Learning from Gabriel is easier than I thought. He’s trying to get me prepared to take over for him when he takes paternity leave. I spend my days learning all the ins and outs of the casino, along with all our other side businesses.

Gabriel says it’s enough for the day. I agree and turn to leave when Gabriel stops me.

“Have a drink with me before we go home.”

As if right on cue, Zander strolls in. “Hey, did I hear someone wants a drink?”

Gabriel answers him, “I was just telling Liam it’s time for us to have a drink. Want one?”

Zander quickly responds, “Hell yeah.”

I make us all a scotch neat, then hand them their drinks as I grab mine. I know they're up to something, so I decide to get straight to the point.

“Let’s cut the bullshit. What do y’all want?”

Gabriel chuckles and says, “Were we that obvious?”

“Yes.”

Zander then says, “We’re worried about you, brother.”

Then Gabriel says, “Fallon tells me you’ve been sleeping in Avery’s room every night since she’s been with us.”

“So? I just want her to feel safe, that’s all.”

Zander shakes his head. “That’s not all, Liam. From the day we rescued her, we all saw you cared for her. I mean, Jesus, you killed for her; so, don’t bullshit me, brother.”

I think about how much I want to reveal. I know I have to tell them something.

“I do care for her. She and I had a thing. It’s been over for a long time.”

Zander asks, “So, what did you do, little brother?”

“I broke her heart. Listen, guys, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. I just want to make sure she comes out of this. I think it helps her to know I’m there, at least I hope it does. But it’s been a long time, our relationship is over. Please, don’t tell Mom anything.” I stand and tell them, “Now I’m done with this conversation.”

I leave them there and go home. After a long day, I just want to see Avery and hear if anything changed today.

When I make it home, Fallon tells me about Avery’s day. She tells me she’s still eating and that she saw the doctor today but refused to talk. I thank her and run off to my room to clean up and get ready for bed.

Later in the night, I sneak back to Avery’s room and drift off to sleep.

I’ve been the luckiest son of a bitch ever since Avery forgave me. I couldn’t be happier. The weather starts to get colder. It makes it hard for us to see each other every night, until Avery starts sneaking me into her room. I know I should have never agreed to it, but I don’t want to skip any nights. For weeks, I’ve been able to control my urge for her by playing board games. It sounds stupid, but it works; we’re having fun playing, too. I even show her how to play some card games, like blackjack, I even show her how to count the cards. If we aren’t playing games, we watch movies. Some are my choice, and some are hers. She loves her chick flicks, and I hate to admit it, but I like them, too, I even have to hide a tear or two through some of them.

Avery, however, starts wanting more, and as much as I fight it, I want more, too. We start kissing more and making out, but I struggle not to touch her more than the simple roaming.

Frustrated, Avery asks, “Liam, why don’t you want to touch me more?”

“Baby, it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s…”

“Then why, Liam? You don’t want me?”

I do. I want her so bad. There’s nothing I want more than to slide into her and drown myself in her love. I grab her face and kiss her soft at first, then it becomes more passionate. I lay us down on the bed and start kissing her neck. God, I love her: her smell, her mouth, her touch. I start to slowly lift her shirt, just a little so I can feel the skin of her flat stomach. She’s so soft, my erection is straining against my pants. It becomes painful with how much I want her. She slips her hands under my shirt as she begins rubbing my skin. My hand travels higher under her shirt as I continue to kiss her lips. I begin to fondle her breasts. I feel her nipples hardening, and fuck, it just makes my cock harder. Her moans, though, are going to kill me. I have to stop. I can’t take anymore, not unless I’m willing to take all of her.

I jump up and get out of the bed, adjusting my massive hard on. I need to breathe and calm myself down.

“Liam, what’s wrong? What did I do?”

“Nothing, just give me a minute.”

I pace the floor, trying to think of anything that can take my mind off Avery’s body and how bad I want to make love to her. I hear Avery start to cry.

“Avery, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what I did. I thought, I mean, it felt good—”

I stop her before she can finish. I know what she means. “Avery, it did feel good. That’s the problem.”

“Why? Don’t you want it to feel good between us?”

Now I’m frustrated in more than one way. “Shit, Avery, I can’t, okay? I just can’t. Just leave it alone.”

“No, I want to know why? Why do you want to sleep with other girls, but not me?”

“Because you’re not like the other girls. Avery, I didn’t care for those other girls. I love you, only you. I don’t want to make you feel like I’m just using you. You’re not ready for this. I know you think you are, but you’re not.”

“You can’t tell me what I’m ready for. I want you, and I want you to want me, too.”

I grab her hand and lay it over my caged hard cock. “Wanting you isn’t the problem. Do you feel that? I live with it constantly when I’m around you. I have to jerk off every time I leave you, and sometimes I don’t even make it home. Shit, Avery, I’ve even jerked off in that fucking tree. You see how stupid you make me?”

My sweet Avery didn’t even flinch when I laid her hand over my cock. She still has it there. I start to feel her hand move, she’s rubbing up and down.

“You don’t have to, you know? I can help. I want to.”

What the fuck?! I grab her hand, and in a harsh tone I tell her, “Don’t. You don’t know what you’re asking for, and I’m not that strong around you.”

I kneel beside the bed. “Avery, I know you’re a virgin, and I love that. I want to take this slow. If we’re meant to be, then I will be your one and only, but if we’re not, I never want to be your regret. I care too much about you. Do you understand?”

She nods her head, and I see a tear fall. I quickly kiss it away and join her back in the bed. We hold each other for a while, and then Avery kisses me and says, “I love you, Liam. I’m willing to wait since you give me no other choice, but I want more than just the kissing. Do you think we can do more, or do you think it would be too difficult for you?”

Without another thought, I kiss her and say, “I love you, too. I’m willing to do what you want, as long as we don’t go too far.”

I look up at the ceiling and start laughing. “Fuck, Avery, you have me sounding like the fucking virgin.”

She laughs at me. “You do. Who knew the school male slut would be this hard to get into bed?”

“Hey, I’m not the school slut.”

“Oh, yes you are; you should hear the rumors. Me and you, what a pair, the slut and the virgin.”

“Well, you might be the virgin, but after tonight you won’t be so innocent.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her and lay on top of her.

She giggles. “Oh yeah, what are you going to do, big boy?” Then she winks...oh, my girl has a devilish side to her.

“Big boy, huh? Baby, you have no idea.”

I spread her legs with my thigh and push my erection into her center. She gasps.

“Relax, baby. We won’t do anything other than this.”

I kiss her and start grinding myself over her covered pussy. She starts to moan, so I know she’s feeling good. I go back under her shirt and pinch her nipple. Her legs spread wider, and it feels so good; even under my jeans, I can feel her warmth.

“Does it feel good? Do you like it?”

She nods her head with her eyes closed tight. I lower my hand to her leg and lift, knowing she’ll feel me more this way.

“Better?”

She nods again.

“I want you to relax and feel me, Avery. Let me make you feel good.”

I start sucking her neck, then I nibble her ear. I whisper to her, “Cum for me, baby.”

She does, and it's music to my ears. Her nails dig into my back, and her soft breaths are on my neck as I explode in my pants like a loser, but I don’t care. That’s the minute I knew I wanted to marry her. No one has ever compared to her. Without even skin on skin, I knew she was the one.