Ava's Pleasure (Welcome to Paradise) (2 page)

Julie's sex appeal lay in her IQ and caring demeanor, though her curves didn't hurt. That body of hers could make a monk hard. The whole package made her one of the best dominatrix in the country. Logan tried to picture her in his bed, but flashes of the woman he'd dreamed about in the deserts of the Middle East flickered in his mind.

She looked so much like Julie, but the woman in his dreams had lengthy curly blonde hair, which contrasted greatly with Julie's long straight black hair.

Julie spent a lot of time and money at the salon every two weeks to keep her hair the color of midnight and straight as a board. She said the look made her appear more like a Domme. Though the hair was different, the two women had the same emerald green eyes and sweet smile.

Logan knew full well who had filled his nights. He looked over at the small silver frame with Julie's niece's college photo and tried to remember what Julie had told him about her. If memory served him right, she worked at some swanky girls' school.

"Have you heard from your niece?" he asked, breaking into her rant about some guy she had to toss out of the club for coming on to Maggie too hard.

Julie stopped typing and looked at him. "What?"

"Have you heard from your niece?" he said again.

"Yeah. I get emails from her twice a month or so."

"How's she doing?"

"Fine I guess." Julie picked up her can of Diet Pepsi and sipped.

"I still can't get over the fact you have a niece almost as old as you."

"What can I say? My parents still got it on after twenty years of marriage and my sister started young."

Logan sat up and placed his feet on the floor. "You know what I mean."

"All I can say is that, in some ways, Ava and I are a lot alike." Julie sighed. "But we took very different paths to deal with life's little surprises."

Chapter Two

Ava's eyes fluttered open to the sounds of feminine moans coming from the room next door. "Damn it, Nick." She tried to bang her hand on the wall, but the margaritas she'd had last night fogged her brain, causing the Mexican food she'd eaten to flip unkindly in her stomach.

Her tired eyes felt gritty, and she squeezed them shut, quickly slipping back into sleep. In the fuzzy edges of her subconscious, a man grunted and a woman moaned. Ava's core came to life as the familiar dream drifted into her sleepy, hung over brain, lighting her body on fire.

The tall, dark, and oh-so-handsome man had been the star of her erotic dreams almost every night for the past six months. His magnificent body and striking blue eyes made her breasts tingle. The stranger's short brown hair made her fingers itch to run through it. Moist desire pooled between her legs.

The man walked toward her. "You don't belong here." He traced the small scar on the left side of her jaw with a finger. Heat exploded in her chest as the callused pad of his thumb scraped delectably against her skin.

Ava held back a moan and blinked up at his vivid blue eyes. "You're not real." She pushed the words from her throat.

His hot stare seared her skin, branding her. Once again, he ran his thumb over that sensitive spot before moving to her bottom lip. Ava's tongue darted out to taste his finger.

A salty flavor filled her mouth—his flavor. "You belong with me. Come with me," he said. "I need you." Slowly, he skimmed his fingers from her mouth across her face and cupped her cheek. His free hand slid down her arm.

Ava entwined her fingers with his. "What's your name?"

With a smile, he tugged her willing body to him. All questions fled as Ava's tender breasts pressed against his muscular chest. Her nipples peaked into hard nubs and rubbed deliciously against him. She closed her eyes, soaking in the waves of pleasure.

Silky material kissed her skin. Ava gazed down and saw she was wearing the same luxurious white nightgown she always wore in the dreams with him. Heat washed over her skin as the man's hands roamed over her body and slipped the nightgown up over her hips to cup her bare bottom. His capable hands explored every inch of her, bringing with them undeniable pleasure that set her inner being on fire.

"I want you." His warm breath caressed her ear. "I need you." The man's fingers moved between her legs. Passion filled her soul.

Suddenly, Ava's eyes flew open and the dream evaporated. Her heart rammed against her rib cage and sweat coated her skin. "Shit, what's happening to me?"

She sighed and tugged at her cotton tank top and flannel pants. "God help me." She jumped out of bed, desperately trying to swallow back last night's margaritas, but the nastiness rose in her throat as she ran from her room to the bathroom.

Slamming the door behind her, Ava dove for the toilet. She immediately hurled last night's dinner and drinks. Mexican definitely tasted better the first time around. She clutched the bowl and heaved until she thought her stomach would turn inside out.

When she had finally finished, Ava straightened and moved to the sink to look into the mirror. Tears streaked down her face. A tremble raced through her. She pressed an unsteady hand to her chest and fingered the heart pendent around her neck.

"Are you alright in there?" Nick's voice boomed through the door.

Ava's heart cracked. From what she heard this morning, he had a willing woman in his bed and he still came to make sure she was okay. "I'm fine, Nick, go back to your lady friend."

"You're not fine. Open the damn door."

"Oh, for God's sake." Annoyed, she stepped over to the door and let him in.

Nick pushed into the tiny room and wrapped her into his arms. "What's going on?"

She pressed her face into his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. A faint whiff of perfume stung her nose. Ava wished she could have no-strings-attached sex like he did, but she'd had to pay too high of a price.

She pushed away and cleared her throat. "I want to have uncomplicated sex like you."

His kind eyes softened. "Honey"—he twisted a piece of her hair around his fingers—"you deserve to have
all
the complications that should come with sex."

"Why did I have to pay such a high price for something that comes so easily to most people?"

"Ava, what happened with your family and boyfriend was not a price. It was fucked up fate."

Pain gripped her heart and squeezed. She leaned into him, her cold bones leaching his body heat.

Nick stroked a hand across her back. "What brought all this on?"

"I had a dream."

"Was it bad?"

She relaxed into him. "I dreamt of a man touching me." Humiliation poured over her.

He chuckled. "Who's touching you? Is it me?"

Ava slapped his chest. "No, gross." She wrapped her arms around his back. "You know that picture I have on my dresser of my aunt."

"Yeah."

"I think it's the guy in the background, but I'm not sure." She buried her face into his chest. "How pathetic… I have sex dreams starring a stranger who was at some party my Aunt Julie attended two years ago." Ava forced herself to step out of Nick's embrace.

"You like having the dreams," he said, more as a fact then as a question.

"More than you know." She rested against the bathroom sink sandwiched between the wall and the linen closet. "What should I do?"

Nick put down the toilet seat and sat. "I think it's time you go find yourself. You've been living like a nun for too long."

That sounded all well and good to Ava, but where should she go. The only family she had remaining lived over a thousand miles away. "What should I do?"

"Go to Miami and see your aunt."

Ava pressed her head against the wall, and thought about her conservative aunt. "If you think I live like a nun, you should meet my Aunt Julie."

Nick crossed himself and smiled. "Go forth my child and discover yourself." He rose and pulled Ava into a hug. "Seriously, you need to put the past behind you. Maybe your aunt can help with that."

"I guess I can go for a short visit." Peace settled into Ava's soul. "Thank you, Nick." She rose on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Any time." Nick's arms fell to his sides. "Would you like me to go with you?"

Ava rubbed her hands over her face. "No. I think this is something I need to do by myself."

A knock sounded at the door. "Hey, Nick, we're going to head out," a male voice said.

"See you later."

"Bye, Nicky," a soft female voice said. "Thank you for a great night."

"Any time, love."

"Oh, God." Ava slapped at Nick's arm. "I thought you had two women in your room."

He shot her a sly smile. "I was helping a buddy fulfill his wife's fantasy."

She wanted to ask what fantasies were fulfilled last night. Instead, she slapped his arm again. "You're sick." She turned to open the door.

"You say that, but I know you're curious about my sex life."

Ava didn't want to think about how true his statement was. Oh, how she wished she were more adventurous. She wrenched open the door and hurried back to her room to call her aunt and make arrangements to get to Miami.

* * * *

Three hours later, Ava pressed the end button on her cell phone. She looked up at Nick standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

"Still getting your aunt's voice mail?" he asked.

"Yeah." She sighed. "I guess I'll have to cancel my trip."

He stalked into her room and sat on the bed. "Don't do that." Nick picked up her laptop. "We'll find you a hotel on South Beach. You can stay there for a night or two before you drop in on your aunt."

The thought of her doing something so spontaneous had her stomach flip-flopping. "I don't know."

After tapping a few keys on her computer, Nick fished his wallet out of his back pocket. "You need to live a little." A few minutes and several keystrokes later, the printer sputtered to life. Nick stood and stepped over to her desk. "Your hotel, my lady," he said and handed Ava the paper. "It's on me."

Chapter Three

Ava stood outside her hotel, watching steam rise from the sidewalk. The Miami heat and humidity hit her in waves and an unexpected afternoon rain started, soaking her clothes—just her luck. She'd been in the Sunshine State for two days and her aunt still wasn't answering her phone. After countless calls to Nick, Ava finally drummed up enough nerve to make the surprise visit to Julie's.

Her decision had a lot to do with the fact that her flight back was still five days away and Nick only booked her hotel for two nights. She couldn't stay any longer because the hotel, along with every other hotel, motel, and bed and breakfast in South Beach, was booked solid.

Everyone in the world seemed to want to get out of the snow and bask in the sun. Ava tugged at the collar of her white peasant blouse. Sweat slithered like little snakes down her back, coiling on the waistband of her long, gauzy white skirt.

Unease settled over her and took up residence in her chest. "God, give me strength."
She spotted a yellow van and waved. The taxi pulled to the curb and the side door slid open. "Where to, ma'am?"

She tossed her bag on the back seat then climbed in before rattling off her aunt's address.

"Are you sure?" the cabby asked.

No, she wasn't. She buckled her seat belt, and tried to ignore the unpleasant smells burning her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Why?"

"Well, ma'am, that's not a great section of town. That address isn't a place where young ladies like you go."

Ava straightened her shoulders.
Ladies like me? What the hell does that mean?
"Please, just take me."

The cab pulled away from the curb. "If you say so, ma'am, but it's getting dark. Don't say I didn't warn you," the cabby said.

"Thank you." She settled back into her seat and stretched her legs.

The drive was uneventful, and it wasn't long before the taxi pulled up in front of a light pink stucco building. Her eyes widened at the half-naked people standing on the sidewalk. Anxiety raced up her spine
. Oh, god what did I get myself into?

"Are you sure this is the right address?"

The cab driver eyed her in the rearview mirror. "Yes, ma'am. This is the address you gave me. Welcome to
Paradise
."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "What is this place?"

He turned toward her. "
The
premier sex club in Miami. You getting out lady, or do you want me to take you someplace else?"

Ava glanced at the paper in her hand. There had to be a good reason her prim and proper aunt would have given her this address. Maybe Julie fell on hard times and could only afford an apartment over a sleazy club.

Her heart felt like it had flipped. "No." Ava firmed her quivering mouth and lifted her chin. She handed the cab driver the fare and exited the van. The flashing Paradise sign loomed before her as she nervously walked up to the building. Ava took a deep breath, yanked open the door, and stepped in.

Loud music assaulted her ears. The smell of sex hung thick in the air and stung her nose. She scanned the massive space. Bodies writhed on platforms throughout the large room.

"Oh, shit," she said, somewhat in shock.

Ava watched as people did things to each other she was pretty sure were illegal in most states. She tamped down the urge to cover her eyes and forced herself to take a step. A scream came from her left. She turned and tried not to gawk at the scream's source. The woman, who was tied to a board of some kind and being whipped by a leather-clad man, gazed at Ava with shiny eyes.

Heat flooded Ava's face. The noises that came from the woman were a mix of ecstasy and pain. Every time the long whip whirled through the air, a smile crossed the woman's face. Ava had read about people who use pain to escape into themselves in a psychology journal a few months back.

Ava's neck tingled. Self-preservation caused her to take a few steps back toward the door. Her hip bumped into something solid and hard. She jumped and spun, gripping the large table and sighed. "I need to get out of here," she said to herself.

She narrowed her gaze and searched for the exit. The place seemed to swallow her up. Her pulse raced. People crowded in front of her to watch a couple of black masked hunks on a platform do the most erotic things with a beautiful woman. She pushed through the crowd and came to a stop ten feet from the action. Her mind flashed to Nick and the couple he'd entertained the other night. To think something similar to this happened on a regular basis in the room next to hers… The thought made her thighs quiver.

While she spent her nights reading and watching TV, Nick had been indulging in fantasies.
Ava returned her attention to the goddess-like woman on her hands and knees before the men.

She offered herself in a way Ava found intoxicating and the sounds the woman made heated her blood to a boil. The three of them had to have done this before. They looked like a well-practiced play, worthy of Broadway—if Broadway had X-rated performances.

Ava stared at the woman's large breasts busting out over a black leather corset. God, she wished the gene pool had blessed her with such curves. Without realizing it, Ava reached up and grabbed at her own small chest, her focus on the men.

She swallowed hard. The desire to lick the droplets of sweat off the well-chiseled muscles of the man thrusting in the woman's mouth swamped her.

Willing away the longing, Ava forced herself to look at the other man pumping into the woman from behind. His well-defined frame moved in a stimulating dance.

A moan drew her attention back to the hot man screwing the woman's mouth. White-hot longing erupted inside Ava and an odd feeling of jealousy overtook her.

The man thrusting into the woman's mouth locked his piercing blue gaze on Ava. Heat flowed through her in a rush and pooled between her legs. She knew those eyes like she knew her own. The man's stare drilled into her soul. Ava shook her head. This had to be a figment of her imagination.

* * * *

Man
,
he wished Brian would hurry up.
He thrust his cock in and out of Wanda's mouth, trying to feel something… anything. He squeezed his eyelids shut, willing his dick to stay hard. Flashes of what happened in the cold dark desert blazed in his mind. Despite his efforts, his cock started to wilt.

Logan forced his brain to play the erotic dreams that always filled his unconscious mind whenever his body finally broke from exhaustion.
You know you're fucked up when sex is better in your dreams.
Wanda's tongue swirled around the tip of his cock, just the way he liked.

Once the action would've pulled his balls tight and he would've had to bite back the need to cum. He loved to feel his blood heat as desire pulsed through his veins, but none of those old feelings overtook him.

He opened his eyes and turned his head. Recognition punched him in the gut.
Shit, she's even more beautiful in person.

Logan blinked. Julie's niece stood ten short feet in front of him. The crowd around her cheered, but she just stood frozen in place. Shock and panic marred her beautiful face. Even in her drab, wet clothes, she was the sexiest woman he had ever seen.

Logan lost all control and did something he'd never allowed himself to do in the public room of the club before. Heat started at the base of his spine and erupted throughout his body. Cum sprayed into Wanda's mouth as her throat worked to swallow.

"Fuck." Logan pulled his cock out of Wanda's mouth and looked down at her shocked face. "Sorry, babe, you were too good for me tonight."

Wanda smiled up at him. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips. "I can't wait until next time."

He looked around. Maggie sent him a questioning look and mouthed,
What happened?
Logan shrugged and, for the first time in his life, embarrassment filled him. What the fuck was wrong with him? He'd never let his control slip like this before, but one shocked look from Julie's conservatively dressed niece and ten years of finely honed discipline flew out the window.

Logan watched Brian thrust his hips one last time, toss his head back, and stiffen.

Wanda's eyes latched on to Logan's. Her brows knit together as she screamed her pleasure. Humiliation washed over him. He didn't want the woman of his dreams seeing this.

Logan climbed off the platform, slid through the side curtain and grabbed his jeans. What he saw had to be an illusion. He spotted Julie and his world finally started to right itself.

He took a deep breath, steadying his frayed nerves. "Julie," Logan said as he ripped off his mask. "I think you need to go see who just wandered into the club." Logan cleared his throat as he
stepped into his pants and zipped them.

Julie spun, her brow arched. "Who is it?"

"Just go see."

"Okay." She walked over and studied him. "Are you all right?"

Heat flowed over him and sweat coated his skin. "Yup, fine," he lied.

She strolled out of the back room and stopped short. "What the fuck," Julie said, shocked.

He came up behind her.

Julie waved him off and stormed out into the crowd. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Logan took a step after her. Herds of people enveloped Julie. He raked his fingers over his hair. Every cell in his body wanted to, no needed to know what was going on. Logan maneuvered through the crowd and bumped into a pissed off Maggie.

"Oh, Logan. Have you seen Julie?"

"Umm, she needed to deal with something."

Maggie threw up her arms in exasperation. "Great."

The crimson color on Maggie's pretty cheeks had Logan focusing on her more intently. "What can I do for you, darling?"

"Not have a penis would be a good start."

"Ouch." Logan placed his hands over his cock. "Someone who looks as sweet as you shouldn't have such violent thoughts." When she didn't smile and come back at him with a scathing remark, he frowned. "Do I need to ask someone to leave?"

"Forget it. If you see Julie, tell her I need to talk to her." Maggie stormed back to the bar.

"What crawled up her ass?" Logan shoved his hands into his pockets and continued his search for Julie.

* * * *

A full minute passed before Ava figured out the woman rushing toward her in a red-leather bustier and almost nothing else was her Aunt Julie. She wondered how anyone could breathe in something so tight. The way the outfit laced up the front made some of her aunt's attributes look much larger and others seem tinier. The six inch cherry red heels her poor feet were shoved into made Ava's toes curl in sympathy.

Julie's gripped Ava's arm. "Ava, honey, what are you doing here?"

"I… um… tried calling you," was all her confused and oddly turned on brain could think to say. A part of her wanted to run back to Minnesota where she lived a boring life, but a bigger part of her wanted to find out more about the club.

She took a deep breath, her attention focused on the couple in the corner. A man wearing what looked like a dog collar dropped to his knees and started to lick the black boot of his companion. The woman pulled on his collar and yanked his head to her crotch where he continued to lick. Ava forced her gaze back to Julie. "What is this place? Is what they're doing legal?"

Her aunt sniggered. "Yes, it's legal. I'll explain later." Julie wrapped her arm around Ava's shoulders. "Let's get you out of here." Julie led Ava over to a hallway off to the side of the club and hurried her into an office. "Sit. I'll get you some water."

Ava left her suitcase just inside the door and dropped into the chair across from the large desk. What she'd seen in the club and how the erotic scenes made her feel had the tears welling up and threatening to spill. Ava swallowed the lump of emotion. "Is this why you didn't offer to take me back with you after my parents' funeral?"

Pain flashed on Julie's face. "Partly." She grabbed the top of her garment and yanked it to keep her breasts from spilling out. "The club was just opening and not doing so well. By the time I was on my feet and ready to tell you, Bobby had his accident."

Ava's heart tripped and old pain settled in her belly.

"I'm sorry, honey." She raked her fingers through her sleek black ponytail. "And when I felt it was a good time to tell you, you got the job at
that
conservative school." Julie sighed. "I didn't think you would approve of my lifestyle."

Ava fingered the small gold heart Julie had given her years ago. "I have to say, this is quite a shock."

Julie leaned her hip on the mahogany desk. "What are you doing here?"

She hung her head. "I got fired from my job and I needed some time to figure things out."

"What? Why?"

Ava's eyes stung, and her chest heaved. "I'm being blamed for twelve of my girls being pregnant."

"Twelve, really?"

She smiled, not believing the number herself. "I know, right? I think it was some kind of pregnancy pact."

"Seems like an awful lot." Julie shook her head. "But, how is that your fault?"

"They needed a scapegoat." She forced herself to look at her aunt. "I don't think I belonged there anyway. I wasn't happy."

Concern ran over Julie's features. "But you've been at the school for years. How long have you been unhappy?"

Ava sighed and slumped back. "Always, I guess."

Julie took Ava's hand. "What do you mean?"

Ava needed to tell her aunt about her dreams. After what Ava saw in the club, she hoped Julie would understand and point her in the right direction. "I started having dreams about a man."

"Are these dreams sexual?"

Ava squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.

Julie put a reassuring hand on her arm. "It's normal to have dreams about men."

She opened her eyes and picked at a thread on her skirt. "It's not men. It's one man."

"Really." Julie settled her bottom on the desk. "Tell me about him."

"At first, all I could see of him was his eyes."

"You didn't know what he looked like?"

"Not really. All I knew was he was strong and big and I felt safe with him." Ava forced herself to look at Julie. "But now the dreams are more vivid and he does things to me that scare me a little."