“What? Why? I want to be with you. I want us to be together.”
“I want that too, believe me, but not yet.”
I’m confused and start to zip my dress back up, but his hand stops me. His mouth meets mine again and he kisses me in a way that leaves no doubt to his words. He does want me too, so why is he waiting? I want this. He moves back enough to help me remove my dress over my head, and when his eyes burn intensely as his gaze rakes over my exposed skin I say a silent prayer of thanks for my appreciation of sexy bras and panties. The sheer and lace bra and panties that match look tantalizing against my golden skin, and from the breath he hisses out slowly, I know he appreciates the view.
He lowers his head and when his tongue licks across the line of my bra over my breast, I suck in a breath. He does the same to the other and with a noise of impatience yanks the cup of my bra down on one side exposing me and latches his mouth onto a nipple making me moan. He teases, sucks and bites gently, his tongue twirling around in whirls.
Pulling away, he quickly removes his clothes but keeps his black boxer briefs on. My eyes devour the sight and I appreciate the body he clearly works hard to have. He crawls on top of me like a tiger and I’m grinning in anticipation. “I like you in lace, princess,” Asher says. “But I like you even more naked.”
His hands move behind my back and he unsnaps my bra. Sliding it down one shoulder he presses kisses trailing the fabric’s retreat. When he pulls it away from my skin entirely, he murmurs a curse at the sight and then his lips are licking and sucking at my breasts once more and this time it’s me that hisses in response. My back arches off the bed, and my hands roam through his hair.
Pulling away, he moves to my panties next and slides them down my legs, tortuously slow, his eyes on mine the whole time. He throws them over his shoulder and a wicked smile graces his lips as he grabs hold of my legs and yanks me over to the edge of the bed making me cry out in surprise. Bending forward he places a soft kiss between my breasts. Then another at my navel before moving to my hips and placing one there. Dragging his lips across my skin, he moves to my other hip and kisses there as well. Grabbing my ankle, he begins kissing up the inside of my leg dangerously slow. Anticipation is burning in my core and I’m wet between my thighs, eager and desperate for him to take me. Instead, after he places a kiss on the crease where my leg meets my groin which leaves me breathless, he starts with my other leg. “Asher!” I admonish, but he just chuckles softly, “What, princess?”
“I…I want…I want you to kiss me.”
His eyes burn into mine, “Kiss you, where?”
I hesitate before answering and then press trembling fingers between my legs, “Here.”
Without removing his eyes from mine, he places his hands on my hips and pulls me a little closer to the edge of the bed before he lowers himself to his knees on the floor. His head moves toward my center, and I close my eyes in expectation, but nothing happens. Opening them once more, I find him still looking at me. He waits for a beat, his message clear, then lowers his lips to my slippery folds. At the first pass of his tongue, the sound that leaves me is almost animalistic. When he sucks, my hips buck sharply off the bed. When he nibbles, I lose any and all of my inhibitions, spreading my legs wider, silently begging him to give me more.
Asher moans and the vibration runs all the way through my body making my toes curl. My hands find his hair and I move my hips against his mouth desperately searching for release. Every stroke rockets through my body and I’m lost. I’m lost in a lust filled haze and this time when my eyes roll back in my head, Asher doesn’t quit his ministration.
I’m panting, keening, and mumbling words and curses without thought. “God, yes.” The feeling inside of me is building and each time I get close, Asher eases the intensity and starts all over again. My last groan of complaint makes him laugh wickedly against me and I curse at him in frustration. “Here you go, princess,” he says just before two fingers enter me and curve.
Stars. I see stars. I’m so high, I can see them, touch them, pluck them right from the sky and hold onto the light I’m seeing forever. “Asher!” I yell his name, mindless with passion. He’s there with me every step of the way, riding it out, making sure I feel every last drop of pleasure he pulls from me.
When he rises above my body and looks down at me, his eyes are the darkest blue I’ve ever seen them. Full of desire, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful and I know I’ll desperately try to find a shade of something, anything, that will match it so I can remember it when I’m gone.
Working to catch my breath, I smile lazily at him, “That was…”
“Amazing? The best ever? Astonishing? Exciting? Brilliant?”
“Okay, okay,” I cut him off with a laugh, “You’re right. It was all of those things.”
“For me too,” he says and leans down to place a light kiss against my nose. His hardness is pressed against my thigh and my brow furrows. Running my hands down his chest and to his stomach, I intend to brush the front of his briefs and ask to return the favor, but before I can do so, he shakes his head. “Not tonight.”
“But, why?”
“I wanted tonight to be all about you. We’ll talk more tomorrow. For now, I just want to hold you in my arms until we fall asleep. Okay?”
“Okay.” We move onto the pillows and his arms wrap around me. I’ve never ever had an experience with a man where all they cared about was taking care of me. It seems I’m experiencing some firsts with this man, and it feels amazing. I feel, safe, happy and content in his arms.
I feel beautiful.
When I wake the next morning, it’s to find Asher already dressed and sitting on the side of the bed. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he smiles and he’s looking at me in a way I can’t decipher, but I like it.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I was going to in another half hour or so if you didn’t wake on your own. There was no need to get you up before I had to.”
“Why are you up already?”
“I couldn’t sleep, had some business to deal with, and I needed to arrange our day.”
“Yeah? What are we going to do?” In response he simply shrugs and gives me a mischievous look. “You’re not telling me again?” I push my lower lip out and pout but he’s unfazed and only reaches out and grabs my lip.
“Nope. I like surprising you.”
“Well, I was thinking-”
“Uh-oh, that sounds ominous.”
His cheesy retort deserves one of my own so I stick my tongue out at him and he tries to grab that too. I smack his hand away playfully. “Very funny. But seriously, I was thinking that maybe we should do something with your friends this week too. I know you said they probably don’t even notice that you’re gone, but we both know that’s not true.” His expression gives no inkling to his thoughts yet, so I press on, “I don’t want them to be angry that I’m taking up all of your time. We can meet them for dinner maybe, or by the pool again, or go into town, whatever you want. It’s up to you. But I don’t think you should alienate them for some chick you’ve only known a short time and will only be with for one week.”
His nostrils flare and his jaw tightens and he looks rather annoyed. He gets control of his emotions quickly, but not before it’s clear how he feels and I think I’ve made a mistake bringing it up. I wasn’t trying to suggest he’s a bad friend or something, but when I’m not here, they will be. And who knows what they had planned for the week; plans that I interrupted. I don’t want to create any kind of dissension, so it’s the right thing to do. Or at least to offer. “We can do that I guess, although I don’t enjoy the thought of sharing you with anyone.”
“Oh, it won’t be that bad. What’s an hour or two of our time?”
“No, don’t say that. Time,” he begins, but stops and pulls me from bed standing me before him. Running his hands up and down my arms he’s looking to the side and I can almost see the thoughts trying to form in his mind. “Time i
s everything. Some people take it for granted, and some would give anything for more of it. For some their time is only beginning and others, it’s ending forever. Time is probably one of the most significant things we can own in our entire lives.”
“I never thought about it that way.”
“I didn’t either until I started feeling like I didn’t have a whole lot of time to myself. I’ve learned to appreciate it in a way I never had. Two hours of time we give to my friends matters. That’s one hundred and twenty minutes. It takes what…a moment for things to happen? An event to occur, a word to be said, an action you didn’t want to miss. Just one single moment in time could create a memory that lasts a life time, and I want to share all of those minutes and moments this week with you.”
There’s an ache in my chest at his words and if I could melt into a puddle on the floor, I would. Pressing my lips to his, I try to pour every emotion I’m feeling into our kiss. Everything I’m feeling and everything I’m not sure how to define. I kiss him gently on the lips, then the cheek, his chin, then back on his mouth once more. Pulling back I smile softly, “There, I gave myself a moment with you that I will always remember. Sweet kisses on the day I began to appreciate time in a way I never had before. Thank you for that. And, to be clear, I want to share every possible minute with you too,” I tell him honestly, not even realizing how much until that moment. “But I just want you to know that if you change your mind, I would be more than happy to share a little bit of our time with your friends. But only a little,” I smile.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Okay,” I nod, then change the subject. “Alright, so tell me. What the heck should I wear for whatever we’re going to do today?”
“What else? A swimsuit.”
Nodding, I go off to get ready. The whole time I can’t help but think about how I’m enjoying time with Asher. It’s jarring how close I feel to someone I’ve technically only met, even though it feels like we’ve known each other a while. It’s strange. We’re so compatible. And genuinely enjoy being together. If I had to leave tomorrow I’d be devastated. I’m glad we still have some precious time together because I’m not ready to even think about going home.
Once I’ve got my black suit on, I throw the sarong around my waist that Asher bought me and take a look in the mirror, admiring how it looks. How I look. After I slip on some silver flip-flops, Asher walks into the bathroom. I smile at him and he returns it, then checks his hair out in the mirror. Turning his head side to side, he begins styling it to perfection and I find myself momentarily staring, cognitive of how genuinely handsome he is.
Snapping out of it, I turn to do my own hair and pull it back into a sleek ponytail. When I’m satisfied, I grab the toothpaste and my toothbrush and run it over my teeth. I smile around the brush when Asher’s reflection in the mirror shows that he’s brushing his teeth too. There’s something intimate in the motions of getting ready together, side by side. We continue to embrace each other’s reflection, unable to stop smiling. I’m not even embarrassed when I have to spit.
As soon as we finish brushing our teeth Asher pulls me into his arms and kisses me with his minty mouth. “Are you sure you want to go out and not just stay here?” I ask him with a flirty smile.
Groaning he runs his hands over my back and grabs my bottom. “Don’t tempt me.”
Laughing, he takes my hand, “You look great. You ready to go?”
“Yes, do I need anything?”
“Nope. I’ve got everything taken care of.”
Asher leads me from the room and it isn’t long before our taxi pulls up at a marina. Boats are parked at a wooden pier as far as the eye can see. The ocean is to our right and to the left are quaint looking restaurants and shops, clearly a touristy area. Asher takes me to a restaurant called Tico’s which he claims has an excellent brunch. We’re seated at the window and given menus. One glance and my mouth waters while my stomach quietly emits a hungry growl. Given my love for cooking, I don’t eat out too often and I’ve already eaten out more on this vacation than I have in months. I’m loving it, although part of me is itching to get in the kitchen and create something.
After we order, Asher takes my hand and smiles. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can I finally give voice to something on my mind. “Why didn’t you want to have sex last night?” I’m almost embarrassed for the way I blurt it out, but I’m so curious I hardly care what he thinks about my inquisition. I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that he didn’t want to get something in return for the pleasure he showed me – it’s an anomaly.
“Did you not enjoy last night?”
“You know that I did,” I smile shyly. “It’s just, I was ready and certainly willing to do more, and I guess I was surprised that you didn’t feel the same way.”
“You’re wrong, I do feel the same way, but I don’t want to push you into something you aren’t ready for.”
“Wait, are you not hearing me? I was more than ready. I am ready. I’m ready right now. We can forget eating and go back to our room if you want.” I know I’m sounding nuts but I can’t help it. Thankfully he laughs at my enthusiasm.
“Look, other than the night we were married, we haven’t spoken at all about what happened to you. And well… alcohol was involved that night, so we didn’t delve into the subject too deeply.”
“What happened to me? What are you talking about?”
“I’m referring to your ex.”
I don’t know why but of all the things he could say, that’s not at all what I was expecting. “What does he have to do with you and me?”
“Look, Ella,” he lets go of my hand to run it through his hair. “I know that you were hurt. And the fact is, it happened very recently. I would feel like the world’s biggest douchebag if I took advantage of that. I’m worried that you could sleep with me...again,” he adds with the flash of a smirk, “and regret it. I would hate that. For you and for me. It’s a risk I wasn’t willing to take last night, but it wasn’t the moment to talk about it.”
Seriously, who the hell is this guy? He’s the complete package - considerate, fun, intriguing, charming, and hot as hell. I’m completely taken back by his words and certainly not in a bad way. I’m bowled over that he’s even given thought to this, let alone that he would even care. I mean this is a summer fling - a rebound. I guess I never really took into account that he would be worried about my feelings. It takes me a few beats before I’m able to put coherent words together. When I do, I reach forward and take his hands. Blinking rapidly to keep the tears burning behind my eyes at bay, I shake my head in wonder, “I can’t even believe that you were worried about this.”
Frowning he squeezes my hands, “Why?”
“I don’t know, I guess I’ve never had a guy really consider my feelings before.”
“Never? Seriously?”
“No,” I shake my head as if it emphasizes my response. “Never.” I hesitate only briefly before I decide to dive in and lay it all out there. “You are only the third person that I’ve ever been with…intimately. And I don’t mean only as if that’s a bad thing, it’s just… well… I guess I’m trying to say that it isn’t as if I’m really experienced and the experience I’ve had isn’t the best.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I had a high school boyfriend and it wasn’t anything other than adolescent lust at its worst. We hooked up at a party. All of my friends had had sex already and I guess I gave into the pressure of thinking I should be having sex too. One night I was making out with a guy at a party and, I’ll spare you the details, but losing my virginity was an awkward moment of inept limbs, sloppy kisses, and inappropriate giggles. Definitely not an experience I cared to repeat.”
Laughing a little I look at Asher and see that he’s not laughing, he just looks, contemplative. Taking a deep breath I push on – discussing Jeremy with Asher was never even a thought in my mind, but I know that it needs to be done so that Asher understands
. The fact that it’s something I need to do speaks to Asher’s character because this matters to him, so I find that it also matters to me. “Jeremy, my ex, was my college boyfriend, but we met through our fathers, ironically, even though mine was gone by that time. You see, his father worked with mine, and when my father died and left me the company, while I didn’t take it over immediately, I was still involved on a small scale until I graduated college. At a work function I attended, Jeremy was also there with his father; we started talking that night, and then began dating. His family loved my father, and I knew my dad valued Jeremy’s father – his was a name I’d heard before. So, a relationship with Jeremy was something that just… happened. But the truth is, it shouldn’t have. I realize that now. And I guess I knew it most of the time, but thought it might eventually evolve to something that my dad would have liked or wanted. It’s amazing how a little distance and well, finding out your ex got another woman pregnant, gives you validation.” I laugh bitterly, but Asher’s jaw only tightens in response.
I tuck my hair behind my ear in a nervous gesture and look into his eyes, “I didn’t love Jeremy. Not in the way a woman should love a man she’s about to marry. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I realized my unhappiness and knew I was simply going through the motions long before I finally ended things. I regret that when I finally realized what I was doing that it happened to coincide with his betrayal, but it is what it is.”
“What made you realize the truth?”
“You mean, besides the fact that on my wedding day, the day that’s supposed to be the happiest day of a woman’s life, I was anything but? There was also the fact that I drug my feet every step of the way, and barely had a hand in planning my own wedding. I was less than engaged in the entire process. And when I reflected on what my parents had, and what I wanted, there was a great disparity. Or, how about the fact that I had already decided to walk out before the ceremony began?” Asher’s eyes widen and I nod my head. “I had just decided to get the hell out when my stepsister walked in and dropped the bomb in my lap. But that only reinforced the rightness of my decision. Before she uttered a word, I had already realized that I didn’t love Jeremy at all and couldn’t go through with a loveless marriage. I didn’t want a life with him or even a friendship. I just wanted the connection that he had to my father.” Tears fill my eyes and I don’t try to stop them this time. “I loved my father so much, Asher. And he would be so ashamed of me.”
Charming: A Modern Day Sexy Cinderella Story Page 14
