“Yes.”
“Why in the world would you do that?”
“You said I could have you for one night, and I don’t want this night to end.”
“Alex, this isn’t going to…”
Asher rises from the bed, standing tall in his naked glory. “Don’t overthink this, Kathryn. We already sinned, and I have no regrets. I just want you, and if I have to make time stand still, I’ll lock myself in this room with you forever.”
He takes my head in his hands, his thumbs grazing my cheeks, his lips firm and his eyes serious. “Tonight isn’t over. It’s just you and me.”
Asher leans down. His kiss is soft and gentle, more passionate. I can feel his desire for me, and I reciprocate. I don’t want the night to end either.
“Shower with me.” I grab his hand and lead him into the bathroom.
With a boyish grin, he obliges, grabbing a foil packet on the way in. Asher is already naked, so he walks into the massive shower and turns the water on. I can tell it’s hot from the steam that billows out against the glass door. He reaches out his hand and grabs the lapel of my robe and hoists me into the shower with him, robe and all.
I laugh out loud as he wraps his arms around me and we kiss under the warm water. The weight of my robe grows heavy, and I’m relieved as he unwraps me like a Christmas present and our bodies become one under the steady stream.
His lovemaking is slower than before, but the intensity is the same. I fall apart in his arms and my legs are jelly once again. I feel as if we were made to pleasure each other.
When we both come to, we slowly explore each other’s bodies with soap. I am enamored with his back and the beautiful ripples that soar over it. I place soft kisses on a scar that rests below his shoulder blade. Asher spends too much time admiring a beauty mark on my inner calf.
We wash each other’s hair and have a soap fight with the bubbles from our overuse of body wash. The water runs cold and our fingers start to prune from too much time kissing under the shower.
We dress ourselves in towels. I hang back and take a moment to dry my hair and freshen myself up. Exiting the bathroom, I’m shocked to see the room illuminated in the soft splendor of candles.
“Aren’t you full of surprises? Where did you get candles?” I ask. This man is always such a mystery.
“Maybe it’s magic,” he says from his place by the bed.
“I doubt it. Let me guess. You texted Devon to buy candles.”
Asher lets out a laugh and hangs his head in mock shame. “You know me too well.”
Even if this is only for one night, Asher is pulling out all the stops. I wonder if he’s like this with all his women. I push the idea out of my head. I’m not ruining this moment. If it’s only for one night, I’m going to live every second of it.
Asher appears from behind and wraps his arms around me.
“I’ve ordered in. Come, let’s eat.” He places a soft kiss on my neck and leads me to a table by the window. His towel is too small for his frame, and I giggle at the site of flesh peeking out from beneath.
“What I would give to know what goes on inside that little head of yours.” His luminous smile glows brighter than I’ve ever seen it.
“Very dirty thoughts, Mr. Asher.”
“Care to share?”
“You can use your imagination. Mostly revisiting the act of you ravaging me in the shower. You have given me plenty of moments to relive once this night is over.”
A frown registers on his face. Did I say something wrong? His eyes look down at the table. “Let’s not talk about tonight ending yet. The night, as they say, is still young.”
I nod and take a seat. Asher has ordered a smorgasbord of food. From pancakes to lamb chops, chocolate cake to a Caesar salad, I think he’s ordered one of everything on the menu.
“Since we have no idea what time it is, I didn’t know if you wanted breakfast or dinner.” His full mouth is mesmerizing as he speaks. I lean over to kiss it.
“This is perfect. I’m starving.”
He laughs heartily. “Perfect. What would you like?”
“Pancakes!”
“I ordered them especially for you. You told me that night we went out to the bar. You were standing under the streetlight, looking like heaven. I wanted to kiss you then, but I knew you’d just run.”
I recall that night. He wanted to kiss me? Thank God he hadn’t. I would have quit my job.
“You were my knight in shining armor. You took care of me that night. There is something about you. I fall apart when I’m around you.”
“That’s good to know because I feel the same way about you.”
I recall Asher’s words from last night. He’s been an equal wreck around me. All this time he wanted me yet pretended to be friends for personal gain. Am I another one of his toys, another conquest? Now that he’s had me, will he be done with me?
It’s probably for the best. I’m married. I know that’s what Asher likes about me. I’m someone with a husband pulling the string straight back home. Even though my husband is a total cheating bastard. But that is no excuse. I am now one, too.
The pancakes are warm and buttery, as sinful as the act they follow. I dive my fork and marvel at how easy they separate. They remind me of the first night I spent with Gabriel, or shall I say the first morning?
I awoke to the smell of butter on a frying pan. I knew something delicious was cooking in the kitchen. Yes, there was something very delicious: Gabe in nothing but sweatpants and a spatula, making me pancakes in the very modest kitchen of his college apartment. I must have startled him when I entered the room because he dropped a pancake on the floor at the sight of me.
His face was young and eager, his smile broad and excited to see I was still there. Gabe ushered a chair for me, and I took a seat as he poured me a glass of orange juice. I couldn’t deny my surprise that he had the ingredients to make breakfast. Not many boys kept a stocked refrigerator or anything other than beer and Ramen noodles. Even still, he didn’t strike me as the type of guy who made breakfast often.
I raised the fork to my mouth and took a bite. One bite and, boy, was I right about this one.
How on earth did he make them so hard?
Maybe if I tried adding more butter or syrup they’d taste better. No, no help. I looked up to see Gabe staring at me, watching me eat. I put on a gracious smile. It was so cute that he cooked for me. I couldn’t insult him.
When Gabe finally took a bite himself, he immediately spit it out. “Oh my God, that’s awful!”
Call it nervous energy and completely inappropriate for the mood, but I broke out into complete laughter. I was so relieved he felt the same way that I just let out the biggest, gut-wrenching laugh; I nearly fell out of my seat. After a few beats, Gabe joined in laughing too and that felt even better.
When our nerves and laughter had settled, we sat for a few seconds and caught our breath until a frown formed across Gabriel’s eyes. He stood and walked toward the kitchen, pushing his long brown hair off his forehead, taking a few paces in the kitchen before returning to the table and taking his seat.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
Leaning back on his chair, Gabe crossed his arms across his hunched chest. His chin lowering as he shook his head.
“I wanted to impress you,” he said.
Lifting myself from the chair, I walked toward him. Uncrossing his hands, I pulled them apart and took a seat on his lap, wrapping my arms around him. I landed a sweet kiss on his lips and looked into his navy blues.
“You are the most impressive man I’ve ever met. I don’t need pancakes. I just need you.”