The Morning After (A Short Preview)
Ava opened an eyelid, drawing in a long slow breath as her brain slowly came awake. It wasn’t quite there yet. She arched her back a little as she stretched, snuggling back into the warm sheets, blinking sleepily in an attempt to clear her foggy vision. It was still dark outside, indicating the early hour.
Her gaze landed on the solid arm draped around her middle, and her heart picked up pace, as it had for the past three mornings, when she woke up with her limbs wrapped in Elias Young’s, her butt pressed against his morning erection.
She shifted against him and he automatically drew her closer, even though his chest was still moving evenly, signaling that he wasn’t even awake yet. She closed her eyes again, picking absently at her bottom lip.
The fact that she was awaking in his bed for the third morning in a row, was doing too much. Way, way too much.
She’d came over late for his annual New Year’s Eve party, and hadn’t left. He’d asked her to stay that night, as they rang in the new year in the cold night air, standing on the back of his wooden patio, and she’d tried to resist, at first. But then he’d quietly said her name in his way that was a caress with a hint of demand--“Ava”-- and her reservations fell away like her clothes later did that night. “Stay the night with me,” he’d asked, his voice low in her ear, making her entire body heat, in spite of the winter night air.
“Okay.” Her breath puffed in the cold as she acquiesced and Elias pulled her tighter against his body, dropping slow, warm kisses into the side of her neck, until they were interrupted by his older brother, Daniel, who wanted to know where the extra supply of bourbon was.
After that, they’d gone inside and hung out with everyone, though Elias never drifted far from her side. He refreshed her wine. He made sure she ate, and much later, when the house was quiet and empty, he’d taken care of her every physical desire, pleasing her before she even formed a full idea of what she wanted, where she wanted him to touch her.
New Year’s Day had been no different. She’d lounged around the house with him, nosing in the kitchen as he made ribs, sautéed spinach and black-eyed peas with cornbread, and he told her to stay for dinner. Dinner turned to breakfast. And the next day, yesterday, they’d watched the entire first season of Game of Thrones, her for the second time, him for the first because he wanted to see what the hype was about—even though he was years late.
When she’d made a move to leave late that evening—which was admittedly half-hearted, he told her he’d just ordered a pizza and poured her another glass of a delicious South African red blend. Wine turned to night, which turned to this morning.
“Winter is coming.”
Elias sleepy baritone broke her out of her thoughts and Ava laughed, her shoulders shaking with the movement.
“I dreamt about Khaleesi,” Ava admitted, turning her head to look at him.
“Me too. I dreamt I bought you some dragon eggs at an auction, and you were mad because I put I didn’t put them in the refrigerator.”
Ava laughed again as Elias chuckled.
“That’s why I don’t binge-watch late at night,” she said. “I always wind up dreaming about the show.”
His answer was to kiss her shoulder, sending goosebumps dancing down the length of her arm at the feel of his scratch hair on her warm skin.
“What do you have going on today?” she asked, turning onto her back to look up at him.
He grinned when their eyes met, and she automatically smiled too. Elias was sexy. And fine. And chill. And she felt comfortable with him in a way that made absolutely no sense, which is why trepidation lingered deep in her belly. She raised her brows, still smiling when he didn’t answer.
“What?” she asked, because of the way he was looking at her.
“I like you.”
Her body heated and she rolled her eyes smiling. “I like you too, obviously. I haven’t seen my home in three days.”
“My bad,” he said, not looking sorry at all, a half-grin on his face. “Had you hemmed up over here, huh?”
She smiled. “I’m not complaining. Just... you know.”
She lifted a shoulder, shifting her weight, feeling like a schoolgirl under Elias’ steady gaze. He was giving her that look again, the one that turned her into mush, made her body come alive and thrum in anticipation.
“You never answered,” she prompted, when he grinned again, fully aware of how she instantly reacted to him.
“I just picked up a gig with Ford, so I gotta fly out to L.A. today.”
Her eyes widened and she attempted to sit up. “Oh, I can g—”
“Uh-uh, uh-uh,” Elias furrowed his brow, shaking his head, his grin still in place. “Whatchu doin?”
He brushed his nose against her collarbone, planting a kiss into the side of her neck.
“You just said you have a flight,” Ava said, her eyes automatically drifting closed at the feel of Elias’ lips pressed against her skin. His large hand trailed to her hip, palming it as he kissed the underside of her neck.
“I ain’t leavin now,” he said, a hint of amusement in his baritone. “Not til later this afternoon.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Not sure,” he said against her neck, resting his head on his outstretched arm. Somehow her leg was between his and he ran his hand up ribcage back down to her hip.
“About three, four days, probably. Maybe a week. ”
“L.A. is a cool town,” Ava said, nodding, wondering if she sounded as lame to him as she felt. “Do you go there a lot for business?”
“Lately. For about the past year, now that I’m getting bigger contracts.”
“Oh, cool. That’s really cool, and good that you’re getting the work.”
She bit the inside of her cheek hard to keep the word “cool” from leaving her lips again. Why the hell was she so goofy all of a sudden? Her stomach was now knotted and she drew in a silent breath as the realization hit her—she didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to stay all up under this man and have him all up under her. After three days. She was tripping. Hard. They were silent for a moment, their bodies growing warm from being pressed together under the blankets. She could feel his chest rising and falling with his breaths, as he traced her skin with his fingertips. The air between them had shifted.
“Ava, can I be real?” Elias asked after a minute.
He lifted his head and looked at her.
“I miss you already.”
She blinked, drawing in a breath.
“Shit’s crazy, right?” He raised a brow, a whisper of a smile on his handsome face when he met her eyes.
“I—” she stopped and closed her mouth. “Me too,” she admitted.
Because that’s what she did with Elias, apparently. Told her whole truth, with very little prompting. He grinned a little at her acknowledgment.
“So, I’ll call you,” he said, his voice still sleepy sexy. “And when I get back, I’ll see you.”
It wasn’t a suggestion and Ava smiled.
“Cool,” she agreed, tilting her head up to receive his kiss as he smiled and rolled on top of her.
Her legs fell open, her body already warm and ready for him. They’d done this for the past three mornings, made love in the early morning dark, coming together in a string of soft sighs and moans as the sun rose beyond Elias’ bedroom window.
Elias reached between them, running two fingers along the length of her, biting his lip and making a small sound from deep in his chest when he found her already wet. He positioned himself to enter her, quietly groaning his pleasure as he slowly entered her, sending shivers over her skin as he looked her in the eyes. Those first few seconds when Elias pushed his way into her felt so delicious, she never wanted the sensation to end. She drew in a sharp breath, her lips parting, eyes closing at how damn good he felt.
“Good morning,” he said low in her ear, pressing into her further, causing her to arch her back, her fingers digging into the small of his back. She smiled as he brushed his nose against hers, setting a lazy, sensual rhythm. He smiled too when she ran her hands up his muscled back, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Good morning.”
Her gaze landed on the solid arm draped around her middle, and her heart picked up pace, as it had for the past three mornings, when she woke up with her limbs wrapped in Elias Young’s, her butt pressed against his morning erection.
She shifted against him and he automatically drew her closer, even though his chest was still moving evenly, signaling that he wasn’t even awake yet. She closed her eyes again, picking absently at her bottom lip.
The fact that she was awaking in his bed for the third morning in a row, was doing too much. Way, way too much.
She’d came over late for his annual New Year’s Eve party, and hadn’t left. He’d asked her to stay that night, as they rang in the new year in the cold night air, standing on the back of his wooden patio, and she’d tried to resist, at first. But then he’d quietly said her name in his way that was a caress with a hint of demand--“Ava”-- and her reservations fell away like her clothes later did that night. “Stay the night with me,” he’d asked, his voice low in her ear, making her entire body heat, in spite of the winter night air.
“Okay.” Her breath puffed in the cold as she acquiesced and Elias pulled her tighter against his body, dropping slow, warm kisses into the side of her neck, until they were interrupted by his older brother, Daniel, who wanted to know where the extra supply of bourbon was.
After that, they’d gone inside and hung out with everyone, though Elias never drifted far from her side. He refreshed her wine. He made sure she ate, and much later, when the house was quiet and empty, he’d taken care of her every physical desire, pleasing her before she even formed a full idea of what she wanted, where she wanted him to touch her.
New Year’s Day had been no different. She’d lounged around the house with him, nosing in the kitchen as he made ribs, sautéed spinach and black-eyed peas with cornbread, and he told her to stay for dinner. Dinner turned to breakfast. And the next day, yesterday, they’d watched the entire first season of Game of Thrones, her for the second time, him for the first because he wanted to see what the hype was about—even though he was years late.
When she’d made a move to leave late that evening—which was admittedly half-hearted, he told her he’d just ordered a pizza and poured her another glass of a delicious South African red blend. Wine turned to night, which turned to this morning.
“Winter is coming.”
Elias sleepy baritone broke her out of her thoughts and Ava laughed, her shoulders shaking with the movement.
“I dreamt about Khaleesi,” Ava admitted, turning her head to look at him.
“Me too. I dreamt I bought you some dragon eggs at an auction, and you were mad because I put I didn’t put them in the refrigerator.”
Ava laughed again as Elias chuckled.
“That’s why I don’t binge-watch late at night,” she said. “I always wind up dreaming about the show.”
His answer was to kiss her shoulder, sending goosebumps dancing down the length of her arm at the feel of his scratch hair on her warm skin.
“What do you have going on today?” she asked, turning onto her back to look up at him.
He grinned when their eyes met, and she automatically smiled too. Elias was sexy. And fine. And chill. And she felt comfortable with him in a way that made absolutely no sense, which is why trepidation lingered deep in her belly. She raised her brows, still smiling when he didn’t answer.
“What?” she asked, because of the way he was looking at her.
“I like you.”
Her body heated and she rolled her eyes smiling. “I like you too, obviously. I haven’t seen my home in three days.”
“My bad,” he said, not looking sorry at all, a half-grin on his face. “Had you hemmed up over here, huh?”
She smiled. “I’m not complaining. Just... you know.”
She lifted a shoulder, shifting her weight, feeling like a schoolgirl under Elias’ steady gaze. He was giving her that look again, the one that turned her into mush, made her body come alive and thrum in anticipation.
“You never answered,” she prompted, when he grinned again, fully aware of how she instantly reacted to him.
“I just picked up a gig with Ford, so I gotta fly out to L.A. today.”
Her eyes widened and she attempted to sit up. “Oh, I can g—”
“Uh-uh, uh-uh,” Elias furrowed his brow, shaking his head, his grin still in place. “Whatchu doin?”
He brushed his nose against her collarbone, planting a kiss into the side of her neck.
“You just said you have a flight,” Ava said, her eyes automatically drifting closed at the feel of Elias’ lips pressed against her skin. His large hand trailed to her hip, palming it as he kissed the underside of her neck.
“I ain’t leavin now,” he said, a hint of amusement in his baritone. “Not til later this afternoon.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Not sure,” he said against her neck, resting his head on his outstretched arm. Somehow her leg was between his and he ran his hand up ribcage back down to her hip.
“About three, four days, probably. Maybe a week. ”
“L.A. is a cool town,” Ava said, nodding, wondering if she sounded as lame to him as she felt. “Do you go there a lot for business?”
“Lately. For about the past year, now that I’m getting bigger contracts.”
“Oh, cool. That’s really cool, and good that you’re getting the work.”
She bit the inside of her cheek hard to keep the word “cool” from leaving her lips again. Why the hell was she so goofy all of a sudden? Her stomach was now knotted and she drew in a silent breath as the realization hit her—she didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to stay all up under this man and have him all up under her. After three days. She was tripping. Hard. They were silent for a moment, their bodies growing warm from being pressed together under the blankets. She could feel his chest rising and falling with his breaths, as he traced her skin with his fingertips. The air between them had shifted.
“Ava, can I be real?” Elias asked after a minute.
He lifted his head and looked at her.
“I miss you already.”
She blinked, drawing in a breath.
“Shit’s crazy, right?” He raised a brow, a whisper of a smile on his handsome face when he met her eyes.
“I—” she stopped and closed her mouth. “Me too,” she admitted.
Because that’s what she did with Elias, apparently. Told her whole truth, with very little prompting. He grinned a little at her acknowledgment.
“So, I’ll call you,” he said, his voice still sleepy sexy. “And when I get back, I’ll see you.”
It wasn’t a suggestion and Ava smiled.
“Cool,” she agreed, tilting her head up to receive his kiss as he smiled and rolled on top of her.
Her legs fell open, her body already warm and ready for him. They’d done this for the past three mornings, made love in the early morning dark, coming together in a string of soft sighs and moans as the sun rose beyond Elias’ bedroom window.
Elias reached between them, running two fingers along the length of her, biting his lip and making a small sound from deep in his chest when he found her already wet. He positioned himself to enter her, quietly groaning his pleasure as he slowly entered her, sending shivers over her skin as he looked her in the eyes. Those first few seconds when Elias pushed his way into her felt so delicious, she never wanted the sensation to end. She drew in a sharp breath, her lips parting, eyes closing at how damn good he felt.
“Good morning,” he said low in her ear, pressing into her further, causing her to arch her back, her fingers digging into the small of his back. She smiled as he brushed his nose against hers, setting a lazy, sensual rhythm. He smiled too when she ran her hands up his muscled back, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Good morning.”