And I’ve never tasted anything sweeter. I can’t hold out for much longer. I can feel my body tightening, almost to the breaking point.
“Fuck, Em,” I groan, my tongue slowing its pace, easing out the last of her orgasm.
I shed the last of my clothes, all self-control gone, but fighting the urge to thrust deep inside of her, and just fuck her. She deserves more than that. And I want more than that.
Thank God I’m too dazed for any self-reflection, because I know I’d probably scare myself shitless if I let myself think about what that actually means.
Chapter Thirteen
Ember
Dazed, I barely register Ash moving away from me, until he’s kneeling between my legs, naked, his hard, massive shaft in one hand. He strokes it, watching me, hunger burning in his eyes.
“Condom,” I rasp out, my voice not sounding like my own.
Ash nods, showing me the small foil package in his other hand. He uses his teeth to tear it open, then slides it over his length.
God, the man is breathtaking.
“I need to fuck you, Em,” he grits out like the words are painful. “I’ll try to be gentle, but—”
“I want it too,” I whimper, needing him inside me. The roughness of his strokes. The mindlessness of losing myself to the pleasure. Before I start thinking about how my heart is beating a little too hard when I look at him.
Ash groans, a sound filled with desperation. His eyes wild, dark, frenzied. He moves above me, the thick crest of his cock nudging against my entrance. For a heartbeat, a small flicker of nerves race across my flesh.
“You okay?” he asks.
“I just...I haven’t done this in a long time.”
He kisses me, his mouth soft, warm, coaxing, and my fear vanishes. He eases inside of me, his heavy cock almost bruising it’s so thick. It takes a moment for my body to adjust to his size. Pain and pleasure.
His gaze is locked with mine when he fills me completely, and my pussy clenches around him, new, glorious sensations building inside of me.
“Oh, God, Em,” he groans. “You feel so good.”
I whimper, unable to put words to what I’m feeling. Slowly he starts to move, his hard shaft pulling out, then thrusting deep, penetrating me completely. My hips jerk to meet his strokes until his movements are no longer slow and gentle.
His lips cover mine, and I swallow his groan as we begin moving together, our bodies connected, our rhythm matched. I fight to hold onto a sense of reality, but the sensations sear through me, burning through every cell in my body.
I grip onto his forearms. Powerful muscles that bunch and strain as he thrusts harder, deeper. Pleasure surges, higher, higher, higher, until I’m crying out, ecstasy pulsing through me like a current.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” Ash groans. “Come for me, again.”
I do. My pussy clenches, tightens, the spasm ricochetting through my whole body.
Ash lets out a deep, primal sound. His cock feels even harder, bigger than before. And he thrusts one last time before his own release rocked through him.
He collapses on top of me, his breathing harsh, uneven against my cheek, and I’m pretty sure I’ve stopped breathing completely.
But when I finally do take in a lungful of air, Ash has me wrapped tight against him, his mouth in my hair.
We don’t speak.
Because there are no words.
The rockstar literally just rocked my world. And all I want to do is fall asleep in his arms. To stay here, for just a little bit longer. But slowly reality starts to settle in. And I remember that this is all just an illusion.
Three months. And then he’ll be gone.
I rest my cheek against his chest, trying to hold onto this moment for just a second longer. But it’s already fading, emotions threatening to make me believe this is more than what it is.
Ash tilts my chin up, studies me a second, then sighs before pressing his lips to mine quickly and rolling out of bed.
I watch him, aware of how my heart hammers against my chest, the way even now little butterflies flutter in my belly. I’d sworn never to make the same mistake I had all those years ago, but I’d known the first time he kissed me that I’d end up breaking that promise.
I’m falling for Asher Stone.
And I know, even as I think it, that this ends one way - with a broken heart.
Chapter Fourteen
Ash
We hear a car pulling up the driveway the same time as I’m zipping up my jeans. The music is off now, and Ember looks through the curtains, a worried frown tugging at her lips when she does.
“It’s Cadence,” she says, grabbing her clothes and dressing quickly. It’s hard not to stare. Her body is all curves, perfect lines and made to be pleasured. I’ve never been with a woman like her - who looks at me so deeply as she comes. Who isn’t scared of asking for what she wants.
My cock wanted this - sure, but Ember’s pussy needed it. And damn, it tasted so damn sweet. The sex was incredible. Better than incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever come so fucking hard in my entire life. But I still can’t shake the pressure that still squeezes my chest. Emotions that I can’t figure out.
“I’ll go to the bathroom, clean up. The band is meeting again in a few minutes,” I tell her, wanting to give her privacy when Cadence gets home.
She nods, pulling her long hair into a messy bun. My hand is on the doorknob, but I don’t want to walk away.
“What?” she asks.
I step toward her one more time, pulling her to me, kissing those full lips of hers. “Thank you.”
She’s smiling as I turn to walk out of the room, and I hear her satisfied sigh behind me as I leave.
In the bathroom I clean up quickly, wanting to get a glimpse of the man who held Ember’s heart all those years ago. I want to see them together, I need to know if there are any lingering sparks, a tiny flame.
It shouldn’t bother me that there might be. Hell, they have a kid together. But I’ll admit there’s a spark of jealousy itching inside me. Something possessive, primal. Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
She’s mine, a voice growls inside my head, even though I know the truth is whatever this is between us has a shelf life.
After splashing cool water on my face, I dry off, making sure I don’t look like I was just licking his ex-wife’s pussy, and then head toward the living room.
“Where have you been?” Saint asks, brows drawn down, suspicion in his dark eyes.
I run a hand through my hair. “Fell asleep,” I mutter. The lie falls off my tongue so easily and for a second, I feel bad for it - until I look up and catch Ember’s gaze.
One look at her and any feelings of remorse fade. That single hour was the best of my fucking life.
“Mommy!” Cadence calls, running inside the house.
“Hey baby,” she says, arms open. “You have a good weekend?”
“Daddy let me stay up and watch Walking Dead, and I ate a whole bag of salt and vinegar chips all by myself. He said I’m a chip monster.” She giggles, rubbing her belly. Her hair is a tangled mess, like it hasn’t had a brush through it all weekend, and despite her energy, there are obvious dark circles under her eyes. “And then he let me have ice cream for breakfast with chocolate chips and sprinkles.”
“He did, huh.” I catch Ember’s frown, the one she tries to hide from her daughter. “I guess we better have extra vegetables tonight for dinner.”
Cadence groans, but she doesn’t argue, she just keeps chattering on. “Daddy said I can come over again next weekend, and have a sleepover with Emily, since he’s having a sleepover with her mommy.”
Ember’s frown deepens. “We’ll talk about it.”
Cadence doesn’t seem to catch on to Ember’s mood, because she’s already turning, her eyes brightening when she sees me. “Ash.” She runs toward me, and I’m not prepared when she flings herself at me.
I grunt when her weight hits me, and her arms wr
ap around my waist like she’s known me all her life, not just the last week. My heart clenches.
“Hey kiddo.” I crouch down to her eye level and listen as she gushes on about zombie apocalypses.
I only glance up when I feel a heaviness on me, a weight of someone watching me.
A man stands in the doorway, dark eyes boring into me, his face twisted into a scowl, his expression volatile. From the pink, princess backpack he’s carrying, I know he’s Cadence’s dad. Ember’s ex.
He’s wearing a polo shirt that sits snug against a slight beer belly. His hair is cut short, his jaw freshly shaved, and at first glance, he looks like a typical middle-class soccer dad. But I see past his exterior immediately.
The man is agitated. His right eye twitches and his left hand clenches and unclenches in a fist. And when his gaze drifted to Ember who has her back to him, his lip twists up in a sneer.
“Jesus,” he says, making Ember turn. “I didn’t fucking believe it. But it’s true.”
Ember’s face drains of color, and I see the flash of fear in her eyes before it’s replaced by action. “Cadence, go to your room.”
The kid reaches for my hand, moving closer to my side. Whatever is about to happen, I get a feeling like it’s not the first time.
Saint walks into the room, followed by Dusky and Synn. I can see from their expressions that they feel the tension.
“You haven’t changed, have you?” the douchebag says, tossing the backpack on the ground. His next words are muttered, but I’m pretty sure they’re something to the extent of, “Self-righteous slut.”
If the kid’s hand wasn’t still in mine, I’d be two seconds away from having my fist in the fucker’s face.
Ember flinches, her gaze meeting mine briefly, before looking back at Cadence. “Go to your room, now, sweetheart.”
“I don’t want to—”
“Hey, lass.” Dusky moves toward us, reaching his hand out to the kid, and says, “How about we go see if those baby birds have flown away yet.”
Cadence gives a small frown before nodding and letting go of my hand. I catch the look Dusky gives me before he walks out of the house with Cadence. One that says the exact same thing I’m feeling. This asshole is trouble.
“Dude,” I say, moving to stand beside Ember. “You need to calm the hell down.”
The man looks at me, and there’s all sorts of shit in his eyes. Anger. Jealousy. Resentment. And when he focuses back on Ember, those emotions are only intensified.
“It’s not what you think, Mitch,” Ember starts, like she has to justify us being here. And I get now why she was so frazzled when we’d first shown up. Because of the judgmental son of a bitch standing in the doorway staring daggers at all of us.
“Jeffries called me Friday night, said you were at the Boneyard, pissed out of your mind, and practically fucking that asshole on the dance floor.”
“That’s not...” Ember lets out a shaky breath. “I’m allowed to have a life, Mitch. We’re not married anymore.”
“But we’re still raising a kid together. And the only reason I didn’t fight for custody when you bailed on me was because I thought you’d grown up—”
“You didn’t fight for custody because you didn’t want a kid getting in the way of your”—she makes air-quotes with her fingers—“music.” Frustration has her voice raised an octave. “Plus, you were screwing a nineteen-year-old at the time, and you only had room in your life for one child.”
“God, you’re a vindictive bitch,” he says, taking a step toward her, his hands curled into fists.
Ember takes a step back, and I move in front of her.
“You need to leave,” I tell him. Before I rip him in two. I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone so bad. Not just because of the way he’s speaking to her, but because I’m starting to get a glimpse at who the man is - the shit he’s put Ember through.
“You think I don’t know who you are?” Mitch says. “I’ve seen the tabloids.” He glances over my shoulder at Ember. “These losers are who you want influencing our daughter?”
“They’re just renting the space,” Ember says. “Three months, that’s all. I need the money—”
“Bullshit, I give you a check every month.”
“Which barely covers Cadence’s dance lessons and outfits.” Ember lets out a shaky breath. “I don’t want to argue with you, Mitch.”
He grunts, his eye still twitching. “Good. Then we can agree that Cadence should be spending more time with me, and less here with this...circus.”
“Maybe you can see her a few more weekends—”
“I want her during the week.” A smile tugs at the guy’s lips, but there’s something cold, calculated in it.
“You’re kidding, right?” Ember pushes forward, her jaw tilted up, and I can tell despite her obvious fear of the guy, she’s ready for the fight she said she didn’t want.
I want to fight it for her. But I know this isn’t my business. Still, I don’t move, and neither do the guys.
“Deb thinks it’s a good idea,” Mitch says.
“Deb?” Ember shakes her head.
He smirks. “She’s moving in. We can give Cadence a real home. Stability.”
“She has a real home.”
Mitch looks around, sneering at me and the guys. “You think a judge will think the same thing? My lawyer—”
“You contacted a lawyer?” Ember doesn’t even try to hide the fear in her voice.
The asshole is all arrogance now. “Yeah, you might want to think about getting one too.”
He turns then, walking out the door, not shutting it behind him.
I turn to Ember when he’s gone. Her face is pale and she’s shivering.
“Motherfucker,” Synn mutters, shutting the front door.
“You okay?” Saint asks her.
She shakes her head, and I can tell she’s doing her best to hold back tears. I don’t care what the guys think, I pull her against my chest and hold her. Her body trembles and she lets out a few unsteady breaths, but still no tears come.
“You want us out of here?” Synn asks, shocking me.
“What?” She pulls back and looks at him.
“This is all because we’re living here.”
She shakes her head and sighs. “Mitch has been threatening to take her from me for years. I just...I never thought he’d try. He can barely take care of himself. But...if his girlfriend is moving in, then...”
I cup her jaw. “No judge in their right mind will take her from you.”
That’s when the tears fall. She wipes them away quickly, and takes a step back, all those walls I’d thought I’d torn down, being built back up right in front of my eyes.
“Maybe,” she says, but that one word is full of so much doubt.
I glance at Synn and Saint, telling them without words that I need a moment with her. Synn hesitates, his eyes darkening briefly before nodding. They both leave, and when the back door opens, I hear Cadence’s giggles from the backyard.
Ember’s hand is clammy when I take it and lead her to the front room, then sit down on the couch and gather her in my arms. The guys can give me shit all they want, she needs me right now.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter.
“For what?”
“Synn’s probably right. If we weren’t here—”
“No.” Her hand rests on my stomach, and she says softly, “I’m glad you’re here.”
I tilt her chin up and stroke my thumb across her bottom lip. “I’ll contact my lawyer, see what he can do.”
“I don’t need your help, Ash.” She starts to pull away, but I don’t let her.
“You’re afraid. I saw it when you looked at him.”
“Of course I am. He’s threatening to take my daughter away.”
“You’re sure that’s all it is?” My stomach is still twisting with the way he looked at her, the way she flinched whenever he spoke or moved toward her. I’d seen my own mom do the same with my dad.
“What kind of things?”
She shakes her head, this time she doesn’t physically pull away, but I know emotionally she’s shutting down.
“Hey, you’re talking to the king of mistakes.”
She chuckles, relaxing against me.
“So what? You were a rebellious teenager? Got caught smoking weed once or twice?”
“Yes, and yes,” she says. “God, I look back at the decisions I made, and I wish I could take them back, but then...”
“Then what?”
“I wouldn’t have Cadence.” Her eyes go misty for a moment. “I met Mitch when I was seventeen. I’d already started to rebel by then. Nothing big, just sneaking out of the house, drinking...” She shrugs. “Mitch was older. He’d just turned twenty-one, and he owned a Harley and played in a band—”
“You’re kidding.”
She laughs. “You wouldn’t think it now, but he was a bad boy.”
I grunt. “So what, you fell in love with him and rode off into the sunset.”
“It wasn’t that romantic.” Her whole body tenses. “But yeah, he made me feel things, and for a time I thought I loved him. Until I realized who he really was. But by that time, it was too late, I was pregnant with Cadence and too ashamed to go home to my parents. They hated Mitch.”
“He’s not really a likable guy.”
“He can be…charming when he wants.” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and chews on it. “I fell for it. And I’ll admit there was a time when I would have done anything for him...when…” Her voice is barely a whisper. “When I did. And he’ll use that against me now. If he really wants Cadence, then...” A small cry comes from her chest.
I stroke her hair back, then rest my palm on her cheek. “Tell me everything, Em. I can help—”
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