Capturing Tess, page 7
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t hold back.”
Her words turned into a gasp as Ava’s lips crashed against hers in a blistering kiss that nearly knocked her off her feet. But Ava’s arms were around her, steadying her, pulling her close. Tess dissolved into Ava's body, losing herself in her. In the taste of her lips, the jasmine scent of her hair, the softness of her curves and the firmness of her hold.
As she lowered Tess onto the bed, Ava’s grip didn’t falter. Neither did the fire on her lips, the press of her body. Demanding hands slid down Tess’s sides, tearing at the edges of her nightshirt, caressing the curves of her hips and waist, the mounds of her breasts. Her fingertips glided over Tess’s nipples through the thin fabric of her nightshirt, stroking and circling until they turned into tiny, hard peaks.
Tess clutched blindly at Ava, seeking something to hold on to, seeking to spur her on. But there was no controlling the tempest that was Ava. She ripped Tess’s nightshirt over her head, tearing two of the buttons, and tossed it aside to gaze down at Tess’s body ravenously.
Heat rose to her skin. She still had her panties on, but she felt more naked than she ever had before. Here she was, in a secluded mansion on a remote island, the captive of a stranger who had complete control over her. Over what she did, where she went. Who she talked to, what she wore. Ava held Tess’s very life in her hands. She was at Ava’s mercy.
So why did that make Tess burn so hot? Why did that make her want Ava more?
Why did something so dangerously twisted feel so good?
Her hands trembled as she reached for the woman on top of her, wanting to draw her closer. Without warning, Ava grabbed onto Tess’s wrists, pinning them effortlessly to the pillow above her head.
A pleasured gasp flew from Tess’s lips. Ava smothered it with a kiss, tender but unyielding, until all Tess could do was shudder and moan.
She sank into the bed, giving in to Ava’s sweet dominance. Hadn’t Tess dreamed of this before? Of being taken like this, becoming a woman’s possession? While other girls fantasized about the kind of lovemaking that was passionate and gentle, she’d always craved something more. She wanted to be consumed by her lover, mastered by her, claimed by her.
But she’d never shared her twisted fantasies with anyone. Not until now.
“Ava,” she whispered. “I’m yours.”
Ava’s grip tightened around Tess’s wrists. “Don’t speak. Not unless you’re begging me.”
But she didn’t give Tess a chance to beg before assailing every inch of her with scorching hands and searing kisses. She slid her fingertips over Tess’s breasts, branding them with her lips and tongue. She drew her hands down Tess’s hips and thighs, exploring parts of her rarely touched. She teased Tess through her now wet panties with relentless fingers until Tess ached with anticipation.
“Please,” she whimpered. “Please!”
Ava’s breath grew heavy. She took the waistband of Tess’s panties and tore them down her legs. Then, Ava’s fingers were inside her, filling her completely.
She cried out, her eyes squeezing shut and her head falling back. Ava was unhesitating in her thrusts, delving and plunging, stroking that sweet spot inside. At the same time, her lips and fingers roamed Tess’s body, sending tremors and gasps through her.
“Yes,” Ava purred. “I want to feel you unravel around my fingers. I want to hear you praise my name.”
Tess arched against her, whispering her name over and over. Ava. Ava. Ava. A mantra. A prayer. At that moment, she was Tess’s whole world.
As she succumbed to Ava and the pleasure she bestowed upon her possession, the woman’s deep, velvet voice broke through Tess’s fevered haze.
“Come for me.”
Not a heartbeat later, an eruption went off deep inside Tess’s core. A wordless cry rose from her as she convulsed against Ava, who was pressed against her firmly as if to receive the full force of the pleasure rippling through her body. It was almost too much for Tess. But Ava rode it out with her until they crashed back down to earth.
It wasn’t until the aftershocks subsided that Ava withdrew, pulling Tess into a fiery, possessive kiss. Tess relished Ava’s strength, her control, her mastery over Tess’s body and desires.
Ava had awoken something in her, that part of her that craved this, needed this. And as she held Tess in her arms, shielding her from all that troubled her, Tess could sense that something had awoken in Ava too. A lioness, commanding, protective, hungry.
And Tess wanted to feel her roar.
CHAPTER 12
What have I done?
That single thought echoed through Ava’s mind as she lay in bed, embracing Tess as she dozed. Here she was, safe in Ava’s grasp. The woman she’d been searching for. The woman she swore to protect.
The woman who was entirely forbidden to her.
This was wrong. So why didn’t it feel wrong?
One thing was certain. Her feelings for Tess went beyond physical lust. However, that didn’t make them real. She and Tess were connected, their lives inextricably intertwined. Ava felt the pull of their connection every time they were together.
But how much of that pull was because of their shared past, because of Ava’s vow?
She needed to get away so she could separate her irrational feelings from her rational thoughts. It was impossible to think straight with Tess in her arms, sleeping like an angel. But it would be wrong to disturb her—
No. Taking care not to wake her up, Ava unraveled her arms from around Tess’s body and got up slowly from the bed.
She was halfway to the door when Tess spoke.
“Don’t go. Not yet.”
Ava froze in place. Why was it so hard to resist that voice? Why was it so hard to say no to her?
“Stay. Please, Ava.”
Please. That one little word bored straight into Ava’s heart, overshadowing all her doubts.
“All right,” she said. “I’ll stay.”
“For the whole night?”
Ava nodded. “The whole night.”
She slipped back into the bed, joining Tess under the covers. Tess snuggled against her chest, a grateful smile on her lips.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I needed this. I don’t mean the sex. Well, not just the sex.”
A pink flush blossomed on Tess’s cheeks.
“What is it?” Ava asked.
“I guess I needed the way it made me feel. Reassured. Like everything is under control. And you gave me that. You took control and made me feel like you wouldn’t let go of it, no matter what I did. I… I liked that.”
Desire sparked inside Ava, along with hesitation. So Tess had sensed that in her? She hadn’t intended to let Tess see that side of her. She’d been so caught up in the moment.
“But I could tell you were holding back.” Tess peered up at her from under hooded eyes. “You don’t need to hold yourself back from me. When I say I want you, I mean it. I want the real you. I want to feel what it’s like when you really let go.”
Something stirred in the depths of Ava’s being. She silenced it. Tess didn’t know what she was asking. She didn’t understand. No one had ever understood that side of Ava. Not past lovers, flings. No one.
She shook her head. “You don’t want that.”
“How would you know?” Tess said.
“My tastes, they’re not for the faint of heart.”
“You think that describes me? You think I’m some fragile little thing that you’re going to break? Because I’m far tougher than I look, Ava. Life hasn’t exactly been sunshine and roses for me.”
“I know. That’s not what I meant.” Ava rolled onto her back, her gaze wandering up to the ceiling. “It’s not about you. It’s about me.”
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, Tess reached out and drew a tentative hand up the center of Ava’s chest. “What is it that you want when you look at me? I can see it in your eyes. There’s something more there, something you long for. Show me.”
Ava shook her head. “You’re too inexperienced.” Tess’s bashful eagerness made that obvious.
“Then teach me,” she pleaded.
Christ. This woman will be the death of me. “You don’t know what you’re asking of me.”
“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. But I want to find out. And didn’t you say I should trust you? I’m trusting you with this.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t trust me after all,” Ava murmured.
“Why not?”
Because Ava had already betrayed her trust by keeping a lifetime of secrets from her. And when she found out the truth, Tess wouldn’t be able to look at her the same way.
Then end this. End this now.
But as Ava looked back into Tess’s eyes, she just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t hurt her.
No, that was a lie. She was simply being selfish. Ava didn’t want to lose her.
“I know you carry some kind of pain inside you,” Tess said softly. “I don’t know what it is, but I can see it.” She traced her fingers down Ava’s cheek. “Whatever it is? Whatever you think it makes you? It doesn’t matter to me.”
Why did Tess believe that, despite everything? Despite Ava dragging her off to an island and locking her up? Despite Ava treating her so coldly? Her heart was too pure, her soul too trusting.
Which was why Ava owed her the truth. She’d have to tell her sooner or later.
Ava only prayed it wouldn’t destroy her.
CHAPTER 13
When Tess awoke the next morning, she found the bed next to her empty, the rumpled sheets illuminated by the sliver of sunlight slipping between a gap in the curtains. Had Ava left during the night after promising to stay?
But as Tess sat up and rubbed her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the clock on the nightstand. It was 11 a.m. She’d slept in.
She yawned and stretched. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in years, let alone since arriving at the mansion. She’d spent every night on the island tossing and turning, her short bouts of sleep plagued by fitful dreams and nightmares.
But last night? For the first time in a long time, she’d fallen asleep feeling safe. Secure. And she’d slept for twelve hours straight.
No wonder Ava had left. Tess didn’t expect her to stick around for that long. She was surprised Ava had agreed to stay the night at all.
She was even more surprised they’d had sex in the first place.
Had it just been a dream? No, the scent of Ava’s hair was still on the pillow beside her. And she could remember it all so vividly. The taste of Ava’s skin on her lips. The feeling of Ava inside her, somehow gentle and unyielding at the same time.
Tess longed to feel it all again. She longed to see that part of Ava that she’d caught a glimpse of, the part that had awakened. She longed to see the woman Ava was when she really let go.
Not of control, but of her inhibitions. Because Ava was all about control. She wanted to lose herself in the absolute power she wielded over her prize.
And that was exactly what Tess wanted of her. That was what she craved. To feel the full force of Ava’s desire. To be Ava’s prize.
What did it say about Tess that she wanted this from a woman who had her trapped and isolated, completely under her control? But it wasn’t like these twisted desires were new to her. She’d never dared to voice them, never had them fulfilled. But Ava brought them to the surface and made them impossible to ignore.
Which was why she wanted Ava so badly. Her heart fluttered as she replayed that moment in her mind, the moment Ava had held her down right here on the bed and kissed her until all her troubles melted away. In that moment, she had been nothing more than Ava’s possession.
And it had been wonderful.
How she yearned to be Ava’s for more than just a night…
But that was a crazy thought. Tess barely knew the woman. And Ava was still keeping all these secrets from her, keeping her in the dark. Not to mention keeping her captive.
Because despite everything, Tess had no doubt that if she marched up to Ava and demanded to be taken home, Ava would say no.
She got out of bed and headed into her ensuite. After a quick shower, she left her bedroom and went downstairs in search of food to quiet her growling stomach. She was pleasantly surprised to find a tray with a selection of her favorite breakfast foods waiting for her in the dining room. Had the invisible kitchen staff taken note of what she usually ate? Or had Ava done so herself, as she had with the clothing Tess wore and the books she read?
But she had far more important things to do than ponder that question. She devoured her breakfast, then took off in search of Ava. Tess needed to talk to her, needed assurance that what had happened the night before had been real, had been meaningful. She needed to know that Ava wouldn’t dismiss it as a mistake, just like the kiss.
But Ava wasn’t in any of her usual spots in the common areas. And her rooms were off limits to Tess. Did she dare knock on Ava’s door? Despite what had happened between them, she didn’t want to break any of Ava’s rules.
No, even more so after what had happened between them. Now, she understood that Ava was a woman who took her personal boundaries seriously.
But before Tess could decide what to do, she ran headfirst into Riley. Literally, because she’d been distracted by thoughts of Ava.
“Sorry!” She took a step back. “I was looking for Ava. Do you know where she is?”
“She went for a walk around the island,” Riley replied.
Tess deflated. The island was huge. How was she supposed to find Ava if she was off wandering around it? “Okay. Thanks.”
As Tess turned to leave, Riley spoke up behind her. “She likes to walk along the cliff by the beach. Especially when she wants space. But if I’ve learned one thing about Ava, it’s that she doesn’t want to be alone nearly as much as she thinks she does.”
Tess stared at them. Who was Riley that they knew Ava so well? Not just her driver. And certainly not her butler. They were unexpectedly solid and muscular for a butler. When Tess ran into them, it had been like hitting a brick wall.
Wait, does Riley know what happened last night?
Tess’s face grew hot. “Er, thank you. I appreciate it.”
She fled back down the hall, returning to her room to grab a light jacket before heading toward the beachside cliff. It was a ten-minute walk from the mansion, and the sea breeze was cold enough that she could feel it through her jacket. But it was invigorating. So was the sharp scent of the ocean and the chirping of the seabirds breezing through the air.
She found Ava sitting by the cliff’s edge, bare legs to one side and her shoes placed carefully next to her. Her hair was loose and blew in the wind underneath her wide-brimmed hat. She wasn’t wearing anything over her dress, but she didn’t seem bothered by the cold at all.
She turned at the sound of Tess’s footsteps.
“Hi,” Tess said. “Can I join you?”
Ava nodded. “Sit.”
Tess sat down next to her and crossed her legs. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. I was going for a walk and I saw you sitting here.” Ava didn’t need to know that Riley had nudged her to come here.
“You’re not disturbing me. I was just thinking. I like to come here to think. It’s my favorite place in the world. It has been ever since I was a girl.”
“It’s a beautiful spot. Did you grow up here?”
Ava shook her head. “When I was a child, my parents brought me here on vacation. The mansion was a private resort back then, but to me, it was paradise. So years ago, when the resort was failing, I offered to buy it, along with the island.”
“You just bought an island?”
“It was right after my parents died. It left me feeling impulsive. Our relationship was… difficult.”
Tess could hardly imagine Ava being impulsive. “I’m sorry about your parents.”
“It was almost ten years ago. And it wasn’t unexpected. They were already in their forties when I was born. They struggled to conceive, but after several attempts at IVF, they had me, their only child. In a way, this island is the legacy they left me. Part of the money I bought it with came from my inheritance. But most of it was funded by the money I’ve made over the years through my venture capital firm.”
“So that’s what you do in your study all day?”
“Mostly.”
Tess looked out at the ocean before them, stretching endlessly into the horizon. “So, why do you live out here all by yourself?”
“Because I prefer it. I’ve always preferred being alone. Or perhaps it’s just familiar.” Ava leaned back, stretching her legs out in front of her. “Where I grew up was very secluded. Not as much as this, but it was out in the country. I was an only child. My parents didn’t have much of a hand in raising me. They were busy people, rarely home, always working or traveling. So I was left alone, with only a nanny to raise me. Our trip here was one of the few they brought me with them on, which is probably why I have such fond memories of this island. But for the most part, my parents barely gave me a second thought. Whenever we had guests at the house, my mother liked to show me off to everyone, but it was the only time I got any attention from her. And it was more than I ever got from my father.”
“That sounds awful. Why did they even have a kid if they weren’t going to care for you?”
“Because it’s what was expected of them, I suppose. They were all about appearances, about embodying the American dream. You see, my father was a businessman. He and my mother emigrated from Chile long before I was born in pursuit of that dream. Success. Riches. The nuclear family that came with it. My father worked himself half to death, and my mother focused all her energy on being the perfect wife and climbing the social ladder. Integrating herself into high society, hosting parties, accompanying my father on work trips. By the time I was born, they’d made it. And yet, neither had the time for me.”
“That seems… lonely.”
