I gasped when he nipped my bottom lip in return.
Using the opening, he slipped his tongue inside, sliding it against mine. His taste—a mixture of coffee and chocolate—invaded my mouth, searing its way into my memory forever.
A small moan—the second—escaped me as lust built inside me for the first time, causing the pain I’d felt the moment his chest touched mine to fade into the background. Eyes locked with mine, he slid his hands up my sides, ghosting his fingertips over my ribs, leaving a trail of chill bumps in his wake.
I melted.
Breaking our connection, I cupped his shoulders, digging my nails into his tanned skin. “I need more.” I paused. “But not all of it.”
Making sense of the riddle I’d spoken, he nodded. “I’m going to put you on your back. That okay?”
Though fear climbed in my throat, tightening an invisible band around my larynx, I nodded. “Just don’t—”
“I won’t look away,” he said, finishing what I’d started to say. “Not now, and not ever.”
I held on tight as he flipped our positions, pressing my back into the mattress. Hovering over me, he spread my legs wide, slipping his lean hips between them. “This okay?”
No.
No, it wasn’t.
But not for the reason that one might think.
Having him above me, his gentle touch caressing my skin was nearly my undoing. I needed more of it, needed more of him. “Touch me,” I demanded, running my hands down his arms, memorizing every dip and curve of his muscles. “Anywhere.”
It was a scary thing for me to say, but again, this was Chase.
He wouldn’t hurt me, and if I said stop, he would stop.
He wasn’t a monster.
He wasn’t a demon.
And he wasn’t el diablo.
Simply put, he was mine.
And I wanted to keep him.
Forever.
Sitting up, he wasted no time before hooking his fingers into the sides of my panties. Gaze never leaving mine, he gave them a slight tug, slipping them no more than an inch down my smooth thighs. “You sure you want this?”
“Yes.”
One simple word.
That was all it took.
Pulling my panties free of my body, he tossed them to the floor next to my bed. A moment of doubt crept in, bringing with it panic and shame, but Chase quickly squashed all three when he pulled his eyes from mine and looked down at my naked breasts, followed by my glistening flesh.
Gazes locking once again, he palmed the outside of my thighs. “You’re exquisite, Ashley,” he whispered. “Everywhere.”
That’s when the first tear fell.
Crooking my finger like he’d done minutes before, I silently demanded he come closer.
Lips parted, he did as I asked and blanketed my body with his.
Hooking my legs around his hips, I twined my arms around his back, anchoring myself to him completely.
Then, I kissed him once more.
Lips fastened together, his hands slipped beneath me, cupping my bottom. Holding me tight, he broke our kiss, ripping his lips from mine.
I whimpered as he pushed to his elbows, putting inches of space between his. “I need to see you, Sweetness,” he said, lowering his hips. “If you need me to stop, then tell me.”
I nodded, not knowing what he would do next.
Holding my breath, I waited as he shifted in place.
But that same breath quickly left my body when he lowered his hips, grinding his impossibly large—seriously, it felt huge—sweatpant-covered erection along the seam of my bare center making me jerk, then moan.
“Chase,” I cried out, clutching his triceps as he did it again, effortlessly sending bolts of pleasure through my body. “Please”—I lifted my head, looking down at the place where his body touched mine—“don’t stop.”
A bead of sweat fell from his temple, landing on my cheek. “I’ll never fucking stop.”
And he didn’t.
Keeping his gorgeous eyes on mine, he continued to move, carrying me to a place I’d never been to. One where pain didn’t exist, and pleasure consumed you, down to the very essence of your soul.
Feeling close to bursting at the seams, I moaned, tightening my legs like a vice, refusing to let him leave me. Not that he would’ve. Lost in the moment just as much as me, his pace increased. Muscles bunching beneath my sweaty palms, he groaned. Then, “Goddammit, baby, I can’t keep this up.”
Knowing exactly what he meant, I arched my back, the pressure building in my core about to explode. “I need...”
The words wouldn’t come.
Mainly because I didn’t know what I needed.
I wasn’t a virgin—not even close—but all of this was still new to me.
Thankfully, my guy knew exactly what to do.
Shifting his hips without losing our connection, he lifted my hips, grinding down on me harder and hitting a place that I desperately needed him to stroke. “I’m not stopping until you—”
My mind blanked, my hearing dulled, and I swear to the heavens above that my soul completely left my body a second later when something deep inside me imploded.
Pleasure so intense I could hardly breathe ripped through me, electrifying every nerve in my body as my core convulsed, clenching and releasing, over and over.
Above me, Chase tensed.
Dropping down, he hovered his rigid chest over mine as he rode me harder than before, stealing every ounce of pleasure from me he could and prolonging the waves of ecstasy that washed over me, pushing every dark thought back to where they belonged, deep into the abyss.
“Fuck, Ashley!” he jerked, his erection twitching as he followed me into oblivion, a place where only he and I existed, our twined souls holding each other tight.
Hearts beating in sync and panting for breath, our lips met once more.
Seconds ticked by.
Minutes passed.
Then, when he finally broke the kiss, he touched his forehead to mine and cupped my face. “Sweetness,” he said, still out of breath. “What you just gave me... like you, I’ll treasure it forever.”
A smile tipped my lips as a single tear slid down my cheek. “Does this mean you’re planning on keeping me?”
“Forever, Ashley,” he replied, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. “And not a minute less.”
Forever.
It was the sweetest promise he’d ever been made.
And one he fought to keep.
Chapter Twenty
Chase
Thank Christ for my gym bag.
The lone thought tumbled through my head as I dug through the black bag I’d retrieved from the back of my Jeep minutes earlier. With the grey sweats I’d worn to Ashley’s house now stained with come—hers and mine—I needed to change.
Else Shelby would kill me the minute she got back from wherever it was that she went after dropping Lucca off with Hendrix and Maddie. And Christ, if Moretti found out, I’d probably end up in lock-up with a large man named Tiny.
Not even joking.
What we’d done...
It was the last thing I was expecting after I drove Ashley home from work and followed her upstairs to her room, where we planned to do homework after she changed. But when she stepped out of her closet wearing that loose but short dress, my mind went into free fall.
As for when she asked me to touch her...
Well, there’s no damn way I could’ve said no.
Don’t get me wrong, I was in no rush to have sex with her—I knew she wasn’t ready—but I still wanted to show her that I could be gentle and make her feel good without hurting her just as the pieces of shit who came before me had.
’Cause let’s be real here.
I would literally put a bullet in my own head before I took something that she wasn’t ready to give. That just wasn’t how I operated. Deep down, I think Ashley knew that too.
But I still needed to prove it.
As my b
ig brother always said...
Actions are what counts.
Words don’t mean shit.
“Brought you this,” Ashley said, pulling me from my thoughts. Twirling a cold bottle of water in the air, she walked into the room, looking more beautiful than I’d ever seen her. Eyes alight with happiness and cheeks tinged pink thanks to the orgasm I’d given her, she was breathtaking.
“Thanks, Sweetness,” I said, taking the bottle from her hand.
Laying it on her bed next to my bag, I pulled a fresh pair of pants, along with briefs—because, fuck boxers—from my bag.
Ashley looked from the clothes in my hand to the front of my soiled sweats. Eyes flaring, she ducked her head, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. “Uh,” she said, looking toward her door. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
Was she kidding me?
She’d already felt my cock through my pants, I didn’t care if she saw it. Especially since I didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. Not trying to sound conceited or vain—I’ve never been either—but I had a body most women drooled over, and my cock sure as hell wasn’t small.
“Sweetness, stay. I don’t have—”
She jumped in place when the front door opened, then slammed shut.
Oh fuck.
“Oh my God,” she squeaked, shaking her hands in front of her. “She’s back early.” Eyes wide, she looked at my pants one last time. “Hurry up and change!” Pointing toward the door, she added, “I’m going downstairs to intercept her. That’s the only way you’re making it out of this alive.”
Without another word, she took off.
Knowing she was right, I quickly zipped my bag and tossed it in her closet, hiding it in case Shelby did come upstairs. Then, I moved my ass and changed clothes faster than the speed of light. But being the idiot that I am, I haphazardly tossed my dirty clothes in the same direction as my bag, not bothering to shove them in it.
However, I did have the good sense—yeah right—to straighten Ashley’s bed, which she normally kept in tip-top shape just like the rest of her room.
I’d only gotten glimpses into her past before Anthony and Shelby took her in, but it was obvious that she cherished and cared for every little they’d given her. She even kept a blind duster next to her window.
Who the hell dusted their blinds regularly?
Definitely not Ty and me.
Then again, we didn’t even own a blind duster.
Shaking my head, I pulled on my discarded shirt, covering the scratch marks running the length of my back and turned, heading out of the room. I’d only made it five steps down the hall when a giant ball of white fluff suddenly appeared, his icy blue eyes boring into my own. Beside him stood a long-haired cat, his mesmerizing tail flicking from one side to the other.
One looked ready to eat me while the other looked like it just wanted a nap. Hell, I didn’t blame the cat. If I was him, I’d sleep all day too.
Stock-still, I lifted my right hand. “Alright, fur butt one and two,” I said, pointing from Ziggy to Angel. “I’m not robbing the place, I’m not hurting your family, and I don’t have enough fat on me to be tasty, so there’s no reason for you to eat me.” I quirked a brow. “Got it?”
Angel answered by yawning.
But Ziggy, that damn dog, he huffed.
It was obvious he didn’t like me, though I had no idea why. Well, actually, I did. “Listen to me you overgrown marshmallow. She was mine first.” The dickhead growled in response, but I wasn’t backing down. Pointing at myself, I repeated, “Mine. Not yours. And if you think—”
I snapped my mouth shut when the front door banged once again. Whether it was from being yanked open or slammed shut, I didn’t know. Then, I heard people, definitely more than just Shelby and Ashley, moving around.
Christ, had Shelby called Grandmama to come help kill me?
I sure as hell hoped not.
I could handle one of them at a time—maybe—but not both at once.
Shit...
Slowly moving past Cujo and his sidekick, I inched toward the stairs, straining to hear what was going on on the bottom floor. Voices, ones I couldn’t decipher, floated through the air, but I couldn’t understand a word being said.
But then I picked up something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
Ashley crying.
No, Ashley sobbing.
Followed by, “She’s beautiful.”
No longer caring if Shelby or anyone else was waiting downstairs to murder me in cold blood, I moved. Taking the steps three at a time, I reached the bottom in no time. Racing through the foyer, I came to a sliding stop at the entrance to the living room where everyone—Ashley, Clara, Evan, Grandmama, Shelby, and a woman I didn’t recognize—all gathered, along with one other person.
And that person? It was a baby.
An itty bitty one.
Hidden from everyone but Evan’s view, I had no idea what was going on, but one look at my girl’s face and the brokenness gleaming in her eyes as she gazed at the little bundle Shelby held securely in her arms, and I knew that she was moments away from falling apart.
Within hours, that’s exactly what she did.
* * *
My chest was cracking wide open.
Sitting in the middle of the sofa, I stared at Ashley, who sat across from me in a wooden rocking chair, holding the baby from before in her arms. Gently rocking back and forth, she ran a knuckle down the side of the little girl’s face.
A little girl who’d just become her new foster sister.
And if Anthony and Shelby had their say, Gracie, that was the baby’s name, would permanently become her sister.
Abandoned via the Georgia Safe Haven law mere days before, she had instantly become a ward of the state, and according to the social worker who I’d seen earlier, she’d be available for adoption immediately.
As her new foster family, the Moretti’s got first dibs.
That was great and all—hell, more than great—but something was going on with Ashley, and it wasn’t sitting right with me. Honestly, I was surprised Anthony and Shelby hadn’t picked up on the shift in her demeanor.
Couldn’t really blame them though.
With everything happening, it was easy to miss stuff. But I never missed anything, not when it came to my girl. Every pain-laced word, every fresh tear, every forced smile...
I noticed it all.
“Sweetness,” I whispered, not wanting to wake the baby. “Talk to me.”
Swallowing, she glanced around the room, finding it empty of everyone but me. Wanting to give Ashley time to bond with Gracie, Anthony, Shelby, and Lucca had reluctantly gone upstairs for a bit, giving her the space they knew she needed.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” she asked, sniffling.
Leaning forward, I nodded. “Yeah, she is. Prettiest baby I’ve seen in awhile.” Knowing it was better to just ask the question that burned the tip of my tongue instead of beating around the bush—something I tended not to do—I tapped my knuckles on the coffee table in front of me and blew out a breath. “Beautiful girl, I need you to tell me what’s wrong.” Her brow furrowed, but she said nothing. “If I don’t know what’s broken, I can’t fix it.”
My words were her tipping point.
Shaking her head, she clutched Gracie tight as she started to cry. The pain on her face, combined with the agony that I witnessed flooding her eyes was enough to make my chest tighten so hard I could barely breathe.
“You can’t fix it,” she cried, fighting to stay quiet. “Nobody can.”
Bullshit.
I’d crawl through hell if I needed to in order to stop her heart from breaking. I couldn’t stand to see her hurt. Given the option, I would’ve taken every ounce of trauma, torment, and whatever else from her and suffer through it myself if it meant she was free of it all.
And that’s no lie.
“I can fix it,” I fired back, my tone harsher than I intended. “I just need
you—”
I ceased speaking when Ashley turned her wrist the slightest bit and glanced down at her ink, her tear-laden eyes filling with an emotion akin to grief. “You don’t understand.”
She was right, I didn’t. “Then make me. All you have to do is talk to me. I know it’s your default, beautiful girl, but you have to stop bottling shit up. If you don’t, it’s going to tear you to pieces.”
Her eyes met mine when she looked up. “I’m already in pieces,” she said, shaking her head. “And I’ll never be whole again. Not without her.”
Her...
I had no idea who her was.
But I was about to find out.
Heart pounding, I tensed my shoulders, preparing for the verbal chest punch I knew was coming. “Who was she?” My question was met with silence, so I pushed harder. “Whoever she was, Ashley, she deserves to have her name spoken.”
I was spouting pure horseshit.
I didn’t know if the person she was referring to was worth mentioning or not. The only thing I did know was that she obviously mattered to Ashley, and therefore she mattered to me.
“Sweetness, talk—”
“Her name was Addie,” she said, her face twisting as she sunk down into the chair, holding onto Gracie with everything she had. “And she was the most beautiful baby in the world.”
Blood running cold, I stood. “Who was Addie?”
It was a question I wasn’t prepared to hear the answer to.
Not in the least.
She started to stand, but then crumpled, sliding to the floor in front of the rocking chair. I rushed to her, terrified she’d drop the baby, but she didn’t. A bomb could have gone off, and Ashley wouldn’t have let Gracie go.
Dropping to my knees beside her, I scooped her and Gracie up into my arms. Standing, I carried them back to the couch where I held onto both girls—one big, one tiny—with all my might.
Resting my chin on the crown of Ashley’s head, I repeated the same question from moments before. “Who was Addie?”
Knowing her answer would rock me, I braced myself for the impact her words would have.
Then, between sobs, my girl gave me the answer I sought. “Addie was my baby”—she paused—“my little girl,” she whispered, quiet as could be. “And I loved her with my whole heart.”
Every Kiss You Steal: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 7) Page 17
