He pulled almost all the way out, then drove in slow and steady, finding a rhythm that hit a spot deep and electric. My body clenched andreleased with him—each thrust pulsing heat through my core. Whatever sharpness had come at the start dissolved, giving way to a swell of pleasure that kept building with every steady stroke.
“Faster, Ash,” I begged, dropping my hand to his backside. I wanted him to lose it, and I wanted to get there with him. He pinched my clit, bit my nipple, then increased the speed of his thrusts until the air left my lungs. I focused on the pleasure building between my legs. With every glide he came closer until I was sure one more movement would set me off. He slammed into me, and stars flickered behind my eyelids as a warm buzz spread through my core and my muscles clenched around him. Asher shuddered and moaned, his sweat-soaked body pressing mine into the mattress.
We lay there, catching our breath. Rain pounded the windowpane and thunder rumbled in the distance, but I’d never been calmer—never felt so weightless and free.
Asher pressed his lips to my forehead. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “More than okay. You?”
“So fucking happy it scares me.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Let me check the damage.”
He pulled out slowly and ran his fingers between my legs. “There’s a bit of blood. Are you all right?”
“Yes.” I sat up slowly, watching him slide the condom off. “I’m glad I did it with you.”
Asher smiled. “Me too. Come here.”
I crawled to him; he pulled me into his arms, adjusted my legs around his waist, and stood holding me. “Let’s bathe.”
The bathroom had a huge window facing the forest and a clawfoot tub big enough for two. Asher set me down on a fluffy rug. Steam rose as water filled the tub; he uncorked a bottle of bath foam and poured a stream under the running water. When it was ready, he picked me up and eased me into the bath, then sat behind me so my back rested against his chest.
For a few quiet minutes he washed me, running his palm over my shoulders, breasts, and stomach, lingering between my legs.
“Does it hurt?” he asked, pressing his lips to my shoulder.
I angled my face to see him. “No. It stings a little.”
Asher wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me tighter. “Nice, right? Being together like this.”
“I hate that it’ll end soon.”
He played with my wet hair, separating the strands. “I asked Ale to help me find an apartment.”
“You want to move out?”
He nodded. “I need to get the hell away from Russell. I want a place where you can stay—or where we can live together once you’re in college.”
My heart sped. He’d never said that out loud. I didn’t hate the idea, but I wanted to afford my own place one day.
“If you want, of course,” he added. “I also asked him to look for another team.”
Another team? Panic pinched my chest so hard I could barely breathe. I’d been afraid of losing him before; this felt worse. “So you’re leaving?”
“No.” Asher ran the back of his hand over my cheek. “I said I’d only accept an offer if the team was local.”
“You’re holding back because of me.” Saying it made the revelation press against my ribs. Asking him to give up his dream felt unfair—what if he resented me later? I was just a girl he’d fallen for. Racing was everything to him; it tied him to his dad.
Asher gripped my chin between thumb and forefinger and turned my face toward his. “I’m not holding back. I could move back to Spain, but Spain doesn’t have the person who makes me completely, insanely happy. I love you. I’m too selfish to put an ocean between us and not be able to kiss you whenever I want.”
“I love you too,” I whispered, sinking deeper into his arms. Asher never said things he didn’t mean. Still, part of me hated that he might reject something better for his career. He called himself selfish, and I was selfish too—I couldn’t imagine life without him.
I’d been so much happier with him. For the first time I had things to look forward to, and Mom’s absence felt less sharp because Asher loved me and cared for me.
“Trust me,” Asher said. “Spain’s an option, but it doesn’t have to be racing or you, peque. I can have both.”
I kissed him, letting the pressure ease for a moment, though a small fear lingered at the back of my mind. He wanted racing and me—but what if he couldn’t have both?
CHAPTER FORTY
