her about Grey. After so many years of wondering about him and missing him, actually being with him this past Saturday night had been surreal.
Her emotions had fluctuated all evening. She’d been wary at first, withdrawn during the influx of fans, then once they were truly alone, all her old feelings for him had swamped her full force. They meshed on a level she’d never experienced with anyone else. He understood the girl she was deep down inside, respecting what he knew of her insecurities. Any other guy would have responded to her blatant sexual overtures and taken advantage of the obvious chemistry and desire pulsing between them.
Not Grey. He wouldn’t let proximity and need dictate his actions. Instead of making use of the bed, instead of taking their kisses to the next level, instead of peeling off the tee shirt he’d lent her and sinking deep inside her willing body, he’d called a halt. Because he knew, even if she’d been well past caring, that if they’d had sex, she’d regret it the next day.
And she would have. Of course she regretted not sleeping with him too, but that was her needy body talking. She’d returned home from the boat on edge, her panties damp, her nipples hard and aching, wishing he’d at least taken the edge off with a nice climax. But instead, her rocker had played the good guy. And she hadn’t been able to use her vibrator to slake her need, because she’d known it wouldn’t have been as good as the real thing.
“Avery Dare, where the heck are you?” Riley asked, waving a hand in front of her face and bringing her back to the present.
“You’re flushed,” Meg noted with a grin.
“We live in Miami and it’s hot out,” Avery muttered, grasping for an excuse.
“No, that’s not a weather flush. It’s a guy blush,” Riley said, eyeing her with curiosity.
Olivia pursed her lips. “You’ve been in your own head ever since the concert with Grey, and I’ve let you stew because you seemed to need time. But you seem lighter now … and I want answers.” Her sister nailed her with a determined expression that had Avery shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to discuss things in public,” the ever-diplomatic Meg said, taking a sip of her iced tea.
Avery realized her drink had been put down, and she took a long sip of the cool, sweet liquid. Olivia was right. She’d been sad and grumpy after her run-in with Grey and his groupie at the concert, and she hadn’t let her sister in. She didn’t want to hurt Meg’s or Riley’s feelings by blocking them out now, even if discussing her love life wasn’t something she did easily.
“I saw Grey this past weekend,” she admitted, then sat back and let the comments fly.
“I can’t believe you and Grey Kingston. Damn, girl, he’s hot.” Meg fanned herself with her hand.
Riley’s smile started slow and built until she was grinning. “It’s about time.”
And then there was Olivia. “You’ve been holding out on me.”
Guilt slid through Avery, and she grasped her sister’s hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just that after the concert—”
“I don’t know what happened after,” Olivia reminded her.
Avery sighed. “Nobody does.” Except Ella, but Avery wouldn’t dig the wound deeper by saying so. “I went backstage, and there was a female wrapped around him. A half-dressed groupie with teased hair and too much makeup, clinging to him like a Howler monkey. And yes, he pushed her off him, but then she began shrieking like he’d hit her. She made a scene. He ignored her, ran after me, but it … hurt.”
“Aww, honey,” Meg murmured.
“He knew you were coming and couldn’t keep them away?” Olivia asked, outraged on Avery’s behalf.
She swallowed hard. “It’s part of his lifestyle. That’s what had me so thrown afterwards. To even be friends with him now, I’d have to expose myself to that, and I didn’t know if I could handle it.”
“And you couldn’t share that
Her emotions had fluctuated all evening. She’d been wary at first, withdrawn during the influx of fans, then once they were truly alone, all her old feelings for him had swamped her full force. They meshed on a level she’d never experienced with anyone else. He understood the girl she was deep down inside, respecting what he knew of her insecurities. Any other guy would have responded to her blatant sexual overtures and taken advantage of the obvious chemistry and desire pulsing between them.
Not Grey. He wouldn’t let proximity and need dictate his actions. Instead of making use of the bed, instead of taking their kisses to the next level, instead of peeling off the tee shirt he’d lent her and sinking deep inside her willing body, he’d called a halt. Because he knew, even if she’d been well past caring, that if they’d had sex, she’d regret it the next day.
And she would have. Of course she regretted not sleeping with him too, but that was her needy body talking. She’d returned home from the boat on edge, her panties damp, her nipples hard and aching, wishing he’d at least taken the edge off with a nice climax. But instead, her rocker had played the good guy. And she hadn’t been able to use her vibrator to slake her need, because she’d known it wouldn’t have been as good as the real thing.
“Avery Dare, where the heck are you?” Riley asked, waving a hand in front of her face and bringing her back to the present.
“You’re flushed,” Meg noted with a grin.
“We live in Miami and it’s hot out,” Avery muttered, grasping for an excuse.
“No, that’s not a weather flush. It’s a guy blush,” Riley said, eyeing her with curiosity.
Olivia pursed her lips. “You’ve been in your own head ever since the concert with Grey, and I’ve let you stew because you seemed to need time. But you seem lighter now … and I want answers.” Her sister nailed her with a determined expression that had Avery shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to discuss things in public,” the ever-diplomatic Meg said, taking a sip of her iced tea.
Avery realized her drink had been put down, and she took a long sip of the cool, sweet liquid. Olivia was right. She’d been sad and grumpy after her run-in with Grey and his groupie at the concert, and she hadn’t let her sister in. She didn’t want to hurt Meg’s or Riley’s feelings by blocking them out now, even if discussing her love life wasn’t something she did easily.
“I saw Grey this past weekend,” she admitted, then sat back and let the comments fly.
“I can’t believe you and Grey Kingston. Damn, girl, he’s hot.” Meg fanned herself with her hand.
Riley’s smile started slow and built until she was grinning. “It’s about time.”
And then there was Olivia. “You’ve been holding out on me.”
Guilt slid through Avery, and she grasped her sister’s hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just that after the concert—”
“I don’t know what happened after,” Olivia reminded her.
Avery sighed. “Nobody does.” Except Ella, but Avery wouldn’t dig the wound deeper by saying so. “I went backstage, and there was a female wrapped around him. A half-dressed groupie with teased hair and too much makeup, clinging to him like a Howler monkey. And yes, he pushed her off him, but then she began shrieking like he’d hit her. She made a scene. He ignored her, ran after me, but it … hurt.”
“Aww, honey,” Meg murmured.
“He knew you were coming and couldn’t keep them away?” Olivia asked, outraged on Avery’s behalf.
She swallowed hard. “It’s part of his lifestyle. That’s what had me so thrown afterwards. To even be friends with him now, I’d have to expose myself to that, and I didn’t know if I could handle it.”
“And you couldn’t share that
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