“Hello?”
“Hey,” her soft voice greeted. “I, erm…”
Did she know I was here at the bottom of her stairs? Shit. Could she see me?
Her breath sounded over the line. “Okay, so, I’m trying to do better with this whole asking-for-help thing.”
My lips lifted into a smile, and I leaned my shoulder against the wall. Her voice did things to me that I couldn’t explain. It relaxed me but also had me on edge. “Okay.” I drew the word out, waiting to see what she’d say.
“My erm…ugh. My car won’t start.”
“What?” I straightened up and glanced at her apartment door. “Where are you?”
“At the club.” She paused, but I was already making sure the back door was locked, then heading through the shop. “Lara said you had a late client, so I thought maybe you were still awake and could—”
“I’m on my way.” I ended the call and shot out of the front door, locking it behind me, then ran to my truck. Elodie needed me, and for once, she’d actually asked for my help, so I needed to get there as soon as I could. It was only a five-minute drive to the club, and by the time I pulled into the lot, I saw her car toward the back. I drove toward it and pulled up right behind it, glancing around and looking for her.
I pulled my cell out to call her, but as I was about to click the call button, the passenger door opened, and she practically threw herself into the truck. “Hey.” She grinned over at me as she clipped her belt around her. “So, it was actually easier than I thought it would be.”
I blinked several times, but all I could remember was the way she looked the last time I’d seen her. She’d been half-naked and it was almost impossible to scrub the image out of my head. “Easier?” I asked, not sure what she was talking about.
“Yep.” She placed her hands on her lap, and I darted my attention down to them. She had on a pair of shorts and her silky-smooth skin was showing. “Asking for your help wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. Asher? Asher?”
I shook my head and turned my attention to my windshield. “Right. Yeah.” I cleared my throat and backed up. “I didn’t realize you were at work tonight.”
“Yeah. Two shifts a week.” She sighed. “I normally work Sunday too, but I already have enough money for next month’s rent, so I don’t need to go in.” She laughed, the sound a soft tinkle, and all I could do was grip my steering wheel tighter, so I didn’t reach out and touch her. I needed to keep my attention focused on the road ahead of me and not on her, but it was hard as fuck.
“That’s good,” I commented, not really sure what I was even saying. The drive back to the shop seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, I was parking near the side entrance. I turned the engine off, fully intending to make sure she was in her apartment safe and sound.
“Thanks for picking me up,” she said, her face turning toward me.
I looked at her, then flicked my gaze away. “Anytime. You know that.” I pushed my door open and jumped out of my truck, and Elodie was already halfway to the door by the time I clicked my fob to lock it.
“You coming up?” she asked, but this time she didn’t turn to face me. This time she kept her attention solely on the door in front of her as she opened it up. I didn’t answer her as I followed her inside and up the stairs. The atmosphere swirled around us, and I knew I should have walked away then and there. I knew I shouldn’t have followed her into her apartment. But I couldn’t stop myself. She was eighteen. I was thirty-two. And yet, I couldn’t even use that as an excuse not to want to touch her.
She clicked on one of the side lamps in the corner of the living room, basking us in soft light, and the door clicked closed behind me. I wasn’t sure what it was about the closing of the door, but the echo made my mind up. I couldn’t walk out of this apartment without touching her. I couldn’t stare at her lips once more and not press mine against them.
Her hand fluttered to her chest and she whispered, “Asher.”
“I’ve tried to hold back,” I murmured, stepping forward. The room was small, but it seemed impossibly large as I moved toward her. “From the moment I touched my lips to yours a month ago, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” I swallowed, telling myself to slow down, but it was impossible. I needed her to know. I needed her to see how I felt. “Fuck, Elodie, even after finding out who you really are and everything that has happened since, I want you even more.”
“I feel the same,” she whispered, and it was all I needed to completely close the distance between us. I didn’t reach for her, though. I waited. Waited for her permission. Waited to make sure this was exactly what she wanted, and as a final warning, I growled, “If you don’t want this—don’t want me to touch you—then you need to tell me now.” I heaved a breath. “Because I’m not sure I can hold back with you. You drive me crazy and—”
“Insane,” she finished for me, closing those last few inches. She placed her hand on my chest, over my fast beating heart. “If you only knew how long I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me again.” She smiled up at me, her full lips inviting. “I’ve learned to live in the moment, Asher.” She leaned closer, her lips a hairsbreadth from mine. “And I want to live in the moment with you.”
Chapter Fifteen
ELODIE
I waited with bated breath for what he was going to do next. He’d been honest with me. I’d told him the truth. And now we were in this waiting space. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I move to kiss him first, or—
He made the decision for me.
He cupped both sides of my face, then pushed his fingers into my hair. His eyes flared before he oh so slowly pressed his lips against mine. It was soft and gentle. He took his time, pressing each kiss lightly, but I didn’t want soft and slow. I wanted him. All of him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pressed my lips harder to his. I ran my tongue over the seam of his lips, demanding he open up for me, and his guttural growl vibrated through his chest.
“Fuck.” He grasped my thighs and boosted me up, and I didn’t think twice about wrapping my legs around his waist. We were moving, but I wasn’t even sure where until the cold counter touched the bare skin of my thighs. The temperature in the room was soaring, and I was loving every second of it. Gone was sweet and careful, and in its place was carefree and wanting.
I twirled my tongue against his, feeling the burn low in my stomach and the wetness gathering between my legs. I’d never been so turned on in my entire life, and all we’d done was kissed. He pulled away and I moaned, not wanting his lips to leave mine, but as soon as they pressed to the delicate skin on my neck, I let my eyes close and basked in the sensations.
“You smell so goddamn good,” he murmured, and I inhaled a breath, thinking the exact same thing. Asher had his own distinctive smell, and it was one I wished I could bottle up and take everywhere with me.
His tongue flicked against my earlobe, and I tried to press my legs together, but his body standing between them got in the way. “That felt amazing,” I whispered, my voice a breathy moan. He did it again, but this time his hands wandered over my body. His palm slid over the top of my thigh and his fingertips pushed under the edge of my jean shorts. He was so close, yet so far away.
“Take them off,” I told him.
He pulled back, his face level with mine. “You sure?” His nostrils flared as he stared at me, and instead of answering him with words, I pulled on the edge of his T-shirt, brought it over his head, and marveled in the number of tattoos covering his skin. There was barely any clear space, and I found myself tracing some of them, wondering what the stories behind them were.
“Now mine,” I whispered, meeting his stare, and he slowly reached for the edge of my shirt. I lifted my arms to help him and grinned to myself. I wasn’t wearing anything underneath my clothes, but he didn’t know that yet. Not until the shirt was gone and my bare chest was exposed to him.
“Fuck,” he gritted out. His hands grasped my waist, his fingers stretchi
ng all the way to my back, and I bowed to push myself closer. We were moving fast, but I also wanted to slow down so I could take him in. He was a masterpiece, one which I had no doubt took hours to create, but it was the smile on his face and his deep brown eyes which drew me in the most.
“I need to make sure you’re sure, Elodie. I—”
“I’ve never been more sure.” I placed my hands on his face like he had to me and pressed my lips to his. “I need this. I need you.” The six words fueled something within him because he dropped to his knees, undid the zip on my shorts, and yanked them off me. I was naked, entirely bared to him, and I’d never felt so sexy in my life. I’d danced on stage in scraps of underwear, I’d been touched intimately, and it hadn’t affected me, but one look from Asher and I was squirming.
His palms whispered over my skin, stopping at the top of my thighs, and he flashed me a wicked grin, then parted my legs. “You’re so damn beautiful,” he murmured, and dove between my thighs. He swiped his tongue over my pussy in one long lick and pressed down on my stomach. I knew what he wanted from me, but I was scared to lean back.
That was until he sucked on my clit, making my nerve endings go haywire.
I leaned back, my eyes half closed as he licked and sucked me. Slow and soft, then hard and fast. He drove me to the edge, then reversed back a little, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take it. I wasn’t sure if I’d survive. Finally, he sucked my clit and pushed two fingers inside me, curling them in just the right way.
“Fuck!” I tried to grasp on to something, but there was nothing I could hold on to, so I lunged forward and pushed my hand through his hair, wanting to push him away and pull him closer all at the same time. “Asher. God, Asher.” Stars burst behind my eyelids, and my entire body was rocked to the core. He eeked my orgasm out, his fingers pushing in and out until I slumped against him.
My heart hammered, my ears popped, and I wasn’t sure where I was anymore. Not until he stood, his stubbled chin covered in wetness. “That was the best fuckin’ thing I’ve ever seen.” His voice was deep and gruff, and I shuffled my ass at the sound. I’d had my mind blown and yet here I was, ready to go again.
I reached my hand out, trailing my fingers down his chest and to his belt buckle. His grin slowly disappeared, his mask slipping out of place. “I want to touch you,” I whispered, not sure why I was telling him what I wanted. I glanced down and undid his belt buckle, then popped the button and slid the zip down. I could hear and feel his heavy breaths, but I was trying to concentrate on the task at hand.
Slowly, I pulled his jeans down. He shucked his boots off and stepped out of them, leaving him in only his boxer briefs. His defined muscles jerked as I stared at him. He was a sight to behold. I could have stared at him all day long, but right now, all I wanted was to touch him. I let my hand drift over his thighs and halted on the scar covering the entirety of his left one. I glanced at his face, and bit down on my bottom lip, showing him I didn’t care about his scars. All I cared about was him.
“I got it when I was in the Marines,” he choked out, his eyes searching mine. “I—”
“You don’t have to explain,” I whispered, stroking my fingers over the scarred skin once more. “It’s part of you. We all have scars, Asher, but sometimes you can’t see them.”
“Where have you been all my life?” he asked, placing his large palm on the side of my face.
“Around.” I shrugged. “I’m here now, though.” I let my hand drift over the material of his boxers. His erection strained against them, so with a quick tug, I yanked them down, revealing his cock. I turned away from his face to take in my fill and sighed at the sight of him. A vein ran down the middle of his erection, leading to the head, and a bead of pre-cum glistened on the end.
“Jesus Christ,” Asher groaned as I wrapped my hand around the base of his cock. I could only get my hand halfway, so I put my other hand there too. I reached my left thumb out and slid the pre-cum over the head, causing him to moan. “Just like that,” he gritted out, moving his hands so they were on the counter on either side of me. I used both hands and pulled up and down, going slow to drive him crazy. He’d taken pleasure in the way he’d touched me, and now it was my turn.
I leaned my head back so I could look at his face, and my breath hitched when his gaze met mine. He hadn’t looked away for even a second, and as I rolled my thumb over the head of his cock again, he lunged for me, causing me to let go.
His lips slammed down onto mine, his tongue darting into my mouth, and I wrapped my legs around his waist while keeping my ass on the counter, feeling his cock close to my entrance. All it would take was one thrust for him to be inside me. My fingers bit into the skin on his shoulders and I adjusted my legs, silently begging him to push his cock inside me.
He adhered to my silent command and pushed the head inside. I winced as he stretched me, but a couple of shallow thrusts was all it took to have me moaning up a storm. He pulled back, separating our lips, and pressed his forehead to mine. “You feel like goddamn heaven, sweetheart.” My skin burned at his words, and I didn’t look away as he pushed completely inside me. He paused, waiting, and then slowly withdrew and thrust back in. He didn’t let up his slow rhythm as he watched me, and I started to meet each of his thrusts, wanting—needing—more.
At my movements, he gripped my hips and sped up. He leaned back, so I did the same, and didn’t take my eyes off where his cock thrust in and out of me. Asher set a bruising pace and I loved it. Loved every second of it.
“That’s it,” he growled. “Fuck, you’re pulsating on my cock.” I hadn’t meant to tense, but I could feel something happening. I wasn’t sure what it was exactly, not until he pressed his thumb down on my clit and I exploded out of nowhere.
“Oh god,” I groaned.
“Elodie,” Asher gritted out, and I flicked my gaze to him, enthralled with his face and the way his body tensed as he orgasmed. His cock pulsed inside me, and it was almost euphoric to know I’d caused that. I’d caused him to orgasm. I’d been the reason he lost himself inside of me.
The seconds ticked by and he still hadn’t let go of me. In the back of my mind, I wondered what would happen from here. We’d stepped over a line we couldn’t go back over, but deep down I knew. I knew Asher wasn’t like everyone else. I knew he wouldn’t walk away, leaving me feeling like I was nothing but a body to fuck.
So as he brought his head up, his dark-brown-eyed gaze meeting mine, my thoughts were confirmed. “Damn, sweetheart.” He chuckled as he pulled out, but he didn’t make to move away from me. Instead, he stepped closer, wrapped his arms around my waist, and picked me up off the counter. “We’re gonna need to disinfect that.”
I laughed, so free and loud that if I really thought about it, I would have scared myself. But that was what Asher made me feel. Free. He’d freed me from the constraints I’d put on myself, but from then on, I’d always be Elodie, the girl who could do anything she put her mind to.
* * *
ASHER
Intense heat blasted me from my left side, and I shuffled, trying to cool down, but it didn’t matter what I did, the heat was still there. I groaned and turned my head, slowly opening my eyes to see what it was.
Fuck.
My eyes snapped open and my heart hammered in my chest. I’d fallen asleep. I’d fallen asleep next to Elodie. I hadn’t slept next to someone all night since I was a kid. I was the kind of person who liked his own space, but with Elodie’s body pressed against mine, I could see that changing really fast.
My movement caused her to stir, and her lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Her body tensed and then relaxed as she saw it was me next to her, and I couldn’t help but reach out to push some hair out of her face. “Morning, sweetheart.”
“Morning,” she croaked back, stretching her body out and then curling back up beside me. Her face was pressed into my arm as she stared up at me, and I grinned down at her, not believing what happened last night while also
wanting a repeat just to remind me how goddamn good it felt. “What time is it?”
“Dunno.” I spotted her cell on the bedside table closest to her, so I wrapped my arm around her and moved her with me as I reached for it. I clicked the side button and told her, “Ten o'clock.”
“Well, shit.” She closed her eyes and scrubbed her hands over her face. “I was supposed to be at the studio thirty minutes ago to help Aleste with the classes.” She looked back at me. “But I don’t want to leave right now.”
I pulled her closer to me and relished in her naked skin against mine. “I could think of something to do so you can’t go.”
“Oh yeah?” Her lips quirked on one side and her hand trailed down my chest. “What did you have in mind, Marine?” My stomach bottomed out at what she called me, and goose bumps spread over my body. I’d been called a Marine from the time I was eighteen, but when she said it…fuck, it sounded so goddamn sexy.
“It involves exercise,” I murmured, rolling her onto her back and pushing between her legs. The comforter was too much, so I threw it onto the floor, leaving only a white sheet and our naked bodies on the bed. “I think you’ll enjoy it.” I reached down between her legs, already finding her wet, and I couldn’t wait. Last night I’d been patient, but this morning I just needed to feel her pussy around my cock.
“Do you think?” She trailed her finger down the side of my face and down my chest. “Maybe you should show me so I can decide for myself?”
She didn’t have to tell me twice.
I thrust into her in one smooth motion, pushed up on my knees and brought her up with me. My arms wrapped around her and I maneuvered her up and down. I didn’t want slow and steady, I wanted hard and fast, and from the way she pressed her hands into my shoulders to give herself some leverage, I was sure that was what she wanted too.
Fast Burn: Burned Duet: Book One Page 20
