“You’re the only person that I’ve ever wanted to let all the way in, Asher. The only one. I’m trying. I want you to know that.” Tears well and I blink fast, trying to willing them away.
His eyes soften. Palming my cheek, he runs a thumb across my lower lip. Tingles shoot like fireworks through my veins, warming me inside. “It doesn’t have to be all at once. We can go slow.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay.”
“So, I’m your man, huh?”
I roll my eyes, pretending to think for a few seconds before answering. When his hand squeezes my side, I squeal, “Yes! Yes!”
He tickles me until I’m begging for him to stop through broken gasps. When I end up underneath him, his arousal presses against my opening, and all playfulness evaporates. His eyes pin mine, penetrating into the depths of my very being. “Alyse.” He says my name with such quiet reverence my eyes sting again. “Christ, I’m falling so hard for you. So damn hard.”
My eyes drift shut as my heart greedily sucks in his words. Then his soft lips touch mine. “Tell me you feel the same. Please feel the same,” he begs between kisses that are getting more urgent.
“Yes,” I mumble against his warm mouth. “Yes, yes, yes.”
When my legs instinctually part and he slides in, I ask breathlessly, “Don’t you have to get to work?”
“Fuck work,” he mumbles against my mouth, shifting his hips so he’s angled just right before he begins driving me quickly to the gates of heaven.
In that moment, I swear I feel our two souls merging into one. The only word running through my mind as we make love is: beginning. I finally feel like that’s what I’ve been granted.
A new beginning.
Chapter 24
Asher
“Did you follow my instructions?” I ask quietly against her ear while I help her on with her winter coat. It’s long and ivory, with a belt that cinches her tiny waist snuggly. She looks like a snow princess. Jesus, I want to strip her and fuck her before we leave, but I need to savor her later.
“To the letter.” She angles her head, capturing my lips in a heated kiss. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“No. And if you don’t stop looking at me like that, we’re not going to make it out the front door.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad,” she replies as she turns. Throwing her arms around my neck, she places a series of soft kisses on my neck, up my jaw.
Groaning, I force myself to grab her shoulders and push her back. “Baby, we have dinner reservations at seven-thirty. We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.”
She pouts, but I clasp her protruding bottom lip between my finger and thumb and give it a good tug. We turned another corner in our relationship yesterday morning. I want to tell her I love her so badly my insides ache with it. Every time I look at her I have to eat the words. But after tonight she may decide I’m not the man for her. I’ve already exposed myself so damn much I just can’t take that final leap until after I see her reaction to what I want from her.
One last peck and I lead her to the elevator, down to the Lincoln Town Car that Henry is driving for us tonight. I don’t use our corporate driver, Henry, very often, but I want tonight to be special. Besides, if she decides to flee, at least I’ll know she has a safe way home. When she sees the car and Henry standing outside holding the back door open, she slides me an amused look and smirks.
“Pulling out all the stops, huh?”
I guide her into the backseat. Henry shuts the door behind me. “You have no idea, Alyse,” I reply, tugging her close to me, kissing the top of her head. Her hair smells like coconut and I have to restrain myself from doing even one of the dozen wicked things currently running through my head or Henry may as well turn around and take us back to my place. I won’t be able to stop with a simple kiss or a light touch. I’ll be taking her right here in the backseat, Henry be damned. And I may not mind a little exhibitionism once in a while, but I don’t necessarily want my dead father’s best friend to watch me fuck my woman into next week.
Even I have my limits.
Tonight’s plan is a nice dinner at The Metropolitan Club, a downtown high-rise restaurant entirely encased in glass with a breathtaking view of Chicago. It’s next to impossible to get into, especially on a Saturday night, but since GRASCO is a member, I was able to manage a last-minute reservation. But after dinner, I plan on taking Alyse to an exclusive club that caters to particular tastes.
I’m not scared to let people see this part of me, but I am selective about who I tell. With Alyse, however, I find I’m actually afraid. This isn’t something I indulge in often or even need to have regularly, but this was a part of me that Natalie could never accept and it has weighed heavily on my mind for weeks. Ever since fate placed Alyse Kingsley in my sights again. It’s one of the reasons I warred with myself on whether to pursue her or not, but I simply could not stay away.