Echoes (Dance with My Demons #2)

7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Theo

Avery stills, her body tensing up. I flick my gaze back to her, watching the wave of emotions run over her face. She's trying to fight them, deliberately taking her time with an answer. Maybe she hopes I'll drop the subject, but there's no fucking chance of that.

"I'm not avoiding you," she says softly. "I'm just—"

"Tired, yes. You've said," I cut her off. "But you purposely avoided me at meals today. You also refuse to look at me whenever I ask."

Slowly, she locks eyes with mine, pain reflecting back at me. When she doesn't answer, I start putting the puzzle together myself.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Everything," she whispers, defeated. "Fucking everything."

My eyebrows furrow and I shift closer to her, grabbing her hand to calm her. "Listen to me. There's nothing you can say or do that will make me run."

Avery shakes her head sadly. "You will. Everyone always does."

"Is this about Hawthorne?" I ask her, watching as her face lights up in shock.

"Grey?" she murmurs. "What do you mean?"

Great. Now we're skirting around that issue too.

Of course I'm aware of their relationship. It wasn't like he was hiding anything—purposely always with her, dragging her into their mess. I don't know what their deal is, but I couldn't give a shit. Not my circus, not my monkeys. But, regardless, I know he has it bad for her. I also know that it's because of him and his little bitch boy that Avery has been dragged into their shit.

And judging by the look of despair on her face, he's a sore point. But I don't believe that's the whole story. Still, it's a start. The sooner I can break down those walls and get her to talk, the sooner we can move forward.

"You and him had something, didn't you?" I ask her casually.

More emotions cross her face, faster than last time. I can barely keep track as a war rages behind her eyes. Finally, she shrugs, getting glassy-eyed.

"Are you going to leave if I tell you?"

I growl quietly, semi-frustrated. Was she not just listening to me?

"I already told you the answer to that."

Avery looks surprised—caught off-guard. "Theo, there's a lot you don't understand."

"I understand well enough," I snarl. "But patience has never been my virtue."

"Yes," she says, confirming it with a broken voice. "But we had a fight. He found out… about you."

"Right," I draw out slowly. "And is he the reason you're avoiding me?"

She looks at me, baffled at my suggestion. Given the shit he's probably said to her about me, she's probably confused why I don't feel the same.

Truthfully, I don't care. Neither of them hid their interactions so it's not a surprise to me. At the end of the day, she's free to do as she likes. What I don't agree with is being blatantly ignored and avoided. Especially since she was just ripped away from me by police, and now she's back, withdrawn and secluded, on the verge of passing out.

Something happened and I won't rest until I know.

"No, he's not," she mutters. "But I assumed you'd be mad."

I laugh, startling her. "You're a grown woman. You can make your own choices. Why are you avoiding me?" I press again, watching her shift uncomfortably.

"I can't tell you," Avery answers. "But it's for the best."

My eyes narrow. The confirmation that she is avoiding me is one thing, but it's another to see her reaction. If she wanted to avoid me, she'd tell me. I know she hates confrontation, but people get defensive when they are in charge of their decisions and feel like they need to justify them. The fact that she's nervous about this conversation says a lot.

This isn't her choice.

A stray tear slips down her cheek, her hand quickly brushing it away. I reach forward and grasp her hand, pulling her forward. She's so weak that her body just falls forward, and I catch her, pulling her into my chest.

Stunned eyes gaze up at me, but before she can say anything, I lean forward, pressing my lips to hers.

I'm not above using this tactic again. The best way to get Avery out of her own mind is to distract her with something else. It worked in the morgue and I have no doubt it will work now.

Fuck. The morgue…

The feeling of her body against mine brings it all back, my mind remembering how it felt to fuck her.

Right on cue, her body slumps against me, the tension leaving as she kisses me back. We're nothing if not animals, driven by the primal urges buried deep in our DNA.

Her lips move against mine and my cock hardens under her touch. My arms wrap around her back, holding her tighter to me.

I nearly lost her when the police took her. I tried so hard to get to her, but the officers and guards had held me back, pinning me against the wall. It was one of the worst feelings in my life, watching her helpless figure disappear with them.

My hands thread through her hair, gliding my fingers as I deepen the kiss. She lets me, whimpering in my mouth as my tongue finds hers.

She tastes like Heaven. My fallen angel.

If God exists, he must be sick. Who would send a divine creature like her into the Devil's lair? And now she's stuck with me.

I don't care about anything else, as long as she's with me.

Avery's knees sit on either side of my waist as I hold us upright. When my torso starts to lose grip, I quickly flip her onto her back onto the ground. Straddling over her frame, I keep kissing her, hand sliding up her leg. She's in shorts today, but that doesn't deter me, my fingers sliding up under the fabric.

Her hips jerk into my touch as her hands grasp my head. I can sense her desperation and fear, afraid of letting me go.

I'm not going anywhere, Avery.

Sitting back, I grab the sides of her shorts, pulling them down her legs. She stares up at me, lips swollen and more pink than usual. As soon as she's bare, I shuffle back, spreading her legs open so I can see her properly.

My only regret about the morgue is I didn't get to see her. The darkness had stolen that from me, but now, I'm not losing that opportunity.

She's perfect. So fucking perfect.

Her pussy is already glistening with wetness, begging to be touched. And knowing I've done that to her? There's no greater feeling.

I can sense her trepidation as I just gaze at her most intimate parts in silence. But credit to her, she keeps her legs open. I can see them tremble slightly, and I know she's fighting the urge to hide.

My gaze flickers up to her face, a serious expression on my own.

"You're fucking perfect, Avery. Don't ever hide this from me. I want to see all of you."

Her eyes widen slightly at my words, but I look away, laying my stomach flat on the ground. I'm inches away from her, the smell of her sweet arousal hitting my senses. It's fucking intoxicating, ruthless. She could end me in a single minute if she wanted. I wasn't wrong when I said she's a fucking force of nature.

There's so much potential for her, locked up in a mind cage. She deserves better, she deserves to be free.

I take my time with her, my fingers prying her open as I examine every single inch of skin. I want to remember all of her, have her burned into my memories.

My hand runs along her thigh and pelvis, softly touching her soft skin. She shivers under my touch, drawing a smile to my face.

Slowly, I trail my thumb along her slit, teasing her. When I reach the top, I press inward, circling her clit with my digit.

I hear her suck in a breath, my stomach clenching at the sound. I can't wait any longer, my face leaning in so I can replace my finger with my tongue.

One swipe. Then two more.

Her legs buckle and shake so easily, my arms wrapping around her thighs so I can hold them in place. Then I bury my face into my new home, lips sealing around her clit.

"Theo," she gasps, surprised, hands clawing at the ground.

I smile against her, writing my name with my tongue. I've already marked her with my ink, and now, I'm marking her pussy with my mouth. I focus heavily on the last letter, drawing it over and over, until she's shaking against me.

Avery tenses up and I know she's close, so I slide two fingers inside her warmth, pleased when she clenches around me. She's squeezing me like she's holding on for dear life, and I'm fucking here for it.

I curl my fingers, finding her g-spot. Pressing up, I stroke it firmly, turning my attention to her clit. She whimpers my name again, voice breaking beautifully as she finds her release. I refuse to let go, eating her until she's a fidgeting mess, impaled on my fingers.

As she slumps back on the ground, I remove my hand, crawling up her body.

"Look at me," I demand, watching as her eyes focus themselves on me. When I have her full attention, I pop one finger into my mouth, sucking it clean. Her mouth falls open in awe, eyes sparkling with that light again. It's been dimmed the past few days, and I'm ecstatic to see the return.

When I'm finished removing every trace of her from my finger, I move my hand to her face, the other finger gently grazing down her lips. She opens them slowly, my cock twitching painfully. Our eyes remain locked together as she sucks my finger, tasting herself.

Fuck.

"You're so fucking beautiful," I tell her, reaching down to free myself from the gray slacks. My cock springs out, aching for the feel of her. She's so close, yet so far away, and it takes all of my control and restraint not to just slam into her.

"You are," she answers, making me pause.

No one has ever told me before in my life that I'm beautiful. And if you'd asked me before today how I'd feel about it, I'd be indifferent—repulsed even. But hearing her say it, sends a rush through me.

"Fuck, Avery," I growl, shuffling forward as I rub her clit with the head of my cock. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

She shakes her head, and it makes me want to kiss her. She's so na?ve, so blind. It's no wonder she has people falling to their feet over her. In her mind, she's at rock bottom, watching as people hit the same level too. But in reality, she's far from that lie. She's a fucking powerhouse, bringing even the most broken, lost souls to salvation.

"I'll show you," I say to her, watching her eyes roll back as I stroke her clit with my cock. "I'll make you feel the same way you make me feel."

"Do it," she whispers, begging. "Please, Theo."

The sound of my name on her lips breaks the last tiny fragment of control, and I quickly adjust my position before slamming into her. Her back rockets up the carpet, cries spilling from her lips as I bury myself into her tight cunt.

I don't wait— I can't —as I smash our bodies together. Her walls tighten around me, locking us as one, and I grab the nape of her neck, bringing our faces together.

"I could die right now," I growl, looking into her gray orbs. "It would be the best death. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else except in you ."

She moans, my mouth quickly covering hers as I swallow them. I don't care who hears. Let them. She's mine and right now, that's all that matters. I'll kill anyone who takes this from me. They will never touch her again. They'll never take her away.

If anyone lays a single finger on her, bruising her perfect skin, I'll soak them in gasoline and make a bonfire.

The sound of our skin hitting together echoes around the library, Avery's body sliding further and further up the carpet. My hand whips out and grabs hold of the bookshelf, while my other grips on to her. I kiss her heatedly—how could I not? She's the drug of my choice and I need this as much as she does.

I feel her start to spasm around me, so I let go of her neck, sitting up. My hand slips between our bodies, rubbing her clit fast. I'm fighting back my own orgasm, determined to get her there first. I won't rest until she's coming on my cock.

Her moans fall silent, her mouth opening wide as her eyes slam shut.

She's nearly there.

I wait, breathing heavily as the look of concentration on her face turns to relief, her pussy convulsing around my cock. The moment it does, I can't hold it back any longer, a growl ripping from my throat as I shoot my much needed release into her.

Our lips smash together again as we finish riding out our highs, and when we both stop moving, I pull back slightly to look into her eyes.

"You're not going to avoid me any longer, Avery. I don't care the reason why. Whatever it is, I promise that I'm the bigger threat."