“Because if you were, I'd have to fight someone for the right to do this.”
His head lowers. My heart stops, and my stomach drops like it’s zero-gravity. My hand tightens over his, fingers digging into his flesh. Anxiety and excitement initiate a battle to the death inside me, trapping me somewhere between complete shock, fear, and extraordinary desire.
Asher stops when his lips are a millimeter above mine, giving me the chance to stop him or pull away. I don’t; Ican’t. Instead, I make possibly the greatest mistake of my life by lifting my head and sealing my lips to his.
They’re warm, soft, and inviting, a complete contrast to his harsh and spiky personality and his otherwise marble-hard body. My free hand develops a mind of its own, rising to squeeze his biceps, which are deliciously firm.
His lips are even more delicious. A heartbeat after I give my unspoken permission, he starts moving them over mine, and I nearly die on the spot. He’s slow, skilled, and surprisingly tender—as if he’s mindful of how skittish I am tonight. He’s surprisinglyplayful,too; his tongue traces the seam of my lips, but he pulls away each time I part them to give him access, until I let out a small grunt of frustration.
He slides his hand fully into my hair, cradling my head as hefinallydeepens the kiss, swirling his tongue over mine in sensual, velvety rubs. Molten heat spreads from the contact between our lips, traveling down my neck,tightening my nipples into stiff peaks, and slinking further south. Electricity tingles over every inch of my skin, and a low, warm pulse overtakes my core.
He melds his body into mine, his grip on my hair tightening. His erection presses against my navel, and I gasp into his mouth, sliding my hand from his arm to the back of his neck, holding him even closer. He raises our intertwined hands and presses them against the wall, trapping me.
I’ve kissed and been kissed before, butneverlike this. Never with such care, deliberation, orpassion. Our kiss morphs from tentative to ravenous, teeth clashing, tongues twining, any juvenile hesitance chased away by raw desire. I can’t get enough of his minty taste sharpened by the bite of alcohol, or the feeling of beingwantedlike this.
I feel like I drown and get resuscitated by his lips a thousand times. This moment is what true enlightenment feels like. It’srevelation.
When we’re about to pass out, he finally pulls his lips away from mine, only to trail them across my jaw. He catches my earlobe with his teeth and gently bites it; I nearly combust with an unabashed moan, fingers pulling his silky hair. His lips continue an unhurried, leisurely exploration down my neck, where he briefly pauses to swirl his tongue around my pulse, which draws an even louder moan from me. His scrape over my collarbone, and his hand releases my hair in favor of fingering the neckline of my dress. His eyes meet mine with silent question.
Before I can respond with an enthusiastic,fuck yes,the door opens.
The heat molding me into another person disappears, chased away by the cold bite of reality as another couple stumbles into the room.
The man is unfamiliar, but the woman isAmanda.We both freeze, staring at each other. Asher turns around with a growl, then also stops cold.
Fuck, what are wedoing?We’re in a nightclub in a different country, making out like rowdy teenagers in a semipublic space. We were probably about to do a whole lotmorethan kiss.
My cheeks burn so brightly I think I might have a fever.
“Well,” Amanda says, releasing the man she’s clutching and smoothing down her dress. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s had too much to drink.”
My jaw tightens. She thinks I’d only sneak away with Asher because my inhibitions are lowered? Doeseveryonethink so poorly of him?
Now isn’t the time to hash it out.
“Barbie, take your boy-toy out of here,” Asher growls.
Amanda offers him a one-finger salute. “Whatever you say, jerk.” She opens the door again, ushering the man out, but catches my gaze before she disappears. “Be careful.”
A second later, she’s gone, leaving her words echoing on a loop in my head.Be careful, be careful.
What I’m doing right now is anythingbutcareful. It’s completely careless. Kissing Asher could screweverythingup, including our slowly-improving workingrelationship, my image on the team if anyone finds out, and my prospects of moving up in the F1 world.
What thehellam I doing?
Am I really this dumb and this desperate?
“Victoria…” Asher notices my change of mood. He releases me and steps back, his brows furrowing. “That was—”
“I have to go.” Now that his lips are no longer draining all the blood from my head and sending it to my clit, I feel like a complete idiot for coming here. I shouldneverlisten to Keith’s advice; he’ll forever be the devil on my shoulder.
“Victoria.” He takes my hand again. I stop cold, trying to think past the electricity that reignites.
“Was that… did I…” he rakes a hand through his hair, looking more disheveled than I’ve ever seen him. “Was that okay with you?”
“Oh, god, yes,” I say, probably too quickly. “I mean, yes.” My attempt to sound more calm is completely ineffective.Fuck, I need to get out of here before I make even more of a fool of myself.
Without further ado, I offer him a wobbly smile that collapses under the weight of my anxiety and scurry out of the room.
