“What—”
“Shhh. Lay back down.” I blew across the exposed skin and she groaned. “Has anyone had you here?” I asked.
“No,” she whimpered.
I tightened at the thought of being the first to claim her ass. Not today, but soon. I needed to be inside her quickly. I pulled back. “Get on all fours,” I said and she scrambled to her knees. Her nipples had beaded and her breathing was shallow and quick—she was ready for me.
Without warning, I plunged into her.
“Luke!” Her hands gripped the sheets as her head dropped, and I thrust in again.
“You like this? You like it hard, baby?” I reached for her shoulders and clamped my hands over them, ensuring that I went deep every time I pushed into her.
“Yes, just like that.” Her voice was bumpy and weak, as though her energy was somewhere else.
She was so tight, and I got so deep it was perfect. I picked up the pace, trying not to concentrate on the noises she was making. The sounds coming from her made me feel as though there was no one who could do this to her. It made me feel powerful, as if I owned her.
She clenched hard, milking my cock. “Jesus. Fucking. Christ,” I shouted as her arms collapsed from under her as she gave in to her climax. As soon as I knew she was there, I let go, losing all sense of what I was doing.
I collapsed on top of her, feeling as if I’d run a marathon. My hands found hers, and I interlaced our fingers, wanting to stay as connected to her as I could.
Ashleigh
Sleep must have claimed us at some point because I woke up in the crook of Luke’s arm to his gentle snoring. I glanced at the clock. We’d been up most of the night. I snuck to the bathroom, and as I got back into bed, he reached for me in his sleep. Did he know who he was reaching for? Did he think I was Emma? My gut churned at the thought, and I avoided his arms.
He turned toward me and opened his eyes. “Ash, come here.”
I smiled, both at him wanting me close and at my silly assumption. He knew it was me. I got back into bed and let myself be enveloped in his arms.
“I’m going to need to get in the shower in a minute,” I said. Spooning, I couldn’t see his face.
“Sounds like a great idea,” he said. “And then we can come back to bed.”
“No.” I giggled. “I need to go and get Mrs. Malcolm her shopping.” Mrs. Malcolm lived on the ground floor, and although she still managed to get around, she found it difficult to carry groceries.
“Are you still doing that?” he asked.
“Yeah, a few of us take it in turns.”
“Why do you have to be such a good person? I want you to stay in bed with me all day.”
I laughed. “You can help and then when we’re done we can . . . do other stuff.” Was he going to stay with me the whole day? Were we a thing now?
“Other stuff is my favorite kind of stuff.”
I playfully kicked his shin behind me. “You sound dirty.”
“I feel dirty. I’m naked—you’re naked. I’ve got a hard-on the size of the Great Wall of China.”
“You wish,” I teased.
“I don’t actually. I think a hard-on that size would be fucking inconvenient.” Luke’s tone was serious, as though he was properly considering the practicalities of having a dick that big.
“You’re a total geek.”
“Speaking of, we also need to find you a Wonder Woman costume.”
“No, we really don’t. And don’t you have plans today?” I asked, surprised that he seemed to be planning to spend the day with me.
“Are you trying to get rid of me? Because if you are, it’s not happening. I’m not leaving you on your own to freak out. Do you think I’m crazy? I’m going to be here when you have your meltdown. I’ll pour you wine and feed you chocolate, and then we’ll have sex and it will all be fine.” He grinned at me as if he knew that I wanted to punch him.
“I’m sorry, what was all that? What meltdown?”
“The meltdown you’re overdue to have about us and this,” he said, his hands circling my body.
I pushed against his chest, trying to create some distance between us, irritated with how sure he was about himself—and how right he might be about me. He just pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head.
“You wanna talk about it?” he asked.
“No.” Yes.
“You’re a crappy liar.”
I sighed. “It’s all happened so fast,” I said.
“Not really. I didn’t properly realize until last night, but I think it’s always been there between us.”
“From my side,” I corrected him.
“No, not from just your side. From mine too. Except you were young, and I knew that when it happened, it would really happen and I’d be done for. I wasn’t ready.”
“And that’s another thing. You and Emma. I mean, you only just split. I don’t want to be your rebound girl.”
“Cue meltdown,” he said, chuckling.
I kicked him in the shin and he just clamped my legs between his.
“Emma and I have been done a long time. I should have told her sooner. I’m just not good with change—you know that. And I loved her, I really did, in my way. But not enough. There was something missing between us.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. I hated him being upset. Whether or not it was with me, I wanted him to be happy.
“Don’t be. Whatever happened led us here, and I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.”
“Luke,” I said, moved by what he’d said.
“Do I need to be worried about being your rebound guy after Richard?” he asked.
“No, he was the guy I dated to get over you.”
“Really?” he asked.
I realized what I’d said, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Maybe a little.”
“Did it work?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Apparently not.”
He squeezed me closer, and I relaxed into him.
“So, shower, Mrs. Malcolm’s shopping, Wonder Woman costume, back here?” he asked. “Do you want to have dinner out, or shall we stay in?”
“Maybe I had plans tonight. It is Saturday night,” I said.
“Do you? If you do, that’s fine. I can go back to Haven’s, but don’t tell me you have plans if you don’t. Now we’re more than, whatever we were, don’t be the one to start playing games. If we’re going to make this work, we need to take the best of our history and make it better.”
He was right. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I want to know what you want. If you want me here, I’m here. If you don’t, I’m gone.”
I clutched at him. The idea of him being gone was awful. “I want you here. Always. I’m just—I thought I was allowed a meltdown?”
“You totally are, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to call you on it. So, we’re going to try this? I want to explore this with you, Ashleigh. Do you feel the same?”
How could he think that I could possibly say no to him? I looked up at him and nodded. “Yes.”
He trailed his tongue across the seam of my lips. “Good answer.”
I couldn’t tell exactly what time it was, but from where I was lying on my back in my bed, I could suddenly see the line between the wall and ceiling more clearly than before, so the sun must have started to come up, bringing with it Sunday morning. Of course, Luke wasn’t watching the shapes in my bedroom come into focus. He was asleep, collapsed on his front. Being a heavy sleeper, he had barely moved for the five or so hours I’d been lying here awake, staring up at nothing.
There was a reason why people said that things always felt different in the morning. Most of the time, it was said to give comfort. For me, it felt anything but comfortable. My overdue meltdown had finally started to take hold.
It was Sunday and the bubble for two that we had occupied since Friday night was about to pop, and we were going to have to let the real world in. We were going to have to face Haven, and the reality of what we’d put at risk covered me like a cloud.