For the Love of Ash (36 page)

Liam mumbled in his sleep, and then he darted up in the bed. His good eye shot open and frantically searched the room. When he saw Luke, he completely broke down, and it killed me inside. My heart lurched into my throat, and I couldn't help but tear up.
 

"It's okay, Liam," Luke coaxed as he hugged Liam and rocked him. "I'll keep you safe, promise." Liam sobbed and coughed as he hyperventilated. Lilly reached forward and rubbed Liam's back while Lindsay got up and joined the group hug.
 

Without meaning to, I felt like an outsider. They were a family, and Asher and I weren't a part of it. It was like two separate bubbles that had touched for a brief night.

His words from dinner rang in the back of my mind, and it made sense why he didn't take a job in another country. He had to protect these kids. I understood that. But at the same time, it wasn't his job. It wasn't fair. He had dreams, too.
 

I looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment, and stared down at Ash. I hoped that he wouldn't be affected by what happened, though I knew he would have questions.
 

"Maggie."
 

I mumbled that I wanted to sleep more and turned my head to the other side. I could tell from the ache in my muscles that it was way before wake-up time.
 

"Maggie, sweetie."
 

I groaned and peeked open just my left eye. When I saw Luke, I sat up wondering where the hell I was.
 

"What's going on?" I wiped the drool from my mouth and noticed the large body on top of me. Asher was fully asleep on top of me, his body dead weight. I guessed that explained my numb legs.

"Let's go to bed." Luke bent forward and lifted Asher into his arms. Asher grumbled a little, but once he found a comfortable spot, he settled in. Barely able to see through my blurry vision, I stumbled up and saw three lumps in the bed.
 

I walked past the bed and followed Luke down the hallway and into his bedroom. I felt like I was getting a peek at who he was, but I was too tired to really snoop.
 

I kicked off my shoes and jacket and piled them on a desk I found in the corner of the room. Luke laid Asher right in the center of the bed and began getting him comfortable. He pulled his shoes off and tossed them over his back, took off his jeans and socks, and then pushed him up against the pillow.

"Thank you," I said as I hugged him from behind.

"Thank you for being here. I know it wasn't pretty, but I really appreciate you staying by my side." He turned so we were chest to chest and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his torso and nuzzled into his neck.

"I'm so tired." I yawned unattractively and hoped he didn't see.
 

"Lie down, baby." He placed me on the mattress which was divine. I sunk in perfectly and immediately curled into a ball on my side. I reached forward and rested my hand on Asher's back.
 

"Wait!" I whispered as I heard Luke retreat from the room. "Where are you going?"

"I'll sleep in the guest room." He shrugged.

"Your bed is huge. Sleep on the other side of Ash. I don't want you to go." I knew that I sounded desperate, but I really didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay—forever.

"Are you sure, Sunny?" He took a step forward but paused.

"Positive." I tried to keep my eyes open as I watched him walk around the room and then eventually climb into bed. I smiled as he laid his head on the same pillow that Asher's was on. I shut my eyes and reveled in how happy I was in that moment.

"I love you."

"What?" he asked back. My eyes sprang open. Had I said that out loud? Shit.
 

"Goodnight."

"Oh, no!" He sat up and reached over Asher towards me. "Don't backtrack now, girl. What did you just say?" he asked again.

"I love you," I whispered because I didn't know what his reaction would be. I had never told a man that. In fact, the only person said 'I love you' to was Asher.
 

"Jesus, this is crazy. I don't do love. I can't. Don't you see my life—" My face instantly fell, and rejection settled in my bones. I wanted to burst into tears and flee. "But I fucking love you," he finally said.
 

"You do?"

"I fell in love with you when I saw your passion for this boy," he said as he rested his hand on Asher's shoulder.

"I think I've always known that you were something more."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too."

"Now go to bed. Tomorrow we have a busy day."

"Doing what?"

"Declaring our love." My insides clenched, and I was so full of nerves and excited energy, it took me a while to fall asleep.
 

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Maggie

The next morning, I woke up with one arm above my head, my fingers linked with Luke's, and my other arm around Asher. I couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect way to wake if I tried.
 

My movement must have startled Luke because he turned over and sat up, his back to me. He ran his hands through his dirty blond hair, sighed, and then looked over his shoulder at me.
 

"I'll be right back." He got up, threw on a sweatshirt, and left the room. I was fully awake now, so I got up and went into the bathroom attached to his room. I couldn't believe that all these kids had their own bathrooms—what a luxury. My parents weren't even that rich.
 

As I washed my hands, I glanced at myself in the mirror. My greenish skin appeared to glow under the yellow lights above. Dark purple bags now held a permanent place beneath my dimmed eyes. I needed to de-stress.

"Knock, knock." Yet he didn't knock. Luke cracked open the door and popped in his head. I smiled at him as he opened the door fully and walked in, shutting it behind him quietly.
 

"Hi," I muttered as I dried my hands on the sweats I was wearing.
 

"Hi." He closed the space between us and lifted me up on the counter. We were even in height, my face in line with his. I leaned forward and kissed his lips that tasted like spearmint.
 

"My father left," he said as we separated.

"That's good, right?"

"For now." He pressed his forehead against mine.
 

I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked down at his nose. "Did you mean what you said last night?"

"That I love you?" He nodded, his concrete eyes widening with worry. "Of course I meant it. I wouldn't tell you that if I wasn't sure." His shoulders relaxed, the tension seemingly evaporating. "I want you." His voice was husky and deep, sexy. It made my stomach flip and muscles clench. I wanted him so badly, but I was afraid that once we crossed that line, I would be completely gone. There would be no turning back from this relationship.
 

"Lock the door," I told him as I followed my heart. It was the first time in my entire life that I let myself listen to my gut. He smiled a Christmas grin and reached towards the door, flipping the lock on the handle.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his voice light, yet firm.

"I'm yours." That was it. He grabbed under my butt and lifted me completely into his arms. I crossed my legs behind his back and held on tight to his neck as he kissed me with fervor.
 

He squeezed me hard, making the blood rush to where his fingers bit into me. I ground my hips into him as I moaned from the way his tongue twirled with mine. I could feel his already hard dick pressing against my stomach, and it made me that much more ready.
 

We moved against the wall. My back hit it softly, and he used his hips to pin me against the cold, white wall. He pulled his lips away from my mouth, and I felt the loss within me. I wanted more. But instead of kissing me again, he bent down and kissed my neck right below my ear.

His hand snaked under my tee-shirt and pulled the cup of my bra down. I gasped as he pinched my nipple and elongated it by rolling it between his fingers. My head fell backwards as I tried to hold back my screams of pleasure.

"You better be quiet," he whispered.
 

"I'm trying," I whined as he continued to assault my breasts with his expert hands that refused to stop turning me on with their every squeeze and flick. I was tingling, my fingers and toes vibrating with energy. But it wasn't enough. I wanted him to reach down into my pants where the heat pooled.

I wriggled out of his hold and stood on my own two feet. His forehead was wrinkled, his eyes questioning as he watched me with hooded eyes. I trailed my nails down his chest to the waistband of his shorts. I felt him shudder under my hands.
 

It was like opening your favorite present, already knowing what was inside. I slowly pulled his shorts down first and revealed his gray Calvin Klein briefs. Then I teased him by brushing my fingers right along the hem and up and down his happy trail.
 

"You're killing me here," he ground out through clenched teeth. His hand dove into my hair, massaging my scalp as he shut his eyes in frustration. I loved the effect I had on him, and I was going to use that to my advantage.

As I pulled down his briefs, I kissed the place they had just covered. First it was his hip, which I sucked. Then the soft area around his happy trail. Then right above his shaft. He groaned from deep in his throat as I finally kissed the base of him.
 

I forgot about his briefs as they pooled around his ankles as I took him in my hand and admired him. I was intimidated, but I was experienced also. I just hadn't been with a man in almost two years, so I thought I might have forgotten how to do this.
 

I pumped him with my right hand as my tongue spun around the tip of his cock. His hand, still in my hair, pushed me towards him and I pulled back, just to mess with him. I liked the game.

"Patience," I muttered as I looked up at him from my crouched position.
 

"You. Are. Killing. Me." His gray eyes were vibrant as he pleaded for me to suck him. I smiled and then put his entire dick in my mouth.
 

He moaned and stumbled back a little bit as I pushed him in and out, in and out. I clenched my hand harder, and he moaned again. I loved that sound. I wanted to please him more and more just to hear it again.
 

He bent down and lifted me from under my armpits. "I don't want to come like that," he said as he kissed me hard. I lost my breath as he wrapped me up in him and massaged the inside of my mouth with this tongue.
 

"Your turn," he said with a smile. He moved with me as he laid me down on the plush blue bath mat. The fibers tickled my ear, but I didn't dare laugh as Luke descended over me.
 

He didn't take his time and tease me. Instead, he pulled down the sweats fast, taking my underwear along with them. I felt my face turn into molten lava and squirmed beneath Luke as his eyes raked over me.
 

"You're going to be shy now?" he asked as he looked up. His face was so close to me that I felt his breath heat between my thighs. His hands grabbed onto my inner thighs and slowly opened me up so I was completely bare to him.
 

He growled and then licked the inside of my left thigh all the way to my hip bone leaving behind a trail of wet fire. I shut my eyes and tried to focus on what he was doing for me, but all of the competing sensations were driving my mad.
 

His tongue pressed against my clit as his finger slowly started to circle my opening. I blushed again as I knew he was feeling how wet I was already. He pushed into me, and I groaned as he filled me up.
 

"God, you're fucking perfect." His breath was cold against me, making me shiver as it made where he had licked icy. My entire body shook. I had to do something. I ran my hands up his back and into his hair and tugged as he sucked and licked and just thoroughly fucked me with his mouth.

"Luke," I whispered, wanting him to have sex with me. "Luke, come up here." Almost like he was hypnotized by my voice, he looked up and then nodded. He got onto his knees and rummaged through the bathroom drawers until he came out with a foil packet.