A gasp exits my lips. One I really wish had stayed trapped.
He only smiles.
I watch his face as he watches his hand descend and I say nothing when he hooks a finger under the elastic of my pants. His finger lingers there slightly before moving down, the heat of his touch scorching me through my pyjamas until he reaches my ankles. He drags his fingers back up, watching my face for a reaction.
A shiver follows each point of contact he makes before his fingers slip under the elastic of my sock and pulls it off, following with the other one.
My toes curl, feet curling into each other. "My feet are cold." I mutter, watching as he scrunches the socks up into a ball and throws them far away. The thud of them hitting the wall and then the floor the only noise besides the sound of my beating heart in my ears.
"I don't really want my sister's face staring at me when I kiss you."
"You're going to kiss me again?"
I want him to.
He grins, "Oh, I'm going to do more than that."
Asher's lips crash into mine with a force that steals my breath away. It's not the soft, tentative kiss I expected. Not anything like the one we shared before. It's urgent, almost desperate, like he's been holding back for too long. His hands move to my waist, pulling me against him, and my brain short-circuits. All I can think about is how warm he is, how good he feels pressed against me.
I shouldn't be doing this. He's my best friend's brother, and this is just supposed to be a lesson - a continuation of the tutoring sessions, right? Except it doesn't feel like a lesson anymore. It feels real. Too real.
"Asher," I mumble against his lips, trying to pull away, but his hand moves up to cradle the back of my head, holding me in place, and I don't resist. Not really. I don't want to. His otherhand slides up my arm, slow and deliberate, making my skin tingle under his touch.
He pulls back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark and full of something I can't quite read. His thumb brushes across my bottom lip, and I feel a shiver run down my spine. "Ivy..." His voice is a low rasp, almost a warning but he doesn't finish his sentence, his head falling forward to rest on my shoulder, breathing heavy. "I can't-" he pauses, "we-"
"I want to learn, Asher. I want to learn it all." The words suddenly spill from my mouth and his head lifts, eyes connecting to mine, staring between them like they hold answers he's searched for forever. "I trust you."
"Ivy, you deserve-" he shakes his head, looking lost.
I know I should be thinking about the consequences, about what happens after this, but right now, the only thing I can focus on is the way he's looking at me, the heat in his eyes, and the way my body responds to him.
"I don't care," I breathe, surprising even myself. "Just...show me."
His grip on me tightens for a brief second, his jaw clenched like he's fighting something within himself. Then he closes the small gap between us, and his lips are on mine again, but this time it's slower, more controlled. His hands roam over me, tracing the lines of my body, and I feel like I'm on fire.
I can't think. I can't breathe. All I can do is feel. The sensation of his mouth moving against mine, his hands exploring my skin, the heat pooling low in my belly - it's overwhelming. And it's everything I didn't realise I wanted.
His mouth moves to my neck, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses along my throat, and I can't stop the small sound that escapes me. My fingers dig into his arms, trying to hold onto something solid as the ground shifts beneath me. Every inch of me is buzzing, alive, as his hands wander lower, slipping under the hem of my shirt.
"Asher," I gasp, barely recognizing my own voice and I shake my head, feeling like my heart is in my throat as I watch him watch me. "This is all still lessons right?" I hold my breath, awaiting an answer and I'm not even sure which one I want him to say.
He pulls back, his forehead resting against mine as we both catch our breath. His hands are still on me, his fingers splayed across my bare skin under my shirt, but he's stopped, like he's waiting for me to say something and then he nods, swallowing.
"Yeah, still lessons. We had a deal."
His hand lifts, brushing my cheek as he gives me a grin but then it shifts.
"You're not-"
My heart drops, so does my stomach.
"No." I say. "We had a deal. Nothing else."
Asher blinks, his hand dropping to my shoulder. "Right. Nothing else."
And then he kisses me again.
Chapter 14
