Page 133

He stirs, blinking against the sunlight spilling through the curtains. The golden light dances across the floor, making his messy hair shine like a halo. A smile grows on his perfect lips, and, damn, he looks like a Greek god with his chiseled jaw and the stubble that lines it perfectly.
“Will sleeping next to me make you happy?” he asks, brushing his fingertips softly against my cheek, sending a jolt of electricity through me.
Goose bumps cover my arms.
“The happiest,” I breathe out, wishing I could freeze this moment forever, where everything feels right and uncomplicated. Nothing can bother us when we’re alone like this.
“Then consider it done,” he replies, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Really?” Laughter bursts from me, light and carefree.
“It’s always a yes if I get that reaction,” he says, his expression softening as he leans in closer, lightly brushing his lips across mine.
“You always know how to steal my breath away.”
He smiles. “It’s because it’s right. Inevitable.”
The word hangs between us, heavy with meaning. Inevitable—like gravity, like sunrise and sunset, like how my body has always responded to his touch or the way he looks at me with those deep, searching eyes.
“I don’t regret much in life, but?—”
“Don’t say it,” he interrupts, pressing a finger to my lips. “Regret nothing. Without it, we wouldn’t be here now. And don’t assume we would be because there are no guarantees.” His gaze, so serious now, holds mine with an intensity that makes my heart race. “Remember the past, but don’t relive it. We have an entire future to plan.”
“I hope you mean that,” I whisper, realizing that I’ve fallen in love with him with a ferocity that scares me. “I don’t think I can live without you.”
My words hang in the air between us, heavy and sweet, like the promise of something beautiful.
“Then don’t,” he says simply, as if it were the easiest solution in the world.
A thrill runs through me, a mix of excitement and vulnerability, because I know this man is mine if I want him. Even though my life is chaotic, this feels like the beginning of something life-changing. I can’t tell if I’m terrified or exhilarated at the thought, but either way, I want to dive in headfirst.
Asher’s lips find my neck and slide up to my mouth. He kisses me like he’s committed, and I know he is. The certainty of it makes my chest ache in a way that’s both thrilling and terrifying. This feeling has me so fucking scared that I nearly tremble.
Carefully, Asher slides his hands down my body, his touch leaving a trail of fire on my skin. His fingers slip into my panties,and he swallows hard, feeling how wet I am for him. My body has always been honest, even when my words and actions weren’t.
“Fuck, princess,” he moans against my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “Insatiable for me.”
“Always,” I whisper with a moan as he gently rubs circles on my clit.
My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head when he slides two fingers inside, curling exactly where I like.
I sink into him as he kisses my neck and whispers in my ear, his voice a seductive rumble, “I fucking love that sound.”
“Ash,” I whisper, my voice thick with need, “I want to feel you.” The words spill out, both a plea and a demand.
He chews on his lip as he slides out of his boxers, hovering above me, and our eyes meet—my sea blue against his sunset brown. In that moment, I see everything I’ve been afraid to hope for.
He slides deep inside of me, and it’s a promise. We’re in this together.
Asher and I float into the abyss, into nothingness—just us, sharing a moment that catapults us to a different universe. It’s always been him, this man who so patiently waited until I was ready for him, forthis.
“More,” I groan out, arching my back off the bed, my body craving more of him. “You feel so good.”
He stretches me so wide and slams into me so deep that I nearly see stars. His breath in my ear is intoxicating, nearly undoing me.
“One day,” he whispers, placing soft kisses on my lips, “I’m going to marry you, Billie.”
I smile against him, then pull away, meeting his gaze. In his eyes, I see our entire future unfolding. “I hope you do.”