Chapter 14

Avril pleaded with the Gods to have her struck with lightning. She couldn't dare look at herself in the mirror. At the moment she felt as though she could very well endure any hardship as long as it prevented her from facing Thomas for at least five years...Yes, five years should be enough for her to get over her embarrassment of this morning.

Every time she thought of it she cringed. How was it possible for her to lose her composure in front of that insensitive man! She was sure that he was repulsed by her reaction. As for his sudden embrace, she felt certain he did it to get her to shut up. She'd known from her friends that men usually do things like that, not out of a pure need to comfort but to ensure the process of bothersome female emotions is hurried up.

Avril covered her face with her palms, her embarrassment growing as she thought of how vulnerable she was in front of him. The sad part was that it was so easy to be vulnerable with him despite his gross mood swings. He was capable of affecting her and she didn't understand why issues regarding Thomas affected her ten times worse than usual but what she did know was that she had no business having connections with a man like Thomas Lynne. He was by far a more seasoned rake than Nate.

The way she saw it, this moth learned that despite the hypnotic nature of the flames, the flame's only guarantee was complete and utter destruction.
Avril was whirled out of her thoughts by the firm sound of knuckles thudding against wood in three successive strikes.
There was no question of who stood at the other side of the door and for what felt like a lifetime, Avril froze. She wasn't sure if she wanted to answer to him or whether she wanted to slide under the covers and pretend he wasn't there. Both options seeming insufficient. Perhaps if she climbed out the window?

"Avril, I can hear the fluctuations of your breath... I know you are not asleep." He called out audaciously. Her heart pounded.

"Damn it!" She muttered under her breath as she angrily got down from her bed and made her way to unlock the door.

"I heard that too." He responded. She rolled her eyes, couldn't he have been a normal human being and take the hint that she didn't wish to see him?

"What are these walls made of paper?" She shouted pulling the door inwards. Thomas was leaning casually against the frame. It was as if he'd set up camp. He didn't seem inclined to leave at any moment. He seemed at peace and she grew more annoyed.
Without realizing it, Avril's embarrassment had disappeared. His presence erased all other thoughts from her mind. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was naturally irritating.

"The walls are very thin...Well except for my room of course." He said lazily but there was this unusual glint in his eyes and Avril shuddered to think of the things he did in his room that required the walls to be rather good at guarding sounds. She didn't want to think about it. The mere notion causing bile to rise up in her throat and her stomach to churn dangerously.

"TMI, Thomas." Avril pretended to cover her ears, squinting to shake the unwanted images from her head.
He looked at her weirdly. Those lines on his forehead appearing. He didn't understand what she was trying to say and all of a sudden their age gap was showing.

"I am not sure I understand." He said slowly as if it were the first time he ever had to say those words.

"It means too much information," Avril responded carefully. Thomas was by no means that much older than she was an she found it strange that he didn't know the basic texting acronym.

"Ahhh. I forget you kids communicate lazily via acronyms," he commented, making a mental note to never text Avril, it would be embarrassing for himself if he kept having to ask her what she meant. However, the meaning of the acronym bringing another mystery to mind. Why was the notion of the walls being thin, all except his room, too much information?

There it was again, Avril rolled her eyes. He thought of her as a child and she didn't understand why that affected her but this time she wasn't going to drive herself insane trying to think about it.

"Yes well, I guess I might as well enjoy my childhood." She said, a smidge of attitude lacing her words.
Thomas enjoyed the look of absolute defiance on her face. The things he wanted to do to her clearly ranked her in the adult category of his brain but calling her a kid was an attempt...A failed one at that to tell himself that she was off limits. It wouldn't end well for either of them. He didn't want serious and he couldn't ask someone as young as she was to think nothing of his affections.

"I am having a guest over for dinner tonight," Thomas told her in an attempt to steer his mind away from pointless thoughts.

"Oh?" She responded and received a nod from Thomas. She had expected him to elaborate without her asking too many questions but it was true what they said- men were not good at taking hints.

"I guess we know who'll be making use of their thick walls tonight." She muttered under her breath. Her mood souring.

"What's that?" He questioned, his eyes coaxing her to spill.

Avril shrugged. It was only after he let the words roll around his brain did he realize. The pieces began coming together and he resisted the urge to snicker. If he didn't know what Avril thought of him before, he knew now. But he didn't want her to have that impression of him. It would be easier, yes, as it may coax her to steer clear but his selfish ways couldn't allow it.

"Well, don't worry I will make myself scarce!" She offered. Her hands moving to the side of her door to push it closed. His hands reached out and prevented the door from slamming in his face.

"You're joining us, Avril." His words were absolute.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea." Avril's weight on the door strengthened.

"It's a working buddy of mine. It's rather odd for two men to have dinner alone at night. So I implore you to join us." He responded as if she never spoke. He knew what she was thinking but he wanted her to know her assumptions were wrong.

"Two men..." She said more to herself. She had thought he was having company of the female variation. While part of her rejoiced that he was not bringing another female to his home, tonight at least, she also struggled with why she had such an adverse reaction.
"Wear something pretty." He said as he removed his hands from the door. He turned to walk away when he paused. Avril had no words to respond, her mind was reeling.

"And Avril..." He called out to her.

"Yes?"

"I have actually never brought a woman into my bedroom before. So my thick walls are untested. However, I do plan to make use of them...Very soon." His eyes lit up dangerously and Avril if she had any words to respond to that...It would have been stuck in her throat.
She shouldn't have been surprised that he'd heard her muttered nonsense after all the man had heard her speaking in her room while he stood on the other side of the door.

"Dinner's at seven. Don't be late." And he was gone.

.....

Avril looked over her appearance in the mirror. This was the first time in a long while since she wore make-up. She had almost forgotten the wonders it did for her. She didn't look like an innocent school girl instead she looked mature. She quite appreciated the change.
She glanced over at the clock. Thomas said seven but she was ready. Waiting for another twenty minutes made her feel impatient. She would lose her nerve, or worse she would tamper with her makeup until she no longer liked how it looked.
She decided to go down. What was the big deal? She and Thomas could be alone without there being any awkwardness after all she was going to be occupying the same space for a long while. And as much as he might debate otherwise... They were both adults, it shouldn't be that hard to be civil. She hoped.

**********

Thomas stood in the kitchen placing the finishing touches on dinner. He was alerted by the sound of heels clicking. The louder the sound the greater his anticipation.
Once she was within his view, he paused. She looked sensual in a black and white floral dress that floated to her knees. The black pumps giving her a delightful height that accentuated her slender frame. And her face. Good God her face.
He was stuck on her face. Gone was the wide-eyed innocent he tried to convince himself was to young for him. Her appearance was now suited to her personality, fiery and temperate.

Her eyes appeared intense, dark, and mysterious, and her lips....
His breath caught at how plump and red they looked. He wasn't exactly sure where he stored the will power not to drag her down to him and make love to her on the kitchen counter. Company be damned!
No. Not love. He had no right using that word to describe carnal passion between two persons. It was just sex. And boy did he want to invade her body. He wondered how she would respond if she snaked his hands under that dress of hers.
Fuck Thomas! Pull your brain out of your trousers.

"Hi." Avril blurted lamely. She had to say something because with each passing second that Thomas glared at her without a word, made her insecure. The way Thomas was staring at her was startling. She'd almost stopped and ran back to her room.
After a few awkward seconds, Thomas still hadn't spoken a word nor had his eyes strayed from her.
Avril felt nervous. She immediately wondered if her makeup wasn't as flawless as she thought it was. Her mind started racing. Was she cakey? "Is it not okay...am I not okay?" She questioned.

Thomas swallowed. He didn't exactly know when he made the decision to close the distance between them. His hands cupped her face and his face dipped to meet hers.

"You..." He breathed softly, "are perfect. Avril's eyes widened and once again she was that wide-eyed innocent that plagued his thoughts. They were too close to each other, their breaths mingling with each other. Her lips parted and all sense had left his body, he dipped closer until his lips brushed hers. Thomas didn't know exactly what would have happened. Or perhaps he did know. It was too obvious that they were caught up. But the doorbell sounded just as his lips were resounding at being so close to comfort. So close that he was finally about to get a taste of her and yet he was interrupted.
Avril wasn't sure what was happening. Her body froze at the precise moment he took those steps towards her. He was touching her skin and her body reacted in the most treacherous manner possible and yet it was everything she wanted. Her entire body heated in anticipation of his lips pressing against hers.
However, after the door bell had sounded it was as if they both fell out of a trance. Avril hadn't known what to do so she opted for avoidance.

" I'll set the table." Avril offered, walking out of Thomas' embrace.
Thomas sighed. He took a deep breath to clear his mind. He pulled his jacket off the chair and draped it around his shoulders. He was counting the seconds until dinner was over.