he slept. Early-morning light filtered through the curtains, and she hadn’t been able to stop herself from admiring him for a few heady seconds. He slept on his stomach, the sheet covering him from the waist down. His skin appeared almost golden, like he was some kind of bronzed warrior, which didn’t feel too far from