One month later...
"Just like that, love."
I moan when Hot British Dude's lips meet the base of my throat and his large hand cups my breast. His muscled thigh fits snugly between my legs and I grind on it, chasing release. His hands move to the buttons of my blouse, quickly undoing them, and I shrug it off my body before throwing it behind my head. He lifts his head from my chest to stare down at it, icy blue eyes growing heated and darker when he takes in my lacy pink bra.
"I have to say, I find hot pink a tacky colour but on you I rather fancy it."
"Wait until you see me without a bra." I tell him in a husky voice, undoing the clasp and letting the cloth fall off my shoulders. He sucks in a large breath at the first sight of me and I give him a wicked grin, stretching my arms above me as an invitation.
"Fuck. You're trouble." Those gleaming eyes disappear when he dips his head and captures a nipple in his mouth.
"Oh!" My hand grips his hair as I arch into him. My other hand grips the armrest of the couch we're currently lying down on and I wrap my legs around his waist next.
"You like that, love?" He murmurs, switching his mouth to my other nipple.
"Yes. Keeping going."
"Not a problem."
I close my eyes in ecstasy and focus on how good his lips feel as they travel down my stomach, the scratch of his beard adding a wicked sensation to the mix. I might have just met this guy a couple of hours ago at a local bar but we really hit it off and in that short time he made me laugh harder than I have since coming to England. It was strange having to adapt to a different lifestyle and differ people but I welcomed it all. I know I made the right decision. I love the program I'm studying in, I love the new friends I've made, and I love getting to travel and sightsee this beautiful country.
Sure, I miss Emily and Greg like hell. I miss my girls back home and seeing all the boys too. I miss he-who-shall-not-be-named-at-the-moment-because-another-man-is-all-over-me but I'm moving on and focusing on myself so it's bearable. I finally feel like I'm doing something that makes me happy and so I don't regret accepting my admission here at all. And when Hot British Dude's mouth settles between my legs, I really don't regret anything.
"That feels good." I murmur. And I'm not just talking about his talented tongue. I'm talking about being able to exercise my independence and doing what's best for me at this point in my life. If that means getting freaky with the handsome men of England while I'm here then so be it. I'm a grown woman that can do whatever the hell I want and I'm not about to apologize for it. Of course I don't tell him all that. He's really good at what he's doing and I might die if he runs off before I finish, and my thoughts will definitely scare him away.
"What else do you like?" He asks as he continues to explore me.
"I'm a clit gal." I tell him, glad that he asked instead of trying to figure it out on his own. Intimacy without communication is always an awful and confusing mess.
"You got it." He promises and a second later I feel the slightest nip of his teeth right where I want it.
"Oh!" I cry out and explode like fireworks. I grip his thick locks of hair as wave after wave hits me until I'm nothing but a pile of mush staring up at the ceiling in a daze.
"You weren't kidding about that lovely clit of yours, huh?" His smiling face pops in my line of vision.
"Get that smirk off your face." I laugh and give his cheek a little shove.
"You have to admit; that was impressive."
"Fine. It was. And I'll cherish this memory when I go back to America."
"That's all I ask." He winks. When he starts pulling his shirt back on, I sit up quickly.
"What are you doing?" I ask. "I thought we were going to have sex."
"It would seem you don't have the time to." He grabs my phone and hands it to me, gesturing to the screen. "That particular reminded went off at least three times while you were coming all over my tongue."
"Naughty mouth." I grin in approval then look at my screen to see what he's talking about. I frown at the reminder I set for myself. "Oh, yeah."
"What is it?" He asks, leaning over to catch a look. His cologne invades me and spikes up my hormones so intensely that I can't help but fling my phone haphazardly and climb into his lap. A sound of surprise works its way from his throat and into my mouth before he releases a groan, hands going to the curve of my ass. I've yet to put my panties back on so the feel of his calloused palms on my smooth skin is oh, so delicious.
"You're making it real hard to be a gentleman, babe." He murmurs against my lips. I hum in a tantalizing way.
"I'm not asking you to be one, am I?"
"Suppose not." His growled response is lost in the tangling mess of our tongues as we kiss with raw and unfiltered desire.
I practically cry when that damned beeping goes off again.
"Fuck!" I grab my panties and mutter a slew of curses as I pull them back on and then proceed to look for my phone.
"Who is Emily?"
"Huh?" My head snaps up in surprise at hearing my best friend's name come from a stranger. He points to my phone, on the floor right by his feet, the screen facing upward as Em's picture flashes and signals an incoming video call. I let out an excited screech that has the poor guy's hands immediately cupping his ears.
"Babe!" I answer excitedly, a huge smile on my face. The scream I let out just a few seconds ago pales in comparison to the sound Emily makes as soon as I pick up. I can't help but burst out laughing when my company feigns passing out and lands on the couch in a heap.
"You're ridiculous." I tell him.
"You're beautiful."
Time freezes when the memory crashes into me so harshly that I feel the phone slip out of my hand. I'm unable to do anything about it though because all my energy goes into trying to get myself to breathe again. But my chest feels so heavy that all my oxygen seems to be stuck there with no way out. A wave of sadness follows not a moment later and the crushing sensation I feel increases tenfold. I've done such a good job keeping my underlying pain shoved away that I'm no longer prepared to deal with its sudden appearance, front and center and doing a jig on my heartstrings.
"Aves!"
I gasp loudly, the sound of name mimicking a needle popping the balloon I was stuck in. I blink fast and hard as I try to make sense of what just happened when my eyes meet Hot British Dude's concerned ones.
Oh, God.
Bile rises in my throat.
Suddenly it feels wrong, wrong, wrong, looking at this man and knowing I shared intimate experiences with him when I'm still in love with someone else. Granted, I'm no longer with the one I'm in love with and don't owe anything to him but it still feels like betrayal. I would feel awful if the roles were reversed and Cameron had been with other women in my absence. But I would also understand that that kind of reaction would be unfair because both of our intentions right now is to move on. Would he understand too? Is it my place to even care?
"Avery Marie Cruz! Snap out of it or so help me I will book a flight to England just to bitch slap you."
"Hey!" I protest at the use of my full name and the threat that accompanied it.
"Good." Even through a slightly blurred screen, her smile is radiant as ever. An ache spreads through me. I do miss home. "Who's the man candy?"
I snort at the appalled look on my "man candy's" face and wink at him. "Introduce yourself to my best friend, will ya?"
"Right." He clears his throat, eyes darting cautiously between me and the screen. "I'm James. Nice to meet you, Emily."
I sign of relief internally. Finally. A name to the face.
"Dreamy." Emily nods in approval. "And that accent? If I wasn't in the happiest relationship of my life I'd be insanely jealous right now."
"Thanks, love." He grins at her.
"Love." She squeaks and cranes her head to get a better view of me through the camera. "That is so charming."
"Nate says love." I recall, missing Boston the more we talk.
"Nate also says Angel, but that's reserved for a special someone."
"Oh my God, you noticed, right?" I snatch the phone from James so I can get all up in my screen.
"He is so into her! But..."
"But? What but? No buts." I whine.
"It's just that I saw her smiling while texting on her phone and when I leaned over to take a look, it wasn't Nate's name. I think she's into someone else."
"What? Who? I'll fight him."
"Not sure. Do you know anyone named Chris?"
"No." I scoff. "That's such a basic name. Then there's 'Nate.' Bet it stands for something even hotter, like Nathan."
"Or Nathaniel." My date supplies.
"Don't ruin this for me, James." My glare is nothing short of threatening but it only gets a smile out of him. Rude. "What's so funny?"
"That this is what was so urgent that you had to schedule a reminder. It's cute, really. I mean I would much rather prefer shagging you but seeing American girls gossip is equally amusing."
"What?" Emily's shout is like a gunshot to the ear.
"Damn it, bitch! You sure that was loud enough?"
"Did he say shag? Like, fucking?"
"Maybe." I mumble, feeling like a teenager caught sneaking in the house past curfew.
"Aves! I know you said you'd move on but damn, that's quite the speed, no?"
"We didn't. Would you relax?"
"Am I missing something here?" James tilts his head quizzically.
"Not really." Emily's voice is chipper but there's a taunting quality to it. "Unless you count Avery fleeing halfway across the world to escape the most epic love she's ever had because their circumstances are so fucked up it could make a serial killer cry."
I gape at her as I try to contemplate the possibility of reaching my hand through the screen to strangle her. She grins at me like she knows what I'm thinking but doesn't give a fuck anyways. "Thanks, Em. You just guaranteed a dry spell for my entire trip. Ward off all the hotness while you get to cuddle a hunk all day, everyday, selfish hoe."
"Do tell." James excited murmur draws my attention from the screen to him. One of my brows goes up at his reaction.
"You're not mad?"
"Not at all. We barely know each other and you don't owe me anything. I really am a sucker for good love stories, though."
"Huh. How 'bout that?"
"You're telling me." Emily snorts. "What's in the water over there? Can you imagine Jaxon in this situation? He'd box the living shit out of any guy that spared me a glance."
"Wait." James grabs the phone out my hands so quickly I help in surprise.
"Oh, please." I drawl. "I insist. Take it. Would you like to buy it off of me, too?"
"Jaxon? Box?" He goes on, completely ignoring me and practically stealing my best friend. "Are you talking about Jaxon Cage, the newest UFC champ? Completely demolished Ridge Sanders and took home the seven mil?"
"Yup. That's my man." Though I can't see her, I imagine Emily must be beaming. The pride in her voice is evidence enough.
"Wicked." He breathes. "Hold on. That would make you the daughter of Greg Resnick?"
"You got it."
"Mate, you're surrounded by legends." He turns to me with childlike glee all over his features. "You've got to take me to America."
"My epic love would destroy you." I tell him with certainty. At his confused reaction, I elaborate. "Cameron West. He's not a pro and doesn't train under Greg Resnick but he's part of that same crowd."
"No fucking way." His jaw drops. "Cameron West? I could have sworn he has a match today against Zachariah Davidson, a former opponent of Cage's. Didn't he go pro a month back?"
"What? No." I scoff at the same time Emily's excited voice calls out, "yes!"
"I beg your fucking pardon?" I all but body check James to the ground as I wrestle my phone out of his hands. He catches me around the waist, ever the gentleman, but I'm too busy using my hand against his cheek to hoist myself back up. I rub his face distractedly when he winces in pain. "What the hell is going on?"
"That's why I told you it was crucial to FaceTime me at this exact time. Cameron's first professional match is about to start."
"How...how could he not tell me?" I sputter, feeling an odd sense of betrayal and loneliness. Like I was left out of something that should have belonged to me. It's ridiculous but I almost want to cry. This is a big step, his dream, that he was so scared to pursue and now he's chasing after it and I wasn't a part of that. And how is that working anyways? What about Hannah and all her threats against him? Did I really miss out on this much, after being gone for only a month? How different are things going to be by the end of the six months? Panic grips my lungs and I try to breathe through the sudden sadness I feel.
"Relax, babe." Emily's soothing voice breaks me free from my horrible thoughts. I focus on what she's saying instead. "He didn't want to tell anyone because he wasn't convinced that he would stick to this decision. He made it on the spur of the moment and I guess he just wanted to prove to himself that he meant it. He asked me yesterday to tell you about the match right when it starts because he knew you'd go crazy the second you heard about it and he didn't want you to have any time to decide you may not want to watch it. He knew if I told you right when it started you'd be unable to talk yourself out of it."
"He's right." I murmur, a little stunned at the reminder that he knows me so well. Not to mention he really wants me to watch his match and share this experience with me and...well...it's hard to stop my heart from melting right now.
"Well, what're we waiting for?" James waves his hand in front of my eyes, zoning me back in. "Turn on your telly!"
"Alright, alright. Goddamn. Was he your epic love or mine?" I glare at him briefly before grabbing the remote and switching to the instructed channel Emily tells me. I hand James the phone so I can pull on my pants and we both settle on the couch just as Cameron and Davidson step into the ring.
"Crap." I breathe softly, my heart stuttering at my first look at him in over a month. God, he's so beautiful. If I didn't know that beauty in person, didn't touch him, didn't love him, I'd be convinced he was unreal.
He's completely clean-shaven and while that's a look on him I've never seen before, it's still hot. His body looks as perfect as ever but it's definitely more cut and rugged in a way that reflects the hard work I'm sure he's been putting in to train. His shaggy hair that's usually sweeping over his forehead is now tied back to show off all the planes and angles of his face and I can feel my mouth salivating. He looks different but amazing nonetheless and the pure adrenaline on his face is the hottest thing about him right now.
I can't tear my eyes away from the screen. I've never seen him like this. So focused, so determined, so raw. His gaze tracks Davidson intently as they circle one another, both of them with their arms raised and gloved fists ready. The bell goes off three times and Cameron doesn't waste a second. He throws a punch that lands directly in Davidson's gut, who clearly lurches over having not expected that. Another swift punch to the face causes Davidson to go down on his knees. He looks up Cameron with clear bewilderment as he rights himself once again. He shakes his head, as if to focus, and his eyes sharpen. It's clear he underestimated him since this is Cameron's first professional match. I feel a smile stretch my face. Oh, he has it coming. Cameron has told me countless stories of his boxing days when he used to train and he's good - real good.
Davidson fakes a left jab that Cameron moves to dodge only to catch a right hook to his jaw. His head snaps to the side and I wince in pain for him. But when he faces Davidson again he's wearing a huge grin on his face as if this thrills him. And I bet it does. It's been years since he fought and seeing him in his element, so passionate and so damn happy, brings my heart unfiltered contentment. I couldn't be more proud of him. Despite everything that's happened, I watch him now with probably the biggest smile on my face that I've had in weeks.
James and I continue to watch the match intently as the rounds progress. I don't now much about the sport aside from the basics but James is kind enough to answer all of my questions and never once complains. I briefly wonder if he would be willing to be a friend throughout my trip and push aside the intimacies we shared. He really is an extremely kind person.
By round five, Cameron is in total beast moment. His punches come hard and fast and his reflexes better than ever, having picked up on his opponent's technique and fighting style. With just a few seconds to go before the end of the round, Cameron ducks and jabs Davidson in the center of his chest. A startled look washes over his face, as if the breath was ripped from his lungs, and Cameron takes that momentary distraction to swing a hard left hook to his jaw. His head snaps to the side so quickly I can't help but cringe in second-hand pain. Davidson goes down and lands stomach face-down. And stays there.
I grip James's arm in agonizing anticipation as both of us lean forward like we're about to jump into the TV. I hold my breath as the ref counts the seconds with James by my side whispering, "come on, come on, come on."
When he gets to ten, James and I leap up from our seats with wild screams. I hop up and down in place with my arms flailing and James fist pumps repeatedly.
"You did it, baby!" I yell at the screen, sinking to the floor and placing my hands on Cameron's smiling face. The Camera stays focused on him as he shakes his head, his lips stretching to the point where his face must hurt and his hands gripping his hair for dear life. He looks so elated, so shocked, and my heart threatens to combust right then. I trace his lips on the screen with a finger, whispering, "I'm so proud of you."
It aches that I'm not there with him and that he can't see how happy I am for him but I don't let that damper moment. Instead, I get back on my feet and do a little jig with James who's just as excited as I am.
"What fucking talent! Holy shit. He fought even better than Cage did against Sanders. Who is this guy?" He laughs, shaking his head and pulls out his own phone, most likely to discuss the match with his friends. I smile and look at the screen which now shows Cameron answering the dozens of questions the reporters throw his way, eyes glowing in a way I've never seen before.
"That's my guy." I whisper to no one in particular, grinning anyways.
____________________
N/A
Let me start by addressing the fact that I'm sure a lot of you won't be fans of Avery's hook up and it's okay to feel that way! I usually don't address the controversial events in my books because I don't feel the need to explain them but I know that Avery and Cam have such a pure relationship that this might bother a lot of you. So my reasoning for her hook up is so she can understand the difference between wanting to move on from the breakup and wanting to move on from Cam because there is a difference. Also, she's in a new environment. New country, new people, new job, etc. and I would think that from a realistic point of view she'd also be encouraged to try new things as this chapter of her life represents a fresh slate. Hope that eases you Camery shippers!
Also, I'll do the Q&A next Friday instead because this turned out to be a busy weekend for me. For those of you who might have missed the announcement, I'm giving you an opportunity to get to know me better by inboxing me questions you've wondered about me! From there I'll choose the best ones to answer. Thank you to those who've been messaging me; your questions are already cracking me up! Don't forget to participate!
Please VOTE, comment, and share if you enjoyed this chapter!
Happy Reading :)