Page 32 of Burn With Me

“You need to say it,” he said, and even though his voice was low it felt like he’d yelled in my ears.

“Yes…yes, I…ah…want you to,” I mumbled.

It felt strange to ask for a kiss and to give permission like that. All the guys I’d dated had taken what they wanted and when they wanted it. Even if I was an uncomfortable kiss in a public line when they knew I wasn’t into PDAs, was nothing new. Grabbing or slapping my ass like I was their pet to pat in front of others was also normal. It was also why those relationships never lasted long.

Asher placed his finger under my chin and my heart jumped around like I was in the middle of one of my marathons.

“Are you certain, one hundred percent certain,” he asked, his lips so close to mine, and yet he didn’t touch me.

My nerves were fraying quickly as my body shuddered in his gentle touch. “Yes, I’m certain,” I said.

As his lips touched mine, I instantly knew I’d never known a passionate kiss until this moment. No one else had ever made a fire lick up my spine, leaving me breathless from a simple touch. The kiss started out soft, but quickly deepened as his hands cupped my face. Like a fire burning so hot that metal collapsed in on itself, so too did my insides.

Moaning, I slid my hands up his chest to wrap them around his neck, but his hands quickly removed mine and gently placed them behind my back. He held them easily with one of his hands. His much larger body bent my body back a few inches, breaking the kiss. I was breathing hard, my chest rubbing against his with every inhale. Asher’s eyes were as intense as he stared into my own.

“I did not yet give you permission to touch me,” he said softly, but there was no doubt this was a command.

My instinct was to bristle against the order, which must have shown in my eyes because I was once again being kissed. I could barely remember why I was annoyed.

“You taste like chilled strawberry wine on a hot June day,” Asher mumbled against my lips before he nipped at my lower lip.

My eyes were still closed as I waited for him to continue to kiss me. He’d released my hands at some point, but I kept them in the same position like he still held them. As I opened my eyes, I felt him stepping away. Grabbing for his hips, I pulled him closer. His eyes flared with heat, but he shook his head no.

“You’re not ready for that, although you do tempt me, little Firebug, you certainly do tempt my restraint,” he said, and once more he pulled my hands away from him.

Embarrassment scorched through me, and I looked away from him, pulling my hands free of his hold. He didn’t move, but I could tell he wasn’t going to kiss me anymore. Once again, I found myself conflicted about him.

“I see.” I crossed my arms over my chest and slowly pushed out a deep breath trying to think reasonably. He made me feel like I was a teen with my first crush all over again, but I wasn’t a teen, and I didn’t have a crush.

I stepped away and turned to walk toward the shore to sit and enjoy the warm sand. Grabbing my shades, I put them in place, happy to have something to be a small shield between me and his intense stare. Asher remained where we’d been standing for a while as if he expected something else to happen, but whatever it was, I had no idea.

Instead, I watched the water roll up to the sand, making it wet, and then retreat again. I could suddenly relate. The way that Asher pushed in on me and then pulled away felt like he was one of the waves, and I was the sand. As far as I was concerned, he was making me seasick.

“Why did you call me, Firebug,” I asked as he came to sit down. One of my eyebrows rose in question when he didn’t respond. “That is someone that likes to set fires.”

“It suits you,” he said. “You are petite in stature, yet you’ve managed to set a fire to everything you do it a good way. You pave your own path and clear whatever obstacles are in your way. You’ve also lit a fire within me. Don’t you think it suits you?”

My body flushed as heat spread throughout my body and warmed my cheeks with the strange compliment. If this was the case, then why did he say I wasn’t ready? Did he think I was a virgin or was this something to do with what he said earlier about being dominant in all areas of his life?

“I don’t know,” I said and looked away from his eyes.

Laying back to enjoy the sun, I liked the way it dried me off. Asher was a lot more complex than I expected and a whole lot more confusing. If this morning was any indication of how the rest of the date was going to go, I was in for one hell of a rollercoaster of a day.

Asher

Vi certainly enjoyed keeping me on my toes, and I liked it. Usually, my world consisted of me being in control of everything all the time, but Vi didn’t conform. On more than one occasion, I’d already been rendered speechless.

She was making me want to break all of the rules I kept in place. The present moment was a prime example. She was licking her chocolate-swirl ice cream cone, and she managed to get it on the corner of her mouth but acted like she didn’t notice. Unable to help it any longer, I leaned in, kissed, and licked the sweet chocolate off.

Fuck, she tasted so good.

“You had some on your…,” I nodded at her lips.

“Did I?”

“Yep.”

“Well then…” She booped her ice cream off the corner of my mouth, my eyes going wide. But then she smirked, making me want to teach her a lesson and order her to lick it off.