HazardsDare (9 page)

“Rub yourself if you want to,” he said, proving how
observant he was. “Nothing’s forbidden between us.”

Avery didn’t need to be told twice. If she’d been with
Timothy, he’d have refused any position except basic missionary and
occasionally something he considered wilder, like her on top so she could do
all the work. Had she tried to touch herself in the process, he’d have gotten
angry.

With Hazard, he wanted her to be pleasured. If that pleasure
came from their combined thrusting and her masturbating, he was fine with it.

Encouraged and needing to come, Avery slid her hand down her
abdomen, liking her own soft touch. “All over, touch your tits, squeeze them
and imagine me biting the tips.”

“Umm, yes, oh, yes,” she murmured, shifting upward to tweak
her nipples. Flinging her head in time with his thrusts and her manipulation of
her breasts, she used both hands.

Pleasuring herself had never felt this good. Being more
daring, she pinched hard, drawing her nipples taut.

“Your clit needs attention. Give it some of your loving
touch, baby, stroke it,” he told her, his voice so low, it resonated with his
own desire.

Watching his face, Avery sent her left hand skimming slowly
down her body until she reached her destination. Her clitoris welcomed her
stroke, throbbing in unison with his fierce fucking.

Powering into her now, he didn’t hold back, neither did she.
Rubbing herself off felt glorious, freeing. Climax loomed, drawing on her inner
muscles, zinging outward and flinging her right into orbit.

Hazard kept thrusting. She kept manipulating her pulsing
clitoris. Orgasm struck a second time, gripping her hard enough to make her see
stars.

Release, as delicate as a butterfly’s wings, swept through
her, centering her. Hazard propelled into her masterfully, losing pace for a
second before shaking and grunting with the force of his own climax.

He slumped over her tummy. His hair fell all around her,
brushing her skin.

“The grip of your pussy when you come makes me horny for
more and possessive as fuck,” he uttered, kissing her bellybutton. “You’re an
amazing lover, Avery.”

“Thank you. Only thing is, I’m really hungry now.”

He lifted his head, his eyes zeroing in on her face. She
smiled at him, happier than ever. He frowned, lifting his brow.

“What’s the matter, Hazard?”

“No tears,” he answered.

“No, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy. My body is plenty
happy. If you want me to cry, I’ll do it next time.”

“I want you to have fun,” he said, drawing out of her to
remove his condom and toss it in the trash can by the bed.

“I am having fun. I’m a lucky woman to have you as my lover.
I know we haven’t promised each other more than this week, but I’m open to
trying everything with you.”

“That’s good. I aim to take you on a sensual journey you’ve
never imagined.” He stood up, looking at her funny, as if he had something more
to say, but couldn’t. “I’ll get your robe.”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you said everything right.”

Hazard made good on his word to get her robe and brought it
to her. As soon as she was covered up, he knotted the bath towel around his
hips, covering up all his masculine glory.

Whoa, he was quite an extraordinary man.

He went over to the cart and picked up her soda, bringing it
back to the bed for her to drink. It’d warmed up some. That didn’t matter. It
was kind to bring it to her. Thirst quenched, she thanked him with a smile and
got off the bed.

Together, they made their way to the tiny kitchen. Their
meals did need to be heated in the microwave. Using one plate, they stacked it
with fries to heat them up and then nibbled on them while the burgers were
getting zapped.

He’d been clever in recommending they heat only the meat,
and by the time they fixed the burgers with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and
condiments, they had a hot meal.

They each carried a plate to the small table for two in the
kitchenette and sat down.

“I was wondering about something,” she said after she was
three bites in on the delicious cheeseburger.

“Go on,” he said, squeezing out a packet of ketchup on his
plate.

“Why didn’t you go to Alex and Ryan’s wedding in July? They
invited you. I was part of making the guest list. I’d have liked to have seen
you.”

“Bet you helped plan much of the wedding,” Hazard said.

“I did what I could from Louisville. After Alex recovered,
he and Ryan took ownership of Druid Creek Castle and made it a B&B. Life
was busy for them and me, since I had to work.”

“Are you glad you moved to Massachusetts?”

“Definitely, I’d needed a change and Ryan offered me a job
that pays well, with excellent benefits. Even better, he’s open to suggestions
from his physical therapist.”

“What suggestions?”

“For one, he’s agreed to turn one of my PT areas into a spa.
Therapeutic massages can be incredibly healing when patients are recovering. Of
course, I do more than massage, I help patients recover from surgery, keep them
active and redevelop muscle after their bones have healed.”

“It’s an excellent profession. The idea to include a spa
atmosphere is good.”

“Doc sure thought so. He believes healing is as much mental
as it is physical. As grueling as PT can be, why shouldn’t patients experience
aromatherapy or be treated to a hot rock massage after an intense session with
me?”

“Let me ask you something,” Hazard requested. “Have you
always wanted to be a physical therapist?”

Avery hadn’t missed that he’d deflected her question about
why he didn’t attend Alex and Ryan’s wedding. She doubted Hazard had something
against same-sex marriages, but she sensed he had his reasons for directing the
questions to her.

“When I was in college, I’d thought about nursing and then
attended a seminar on massage. I’d entertained getting a license to be a
massage therapist.”

“At a guess, I’d say your daddy didn’t like that idea.”

“Oh no,” she said, shaking her head. “He went ballistic,
exclaiming to Mom that he was not sending me to an exemplary institution only
to have me ruin my life by doing something hippies would do.”

“Ouch,” Hazard said after swallowing a French fry.

She picked up a sweet potato fry and bit into it. It was
delicious. Swallowing it down, she drank some soda, then admitted, “Mom is the
one who suggested physical therapy. Once I looked into it, I discovered she was
right.”

“Do you regret not going for the massage license?”

“Not at all,” she said. “After I graduated college and was
board certified in PT, I took classes in massage on my own time. On Saturdays,
I worked at a salon in my neighborhood.”

“What about Timothy, he didn’t object?”

“Our dates were sporadic and we didn’t get serious until we
graduated from college and he went to work for a law firm. Once I found a job,
I had my own place, my own life. Timothy was a part of it, but he was too busy
with his own political agenda to really care about what I was doing.”

“If you didn’t love him, you should have broken things off
with him before discovering he had a temper or a pension for cheating on you.”

“He was handpicked by my father. Dating was something I
struggled with through high school and college, primarily because I had
bodyguards and guys were more interested in meeting my dad or brother.”

She nibbled on more fries, thinking about how much to
reveal. “Dating Timothy became a habit. Daddy wanted it. He came from the right
family, was Republican. The one time I fell for someone I’d thought wasn’t
impressed by the Grant family name was a total disaster.”

“Tell me about him.”

“Only if you answer my original question about why you
didn’t attend Alexander and Ryan’s wedding.”

Hazard picked up his soda and sipped from the can,
swallowing. “I was committed to a camping trip with friends that weekend. It’s
an annual trek into the wilderness. We get shitfaced drunk and tell the world to
fuck off.”

“Sometimes telling the world to fuck off is liberating.”

“It certainly can be. I called Alex and explained. He
understood.”

“You don’t have to say more. I guess it’s safe to admit I’m
relieved to know you didn’t object to his marriage to Doc.”

“I like Doc. I was invited up to the castle for a weekend of
contract negotiations. They pulled out all the stops and treated me like a
king. They’re a great couple and I wish them well.”

“That’s nice to hear.” Avery ate more fries, washing them
down with her drink.

“Avery, tell me about him,” Hazard urged gently.

“My big mistake, you mean?”

“If you’re willing to talk about it, I’d like to know.”

Liking the fact that he wouldn’t press if she objected,
Avery rocked back in her surprisingly comfortable chair and looked at the man
across from her.

“Gary was one of my bodyguards,” she confessed. “I’d not
known he was a guard originally. My dad arranged for a team of them to protect
me when I was away at school.”

“Where’d you attend college?”

“University of Kentucky, go Wildcats,” she cheered. “Our
basketball team was second to none and still is awesome.”

“Tell me more about Gary.” Leaning forward some, he turned
his head in such a way that his hair fell back from his face. Whoa, he was
gorgeous. As much as she was physically attracted to him, it felt as if she was
talking to a best friend.

“There were a lot of reasons my father was so protective of
me. He’s the same with Charlotte. It’s only since Alexander and Ryan got
together that I understood his motivation.”

“Reasons you can’t say?” he asked without pressing.

“Yes. As to Gary, he was a trained bodyguard who looked
young enough to attend college. My parents didn’t want me to feel as though the
guards were haunting my every step, so I didn’t realize his purpose in my life
until it was too late.”

“He was undercover.”

“That’s the best way to explain it. To me, he was different.
He didn’t question me about my dad or family. He focused on…me.”

“What happened?”

“As you can guess, I developed a huge crush on him. We went
to movies and parties together, hung out at the library or our dorm room.
Several times, he seemed interested in more than friendship, but he wouldn’t
touch me beyond the occasional hug. At parties, if there was alcohol, he’d
watch over me, but never really had more than a beer. But then it happened.”

“What?”

“I kissed him. One kiss melded into another. We made out on
my bed and I’d offered my virginity and…”

“Okay, that much I don’t need to hear.” Hazard finished his
Coke and set it aside. He’d nibbled on his food throughout their conversation.
Half his burger was gone and all of his fries.

“Sorry,” Avery hastily apologized, uncertain why she’d said
that much.

“It’s all right. Keep going.”

“To make a long story short, he turned me down, then
admitted he was my bodyguard and he’d have to quit working for my father if
we’d had sex.”

“That had to hurt.”

“I was heartbroken and angry.”

“Don’t misunderstand, but it sounds like Gary was trying to
do the right thing.”

“I know that now. I fell for him, not the other way around.
He was simply doing his job. He liked me as a friend. I’d been the one to
romanticize the situation.”

“Not to mention you were on your own, trying in your own way
to rebel without damaging your family’s reputation. Don’t blame yourself. What
Gary and your father should have done was tell you up front as to why you
needed an undercover guard.”

“That about sums it up, yes. My one true heartbreak wasn’t
even the result of a lost love. I’d never had him in the first place. I think I
buried myself into my relationship with Timothy because it seemed safer. You
can’t have your heart broken if your heart’s not involved.”

“Part of you knew Timothy wasn’t the love of your life.”

“Sadly, it took me a while to realize I could succeed
without Timothy or any man to hinder me from showing everyone that there’s more
to me than a dutiful daughter. I have Alexander to thank for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“My brother’s stronger than I’d given him credit for. I
think I’d always known he’s gay. My parents did too. But growing up in a place
known for bigotry wasn’t easy for him and he hid it from everyone, including
himself, making bad choices. It’s complicated.”

“I can only imagine,” Hazard said.

“Suffice it to say he’s been hurt way more than anyone
should have to suffer. And I’ve never been prouder of being Alexander’s sister
than when he told my parents that Ryan was the man he loved.”

“I respect Alex for being up front with his clients when he
decided to come out. Even if there’d been a backlash, he’d made the choice and
wouldn’t have backed down from it. That’s the kind of agent I want handling my
career.”

“He’s chosen the right career. Dad wanted him to be a
corporate lawyer or politician or something along those lines.”

“If he’d chosen law, he’d have excelled. It’s difficult to
imagine Alex Grant failing at anything. He knows what his clients need and
makes sure our contracts are sound and factor in the future. He’s already
looking into an agent to represent my music career.”

Avery nodded and smiled. “He found a literary agent for
Kyran Black, who got him a lucrative book deal. Not to mention my friend
Cassie’s sister, Alessandra, had written a series of erotic romance books
before she’d died. With Alexander’s help, those books are being published.”

“I’d like to read them when they’re available. Admittedly,
Jax has more knowledge regarding the publishing industry than I do.”

“Something tells me Jaxon Wynter is a complicated man.”

“He can be.” Looking much like he wanted to change the
subject, Hazard pushed away from the table. “Still nibbling on the sweet potato
fries or can I clear off the table?”