“No?” he asks.
“No,” I echo, the words more mouthed than anything else. Because my throat feels raw.
But I don’t care about that.
I care about this. I care about him. I care aboutus.
I force my head up off the pillows and press my lips to his, all while holding his gaze. It’s a challenge. A dare for him to stop me. A plea for him totake me.
His palm wraps around my throat, his thumb brushing my pulse as he gently pushes me back down.
I’m about to protest, tobeghim to give me what I need.
But then he kisses me again.
This time with dominance.
Power.
Precision.
His tongue masters mine in a skillful dance that makes my thighs clench around his hips. This is a kiss of intent. A kiss of understanding. A kiss that grounds me in the present and forces me to ignore the future.
Yes,I think.Yes, this is what I need to survive whatever hell awaits us tomorrow.
I wrap my arms around his neck and cling to him, desiring his strength.
Our eyes are no longer open. Or, at least, mine are closed. It doesn’t matter. All I care about is his touch. The way he continues to hold my throat is an unspoken declaration of power.
I’m his.
My life is literally in the palm of his hand.
I trust him implicitly, my soul having been his for a very long time.
But he’s never truly been mine. Until now. Untilthismoment in time.
It might be fleeting. However, I’ll make sure it’s enough to satisfy my heart and mind for whatever nightmare awaits me.
“Ashlyn,” he murmurs against my mouth, his opposite hand grabbing my hip.
Only then do I realize I’ve been gyrating against him, bathing his cock in my slick while seeking friction for my core.
It was so natural.
Sointrinsic.
Yet I’m not in heat. Not quite, anyway.
Which is also strange because I should be.
But I don’t want to think about what all of that means or why my estrus hasn’t arrived yet.
I really don’t care to think at all.
“Please don’t stop,” I say, repeating the words I thought I whispered in a dream. Except it was real.Thisis real. “Please give me this, Grey. A moment where we can beus. It’s… it’s all I’ve ever desired. For myself.”
The tears are back again and I hate this show of weakness.
