It was perfect.
I looked down at his warm, inviting hand, then back into his warm eyes. I saw a rare tenderness, as though Ash, during his surgery and near-death experience, had finally asked to come home. It truly was perfect.
And, if I was being honest, just a bit scary.
I had to hear Ash’s own strength and faith in belonging home with me. Maybe it was just being emotionally clingy and needy, but I just needed it.
“Ash, I want to trust you the way I deserve.”
It had always been Ash’s determination that led him elsewhere, and that had to be what finally brought him back. The same commitment he gave to first the King’s Men and then the Black Reapers had to be what he gave me. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ash sat up and grasped my hand even more tightly.
“Let me prove it to you.”
He put my hand to his heart. I could feel every powerful beat. His rhythm quickened, matching mine. It was truly like we were in sync
“No matter what you say, no matter what you do, no matter what you may fear, I keep going until I’ve proven it without a doubt that I’m here for you. I’ve run enough from you. I’m sorry it nearly cost me my life before I grew the fuck up, but here I am.”
“And…what if…?”
I couldn’t finish the words. It was a bit much for me. It was like saying something potentially bad or questionable would put it out in the world—and heaven knew we’d dealt with enough shit getting this far.
“I’m not trying to make you trust me immediately. This is all about you and what you want now. All I want is for you to love these moments.”
I realized I had been holding in my breath. When I released it, I could see even more the glow in Asher’s eyes. Far too often, in past moments, I had watched his flames burn out of control and then not seen it for too long.
But now, I only saw a tender and inviting warmth. I finally let out a fresh breath as if I could breathe easy.
“Our moments.”
I leaned my head onto his chest, and he put his arms around me. I could feel our hearts beat as one with every kiss on the crown of my head. I tilted my head to look into his eyes. The flames were now dancing with desire.
I reached up, caressed his face, and lusted for more of his desire.
“Ash, I want you to love our moments too.”
Ash looked deep into my eyes with a manic ferocity, as though the rest of his world had disappeared. I was his world now, and I could feel the rest of the world slipping away. This—this was the fire I wanted.
The man who loved me wasn’t just tender and sappy. He was an animal when the situation called for it. And this situation, more than anything else, sure called for it.
“I do.”
Those words brought me back to our wedding day, back when all was right and pure. Back when Asher first became Ash. And yet, here was the same man, my love, looking into my eyes the same way he did when he first uttered those words on that magical day.
Asher began kissing me with manic passion.
And all of the worries of the outside world vanished in a flash.
Once more, it was just the two of us.
His kisses wet my lips. We fell into bed, and he climbed onto me and resumed kissing me. I couldn’t wait any longer, and so I reached down to stroke his cock through his jeans. He was already rock hard and began dry humping me. Somehow, the year-plus apart from each other didn’t seem to do justice to just how long it had been since we’d done anything.
I wasn’t going to last but a second if he so much as breathed on my clit. And judging by the look in Ash’s eyes in the brief moments when we weren’t kissing, he was determined to do that.
It didn’t “help” matters when Ash kissed me again and declared, "I want you to cum for me."
Well, who was I to say no to that?
