Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
I pick up my phone from the table resting beside me and pull up Avril from my contacts. She answers on the second ring. “Hey, stud.”
My lips curl up in a smile and my chest fills with warmth. “Can I come over?”
“Is it bad?” she asks with worry. “What happened with Andrew?”
“No,” I tell her. “It’s not bad, and it will take me all of five minutes to reassure you of that.”
“You could do that over the phone if you wanted,” she points out.
“I don’t want to come over to talk about Andrew, although I will. I want to come over to be with you.”
“You were already with me a few hours ago,” she replies pertly. My palm itches to spank her ass again.
“And I want to be with you again,” I say smoothly. “And probably again after that and before we go to sleep. And once more in the morning when we wake up. And then again after breakfast.”
Avril laughs. Christ, I love that sound. I’ve heard it for seventeen years, but it never sounded so good before. “So you’re going to sleep all night with me?”
“That would make it easier to have sex with you in the morning,” I say dryly.
This is a big deal for us, because sleeping all night together in each other’s arms is a deeper level of intimacy. It in no way compares to her, Andrew, and me all sleeping in the same bed because we wore ourselves out with fucking.
“I have an even better idea,” I say impulsively.
“What’s that?”
“Let’s go away this weekend. Catalina Island or Tijuana?”
“I’m not going to Tijuana,” she sniffs into the phone.
Laughing, I tell her, “Okay. Catalina Island then. And I’ll be over to your house in about fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be naked and waiting,” she says and disconnects the phone.
I make it to her house in ten minutes.
CHAPTER 24
Avril
I knock on Andrew’s office door but don’t wait for him to grant me entrance. I never do, just as he barges in my office whenever he wants.
He smiles when he looks up at me, and I’m so grateful he’s made this easy on me. That night a few weeks ago when Dane went to talk to Andrew, Andrew sent me a text. It was simple and beautiful and I’ve never loved him more.
I’m backing out, Av. It’s right for everyone. There are big things ahead for you and Dane. Best friends always.
We, of course, talked about it over the past few weeks, but there was never a moment of discomfort, awkwardness, or regret. If anything, we’d become closer simply because we weathered through something that was complex, emotionally charged, and full of terrible risk to our friendship.
Because Andrew was the friend out of the two of them that I gossiped with and we shared matters of the heart, it was beyond easy to have him become my confidant when it came to Dane. We didn’t talk about sex because what I had with them together was sacred, and what I have with just Dane is sacred, but we’ve talked about everything else.
I think Andrew is finding perverse joy in watching Dane fumble about on how to be a boyfriend. It’s amazing when you think about it… Dane never having been in a committed relationship. I mean, Drew and I both have been through several relationships over the years, so we’re seasoned veterans.
But Dane is struggling at times. For instance, after we’d spent a weekend at Catalina Island and then the next consecutive four nights at either his house or mine, he mistakenly assumed on the fifth night that he would go out with some friends to dinner without telling me. Now, yes… I assumed we would do something together, but I also didn’t begrudge him a night out with others. What I did have a problem with was when I walked down to his office at the end of the day, his secretary was the one who informed me of his plans.
Let’s just say when he showed up at my house that night, long after dinner and drinks were over, I wouldn’t open the door to him and he learned an important dating lesson.
Be considerate when making plans and communicate said plans to your significant other.
For the most part, however, I’ve been in a constant state of bliss. I’m in a relationship with a man I’ve loved for a very long time, I’m having the best sex of my life, and I’m starting to see a long-term future with Dane.
I think he might be seeing something similar, but I can’t be sure. We don’t talk about our feelings, but rather communicate with actions in the bed. The sex has changed somewhat. It’s become more intensely personal. More kissing. More touching. More eye contact. More whispered words of affirmation.
Dane has opened up to me more. There’s easy affection like cuddling on the couch or talking late into the night while we face each other in the bed. We talk about silly movies or we debate politics even though we’re pretty closely aligned on many issues.