“What has to stop?”
“This.” I motion to the space between us. “All of this. The talks, the gifts, the touching, the dancing, the kisses… all of it.”
His body is bowed toward me in a plea. His face is in anguish and that deep voice of his loses its footing. “What happened? Please. Talk to me.”
I can’t do this anymore.
“Go back to Simone. Go fuck her for all I care. Just leave me alone.” I grab the suit I came in from the closet and make my way toward the door.
My heart nearly leaps out of my chest as Asher grabs my shoulders, holding me still. I can’t move from his grasp.
“I don’t want Simone. Why do you think I’m here?” His eyes search mine for the answer, for recognition that I understand what he’s saying. “I walked her to the elevator. She wanted me to come up, but I didn’t want to. I went back for you. I went back and you were gone.”
He went back for me?
I will not get my hopes up. I can’t go into the darkness with him any longer. “No, Alex, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be your friend anymore.”
I try not to look into his eyes, but he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.
“Why can’t you be my friend anymore? Tell me!” His voice is stern.
“Because of this!” I move backward out of his hold. My eyes brim with tears, but I will them away. “Because when you touch me, I melt. When you stand near me, my body lights on fire.”
I can’t believe these words are pouring out of my mouth. I don’t care. He has to hear this. I have to put an end to this.
“You say you want to be friends, but I can’t. You say I’m refreshing and you love spending time with me. You say you’re relaxed around me. But I… I’m a ball of knots around you. I can’t breathe half the time.”
Asher screams out. “You think I’m relaxed around you?” His eyes are on fire. The controlled man starts to pace in front of the door. The only door that marks my escape. He runs his hands through his golden hair and tugs at the ends in frustration.
Exasperated, I don’t know what to do to make him move and let me the hell out. I try to reason with him. “You said… You always… You say you want to be friends and then this happens…”
“I know what I said, but it’s a lie. I said that shit about being friends so you’d spend time with me, so you wouldn’t run from me every time I entered the room.” He stops pacing as his body tenses, raising his hands into tight fists, punching the air around him. “You think I’m relaxed? I’ve been a nervous wreck for weeks!” He hits the dresser with his fist. My body flinches at his action.
“Damn it! I’ve wanted you from the first time I saw you in the rain. I swear I didn’t know who you were, but you were the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen in my life. And then I found out you were married. It nearly killed me.”
He swallows hard and walks toward me, determined. How can he be saying these things to me? It’s not right.
“Don’t say it,” I plead; yet inside I desperately want him to keep on going.
“I want you, Kathryn.” Asher says my name, my real name, and it sounds like a prayer on his lips. He grabs me and pulls me close.
My face flashes hot and tears begin to form behind my eyes. “No, you can’t.”
“I. Want. You. Kathryn. I want you. I want you. I want you!” He pauses for a second and, with no warning, his body comes crashing toward me like a bulldozer. “Fuck it… I need you.”
His lips press hard on mine and, in animalistic passion, our arms lock around each other. Yearning, wanting, needing… our lips move fast and steady. Our tongues dance and I find it hard to breathe. Not from nerves, but from the sheer pace of our actions. I steady my lips, trying to fight the urge but he has a hold on them. He tastes so sweet and smells so exotic.
I try to fight it…
I try to resist it…
I try…
I try…
I fail.
With pure abandon, my lips answer his with equal earnest. My body follows suit, pressing my weight back into his. Not in my wildest dreams did his mouth taste as sinful as it does right now. All inhibitions are lost. My soul is his for the taking.
“I’ve wanted you for so long,” Asher murmurs through our kisses. “Let me make love to you tonight. Just one night. That’s all I ask.” He pulls back and his eyes search mine for approval.
My body craves him, my mouth needing his taste again. I’m at the point of no return. I know this is wrong, but I am so tired. Tired of fighting whatever this is.
“Yes,” I cry out.
And that’s all he needs. Asher bears down on me, forcing my back against the wall. I drop the suit I was holding in my hands. His lips move brutally across my mouth, his tongue performing dangerous acts against mine.
Taking my hands in his, Asher raises them above my head, pinning me to the cold hard surface of the wall. His full weight presses against me, and I can feel his arousal against my belly. Every divot and sculpted muscle is hard against the front of my body, his hands strong in mine as they hold me in place. I am at his mercy.
Asher’s mouth travels along my jaw, taking tiny bites of my neck and along my collarbone until he is nipping at my ear and sucking on the lobe. The sensation traveling through my body sends a tingling sensation down my spine and deep into my peak.
My mind knows this is wrong, but my body can’t resist. I want this man. Hell, I need this man. I’ve never craved anything more in my life.
Taking my head in his hands, Asher tugs my hair, forcing my mouth up. His kiss is explosive. I can feel his desire continue to build as his kisses quicken.
In one swift motion, Asher’s hand slips along my neck and tugs at the string of my dress, sending the silky fabric down my body, pooling at my feet. His hand slides down my neck and rests on the clasp of my bra and he unhooks it with the tips of the fingers. That too falls to the floor.
My breasts exposed, I feel helpless. Asher takes my nipples between his fingers and tugs at them. I cry out in pleasure. His other hand cups my bottom and pulls me tighter into his groin.
I can’t take anymore. I need to feel his skin. Hungry with the thought of feeling him, I lace my fingers between the openings of his shirt and rip it open. Buttons fly across the room, but I have no apologies.
Asher lets out a deep growl from within his chest and leans down, taking a nipple in his hot mouth, and sucks on it, licking circles along the rim. I cry out in pleasure.
My cries must do something to him because he rises back to his feet and takes my mouth in his again, and I can feel the rock-hard impression of his desire so heavy against me I can’t imagine what it will feel like without the clothes between us.
I press my body against his and nearly collapse at the feeling of his hard chest against my breasts. My hands caress his firm torso and move toward his strong back, pushing the shirt and jacket away from his body.
Releasing our mouths, I steal a glance to appraise the man. Asher stands in front of me, panting, wearing nothing but satin skin over hard muscle and a black pair of pants. I can’t believe this is really going to happen. This incredible, sexy man is mine. Even if it’s only for one night, this ultimate Apollo, the great Omega, is mine. I drink him in.
My eyes rise and startle to see his looking down on me, not at my body, but straight into my soul.
“You are so beautiful,” he says, his chest rising and falling so fast and hard I almost don’t hear him.
He took the words right out of my mouth.
Asher grabs my backside and hoists me up to him, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. He carries me to the bed and lays me down on the soft duvet.
I sit up on my elbows and watch as he slowly removes his belt and pants, leaving him naked in front of me. I have to blink twice to make sure I’m seeing him properly.
Oh yes, he is as impressive as I dreamed he’d be.
Asher climbs onto the bed, his masculine, hard body hovering over mine. Sitting on his knees, he stops and stares down at me, his hands massaging the inside of my legs as they travel to my lace panties. Hooking his two forefingers inside, he skims them down my legs and throws them onto the nightstand beside the bed. He slowly licks his lips and his pupils dilate as he lowers his head toward me. My legs widen to accommodate the width of his shoulders as he settles between my thighs. He dips his head and kisses my navel, plunging his tongue in and out.