Page 78 of Ashes

I was fucked.

Sienna’s body was tightly pressed against mine, one of her arms splayed across my front. Having her in my arms felt strangely familiar, despite it being the first time we’d shared the same bed.

Well, when I was aware of it.

Her whimpers of pleasure were the only thing I’d been thinking of for every minute that had passed since she fell asleep. Being with her was setting me off-balance and gave me this overwhelming feeling that left me breathless.

Being with her felt like…

Home.

That paired with this intense need for her fueled my body every time I was near her. I’d only planned to watch, but when she’d parted her knees, I’d almost fallen to mine.

And when she started playing with herself and takinginstructions so well, I couldn’t help but want to get a closer look.

I wanted to learn every curve on her body, every sweet spot that would make her scream my name. I wanted to fuck her until our bodies became one. I wanted to be her first in every way possible. And the last man she’d ever be with.

I wanted to make her mine.

Then she’d come apart so beautifully and the thought of getting a taste shot through me like electricity. But one swipe of my tongue across her sweet cunt wasn’t enough because as soon as her taste burst across my tongue, it rewired my starving brain to crave that, and only that.

So I was fucked.

But for the first time in a long time, I felt a sense of calm. I may be in over my head. Correction, I was in over my head, but I’d let myself dream of a future while I had her in my arms.

Even though a future with her wasn’t a possibility.

I looked down at her next to me. She was asleep on her stomach, hugging one of her pillows under her head. The sheet was down at her waist and the oversized T-shirt she was wearing had ridden up throughout the night, exposing a sliver of her stomach.

What was the point of having words like breathtaking when it didn’t even come close to describing the sight of her like this.

My wife was so fucking perfect, it hurt.

My fingers itched to touch her, but I suppressed the incessant urge. I wanted to give in last night when she wanted more, but she’d never been with anyone before and I didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed or obligated to do more.

She’d only come into my life a month ago, but in that little time, she’d turned it upside down. I still couldn’t grasp exactly how I felt about her, but one thing I knew was that I’d never wanted anything or anyone this badly.

I hadn’t planned any of this, and yet I found myself not regretting a single thing.

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text from Valentina, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Valentina: He’s ready for you

Jamal: Be there in 15.

Closing the text on my phone, I took one last look at my wife before swiftly sliding off her bed. Then I passed by my office to grab my keys and walked out the door.

The knife I held to my side was dripping blood from the tip onto the polished concrete floor of the warehouse I used for meetings like these.

I’d bought all the vacant land surrounding our property when we moved in to ensure no one would come near itwithout my saying so. Most of it was still vacant, but we had this place built for my more discreet meetings.

Senator Ricci was a pitiful sight for the eyes. Strapped to a metal chair with his arms and legs bound with ropes, his head was slumped after my last lesson, blood pooling under his left hand where two of his fingers were missing.

He stirred, muttering whimpers of agony as he slowly emerged out of unconsciousness, for the third time since I showed up.

I leaned forward in my chair that was a few feet in front of Ricci and used the bloodied blade to push his matted brown hair away from his face. “Shall we resume?” I said, cocking an eyebrow at him.

His brain finally caught up to what was happening and he shook his head fervently, weeping and begging for me to stop.