[B.S. #1] Tied Up in Knotts Read online

  Avery could hardly breathe for James’s tongue stroking deep in her mouth. What little breath she had left was held in anticipation of his first touch. She arched and started to wiggle, not wanting to wait. Pulling away from his mouth, Avery moaned as James’s hands finally touched her folds with a hot, steady hand.

  He almost took his hand away at his first touch. She was so hot, she was burning him up. If she was burning his hand, he could just image what she would do to his cock when he finally sunk inside her. Rolling off Avery, he opened her legs more fully.

  “God, baby, you’re so hot.” He took one finger and pushed into her. It was a struggle, and James asked her again about it being her first time.

  “No, I’m not, but it’s been a long time. Stuff happens. Just kiss me.” Avery did not want to answer any questions and change the mood. Questions would be answered after.

  James retook her lips and pushed his finger in and out a little at a time, until he was in her as far as he could reach. Avery’s cunt started to flutter around his finger and he knew she was close. Pulling his finger out, James broke their kiss and moved down between her legs, making room for his shoulders. With his chest on the bed between her legs and feet hanging over, he finally opened her to his gaze. She was so wet his finger almost slipped as he opened her up to his glaze. James just stared. Her little clit was peeking out and her vagina was spasming. James reached his head down, and with his tongue, took a long swipe from her little rosebud up to her clit. He lifted his head and just breathed her in.

  Avery was just getting ready to say something quirky, like “are you smelling me again?” when he put his head back down and went to work, making her crazy. With the first push of his tongue into her, Avery exploded. Her breath was gone. Her head was in the clouds.

  James took advantage of her state and got off the bed and out of his trousers, kicking his shoes and socks off as fast as he could. Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed a condom and rolled it over the purple head of his cock. Just the pressure of the condom had him ready to explode. Crawling back between her spread thighs, James rubbed his cock at her opening. Raising his head, he looked over her spent body, up to her closed eyes.

  “Avery, look at me.” Avery came out of her fog to finally hear James speaking to her.

  “Look at me.” She turned her chin down and could see his cock posed at her core. As soon as James knew he had her attention, he thrust into her. The heat seared him, making him groan. So good, James knew he was losing control. Just what he didn’t want to do their first time together. The feeling of her sheath surrounding him was like a small fist squeezing his cock.

  He grabbed hold of her hips and lost it, pounding into her. He angled the strokes of his cock slightly up every time so he would pass over her G-spot and on his downstroke he made sure his pelvis hit her clit. James could feel her cunt start to squeeze around his cock again. Grounding down on her clit, he prayed that she would go over before he totally lost it.

  Finally James felt her reach her peak, and in her ecstasy, she almost bucked him off. James took one last plunge into her cunt and let go. His cum seemed to be streaming out of him so fast that he felt lightheaded. James gave one last deep groan and his body collapsed on top of Avery. He knew he was too heavy and should move, but at the moment he was in a daze.

  As soon as James could feel his body again, he raised his head. Looking down at Avery, he could hear her little snores. James gingerly lifted his body from on top of hers, dislodging his cock, and fell on his back beside her on the bed. Putting his arm up over his eyes, James smiled a well-satisfied smile and knew that his technique had worn her out. The volume of the screams that had come out of her mouth as she reached her peak proved that she had certainly enjoyed herself. Reaching down, James grabbed a tissue and pulled the condom from his cock. Wrapping it up, he tossed it in the garbage. Pulling the covers up from the end of the bed, he tiredly covered both of them. A nap would be great. James let his saturated body come to a rest and fell asleep beside Avery.

  Chapter Eleven

  Avery hugged the pillow beside her when she woke. It wasn’t James, but it still smelled like him. She wasn’t surprised that he was gone, but she had hoped when she first opened her eyes that she would find him next to her. The night had been one to the best of her life, but James probably didn’t think the same. He probably had women falling all over him. After all, with his good looks and great body, who would turn him down? She was probably one of many. With that sobering thought, Avery got up and made her way to the bathroom.

  Walking down the hall an hour later, Avery went into the office kitchen and poured herself a coffee. Looking out the window above the sink, her gaze was caught on the sight before her.

  There was James wearing jeans and a sloppy shirt talking to some rough-looking creature wearing a hoodie. They seemed to be looking at a package held by the varmint. James shook his head at the other guy. Meanwhile, the guy was making wild gestures and pointing at the package he held. James reached back into his pocket and withdrew what looked like a bundle of money. Handing it over to the varmint, the guy handed James his package then disappeared down the alley.

  James’s eyes also seemed to scan the alley then up at the office. Avery hastily pulled back from the window. She didn’t want James to see her.

  Walking over to the table in a daze Avery sat down. Had she really seen what she thought she saw?

  It looked like James was buying drugs. That can’t be right. She never noticed him looking high. He was always in control. Avery couldn’t wrap her mind around what she had seen. James stepped in the kitchen from the alleyway. Avery thought he seemed startled to see her there.

  “I thought you would still be sleeping?” James said, recovering fast. He hoped she hadn’t seen the activity in the alleyway.

  “No, I thought I would get an early start like you did. Did you have an early meeting?”

  “No, just chasing the riff raff away from the alley. You know how the kids like to hang around. Are you OK? You look a little peaked. Not get all the beauty sleep you need?” James teased her, hoping to divert her attention away from the alley.

  Not allowing James to get to her, Avery stood and walked out of the kitchen toward her desk.

  James followed her. “I’m just joking. You know I think you’re beautiful. Last night was wonderful. Do you want to spend the day together? We could go to the beach and have dinner later.” James didn’t like how Avery was silent and seemed to be distancing herself from him.

  Avery turned and looked back at James. “I have a lot to do today. Sorry.” Bypassing her desk, she kept walking to the front door.

  James watched Avery walk out the door, her walk stiff and unyielding. Her eyes seem to have looked at him with disappointment in them.

  “What’s up with Avery?” Clay asked, coming in the door and passing James on his way to the coffee pot. “I just passed her and she had a hard time saying hello.”

  “I think she might have seen me out in the alley this morning,” James said with regret in his voice

  “James, what’s going on with you? You are always so careful. You’re losing your edge. You can’t let that happen in the middle of a job. We are just starting to see people come out of the woodwork and can’t fuck this up now.” Clay’s voice was hard as he talked to James.

  Pushing his hand through his hair like he’d like to pull it out, James gave a huff. “I thought she was still asleep. She was sleeping when I left her in bed.”

  “You slept with her? Where was your goddamn head? We don’t know if she’s legit yet. She could be still hiding something and just biding her time. Grant hasn’t given us the go ahead yet.”

  “I thought we went through this already. I think she’s innocent. No, I know she’s innocent,” James argued back

  “Well, I’m glad your mind is settled, but I think I speak for all the guys when I say that we’re not so sure. We don’t have the same blinders on that you do. I think you’re too close
to this case. Maybe you should step back and let the rest of us handle this.” Clay stood his ground

  “No way. Are you trying to get me out of the picture? Are you after Avery for yourself?” James knew he sounded jealous and ridiculous. God, he was losing it

  “Well I could be insulted.” Clay looked at James with an exasperated look on his face. “But I won’t. When you get your head out of your ass, ask me again.”

  Clay strode down the hall to his office and slammed the door, forgetting about the coffee. He couldn’t believe James. The person that said those words to him was not the James that he knew. He just hoped that he got his head straightened out, and soon.

  James knew the minute the words left his mouth that he had overstepped, but he couldn’t recall his words back. This time he did pull on his hair and went to his office.

  * * * *

  Avery walked in a daze past the boarded-up store fronts three blocks down to the small park. Sitting on a bench, she didn’t know how she had traveled all this way. Staring at the kids on the swing, Avery thought back at what she had seen this morning.

  Was James part of Carlos’s drug ring? Hell, were they all in it? Was she so stupid that she had walked into the very thing she wanted to escape? Were they keeping an eye on her for Carlos? Was he still looking for the missing drugs? She had thought after all this time, that they had given up and had concluded that she had no idea where the drugs were, if there were any. Shivering at her jumbled thoughts, Avery made plans. She would have to leave and disappear again. Shit, she shouldn’t have spent her last paycheck on clothes but she had wanted to look nice for the office. At the diner with an apron on no one noticed what she wore and she had to admit she also wanted to look nice for James. She was so disillusioned.

  Tears started to drip from her eyes when she remembered last night and the tender care that James had took with his lovemaking. Angrily shaking her head and wiping at the tears, Avery gave a small laugh. Leave it to her to mess up. Well she would just have to put up with them for a little while longer until she had enough money gathered to allow her to leave. Pushing herself off the bench, she wearily made her way back to the office and her apartment.

  James watched as Avery came into the office with her head down. He had left his office door open just in case. He knew he had to do damage control. Getting up from his desk, he walked out and stopped her before she could reach the stairs to her apartment reaching for her arm he grabbed her and turned her to face him.

  “Is something wrong? Did I do something? Talk to me.”

  Avery looked at James with no expression on her face, just a very tight smile that didn’t make it to her eyes.

  “Nothing’s wrong, James. I’m just going up to change and get ready for a few errands I have to run.” She pulled at her arm, which James still held. “Please let me go. You are going to make me late.”

  “Avery, I’m not crazy. Something is wrong, and I want you to tell me. Is it about last night?” James was not letting her go that easy when he could see that she was deeply disturbed.

  “Why would you think that?” Avery rubbed at her arm that she had managed to get James to release. He hadn’t hurt her but she didn’t want his touch on her. Not if he was involved as she though he was.

  James gave an exasperating sigh. “I thought we clicked last night. I know something did for me, and I was hoping it was mutual.”

  “We had a great night, does that help your ego, James? Yes, it was a great night and we probably couldn’t duplicate it. So let’s move on.” Avery turned and headed toward the stairs. “Please leave me alone. I thought there was something, too, but it just didn’t click with me. Sorry.”

  James watched Avery climb the steps to her apartment.

  God, he had fucked up. Well, time to get his head out of his ass as Clay said. Opening Clay’s door, he said, “Well I finally pulled it out. Now help me to fix this? Something’s off with Avery, and I think we’ve become the bad guys.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Up in her apartment, Avery went to the bedroom and pulled a dresser drawer open. In it she had placed everything she had of worth. Maybe there was something she could hawk. Pulling out the small jewelry box, she sat on the bed and opened it. Nothing much was left. A few medals from school and her beloved charm bracelet. Her mother had started it when she was born. It had a tiny baby, a cross for her first communion, a small pile of books for the first day of school. This was the only thing she had left to remind her of her mother and father. They had been good parents, she had thought until that faithful day in Florida. She just couldn’t part with it. It would have to be as a last resort to make her. Avery shoved it back in the box and closed the lid. No, she was stuck here until she could make some money. She would have to disappear far away, and even bus tickets were expensive these days. Sighing, she placed the box back in the drawer. Closing it she sank back into the bed and let the tears come. They wouldn’t help. She had to harden up, but she would allow herself this one weak moment.

  The next morning found Avery at her desk, her long blonde hair was up and she was back to wearing the long skirts. She knew she was being petty, going back to this way of dress, but she felt like it helped with the shield she was trying to build around her.

  The front door opened and Clay walked in with James trailing him. Walking up to her desk, Clay grinned. “Nice outfit. I like it. You really dress up the office.”

  Avery couldn’t help the grin. She knew Clay was making a joke at her expense, but the truth of the matter was he was right. Hiding the smile the best way she could, she looked down at her desk and held out a few yellow pages with messages. “Glad you like it.”

  James stepped beside Clay. “Anything for me?”

  Not looking up, Avery muttered, “No, nothing today. I guess you’re not as popular as you thought.” Avery took a quick look at Clay. Was he mad that she was speaking to a fellow worker and his friend this way? Oh God, her mouth was going to be the destruction of her. She just didn’t stop to think. Avery was surprised to see Clay giving James a thumb up as he looked at the messages in his hand. James didn’t seem too happy with her reply. He turned his back on her and walked into his office.

  “Don’t let him bother you. He’s just got a lot of things on his mind right now.”

  Avery watched Clay as he also went his office. I just bet he has a lot on his mind, his next drug deal for Carlos.

  Work progressed through the week without incident. James and Angel seemed to spend a lot of their time in the back alley. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she wouldn’t give James the satisfaction of speaking to him. And Angel didn’t seem to sit still long enough for her to approach him. If she didn’t know better she would think he was avoiding her. Friday was another story. Avery was just going through the mail when James barged through the front door and angrily strove directly to Clay’s office and proceeded to slam the door behind him.

  “What the fuck are you planning? And why didn’t you inform me? Why did I have to hear it from Angel?” James shouted at Clay.

  Clay rose from his desk. “Keep your voice down. Do you want Avery to hear?”

  “Right now I don’t give a fuck! Was Angel right? Are you planning to go after Avery yourself?” James threw himself down in the chair in front of Clay’s desk

  Clay settled back down in his chair now that James seated himself. “Angel’s right, but he shouldn’t be gossiping like an old lady.”

  “Well I’m damn glad he did. When were you going to tell me?”

  “This morning I was going over all the headway we’ve made, and we seem to have Carlos’s distributers biting and ready to sell to us. But with Avery, you really fucked up. You know that, James. She won’t even speak to you. If we’re really going to get to the bottom of this, we have to know if she hiding something. Even the Feds are starting to get antsy.”

  “No,” James shouted at Clay. “No fucking way.” James sat up in his seat, put his arm on his thighs, and debate
d whether to get up and strangle his friend.

  “Now, James,” Clay shouted back at him. “And keep your voice down, or should I just invite Avery in so she can hear more clearly?”

  “No.” James swiped his hand through his hair. “I‘ll get through to her. I’m just giving her time to miss me.”

  “God you’re fucked up. She’s pissed at you. I don’t think we have time to wait around. You know I’m the best bet. My hands are clean, only you and Angel seem to be visiting the alley for drops that I’m sure Avery has noticed after you let the cat out of the bag.”

  “I can’t let you.”

  “You can’t let me, or won’t let me?”

  “Does it really make a difference? Avery’s mine and I will handle it.”

  “OK, we’ll play it your way”—Clay raised his hand toward James—“but just for a week. I know you’re the boss of this operation but this is serious. One week and I take over. Don’t think I can’t take you out.” Clay grinned at James breaking the tension

  “You and who else?” James said, rising from his seat, grinning now that the tension had abated between them.

  “Well I might ask Angel. He deserves a beating for being a gossip.”

  James laughed back, shaking his head as he left the office.

  Avery watched James leave Clay’s office. With all the yelling going on, she didn’t expect him to be smiling. In fact he looked directly at her and his smile turned into a wolfish grin. Like he would like to eat her up.

  Well he would be starving, Avery thought to herself. He had his chance and blew it. She knew enough, or thought she did, and would be steering clear of him.

  James walked directly to Avery’s desk. By the time he reached it, his grin had turned hard. This had gone on long enough. The little darling needed a spanking. And he was just the one to do it.