Page 105 of Puck Me Back to Life

“Fuck, you're so good for me,” Ash mumbles against my throat. “Perfect, perfect, perfect.”

He keeps saying perfect like he can't think of a single word besides that. Then his teeth sink into my shoulder so hard I think he drew blood.

Ash grunts as his cock twitches inside of me. I throw my head back as I feel his warmth slicken my hole. I don't stop bouncing until Ash has to beg me to stop before he passes out. Ash lies back on the carpet, pulling me on top of him.

For a long moment, neither of us moves. The apartment is quiet except for our breathing and the rain tapping softly against the windows. Somewhere in the distance, traffic hums through the city, muffled by the walls of Ash's condo.

I slowly push myself upright. Every muscle in my body reminds me exactly how the last hour unfolded, but the ache doesn't bother me. If anything, it feels grounding. My mind has finally gone quiet.

Ash remains stretched out on the floor, one forearm thrown over his eyes as he catches his breath. A lazy smile tugs at the corner of his mouth when he hears me moving, but he doesn't open his eyes.

I slip into the bathroom to turn off the shower we'd abandoned earlier. Steam still hangs in the room, fogging the mirror until I wipe a hand across the glass.

My reflection stares back at me. My hair is a mess. My cheeks are still flushed. Dark marks bloom across my neck and collarbone, disappearing beneath where a T-shirt would sit. A vivid bite mark stains one shoulder, surrounded by bruises that will take days to fade.

For a second, I barely recognize the man staring back. He looks… Alive.

I reach up and brush my fingertips over one of the bruises. Ash's fingerprints. Ash's mouth. Evidence that, for a little while, my entire world had shrunk to one room and one person.

No William.

No blood.

No reporters.

No guilt.

Just breathing.

Just him and me.

My shoulders slowly loosen. Maybe this works. Maybe this is enough. Then Noah's face flashes through my mind. The peace evaporates so quickly it almost makes me dizzy.

I grip the edge of the sink. I close my eyes.

Not now.

Please.

Not now.

I force myself to inhale.

By the time I open the bathroom door again, Ash is sitting up against the bed with one knee bent, watching me quietly. He studies my face for barely a second before he knows.

The silence is gone. The thoughts are back.

“You okay?” he asks softly.

I shake my head. “No.”

He doesn't push, just simply waits.

The words leave my mouth before I have time to think about them. “...Again.”

For a heartbeat, he just looks at me. Then the smallest smile appears.

“Whatever you want, prince.”