“Oh god,” I rasped, shoving my face into his neck. The scent of the skin where it met his shoulder was so concentrated that I felt as if I took Ash into my very cells as I breathed him in.
He hadn’t moved since I put my arms around him, standing stock-still as I clung to him like a life raft.
I was probably making him so uncomfortable. He’d offered me a small amount of comfort when I sought connection, and I’d taken advantage of his kindness.
But just as I readied myself to let go, Ash’s thickly corded arms reached around my waist, one hand settling between my shoulder blades and the other resting on my lower back before pulling me more fully into his body.
“Cade, it’s okay.” He spoke softly into my ear, his breath ghosting across my skin.
A full-body shudder racked me in response, but he just held me tighter. The sureness of his hold helped ease my frayed nerves.
Shifting slightly, I angled my head so that my lips rested against the skin of his neck.
Gathering all the courage I had, I choked out a “thank you” before pressing my lips against Ash’s warm skin in a soft kiss.
And if I let the tip of my tongue peek out between my lips for a quick taste of his skin, who would blame me when he smelled so damn good?
Ash’s body went instantly tense at the pressure of my lips on his skin.
My breath caught in my throat, afraid that I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. I was paralyzed with horror that I’d done something Ash would hate me for.
Keeping my eyes downcast, I began to pull away slowly, trying to come up with the right words to apologize for taking things too far.
Instead of releasing me in turn, Ash tightened his arms around me, eliminating the small distance I’d created between our bodies.
“Cade. . .” he groaned.
Gone was his gentle tone of voice, now replaced by a grittier sound from deep in his throat.
I sagged in his arms, letting the relief wash over me.
Feeling brave, I raised my head to pull back enough so I could meet Ash’s gaze.
If I thought I could face the expression on his face, I’d been so wrong.
Ash looked back at me with an intensity I’d never seen in him before.
His eyes were filled with unfiltered heat focused solely on me. I’d never been looked at with someone’s full attentionbefore, as if he was determined to memorize my every feeling and reaction.
Ash’s shoulders rose and fell with his breaths, quickening the longer our eyes stayed locked on each other. The expansion and contraction of his torso under my arms heightened the anticipation inside me.
Forget butterflies, I had velociraptors in my stomach.
His tongue swiped out to lick his lips, giving them a rosy shine that emphasized their plushness. My instincts told me to close the distance between our mouths to see what they would feel like rubbing against mine.
But a sharp sliver of fear told me I was wrong to believe that Ash’s feelings mirrored mine. That he could want me as much as I felt pulled to him.
You’re insane. Nobody wants you. He doesn’t know what you’re really like. Once he finds out, he’ll ditch you so fast it’ll make your head spin.
That inner voice sliced me right open. The pain formed a lump in my throat that was hard to swallow around.
Shakily, I allowed some of the emotions raging inside me to show on my face, wanting more than anything for Ash to see how important this moment was to me.
But I couldn’t trust myself.
The voice had stolen the bravery I’d found to get myself into Ash’s arms, but I couldn’t take the last step without his help.
Whatever Ash read on my face prompted him to speak.
