A tear rolls down her cheek as she snaps her eyes back to mine.
My breath catches in my throat and my pulse quickens. I can’t take more heartbreak from this girl. She’s fucking killing me.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying…” She squeezes her eyes shut, covering them with her fingers. “Shit, I don’t know what I’m saying. I just don’t want to get hurt again.” Stepping toward me, she places a hand on my face. “The thing is, being away from you really hurts, too.”
Another tear falls, and I can’t stop myself from wiping it away with my thumb. Call it self-preservation but I still don’t know if I’m sure why she’s here.
“Did you quit the Riders?” she asks.
I try to say yes, but it gets caught in my throat, so I nod.
The air between us grows thick as she stares at me like she’s trying to decide what to do next.
A steady beat thrums in my ears while I wait for her to choose our fate once again.
Then, as if she can tell that I’m about to implode, her lips crash into mine, and that’s it. It’s almost palpable the moment we both give up.
Pulling back, I mutter, “Are you sure? Because I can’t stand to lose you again. If this isn’t for real, you have to go. I love you, but I can’t?—”
“I’m sure.” With tear streaks down her face she nods, a smile gracing her lips. “I’m so fucking sure.”
My shoulders relax and I let out a breath, grabbing her face and wiping away the tears. “Thank fucking God. I swear, no matter what happens, you’ll never have to do this alone.”
She nods.
“I love you, Ash.”
Her sobs are broken by a laugh as she says, “I’ve always loved you.”
46
ASH
OCTOBER PRESENT DAY
Gabriel lifts me, his hands splayed across my ribs, and I wrap my legs around him before he walks us through the living room to the kitchen. Setting me on the counter, he pulls away, taking me in. His chest heaves as he creeps closer to me, each step causing my heart to beat just a little harder. As he gets close enough to touch me, he runs his hands up my thighs and under my dress before ripping it up over my head to leave me in nothing but a black thong.
He takes half a step back to run his eyes over my bare skin, and I feel like I can’t breathe.
“Fuuuuck, Ash,” he practically growls before grabbing my hips.
My heart explodes. I didn’t realize just how much I needed to hear him say I’m not less than he remembered.
He closes in, stopping before his lips meet mine to say, “My imagination over the last six years doesn’t even come close to the real thing.”
Catching my ear between his teeth, he presses himself between my legs and inhales me.
I grin to myself because I know that feeling. I could breathe him in for eternity and it wouldn’t be enough. I grip the countertop, and he presses harder, causing my thighs to clench around him.
He pulls back, sliding his hand into my hair. His lips caress mine, gentle and sweet. It’s not passion or the heat of the moment. It’s like savoring something.
When our mouths part, he drops to the floor between my legs.
Here’s the thing, no man has ever compared to him like this. He’s the only one who’s ever known my body and my mind the way he does. We know parts of each other that no one else can ever know, and that’s part of what makes it so hard to stay away.
He kisses the inside of my thigh, wrapping his hand around it. With each inch he travels closer to my core, my skin pebbles in the wake of his path. When he reaches his destination, he slides his fingers under the lace and pulls the thong down my legs, tossing it aside. I tremble in his grip.
