His hand vanishes beneath denim, and my heart kicks savage against my ribs, wild and untamed. Heat crawls across my skin, sweat gathering in the hollow of my throat as every nerve ignites, yanking me from nothing into fucking everything.
His tongue flicks over his lower lip, slow and deliberate, as he strips away my defenses.
Teeth sink into my bottom lip, choking back the moan clawing its way out. My thumb drags across slick heat, and my breath fractures. My hips roll against my own touch, chasing the lightning that shoots straight up my spine. Pressure builds beneath my skin, raw and electric. I can't stop the broken gasp tearing from my throat when I imagine his knuckles brushing my inner thighs.
His eyes never leave the camera, dark and consuming, while my fingers slide deeper. My vision bleeds into static as my body weeps for him.
Is he really doing this, right there, with others around?
And do I give a shit?Not even close.
That smirk of his cuts me open, and I picture his mouth on me, devouring, relentless. My thumb matches the fantasy, circling with brutal precision. I slip a finger deeper, grinding against my own hand. I should stay quiet, but Asher's chest heaves faster, the vein in his neck pulsing under ink, and when his teeth claim his lip, I shatter. Release hits like a storm, ripping through me in ruthless waves. My body jerks, the mattress creaking under the weight of my unraveling.
I crash back to reality and kill the video, laying still for a beat.Fuck. Does that count as betrayal?I'd never cheat on Parker. As much as I loathe him, I take my… marriage…seriously.
I wait for it.
For the shame to become suffocating, but as I grab Parker's shirt from the end of the bed, using it to erase the evidence, all I can think is…
That wasn't enough.
* * *
I blink back at Lucinda as she orders her coffee. The local cafe is nestled in the heart of Veilarath. Decorated with a flora of nature, it's hard to imagine a place more beautiful.
Unwinding her scarf, she places it beside her. “I noticed you and Parker sneak off last night.”
Caffeine isn't a hard enough drug to pull me up today, but I gulp it down, anyway. “It’s fine.”
She tilts her head knowingly. “No change from him?”
“He's, well, Parker.”
She doesn't respond, her finger tapping against her mug. “I don't know why all famous people don't come to Veilarath. Being able to escape the paparazzi because of the privacy laws here must be alluring for them.”
“Asher sent me a Snapchat last night,” I say, unable to stop myself.
Her mouth drops open. “Oh?”
I nod, trying to process all of what’s happening between us. “Of him.”
Luce leans close, eyes narrowed.
“…doing things on purpose to make me—” My lips tighten. Privacy laws aside, no one is about to skip on details they accidentally stumble upon on a casual Tuesday at a cafe.
She gasps, spine snapping straight when she reads between the lines. “And?”
“…and let’s just say, I suddenly remember how much I relied on sex to release my tension.” I let the words die into the quiet chatter of the cafe.
Silence. Because none of us want to touch that subject right now.
I shrug everything off, sipping my coffee again.
She blinks slowly at me. “I knew you two were more than friends!”
“I don't need to be judged.” I remind her, but it’s unnecessary. In all our years together, Luce has seen me at my worst, watched me make mistakes, and has never once raised a brow in judgement. And trust me, I've given her plenty of material to work with.
She lifts her shoulders, unbothered. “Do it.”
