Without Pretense Read online

  “I feel the same,” Elena said.

  Once Ava signed the bill, they made their way to the door. Ava had texted the driver as they’d finished and the limo idled at the curb. The driver held the door as they slid in. Ava spoke to her. “We need to drop Elena at her place before we return to the Fairmont. She’ll give you the address.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Bianca sank into the luxurious seat and sighed. Dinner had been incredible, but she was happiest that the conversation had been comfortable and easy. Elena seemed to genuinely like Ava. She’d ask her more about that when they were alone, but she would have been acting differently if it weren’t true. Too soon, they arrived at Elena’s apartment building.

  They all climbed out of the car. Elena pulled Ava into a hug. “Thank you again for dinner. I’m counting on you to take care of my sister as you travel all over the world together.”

  When Ava pulled back from the embrace, she made eye contact with Elena. “That’s a promise.” Then Ava ducked back into the car to give them privacy.

  Bianca grabbed Elena in a fierce hug. “I’m so glad I got to see you. I love you. Try to stay out of trouble.”

  “I love you too. Now go take charge and tell her what to do. You heard her earlier. She goes where she’s told.” Elena held Bianca at arm’s length. They stared at one another, and the moment passed from heartfelt to playful quickly.

  Bianca slapped her on the shoulder. “You are very bad.”

  “But I’m not wrong.” Elena chuckled.

  “Maybe we’ll see about that.” The idea piqued Bianca’s interest.

  Elena laughed. “Safe travels, sister. Keep in touch.”

  “You know I will.”

  Bianca watched as Elena let herself into her building before she climbed back into the car. She scooted close enough to Ava that their legs were touching. Ava put her hand on Bianca’s thigh. “How was that for you?”

  “The whole evening was amazing. But the bigger question for me is how was that for you?” Bianca asked.

  “I had a lovely time. I enjoyed meeting Elena. It was nice to see you interact with someone you’re so comfortable with.”

  “I’m comfortable with you too,” Bianca said easily, shifting to look at Ava.

  “I appreciate you saying that, but I worry that you will meet so many new people as we’re traveling that you’ll get overwhelmed.”

  “I’m not worried about that at all. I love meeting new people.”

  “Really? Sometimes it terrifies me.”

  “You perform in front of thousands of people every time you take the stage and you’re afraid to meet people?”

  “I told you the day we met I’m not always very comfortable around people. I have a confession. I was extremely nervous to meet Elena tonight.”

  “What? I couldn’t tell at all. You meet people all the time and all over the world. Why would you be nervous to meet my sister?”

  “That’s just it, because she’s your sister, one of the most important people in your life. It felt like a very big deal and I didn’t want to mess it up.”

  “You did just fine. She likes you. But you don’t have to be nervous about meeting anyone close to me. Be yourself and you’ll be fine.”

  “If you say so.” Ava didn’t seem convinced.

  “I do.” The car pulled up to the front door of their hotel. “Now, please escort me upstairs so I can get out of these shoes.”

  “As you wish.” Ava stood next to the car and bowed before extending her hand to help Bianca from the car.

  ***

  As the lift opened on their floor, Ava let Bianca exit ahead of her. “Would you like to join me for a nightcap?”

  “I would. That’s sounds lovely.”

  Ava let them into the living room area of the suite. Bianca slipped out of her heels the moment they were through the door.

  “What would you like…a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail?”

  “I’ll have whatever you’re having. Do you mind if I freshen up a bit?”

  “Not at all. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable while I make the drinks.”

  Bianca went through the bedroom to the bathroom. Part of Ava wanted to follow her into the bedroom and surprise her when she came out. She wanted to be with Bianca in every way, but she didn’t want to rush her into a physical relationship. She didn’t know if Bianca had been with anyone since Karen died, and she didn’t want to pressure her. She turned her attention to the cocktails. When Bianca hadn’t returned by the time she’d made the martinis, she started to get concerned. She was about to call out to see if Bianca needed anything when Bianca beat her to the punch.

  “Ava, could you come here please?”

  “Sure.” She set the drinks on the coffee table and hurried into the bedroom. When her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the bedroom, she made out the figure stretched out on the bed. Bianca wore a matching set of peach bra and panties and nothing else.

  Bianca waited until she was sure Ava could see her. “You can join me over here.” Bianca patted the bed beside her. Ava took a couple hesitant steps in her direction. “Wait,” Bianca said.

  Ava stopped immediately.

  “You said you wanted to go slowly. So, I want you to remove your clothes, very slowly.”

  Ava’s eyes widened and she swallowed hard. “That’s not exactly what I meant.” Ava’s gaze moved down Bianca’s body. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Completely sure. Now, every time you take something off you can take one step toward me.”

  As Ava completed the slow and tortuous strip tease, Bianca moved closer to the edge of the bed. By the time Ava worked slowly on the buttons of her shirt Bianca sat on the edge of the bed and could reach out and touch her. “Stop,” Bianca whispered.

  Ava froze, her fingers on the second to last button. Bianca took first one hand and then the other and kissed it. “I’ll take things from here.” She unbuttoned the last two buttons and slipped Ava’s shirt off her shoulders and let it pool on the floor behind her. She lifted Ava’s hands and placed them on her own shoulders. Then she looked up into Ava’s beautiful face laced with desire and need. Bianca wrapped her hands around Ava’s hips and swept up and down her stomach with her thumbs. “You’re shaking.”

  “I’m going to need to lie down soon.”

  “Soon.” Bianca slid her hands up and cupped Ava’s bra-clad breasts. She swept her thumbs over the silky material and Ava’s nipples peaked and strained against the material. Bianca kissed each peak.

  “Bianca…”

  “Hmm?”

  “I really need to sit down if you’re going to keep that up.”

  Bianca turned them, switching their positions and she backed Ava up to the bed. She removed her bra. “Sit.”

  Ava sat on the edge of the bed and grasped Bianca’s hips so she wouldn’t fall back. She looked up and Bianca took that moment to kiss her from above. She gently traced her lips. Then she adjusted the angle and kissed her more thoroughly. Bianca kissed and licked her way down Ava’s body. She knelt in front of her and licked and sucked one breast and then the other. Ava writhed under the wonderful torturous attention. She pushed her hands into Bianca’s silky hair, trying to hold on. Eventually, Bianca raised her head. “Lie back.”

  Ava complied without hesitation. Bianca reached for the waistband of Ava’s panties and pulled. Ava lifted her hips so Bianca could pull them off. Bianca threw them aside and lifted Ava’s legs over her shoulders. Then she ran her fingers through Ava’s hot, wet folds. She spread her wide and bent over her. She licked her lips in anticipation, and then she pulled Ava into her mouth.

  Ava raised herself onto her elbows so she could watch Bianca. The visual made her even hotter and wetter than she already was. The amazing things Bianca was doing to her with her lips and tongue had her so close to the edge. “Inside, please, go inside,” she panted. Bianca slid two fingers into her slick hole while continuing to work magic on her swollen clit.
“Oh yes. Fuck.” As the wave hit, Ava climaxed so hard she lost all senses for a brief moment. As she came back to herself, her heart was thundering in her chest, her breathing was ragged, everything seemed brighter, and her ears were full of music she was certain wasn’t playing on any stereo.

  “Wow.”

  Bianca climbed onto the bed and lay half on Ava as she gently kissed her. “Yeah? Are you okay?”

  “I’m so much better than okay. What did you do to me?” Ava asked.

  “Only the very tip of what I’d like to do.”

  Ava raised her arms, limp from the impact of her climax, and pushed Bianca’s lustrous hair back so she could study her. “You can do whatever you’d like to do, seriously. But first, I’d like to do a few things to you. She rose enough to capture Bianca’s lips with hers.

  She rolled them so she was above Bianca, her leg between Bianca’s. She could feel her fullness. She deepened the kiss and shifted so she could caress her breasts. She moved her lips down Bianca’s body to discover what she liked.

  “I’m so ready for you,” Bianca said.

  Ava lifted her head and studied Bianca for a moment. She had wanted to move slowly, cherish Bianca’s body, show her how special she was, but she didn’t want to keep her waiting. She moved her hand between Bianca’s legs and felt the evidence for herself. “Yes, you are.”

  She slid two fingers into Bianca, using her thumb to trace her clit, allowing Bianca time to adjust to her fingers. Ava never would have thought it was possible after the climax she had had moments before, but sinking into Bianca made her hard all over again.

  “Hmm, feels so good,” Bianca said.

  Bianca’s words brought Ava’s focus back to her. She began thrusting her hand slowly in and out. She adjusted to the rhythm of Bianca’s hips and increased the speed of her hand to keep up with her needs. Ava was mesmerized by Bianca’s face as she approached the crest.

  Soon Bianca cried out, “Oh yes, yes, yes.”

  As Bianca crested, Ava climaxed again. She was so overcome she buried her face between Bianca’s neck and shoulder trying to hide all the emotions coursing through her from Bianca. Once she felt she had herself under control, she lifted her head and kissed Bianca. “Was that okay for you?”

  “It was amazing.”

  “Good. I didn’t know…”

  “You didn’t know what?” Bianca asked.

  “We hadn’t talked about it, and I didn’t know if you had been with anyone since Karen, so I wanted to take it slowly to give you as much time as you needed. But I couldn’t stop myself from wanting you.”

  Bianca pushed Ava’s hair back from her face like she was trying to see her more clearly.

  “I wondered if that was the reason you were hesitating in moving forward.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes,” Bianca said. “And to answer your question, you are the first person since Karen. But I knew before we started this trip, I was ready for whatever happened between us. I don’t want you to ever question that you made me do something I wasn’t ready for.”

  “You’re sure?” Ava could hear the worry in her own voice.

  “Oh, sweet Ava, I’m very sure. I appreciate that you wanted to give me time, but the waiting was too much.”

  “Oh.” It was a lot for Ava to take in. She felt extraordinarily special that Bianca had chosen her to be her first after Karen, but what did that mean for them? She couldn’t ask that question at the moment, so she decided to focus on the here and now.

  “That’s why I decided to take things into my own hands, so to speak,” Bianca said.

  “I’m so glad you did.”

  “Me too.”

  Chapter Nine

  The late morning sun filled the room. Ava cracked her eyes open and let them adjust to the brilliant light as she surveyed her surroundings. Bianca sat at the table by the window, her laptop open in front of her and a breakfast tray abandoned nearby. Dressed comfortably in a tank top and cotton shorts, she was the sexiest woman Ava had ever seen.

  As she tapped away on the keys of her computer, Ava studied her profile. She could get used to this, waking up after a night of passionate lovemaking to see Bianca, who inspired such desire and need, at work like this. It might be one of her favorite new ways to start the day. She could only think of one thing that would top it.

  She quietly slid out of bed and moved behind Bianca. She wrapped her in her arms from behind and kissed her cheek. “Good morning. Can I convince you to come back to bed?”

  Bianca tilted her head so she could see Ava. “It won’t take much convincing, but have some breakfast first.”

  Ava pulled on a robe and dropped into the chair across from her. “When did you get your clothes and laptop?”

  “I went across the hall for a few things after I ordered room service. I’m glad they didn’t wake you. One of the advantages of a suite I suppose,” Bianca said.

  Ava picked up the glass of orange juice and took a sip. “Why are you up so early? Did you not sleep well?”

  “I wanted to jot down some notes from our conversations over the last few days and do more research for the biography. Since you were sleeping so hard, I thought I’d take advantage of the time. As for sleep, I slept better than I have in a very long time, but I’m naturally an early riser.”

  Ava smiled sheepishly. “I usually am too, but I think you wore me out.”

  “Apparently, we need to work on your stamina.”

  “Ready when you are to get started on that.”

  “Eat. We need to keep your strength up. Then we’ll play.”

  “I can’t argue with that logic.” Ava dug into the lukewarm scrambled eggs. She swallowed and cleared her throat. “So besides, the aforementioned playtime, is there anything else you’d like to do today?”

  “Perhaps we could walk around the city for a while and see some of the sights. Maybe have a late lunch.”

  “We can do anything your heart desires.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  ***

  Bianca had just finished dressing when there was a knock at the door. She looked over to Ava who was still drying off. “I’ll get it.”

  Bianca opened the door to Vicki, who did not look surprised to see her. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need Ava for a few minutes.”

  If Vicki wasn’t going to act like her being in Ava’s suite fresh out of the shower was any big deal, then Bianca wouldn’t either. “Sure. Come on in. She’s just finishing getting dressed.”

  “Thanks. How was your visit with your sister yesterday?”

  “It was wonderful. I don’t get to see Elena enough.”

  Ava joined them. “Hi, Vicki, what’s up?”

  “Um, I can go to my room,” Bianca offered.

  Ava appeared to consider the offer for a few moments, but then shrugged ever so slightly as if reaching a decision. She gestured for Vicki to come over. “No, it’s fine. Stay,” Ava said as Vicki approached her.

  “I need your signature on these checks.” Vicki held up the folder she’d pulled from her bag. “I’m sorry to bother you, but you asked that they go out by this afternoon.”

  “No problem.” Ava reached for the folder and Vicki handed it over.

  Bianca looked at Ava, then Vicki, and back at Ava trying to discern what was going on. Ava didn’t seem entirely at ease with the situation, but after a moment she looked up from where she was signing the checks. “One of the things Vicki does for me is, in many of the cities we play, she finds a few children’s and women’s organizations that need some financial assistance and I make donations to women’s and youth empowerment programs.”

  “That’s very generous.”

  “It’s what I can do.”

  Vicki raised her eyebrows at that statement.

  Bianca nodded. “I’m sure that means a lot to them.”

  “Well, anyway, even if I’m only in a city for a week or so at a time, this is a way for me to feel more connected and have an i
mpact.” Ava finished signing and handed the folder back to Vicki. “Bianca and I are going to do some sightseeing. Do you need me for anything else before we go?”

  “I don’t. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

  “I think we’ve got everything covered today. You should take the rest of the day off and enjoy the city.”

  “Maybe I’ll do that. You two enjoy.” Vicki let herself out.

  Bianca walked to Ava and put her arms around her neck. “Does it make you uncomfortable that I know about the checks?”

  “Not really. It’s just not something I share publicly. It feels like something private, intimate even. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” Ava said.

  “I know you said it’s a way for you to connect to the cities you’re in, but it feels like there is more to it than that.”

  For once in her life Ava wanted to tell someone the whole truth. She felt guilty for so many reasons. In some ways finding people she could help financially felt like a bit of a penance. It wasn’t nearly enough to assuage the guilt she felt about Lara, but after what Bianca had shared with her only days before, she knew she couldn’t tell her everything. “I guess it’s my way to give back. A part of me feels guilty for having…so much, especially when there are so many who don’t have enough just to survive.” She opted for a partial truth and hoped it would be enough.

  “I think I get it. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  “You’re welcome. Are you ready to go?” The quicker they moved on from this topic the better.

  “I’d like to do my hair since Vicki caught us before I could blow it dry. It should only take a few minutes.”

  “Take all the time you like. There’s nowhere we need to be at a certain time today. Our day is all about doing whatever we want as it comes to us.”

  “Well, that sounds pretty perfect.”