~Thor~
I had wanted to scream out to her, “I already know that’s what you want to do!” But I held back my tongue. It hadn’t felt right for some reason. Instead, I watched her walk away- something I never do- and began to feel the tiniest inkling of something unfamiliar. Guilt. Though I tried to get back into the music and scene, it was no longer interesting to me. I found that I had actually liked dancing with her. For one, while she was not the usual skinny-type I pursued for sexual encounters, I enjoyed the lush curviness of her short stature. It was cute and sexy.
So maybe I was right about her feelings toward me, but there was something I hadn’t considered. I want her too. And so the day we were supposed to head out and go cliff diving, I looked over at Axel in the passenger seat and wondered back to the moments between him and Ava’s friend. It’s not like seeing such obvious attraction between two people was new to me in any way. But my feelings of curiosity and slight wanting were new to me. However, I knew exactly how to relinquish any such weakness. All I had to think of were the unmarked envelopes that continued to appear either on my front desk or in the shop’s mailbox. With no return address, they continued to arrive with only my name and address handwritten on the front. Despite the written apologies, every single one had simply made me grow more and more resentful. They were consistent reminders of a past I had purposely pushed aside in order to feel normal again. But the last one was a surprise. The message was more than just an apology, and I had hesitated when throwing it out.
I still have it. I never took it off. Let’s talk.
Just the memory of who was behind those words helped me regain the strength I had cultivated over these past few years. I should never have faltered in my resolve to not spare it a second thought because the past no longer meant anything to me. It shouldn’t mean anything to me. I am no longer the person I was for good reason.
“What are you looking at me for, dickhead?” Axel asked while still texting on his phone, interrupting my thoughts. I assumed he was in communication with the same sexy piece of ass I saw him fawning over at the concert.
“A less handsome version of myself,” I replied quickly. It was a pretty normal conversation between the two of us, an exchange of insults and cryptic remarks.
He harrumphed in disbelief but smirked slightly nonetheless. Seeing my way in, I continued a bit more honestly with what was on my mind, “What is it with you and this girl? Why are we even doing this?”
Axel finally tore his eyes away from the screen on his phone and looked at me curiously, “What are you talking about? This was your suggestion because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut and stop teasing Evie’s friend.”
“Don’t pretend you weren’t thinking the same thing. Plus, it’s hard not to tease someone who so obviously has a stick up their ass. I’ve met her at least three times now, all unpleasant encounters mind you. You were there for one of them even.”
“I’m pretty sure you had something to do with that,” he replied blandly. Brushing his hands roughly through his blonde hair, he continued, “But honestly, it gave me an excuse to see Evie again. There was no way I was going to allow you to back out of this. Evie in a two-piece is the sexiest thing since Rihanna’s stripper video.”
I laughed at his throwback, my body agreeing instantaneously at the thought of the famous artist twerking on screen. And despite myself, a picture of Ava dressed in a swimsuit suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. My mind raced with thoughts of how her curves would look bare, unhidden by her clothing. At the concert, I couldn’t help but take in the way her hips sloped so dramatically from her waist. I would sure have something to hold onto once I got her beneath me. What the hell am I thinking? Sleep with her? Please remind me why this is such a bad idea because I seem to be losing my mind.
It only took us twenty minutes to exit the city and arrive at the quarry in Becket. The women had arrived before us, seen standing by their car with towels and in the aforementioned and highly anticipated swimsuits. Before I even parked, I could see the tension rising off of Ava’s small shoulders, and I couldn’t help the mischievous grin that appeared. I could already picture the look of horror on her face as she fell from the ninety-foot ledge to the water below. If anything else, this would surely help get the chip off her shoulder and the stick out of her ass.
Slamming the car door and immediately ripping off my shirt, I caught the look of appreciation on her face as my body stretched. Catching her gaze, I winked. Yup, you definitely want this. And I don’t blame you.
“If you’re done posing like an Abercrombie model, do you mind helping me with the shit in the trunk?”
I was torn from my stare down with her by Axel’s annoying voice. Regretfully, I looked away from her to him. “Quit bitching, I’m going to help you.”
With the cooler in one hand and towels in the other, we made our way over to the women. Axel’s girl was clearly excited, devouring him with her warm, brown gaze. And I was sure if I looked over, he would have the same goofy grin on his face. It didn’t surprise me at all. Axel was always the type to seek out long-term and serious relationships with women. In fact, I could count on one hand the number of women he’d been with since we became friends. It’s disgusting if you ask me.
To avoid the lovesick hellos coming from the pair, I focused my attention on Ava. She was dressed in a two-piece that was quite flattering on her shape. The sides were a mesh material that teasingly displayed side boob and some of her ass cheek. I found my mouth watering slightly at the sight of her, imagining what it would be like to peel the thin material slowly from her skin, replacing it with my lips. I wouldn’t miss a single spot in my exploration, taking in her harsh breaths and screams of pleasure in the process.
That’s it. I’m going to sleep with this woman if it kills me.
After doing a slow survey of her body, my eyes finally met hers. My mouth nearly dropped open in shock at the shy, blush on her cheeks. I expected a sly, flirtatious grin in return or at the very least a feminist glare of warning, not shy avoidance. It made me wonder about the depths of her. She was a swirling mass of contradiction and instead of making me turn away, it was drawing me in further. It had been a long time since I had a nagging curiosity about another person, and I didn’t like it one bit. And I definitely didn’t appreciate the way my pulse quickened as our eyes stayed locked together.
Nope. I’m not doing this.
Shaking my head slightly to get out of the trance she had weaved, I cleared my throat uncomfortably.
“Well, are you ready for this or not?” I asked harshly.
Ava seemed slightly taken aback by my tone, and instead of answering, she looked toward her friend. I glared slightly at her continued silence. I hadn’t asked her friend; I wanted her to answer.
“Where’s the best spot to do this jump? I’m so ready!”
Grudgingly, I looked over to Evie and answered, “Well, first and foremost, how comfortable are the both of you with swimming?”
Suddenly, an aggressive fire leapt into both of their eyes. I looked toward Axel but received no help as he pretended to be distracted by the trees and shrubs.
“Would you ask that question if we were white?” Ava forced out the last word between gritted teeth.
It immediately clicking the misconstrued meaning behind my words, I grasped at straws trying to correct their assumptions. But as I struggled, Ava’s eyes softened and her nose wrinkled in the cutest way as she began to giggle. Her friend, Evie, soon joined her as well as they fell onto each other as if they were at a comedy show. It occurred to me then that since we had met, I had never seen her smile. And I for sure had never heard her laugh.
It was a beautiful sight with the airy chortles of glee. Enough so, I was at a loss for words for an entirely different reason now. It brightened her entire face to the extent that it almost looked like it was glowing. I couldn’t imagine the laughing woman before me being the same one that tried to maim me over a spilt cup of coffee. It was a completely absurd contradiction.
“We’re just messing with you, Thor,” Evie supplied unnecessarily.
But I hardly heard her, still slightly tongue-tied by Ava’s presence. My mouth oddly felt dry, and I moved my tongue to speak again.
“Good to know, I would never imply that you couldn’t swim because you’re both black. But safety is important when it comes to things like this. I’d rather no unwanted surprises.”
“Of course, we wouldn’t agree to this otherwise. Right, Ava?” Evie looked toward her friend in confirmation and received a nod, a goofy smile still spread across Ava’s soft features.
“Great. Well, for the most part, there are two different heights at which we can jump. It can go all the way up to ninety feet if you both feel comfortable with that. You should know though that people have jumped from these cliffs for generations and there are rarely any accidents. However, there are a few basic rules you should follow.”
Axel decided to jump in then, “First and foremost, never jump from a height less than thirteen feet. We’ll take you guys to the best spots though.”
“Stay tight when your body hits the water and remember to breathe out through your nose. Ready?” I asked them both seriously.
Evie continued to look just as excited as ever, but there was a marked hesitation on Ava’s face that I knew could potentially be problematic once we hiked up the cliff. Deciding to keep an eye out, I let Axel and Evie lead us up as we began to move away from the parked cars. The quarry was located in an old land trust; while a heavily wooded area, there was enough foot traffic from other visitors to make the women feel comfortable being with us.
We walked side by side up the trail, me taking careful note of how her ass looked encased in her swimsuit. Standing beside me, I realized once again how tiny she was, and I imagined what it would feel like to have her beneath me. It was definitely time to transfer this distaste we had for one another into something more productive. Like sex.
“Scared?” I bent down to whisper into her ear once we were nearing the top.
Ava noticeably gulped but avoided my gaze when the trees finally cleared and the cliff appeared ahead of us. Looking around, her eyes crinkled with concern as she noticed that the four of us were alone.
“Where did everyone go?” she asked with uncertainty.
I grinned at her and winked, “Well, you see…I never said this was legal.”
Her horror-filled and frightened look of bewilderment met me as I tried desperately to contain my laughter. “What do you mean this isn’t legal?” she nearly screamed. Axel and Evie both gave us a curious glance from ahead but quickly returned to their private conversation.
Not wanting her to know the truth, I continued the charade. It’s definitely time to up the stakes and force her to live a little. “Exactly what I just said. The town voted against allowing cliff diving because of the potential liability. But that doesn’t make it dangerous.”
Ava’s look of worry intensified as she noticeably considered returning the way we had come. She looked in the direction to our vehicles while wringing her hands in deep thought. To catch her attention again, I snapped my fingers in front of her face, causing her to jump slightly.
“Look, you’re the one who said you were trying to live your life on the edge. Why not break a couple of rules? There’s no one here and it’s really unlikely that we’ll get caught.”
“I never agreed to do anything illegal,” she glowered at me. “I don’t know why we bothered listening to you. You’re nothing but a degenerate who destroys women’s shoes and murders a perfectly good cup of coffee.”
My eyes narrowed at the clear look of distaste as she glared at me. For some unknown reason, it bothered me that she saw me in such a negative light. There was an uncomfortable feeling roiling in my stomach as her gaze continued to shoot daggers of hate. For a second, I thought I felt it move upward toward the left side of my chest…Nah, it’s probably because her dislike makes it a bit harder to get between her legs at the end of this. In fact, maybe I can use her feelings to my advantage…Who doesn’t enjoy hate sex?
“Well, it’s good to know how you see me. Shall I return the favor?”
Ava took a step back almost as if she was physically preparing for my words to her. I didn’t let her down.
“You’re an old bore who hates the world, men in particular, because they’d rather be with someone more interesting. That chip on your shoulder is just a front for your insecurities.”
Her hands became fists at her side, and I could see the ill-intent in her eyes. If I’m not careful, this woman could seriously push me over the cliff. That would certainly be ironic.
“But…” I continued with a hand up before she could begin ranting at me, “You have an opportunity to prove me wrong. So prove it. Can you remove the stick up your ass?”
To my surprise and my body’s pleasure, she encroached upon my personal space at the challenge. The feel of her body heat caused an immediate reaction in my loins, and it took all my concentration not to get an erection at her nearness. Looking up at me with an intensity I had never seen before, she gritted out, “You don’t know shit.”
And my response: another grin. Because I knew I had gotten to her, and she was going to try to get the upper hand by not walking away. With a swish of her hips, she turned back around and continued up the path to the drop-off point. Axel and Evie were already preparing to make their first jump together. I waited by the shade of the trees, watching and observing Ava’s body language as she looked down hesitantly to the water below. Though she tried to hide it, it was noticeable how her throat quivered and her forehead began to perspire in nervousness.
“I can’t believe we’re about to do this,” I could hear Evie tell Axel in an excited high-pitched voice. They both shoved off their shoes and searched for a good clearing for their run.
“You’re going to follow me down, right gurl?” Evie asked of Ava.
She nodded and took a few steps back so that the other two could make their jump. I watched as they held hands and did a slow jog over the edge of the cliff. Evie could be heard screaming all the way down, though it only lasted a few seconds before the splash of water cut off her screams. Then what followed should have relieved some of Ava’s fears: laughter.
“Come on, Ava. It’s your turn!” her friend screamed from below.
I walked toward Ava cautiously, wondering what she would do next. She stood a few feet from the edge of the cliff, her back stiff and fingers restless by her sides. Unknown to me, I began to feel a wave of sympathy for her and decided to placate some of her fears.
“See, there were no police officers waiting down below to arrest you. So how about it? You ready?”
Ava whispered, “How far are we up again?”
We had wound up at close to eighty-feet above the water level but I didn’t tell her that. Instead, I said, “how about we jump together?”
At that, she looked at me curiously. “Why would you agree to that?”
“Because despite my degenerate ways, I want to make sure you make it down safely. Go feet first and try to keep your arms and legs as close to your body as possible. That way you flow through the water and don’t splatter against it. You ready?”
Before she could answer, I took her hand in mine- What am I doing? Then I led her a few feet away from the edge so we could get a running start. Shoving our shoes off, I looked at her one last time and smiled. “The stick has gotta come out at some point,” I teased her.
Ava rolled her eyes and a fire of determination replaced the fear and hesitation I had seen moments earlier. I counted to three and soon we were flying through the air. While I heard Ava’s screams as she realized just how high we were, my mind was caught up on what it felt like to have her hand in mine. I must really be losing it right now because this is getting ridiculous.
The water splashed around us, drowning our heads as we hit the surface. But despite the chaos of our landing, I never let go of her hand. And when we broke the surface, breathing harshly into the warm air, I was faced once again with her smile and laughter.
“Oh my god, let’s do that again,” she was able to gasp out between breaths.
I laughed beside her, swimming closer so that our limbs touched as we treaded water. “Good, because it’s not illegal,” I finally revealed.
To my surprise, she didn’t react with anger at the news. Instead, her focus seemed to have been distracted. By my lips. There was a flash of desire upon her face as we swam together with very little space between us. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I was overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her. Beneath the surface of the water, I wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. And though I waited for her to protest, she didn’t.
But before I could close the distance between us, I heard Evie’s voice calling out.
“Guys, over here. Let’s go back up!”
Her words broke the spell between us. And helped Ava realize exactly what was happening. She suddenly shoved herself away, removing her hand from my hold. But as she swam away, my eyes narrowed with determination. There was definitely some heat between us, and sooner or later, it would explode. I just had to be patient.