Page 81 of Against The Tide

“Eyes on me, Avery. Let me see you, sunshine.”

Hazel eyes flutter open with my kiss on the tip of her nose. Shifting us so she’s facing the dresser mirror, I hold her gaze in the reflection.

“I want you to see what you do to me.” Her eyes try to wander, but I tip her chin up. “No. Look at yourself, Avery. Look at how beautiful you are right now.”

My beautiful girl swallows hard, half-lidded eyes blinking with doubt. I fucking hate the voice in her head that’s spent years telling her she was nothing. I’m going to fix that. To make sure it never gets to breathe again.

“You see that woman?” I thrust slow and deep, watching her lips part in the glass. “She’s fucking perfect. And she’s mine.”

“Rhett…”

“Yeah, baby, you’re all mine.”

Her hips work with mine, driving us both to our climax, and with every thrash of her head, her eyes widen, her pussy fists tighter…

“That’s it, let go…give me everything…” I grit out as my cock swells, the feel of her walls clamping around me too good to hold back.

Neither of us looks away, even as curses flurry from our lips and heat our skin. We don’t look away as her body racks with the pleasure I’m giving her, and I pour everything into her.

We give and take.

Avery holds me, and I hold her. And I can’t imagine ever not having this. I can’t fathom letting her go ever again.

She’s mine. She was born to be mine. Just as I was born to be hers. And my search is over. I’ve found her…my heart. My soul. The reason for my existence. And I’m going to keep her no matter what.

“Coffee! Gimme, please!” Avery makes grabby hands at the cup in my hand while peering out to the front of the house from her vantage point on the kitchen island.

She’s been on the lookout for Callie and the girls since we came downstairs. It’s obvious she’s desperate to have Iris back, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t too. The more I think about last night, the more it bothers me that Carl would show up here just to see Iris when from all accounts he’s not father of the year, and after the way he spoke to Avery last night…I’m still kicking myself for letting Jesse stand in the way.

I have a feeling no one would give a shit if the asshole went missing, never to be seen or heard from again. Still, my feelings aside, it’s Avery and Iris I’m worried about. I’m worried about losing them. I don’t want to let them go—don’t think I can either. Just thinking about it makes my chest tighten and my stomach knot painfully.

“You shouldn’t frown,” she tells me when I part her legs, standing between her thighs with her coffee in hand. Running a finger between my knitted brows, she adds, “You’ll get lines.”

I put her coffee down to the side and brace myself closer to her. “If you look closely, you’ll see I already have them.”

Scrunching her nose, Avery cups my face, giggling, “Only very closely. Like this…”

Sitting straighter, she leans toward me, closing her eyes for a moment as she inhales deeply. When her eyes open on mine again, her lips tip up to one side right before she kisses me.

All the barriers and walls she’s had in place are gone as the tip of her tongue licks tentatively into my mouth with her stare boring into mine, gradually gaining confidence to explore with my low groans.

Fingertips stroke from my jaw to my temples with her nails raking against my stubble with her quickening breaths and dilating pupils. Her feet hook around me, bringing me flush to her as my hands mold to the top of her ass.

Every inch of her, every dip and curve, is perfect.

So. Fucking. Perfect. I can’t actually believe she’s mine. For all my bravado, I am clueless as to how this incredible woman could want me.

Nipples hardening beneath my shirt, she moans into my mouth with every light touch. Still, her eyes never close, much like this morning.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been kissed. By so many different women. Yet none of them have stolen my soul the way she has with her soft smiles and timid touches. Nobody has seen me like she does—past all the rights and wrongs, virtues and sins, appearances and possessions.

Avery doesn’t care about any of the bullshit; she’s all about heart and soul. That’s what makes her special. It’s what makes her impossible to forget and so damn easy to love.

“Not even this close,” she murmurs, licking her lips as though she’s still savoring our kiss.

“Now I know you’re lying.”

“I was pleasantly distracted.”