by Riley Storm
She frowned as her brain replayed the events of the night before. She could barely remember asking him to stay. Everything after that was beyond fuzzy. What had they talked about? It couldn’t have been important, not if she couldn’t remember it now.
Eyes returning to Asher, she watched his chest rise and fall. Despite all her best efforts, Emma could not stop her heart from beating just a little faster while she watched him. It was just so darned cute to see him so relaxed. Vulnerable even.
It was, she then realized, the first time he had truly let his guard down around her. Even that first night in the vault, he’d stayed awake while she fell asleep. His first instinct from the start had been to protect her. Even though she was suing him, he didn’t seem to care. He just wanted to keep her safe.
Why does he care about my well-being so much?
And then there was the way he had kissed her. Something else she couldn’t forget. Why had that been his first instinct? Not a hand over her mouth, or speaking to her harshly? No, he’d thought that covering her mouth with his would be the best choice.
Not that she was objecting, it had been hot. Sizzling. She could still remember it now, his lips on hers, the press of his body, the overwhelming power of his presence, making her feel small and tiny, yet safe and protected all at once. It was an addictive sensation, and Emma wanted more.
I do?
She blinked in surprise. No, no I don’t. Keep it together, Emma. Find his treasure, get your settlement, end of story. Focus!
Her eyes came back into focus—revealing that in her daydream, her gaze had slipped from his face down across his chest, to land on his crotch.
Emma giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth, but not able to stop herself as she shook with more laughter.
Asher had morning wood!
His pants were pulled taut across his crotch, producing a very evident bulge. She tilted her head, looking at it further. It was rather large and noticeable in fact. A part of her mind tried to puzzle out just what a bulge that size would translate to if his pants were off.
This is a bad idea, she tried to tell herself, but Emma’s body wasn’t responding. At least, not to her. It was, however, responding to the improper and impure thoughts she was having of Asher.
One of them, which involved her stripping down and walking over to straddling him while he was still in the chair was taking prominence, but she shut that down. It was far too aggressive and completely unlike her.
It was impossible for her to deny any longer that she wanted him though. Not that it was much of a surprise. He was all she could dream up in a partner. Tall, big muscles with enough lean definition to set her mouth to drooling over his chest and stomach. Those abs!
You have no idea if he wants you back, lady! That big bulge in his pants could be for any imaginary character in his mind. You know full well that they have no control over it. It means nothing.
The covers slipped down to her waist as she sat up in bed, one thought echoing in her mind over and over again, louder than all the rest. It was a bad thought. A terrible thought, but Emma couldn’t stop it from sinking its tendrils into her, taking control of her body bit by bit as hormones overwhelmed logic, desire pummeling rationale into submission.
There was only one way to find out if he wanted her back.
Swallowing nervously, but unable to stop herself, she slid from the bed. In the light of day—neither of them had thought to close the curtains the night before—her shirt would be somewhat see-through, at a minimum making it very obvious she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
“Morning,” she said, just loud enough for Asher to hear, pulling him back to wakefulness.
He stirred, pulling his head up, rubbing at his neck and then turning to focus on her. Emma chose that moment to stretch her shoulders, pushing her arms behind her back.
Asher didn’t disappoint. His eyes immediately dropped to her chest, flowing lower and then coming back up again.
“Have a good sleep?” she asked, letting her eyes drop to his crotch while she lifted her arms above her head, the short shirt riding halfway up her stomach when she did, giving him another eyeful of skin, but keeping the best bits still hidden.
Emma’s heart was thundering in her chest. She didn’t normally have this sort of confidence or aggressiveness about her when it came to trying to seduce men, but it just felt so very natural, and easy, with Asher.
“Good morning,” he replied, his eyes still fixed on her body, not her face.
“Good morning to you,” she all but purred back, biting her lip.
As if a light switch had been flicked, Asher suddenly caught on. His chest swelled as he took in a deep breath, admiring her form some more. The sexual tension in the room ratcheted up another level. She could practically swim in it now.
Emma wasn’t sure how much more she could handle. Asher was going to have to make the next move, she wasn’t sure how much more aggressiveness she had in her. This was already pushing the limit.
“I hope your sleep was as good as it looks.” Her eyes went to his crotch again. Emma wasn’t sure how much more direct she could get.
“It was nice,” Asher said, his eyes wandering the lines of her body, his brain thoroughly distracted.
That was good…but also bad. She needed him to get up. To come to her.
Emma’s eyes flicked around the room and past Asher as she searched for a way to make it happen. To give him that opening to make a move if he wanted her as well.
“I’m going to shower,” she said in a low, sultry voice, walking toward Asher, carefully easing her way around the chair.
“Oh,” Asher said. “Okay.”
Emma reached down to peel off her top, tossing it to the ground as she stepped into the room, giving him the barest of glimpses at her back, but nothing more.
Then she was gone, turning the water on, and taking off the rest of her clothes.
At no point did she close the door.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Asher
The door didn’t close behind her.
Between that, and the disregarded shirt halfway between him and the open archway, Asher knew that was as close to an open invitation to join her as he was ever going to get.
The question on his mind was whether or not he was going to take her up on it?
Asher most certainly wanted to. His dreams had been filled with Emma. Toward the end, before she’d woken him, they had started to grow more explicit, resulting in his current…condition. Something that her eyes had made very clear she was aware of.
There was no denying his attraction to her. He’d thought her beautiful from the moment she’d pointed the shotgun at him in her house, bright brown eyes narrowed in fury, coppered hair swinging from its customary ponytail as she’d barked at him to freeze.
She was gorgeous, from the curves of her breasts to the longer legs and back up to the way her mouth curved up in a smile, revealing twin dimples on either side of her face. Asher would be more than happy to take his time with the woman and show her the best time he knew how.
That wasn’t the question. It was whether he should get up and follow her into the shower. This woman was suing him for a lot of money. They had verbally agreed to settle their lawsuit for much less, but if something went wrong, them sleeping together would not benefit him in any way.
But boy, oh boy did he want to! His body was already straining against the leash. It wanted to see her body, drinking in every curve, every line and shape with his eyes, before his hands and mouth took their turns, exploring every inch. Asher longed to hear her gasp and moan as he touched her, pleasured her, and ultimately took her.
“Fuck it,” he growled to himself, deciding to seize the moment. If things went sideways, he’d figure it out then.
That was future-Asher’s potential problem.
His shirt went flying just before he stole into the bathroom after Emma, eyes eagerly finding her. She had stripped down to nothing, and was now ben
t over in the shower, feeling the water coming out of the faucet.
Asher stepped up behind her, reaching out to grab her waist. Emma hissed at his touch and straightened immediately, leaning back into him, arms sliding up to lock around his neck, presenting him with a glorious view of her chest. Not one to miss an opportunity, he brought his hands up to cup her breasts, massaging them and lightly running a finger over her nipples, tweaking them until they became hardened nubs.
All this time he basked in the soft noises Emma was making as he touched her, and the press of her rear into his crotch. She would stick it out, and then slowly rotate her hips, rubbing him sensually through his pants without using her hands at all, both of which were solidly around his neck and showing no signs of going anywhere.
It left her entire front open and vulnerable to him, and Asher took full advantage of that, touching every bit of her skin that he could find, enjoying its touch, the feel of it across his fingertips. He growled softly as she pushed back against him harder, a moan escaping her lips as one of his hands dropped south, past her waist.
“I’m glad you finally came to your senses and joined me,” Emma purred, only to gasp as Asher’s hand dropped a little lower. “Very glad.”
He grinned, dropping his head into the crook of her neck, kissing and nipping at the skin there, drawing a shudder from Emma. She didn’t stop him, but invited more by tilting her head away, exposing herself to him.
“It was an invitation I had a hard time resisting,” he rumbled, using his free hand to pull her tight back into him.
“I can feel that,” she teased, hips moving across his crotch.
“You could see it too if you liked,” he joked, flicking his tongue along the outside of her ear.
Emma gasped, another shiver running through her body. She dropped her hands from his neck, pushing one back behind her, over his stomach and down to his crotch. “You’re sure? You’d do that for me?”
“Oh, I’d do a lot for you,” he said, the tone teasing but the words so very serious.
“I bet you would.”
Asher wasn’t sure how he knew, but he was positive she understood his meaning.
Emma turned to face him, looking up at him through her lashes. “First, why don’t you take the pants off then.”
She didn’t have to ask twice. Asher’s belt popped open and the pants hit the floor with his underwear, all in one motion. He stepped out of them, and now he was as naked as she.
“My, my,” Emma said, stepping close, reaching down to grip his hard-on. “You did like my invitation. I wasn’t sure.”
“Well, now you know,” he admitted through a hiss of air as she stroked his shaft.
“Asher Aterna. Are you telling me that you’ve had sexual thoughts of me before this morning?” she asked, mouth open in a tiny O-shape, the perfect look of exaggerated innocence on her face.
“Guilty,” he replied, pushing one of his hands between her legs, determined not to play fair.
“Oh.” Emma leaned into him, her free hand clutching at his shoulder as he found her wetness and made slow circles with it, teasing her as he came closer and closer to her core.
“Yes. I have,” he said. “But I think you’ve had them about me too.”
“Maybe,” Emma admitted, her breathing growing slowly more labored as he worked her up. “Just a little.”
“I think it’s more than that,” he growled, dropping to his knees, lifting one of her legs over his shoulder and burying his face between her legs.
Emma yelped, gasped and then moaned loudly in rapid succession. “Oh God,” she said, the word drawn out and elongated as his tongue slid easily across her, pleasing her as best he could.
Asher wanted to take her, his cock straining to be deep inside her, but he wanted to build the moment, to lead up to it, to ensure that she got all she wanted.
“God, this is hot,” Emma hissed, her hands digging deep into his scalp, past the short layer of hair he kept on it. “And you’re good at that. Where did you learn this while living like a hermit on the mountain?”
He laughed, slipping a finger inside her instead of answering. They’d both had partners before, and they both knew it, but he wasn’t going to talk about it with her. Not now. Right now, it was about her.
Emma moaned louder and bent more at the waist, her lungs starting to work harder. Asher could tell she was getting closer to the edge. Her muscles were starting to clamp and release in what felt like involuntary spasms, meaning she was having a hard time controlling herself.
“Right there,” she said tightly a few seconds later, her entire body growing taut, muscles tense.
Asher didn’t change a damn thing. He just kept doing exactly what he was doing, until Emma began to shake, and warmth ran from his mouth. He growled into her, loving every moment of it as she climaxed on top of him, her cries filling the tiny room and likely spilling out beyond.
Neither of them cared.
Once she had recovered control of her legs, Asher stood up, flicking the shower from the faucet to the head and sticking his face in it, washing her off.
He felt Emma moving, and before he could pull his face from the stream of water, she was facing away from him, one hand on his shaft and was backing up onto it as she guided him into her.
“Oh. Shit.” She cursed so rarely that when she did, it made Asher take note. And right now, it also turned him on, because she was swearing about how he made her feel. In a good way.
A moment later she growled and then suddenly her ass cheeks were pressed against his thighs, and he was all the way in her. Emma cried out and clutched at the towel rack, nearly pulling it from the wall as she was overcome with pleasure.
Asher watched it all, trying not to explode inside her instantly. He’d been made to feel wanted before, but never anything like that. Nothing so intense and needy. It was hot, and it took a lot of self-restraint to keep calm.
“We’re good now,” Emma gasped a few seconds later, her hips bouncing gently off him. “Damn, that feels good.”
He grinned, taking her hips in his hands for the second time that morning, but for very different purposes. Flexing his arms, he moved her against him, using his strength to do all the work with his arms.
Emma moaned and half-flopped in his grip, her hands pressed against the wall as he thrust into her, very slowly at first, giving her time to relax around him. Either it had been a long time for her, or she had never had someone his size before, because every time he moved, she seemed to lose control for a moment.
But she never told him to stop.
“Why did we wait so long to do this?” she said instead between cries as he built up speed, knowing that his own arousal was going to prevent him from lasting overly long. He was simply too turned on by her, too eager to have finally gotten to take her.
“No idea,” he grunted tightly, focused on his control.
“I can’t take this for much longer,” she said. “Going to take some getting used to your size. If you go a little faster, I’m going to go again. Won’t take much.”
“Um, sure,” he said, thrusting harder.
“Oh frig. Yup. Not long at all. Oh God. Ohh.”
Asher was practically trembling, doing his best to hold on for dear life until she came again.
“Do it,” she hissed. “It’s fine. Please, Asher.”
She was begging him. He thrust harder and harder. Emma began to shake and cry out louder as she came. He lost control. With a roar he pulled back, spilling himself across her rear and lower back. Emma continued to moan and encourage him until he bent over her, his hands resting on the wall as well, out of breath for the moment.
“Um. Good morning,” he said with a chuckle, the first to recover his breath. “Hell of a wakeup call. But much appreciated.”
“Yeah.” Emma sounded awkward. Almost embarrassed.
“Do you want me to go?” he asked. “I…I don’t want to overstay my welcome if you’re regretting this.” Asher didn’t wa
nt to beat around the bush.
“What?” She sounded confused. “No, that’s not what I meant, Asher. If you want to stay, um, that’s okay with me. I’d…I’d like that. I just was thinking about what comes next.”
He frowned, thankful she couldn’t see his face. Had Emma been thinking the same things too? She didn’t seem like it, but maybe she had been thinking ahead when she’d invited him into the shower?
“Uh, oh yeah?” he asked. Was she feeling it too then? Was she thinking he was feeling about her?
His thoughts were such a jumbled mess he almost missed her next words.
“Yeah, I need to shower, but I also need to call in to work. Tell my boss I won’t be in again.”
Oh. That would make more sense. Feeling a little silly, Asher stood up. “Right. Well I guess we should get you cleaned up first.”
Emma stood up as well, turning so she could face him. Asher allowed himself a long eyeful of her wondrous body, loving the lines of it, the curves of her hips. She truly was gorgeous.
“I actually should probably call right now,” she said. “Before I shower. I don’t want to get in trouble. We just got bought recently, and the new owner is a bit tighter with things.” She sighed. “Can you get me my phone, so I don’t…you know?”
He nodded. “Yeah, definitely. New bosses suck, I get it.”
“Thanks,” she called as he wandered out into the main room. “And yeah, you’re right. Mr. Lars is a real dick.”
Asher’s spine stiffened as he grabbed her phone from the nightstand.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Asher
“What did you say?” he asked quietly as he came back into the washroom, holding her phone tightly in his hand.
“Asher? What’s wrong?” Emma asked, suddenly looking not nearly as comfortable naked in front of him as she had a moment before.
“The new owner. Their name,” he repeated. “What did you say it was.”
“Lars.” She frowned at him, one hand coming across her chest. “Why? I don’t understand. Is something wrong?”
