As soon as we arrived at the club we would be going to, we were ushered through because apparently Ashton and Nate knew the guy on the door. The security guy didn’t even look twice at me, which was fantastic considering I wasn’t actually old enough to be in the club in the first place. As we made our way through the crowd, Ashton seemed a little tense; he practically stuck himself to my back as we walked past a group of guys who were eyeing me. I wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to do his job properly, or if he was just being possessive, I had a feeling it was a mixture of both.
I followed Nate to the far side of the club, seeing Seth, Wayne, and Ryan standing there flirting with a couple of girls. Even though he’d only left us just over an hour ago, Ryan’s lopsided smile told me he was already slightly tipsy.
When we stopped and exchanged pleasantries, I spotted a pretty blonde girl standing alone at the bar. I touched Nate’s arm. “Right then, let’s find you a woman,” I chirped. “You like blondes, I bet.”
“Yeah, I like anything that’s female,” he agreed, laughing.
“Okay, I’ve got you a suitable candidate. Try not to make a fool of yourself, alright?” I joked. “Who wants what to drink? My round,” I offered, looking around at them all. Everyone answered with beer, apart from Ashton who just took my hand.
“I’ll come with you.”
I tugged my hand out of his and stepped closer to him, smiling reassuringly. “But I’ll be right there. There’s no need to worry, I promise. You can even still see me,” I murmured, going up on tiptoes and planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Please? No one even knows me here,” I whispered so that no one else could hear. He sighed, and his shoulders tightened as his eyes scanned the bar before he finally nodded in agreement. I grinned triumphantly. “Great, what do you want to drink then?”
“Orange juice.”
I frowned at that. “Can I put vodka in that?”
Ashton shook his head sternly. “No, Anna,” was all he said. I knew that was a definite no, he only used my actual name when he was serious.
Walking off before he could change his mind, I made my way to the bar, squeezing in next to the blonde girl I’d scouted for Nate. I smiled at her. “I love your dress, it’s gorgeous.”
She smiled before brushing the skirt of her red dress gently. “Thanks! I got it on sale. It only cost thirty-five bucks, can you believe that?”
“No way, that’s awesome,” I gasped, looking down at it enviously, wondering if I could ask Ashton to hunt out this mystery store so I could buy one before we left to go back to school. The barman stopped in front of me and smiled expectantly. “Hey, can I have four beers, an orange juice and a rum and coke?” I asked, praying he wouldn’t card me.
He didn’t even bat an eyelid as I reeled off my alcohol order. While he was making it, I turned my attention to the girl again. “Are you here on your own?”
She sighed and frowned, looking around quickly. “I’m supposed to be meeting friends, but I’m a little early.”
“Do you want to come over and wait for them with us?” I asked, raising my eyebrows innocently. “I’m with my boyfriend and his friends.” I nodded over to where they were. They’d snagged a table, so were now sat around it, laughing and chatting.
Her gaze flicked in that direction and her eyes widened. “Wow, they’re freaking hot!” she gasped. I chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Which one is your boyfriend? Ah, I bet it’s the one with black hair, he hasn’t taken his eyes off you yet.” She nudged me in the side, smiling.
I grinned, looking over to see that Ashton was indeed watching me like a hawk to make sure I was alright. “Yep, that’s him,” I confirmed. “You can wait with us if you want, it’s no problem. It’s better than standing here on your own.”
She nodded in agreement, smiling gratefully as she picked up her drink. “I’m Michelle, by the way.”
“Anna.” When the barman set a tray down on the bar, I slid my money across the wood and then we made our way across to the boys’ table. “Guys, this is Michelle, she’s going to wait with us for a bit for her friends,” I introduced, nodding at her.
Nate’s face lit up as he stood. “Hi, Michelle. I’m Nate.” He took her hand and looked straight into her eyes, leaning in a little too close for an informal greeting. A blush spread across her cheeks.
I laughed and turned my attention to Ashton, who looked like he was finally relaxing now that I was back at his side. On quick inspection, I noticed that there weren’t enough chairs with Michelle here too, so I smiled and sat myself on Ashton’s lap, placing his orange juice down in front of him.
“So, what will it take for me to get you to drink and enjoy your birthday?” I inquired.
He grinned, shrugging. “I don’t need to drink to enjoy my birthday. I’ve had the best day of my life with you today.”
My insides melted as I pressed myself closer to him. I still wanted to see him loosen up though. “Please? Just a drink or two, I’ll do anything you want,” I offered, raising one eyebrow suggestively.
He gulped, and I could almost see the dirty thoughts running through his mind. “I don’t want anything,” he protested, but at the same time he licked his lips. I was no body language expert, but that subconscious move told me that he wanted something.
Raising my hand, I ran one finger around the collar of his shirt, tracing his skin with my fingertip. “There must be something that you want, or that I can do for you,” I whispered in his ear. My skin prickled as I thought about all the things that I could do as a bribe for getting him to have a drink with me. There wasn’t that much that I wasn’t up for tonight. Tonight I would make sure he had a spectacular birthday. I smiled and pulled away teasingly, making him groan. “One drink and you can name your price,” I offered, smirking at him.
“Baby Girl, come on, I can’t. It’s not that I don’t want what you’re offering because damn, that sounds like the best offer I’m ever going to get in my life, but I can’t do that, I won’t,” he answered sternly.
I sighed and shook my head. I’d keep working on him; he’d cave eventually even if I had to insist that he suck a shot from my belly button. “You will by the end of the night,” I disagreed knowingly. He shook his head sternly and smiled confidently, both of us sure of the outcomes. He’d give in though, I was sure of it, he wasn’t that strong.
Giving up for now, I turned my attention back to Nate. He and Michelle were locked in the middle of a full scale makeout session. I smiled and shook my head incredulously. The stories that Ashton had told me about his best friend being the master of seduction were clearly not exaggerated.
Two hours later and I was having a fantastic night. Michelle’s friends had turned up a little while later, so she’d made her exit – not before keying her number into Nate’s cell phone and telling him to call her later. I’d made sure not to drink too much; I’d only had three drinks before moving onto orange juice too. Nate and Ashton’s other friends were growing on me more and more by the second. Los Angeles was turning out to be everything I thought it would be, and more.
“Ashton, your turn for drinks, bud,” Nate announced, knocking on the table to get his attention. Ashton groaned and stood, sending me a meaningful look that told me to stay put and not move. I watched as he deliberately walked to the corner of the bar so that he could still see me easily. I grinned and shook my head at how overprotective he was. Nate turned to me and smiled. “So, where did you two meet anyway? Ashton never said.”
Okay, time for some fun; let’s see how gullible Nate is! “We met in a strip club, I gave him a dance,” I lied, shrugging casually.
“Shut up! You’re a stripper?” Nate cried with wide eyes.
“No!” I snapped, faking horror.
“Oh, sorry, I just thought when you said… oh, never mind,” Nate stuttered, smiling apologetically.
“I’m most certainly not a stripper. I’m a lap dancer,” I replied, trying not to laugh as he choked on his beer.
“A lap dancer?” he asked, shocked.
“Yep, there’s a big difference.”
Ashton came back then, setting the drinks down on the table. He smiled but didn’t ruin my game as he slid into the seat next to mine.
“Really? You’re serious?” Nate inquired.
I grinned. It looked like Nate was extremely gullible after all! “Yep,” I nodded, trying to keep a straight face.
“Well, how much, Anna? I’ll take one,” he chirped, grabbing his wallet out of his pocket, grinning like crazy.
“How much you got?” I leant in as he opened his wallet.
He counted for a couple of seconds. “Fifty eight dollars and twenty five cents,” he answered, looking at me hopefully.
I waved my hand dismissively. “Nowhere near enough,” I replied, scrunching my nose up. Ashton laughed, so I turned to him and raised one eyebrow. “You, on the other hand, can get one for one drink. Two drinks will get you a private one. And for three drinks, I’ll do it in my sexiest underwear,” I offered. He groaned and a pained looked crossed his face.
“I’ll buy you three drinks, Anna,” Seth interjected, jumping up quickly.
I shook my head, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, Seth, your price is much higher. This one’s just for my man,” I explained. I scooted to the edge of my seat, pressing my side against Ashton’s as I leant in closer, leaving our mouths millimetres apart. “Three drinks is all it takes. I might even forgo the no touching rule, seeing as it’s your birthday.” My body was begging for him to accept, I would definitely forgo the no touching rule they usually had for lap dances.
“I can’t,” he whined, looking at me pleadingly.
I shrugged nonchalantly. “Offer expires at midnight, that’s when your birthday is officially over.” I ran my nose up the side of his, listening to my heart thumping wildly in my chest.
“Anna, please?” he begged, closing his eyes.
“Anna please… what?” I asked, nibbling on the edge of his jaw.
“You’re killing me,” he moaned, shaking his head. I pressed my lips to his, kissing him gently before pulling back and grinning wickedly.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Nate stand and walk off. A minute later he came back and set three shot glasses down in front of Ashton. “You’ve only got until midnight before the offer expires, Taylor. If I were you, I would drink them the hell down, right now,” he suggested, looking at me longingly.
Ashton glanced at his watch and groaned. “It’s ten to twelve now.”
I smiled. He was definitely wavering. “Well, how about you do one shot and I give you a taster, and if you like it you can do the other two,” I offered. I watched his face as the offer sank in. He wanted it badly. As if unable to help himself, he picked up one of the glasses. My stomach clenched in anticipation of having to give him a lap dance in front of everyone, but the alcohol in my system was giving me the confidence. Putting my hand on the bottom of the glass, I guided it towards his lips, watching his face as he tried to decide.
Before he could make up his mind though, a fight broke out in the bar. I didn’t even get the chance to flinch before Ashton was out of his seat and had yanked me to my feet, pushing me against the wall as he stepped in front of me protectively. As sounds of a struggle rang out, I hooked my fingers into his belt loops and stayed still and quiet, just like he had taught me to.
Within minutes, it was broken up and two drunks were thrown out of the bar. Ashton turned to face me, cupping my face in his hands as he bent and planted a sweet kiss on my forehead. “I’m not having a drink. Now don’t ask me again,” he said sternly. His tone told me that this was the end of the conversation. I nodded in agreement, knowing he wouldn’t change his mind now. That little fight had spiked his protective instincts, he wouldn’t waver again.
When we got back to the table, he took a seat and gripped my waist, pulling me down onto his lap. Nate shook his head and laughed. “Bud, talk about overreaction. That fight was never coming over here,” he mocked.
“I don’t care. I’m not having Anna near anything like that,” Ashton replied, shrugging.
Reaching out, I picked up one of the shots, pushing another towards Nate. “Cheers.” I chinked my glass against his and then knocked back the shot.
Nate smiled and downed the drink at the same time I did. “Is it after midnight already?” he asked, grinning as he rolled his eyes at Ashton. “I can’t believe you blew your chance.”
“Maybe another night then,” I said shrugging. I hadn’t ruled out the possibility of giving him one anyway if he asked me nicely. After what he was doing for me, I owed him something. If I wasn’t here with him tonight, he would be drinking with his friends, instead of working. I was ruining his birthday celebrations. Ashton looked like he wanted to say something. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. “Cat got your tongue, Pretty Boy?” I teased, looking into his beautiful green eyes.
He nodded. “I guess. It’s just… what’s got into you today?”
I smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just having a great time here in LA with you.”
He grinned at me happily. “Well I’m having a great time here in LA with you too,” he replied, kissing my cheek.
“Hotties at three o’clock!” Nate announced, nudging Seth in the side.
“I call the redhead!” Seth said quickly.
“Damn it! I was gonna call the red!” Nate grumbled, clearly annoyed. I laughed and shook my head as they stood up and walked over to the girls with their game smiles plastered on their faces.
“Wanna dance?” Ashton offered, nodding at the busy dance floor. His hand traced my back slowly, causing my skin to break out in goosebumps. I nodded in agreement, and we wove through the crowd.
Dancing with Ashton seemed to spark something in me every time it happened. Maybe it was just the way that his body fitted so perfectly against mine, or maybe it was the close proximity, or maybe it was that his hands rested firmly on my ass. Whatever it was, it seemed to send my body into a frenzy of excitement.
As we swayed to the heavy beat of the song, his eyes never left mine. Everything around us faded into insignificance as I lost myself in his gaze. My heart was racing in my chest as my stomach fluttered with excitement and longing. Raw passion was building inside me, and this time I wouldn’t be able to contain it or stop it. Tonight I was giving him the best birthday ever, and at the same time I was going to allow myself to be happy for once. I wanted one night of pure, unadulterated bliss in his arms, with no guilt about it after, and no regrets. Tonight I was thinking of myself and putting aside what always held me captive to my emotions. Tonight I was going to pretend that what Ashton and I had was real, instead of just being for his job. If we made some rules, and agreed on one night, tomorrow we could pretend this never happened and we could both move on from it.
When the song changed to a slow one, he pulled me closer to him. His eyes didn’t leave mine as the desire raged inside me. My heart clenched as a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He really had the most incredible smile I’d ever seen. Dancing with him in the semi-darkness, with his body pressed against me and his face inches from mine was easily the most romantic moment of my life and my whole body was tingling.
I gulped, swallowing the lust that made my mouth dry. “Ashton, will you take me home please?” I tangled my fingers into the back of his hair and pulled his forehead against mine.
He nodded, kissing the tip of my nose before pulling back and taking my hand. He led us back to the table, smiling at Wayne and Ryan. “We’re leaving, see you tomorrow. Tell Nate and Seth we said bye,” he said. I waved and let him lead me out of the bar. As we walked the short distance to his place, neither of us spoke, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.
Once we got back to his apartment building and climbed the stairs to his door, he fumbled in his pocket for his keys. I couldn’t wait any longer. The ache for him was actually painful, and I felt like I was trapped inside my own body and I needed to get out. Stepping between his body and the door, I went up on tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. His body stiffened, but he kissed me back immediately, pushing me against the door, pinning me there with his body. I moaned into his mouth as the kiss deepened. My whole body was throbbing with excitement.
When his hands slid down to my rump, lifting me off my feet, I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him passionately, releasing all of the feelings that had been trapped inside me since this happened two months ago. He fumbled with his keys and then we were inside the apartment. He kicked the door closed behind us and carried me to his bedroom, never once breaking the kiss as he pressed me into the soft mattress.
My hands wandered his back, pulling him impossibly closer as his mouth ravaged mine. Little sparks of pleasure were popping and fizzing inside me, his hands left a burning trail on my overheated skin as they slid down my bare legs, kneading my thighs.
Rules, Anna. Set the rules! My brain was screaming it at me, but my body was lost. My trembling fingers worked the buttons on his shirt, pushing it down over his shoulders as my eyes wandered down his chest and my mouth watered in anticipation.
My mind was whirling: Was it going to be as enjoyable as I remembered? Had I distorted the memory of it and I was thinking that this mind-blowing thing had happened to me, when in reality I was just setting myself up for disappointment? The real thing couldn’t have been as good as I remembered it.
He caught the bottom of my shirt, slowly pulling it up as if waiting for me to protest. I smiled reassuringly and arched my back to make it easier for him. There was no way I was stopping tonight. He groaned and pulled my shirt off, tossing it carelessly over his shoulder as his eyes dropped to my chest.
Wait, rules, sort the rules before this ruins everything!
“Ashton,” My voice was so thick with lust that it didn’t sound like mine at all.
“Mmm?” he murmured, dipping his head and licking the skin between my breasts as his fingers went to the button of my shorts, tugging eagerly.
I gulped, swallowing my lust. “Ashton,” I repeated, trying to get his attention. I shook my head quickly, closing my hand over his and stopping him from unfastening my shorts. Once my shorts were off and his hands were there, I would surely forget what I needed to say.
He stopped immediately. His eyes widened in horror as he pushed himself up off me, rolling to his side, holding his hands up innocently. “Shit, I’m sorry! I got carried away. I didn’t mean to take it that far, I’m really sorry. Are you okay, Baby Girl?” he apologised, wincing.
I smiled reassuringly because he’d clearly jumped to the wrong conclusion about why I asked him to stop. I rolled to the side, pushing him onto his back before swinging my leg over his body, straddling him. As I looked down at him, I tried extremely hard not to notice how excited he was downstairs or how nice he felt between my thighs. I needed to concentrate, and that thought wouldn’t help at all.
“I need to talk to you,” I muttered.
“Okay,” he nodded, moving to sit up but I put my hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down onto the bed.
I took a deep breath to calm myself and my raging hormones. I silently prayed that he was agreeable because I needed him tonight. “I want you right now,” I admitted.
A breathtaking smile stretched across his face. “I want you right now too.”
He moved to sit up again, so I pushed him back down, leaving my hands on his shoulders. I needed to explain before this went any further, he needed to understand and agree to it before this could happen. “I just want you for tonight, that’s all. Tomorrow we pretend like this never happened,” I offered, biting my lip, begging him with my eyes to accept.
He frowned. His expression was like I’d just slapped him in the face. He looked both hurt and shocked. “Anna, what? I don’t want to pretend that it never happened.”
My heart sank. “Please?” I begged. “I need you. Ever since that first time we were together, I just can’t stop thinking about it. Sex, no strings, one night, I’ll do whatever you want. It’s your birthday, so you name it and I’ll do it,” I bargained as I ran my fingertips down his chest.
“Anna, I don’t just want you for one night.” His voice was a little strained and the sad tone of it made my heart ache.
“I just want to make myself happy, just for one night. I promise I won’t feel guilty about it tomorrow and get upset. I promise, please?” I leant down so our faces were inches apart. Indecision was clear across his face. “Please? I want you and I know you want me too. Just for tonight?”
“Tell me why you won’t let me in,” he said suddenly. “Try and explain it to me.” His eyes searched mine for answers that I myself didn’t even know.
I blinked, a little shocked at his request and the sudden change in conversation. I sighed, feeling dejected. Clearly my request was ruining the easy relationship we had. I shouldn’t have wished to be happy, even for one night, because I obviously didn’t deserve it.
“I just… can’t. I let Jack in and when he died, it killed me inside. I’m broken. I don’t have anything to give you. Jack took all of me when he died,” I whispered, closing my eyes. I knew that wasn’t true though, Jack didn’t take everything, I thought for the longest time that he had, but since I’d met Ashton, I’d started to feel again. I couldn’t be dead inside because I could feel the tug at my heart when Ashton looked at me just as he was looking at me now: pleading and hurt. I wanted to make him feel better; it was almost painful to see that look on his face. So that was how I knew that my heart didn’t die when Jack did. The trouble was, I couldn’t let Ashton have my heart. I couldn’t feel heartbreak again; I wouldn’t live through it a second time. I wasn’t strong enough to go through another man leaving me; I couldn’t open myself up like that again. But I could give myself to him physically and give us what we both wanted.
“But if you could just give me a chance…” He looked at me pleadingly, begging me with his sad puppy dog face.
I shook my head fiercely. “No. I’ve been there and felt what it’s like to have your heart ripped out. I won’t ever let myself get in that position again, not ever. I can’t.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But I just want to feel happy for one night. I want to be normal and not worry about anything or anyone. Please? Will you just… make me forget everything, Ashton?” I begged.
I could feel the disappointment and devastation building inside with each passing second. Tears welled in my eyes as I pressed my face into the side of his neck, willing them not to fall as I breathed in his smell that I was fast becoming addicted to. His arms wrapped tightly around me and hugged me to him while I fought for control.
After a couple of minutes he spoke, “This is what you want? Just one night? Sex, no strings?” I nodded, not taking my face from its nice little hiding place; I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. He rolled suddenly so I was under him again. “You know I want more than that, don’t you?”
My eyes widened in surprise. Was he about to say yes? “I can’t give you more than that,” I whispered in answer. His eyes fluttered closed as he sighed. I waited, feeling hope building in my chest. When his eyes opened again, they burned with a passion that made my stomach twist into a knot. After a slight nod of his head, his lips claimed mine in a scorching hot kiss that resonated through every single cell in my body.
I whimpered as the excitement became almost too much to bear. I smiled against his lips as my hands hurriedly went to his belt buckle. My fingers were shaking, making the process hard as I unfastened the buttons on his jeans and pushed them down slightly, sliding my hand down the back of his underwear, feeling his tight little behind. A moan of appreciation left my lips as the kiss deepened and turned into something that burned through my senses, leaving me barely able to breathe.
As he unfastened my bra and slid it off, his heavily-lidded eyes showed his appreciation. “You are so beautiful, Anna,” he whispered, dipping his head and flicking his tongue over the tip of my nipple. I moaned and arched my back, trying to get closer to him as his tongue lavished attention on my sensitive skin. He smiled and blew gently across the wet trail, making my skin tighten and my arousal bump up another notch.
While his hands worked the buttons of my shorts and pushed them down, his mouth travelled further down, sucking on the skin of my stomach, dipping into my belly button. His weight shifted off of me as his thumbs hooked into the side of my panties, easing them down my thighs teasingly. His hot tongue made its way down my leg before coming back up again. He nudged my thighs apart as he settled himself between them and looked up at me with a devilish glint to his eyes.
My body jerked involuntarily as he dipped his head and his tongue traced my wet folds. Gasping from both shock and pleasure, my fingers fisted into the sheets as I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. This was pleasure like I had never experienced, it was concentrated and strong; waves of it were rolling over and over me in time with the movement of his tongue.
I whimpered and tried to squirm away from him because it was too much, too good, and I couldn’t cope with it. But before I could get away, his arms wrapped around my thighs, clamping me in place as he carried on with his beautiful, yet torturous assault. My moans bordered on obscene as I raised my hips, trying to get closer to his mouth, yet at the same time I wanted to be further away from it. At this point I didn’t know which I wanted more. As his fingers pushed into me at the same time, he made a deep moaning sound in the back of his throat.
I gasped his name as the pleasure suddenly took me to new heights. My body felt like it was on fire as he pumped his fingers at the same rhythm as he was working his tongue. I could feel my climax building; my whole body trembling and shaking. When his teeth nipped me, it felt like I shattered inside and everything came to a glorious and beautiful head. My body jerked as I cried out his name breathlessly.
He chuckled, easing his fingers out of me as I lay there panting for breath. I blinked a couple of times, trying to come back to reality as I looked up in time to see him sucking on his fingers. “Was that the thing that you liked that I did with my hand?” he teased, smirking at me confidently.
I giggled and nodded, chewing on my bottom lip. His eyes flashed with excitement as he hovered over me, just looking at me with that soft and tender look that he always had for me.
I smiled happily. “My turn now,” I announced, pushing on his body and guiding him onto his back. My eyes flitted down his body, taking in every glorious inch of it before I bent and trailed my tongue across his abs, following the lines of his muscles. His skin tasted delicious and made my scalp prickle. As he put both hands behind his head and smiled down at me in obvious enjoyment, my tongue and lips worshipped every line of muscle on his sculpted chest, every bump, every groove. He was perfection, and I had never seen anything more beautiful. His jeans were already loose around his hips so I tugged them off easily, along with his boxer shorts. The sight of him naked made my ache inside me come back with a vengeance. I sat up, just looking him over unashamedly, taking in every beautiful inch of him and memorising it so I could see it when I closed my eyes at night.
When I couldn’t stand not touching him any longer, I reached out and closed my hand around his erection. My breathing sped at the feel of it and memories of how good it felt inside me surfaced and made my stomach quiver with anticipation. But first I owed him something. I bent my head and licked the drop of wetness from the tip, before tracing my tongue down the underside and back up again. Taking the tip of it into my mouth, I sucked gently before pushing down further, sucking harder as my hand started to move too. I wasn’t even there a minute though before he groaned and gripped the tops of my arms, pulling me up his body as he shook his head.
My face filled with embarrassed heat. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked, horrified because he hadn’t liked what I was doing.
“No, of course not. The opposite, in fact.” His hand tangled into the back of my hair. “I don’t want this over too quickly and your hot, little mouth sucking on me like that is gonna make me finish way too soon,” he answered, grinning wickedly.
I giggled, wriggling on top of him as a sense of pride swept over me because I’d clearly pleased him. He guided my mouth back to his again and as my tongue touched his, I could taste myself on his tongue. Strangely, it made the kiss even better, even more erotic and sexy. His hand trailed down my back, cupping my ass and shifting me so that we rubbed together. A breathless moan erupted from within me as I bit on his bottom lip roughly.
“Do you have a condom?” I asked breathlessly, genuinely not caring if he didn’t.
He nodded in answer, reaching over towards his bedside drawer and pulling it open. As he fumbled in there and pulled out a strip of condoms, I moved off him, watching as he ripped off a packet and tore it open with his teeth. He got to his knees, carefully rolling it on before looking back to me with a stunning smile that I couldn’t help but return. When he grabbed my thighs and jerked me forwards, I fell back into the pillows and giggled. He laughed too, manoeuvring himself on top of me as he kissed me again.
The air in the room seemed to be getting thicker as I wrapped my arms around his body, digging my fingers into his back. His hand gripped the back of my knee, guiding my leg up around his waist as he pressed forward gently, easing himself into me so slowly that it made every nerve ending in my body scream. I was so on edge that I accidentally bit down onto his shoulder and dug my fingers into his ass as I raised my hips to meet his.
He groaned as he buried himself into me entirely. “Shit. So good. I forgot,” he moaned, kissing me deeply as he moved slowly, starting up a rhythm that made my heart hammer in my chest.
It was strange when I was like this with Ashton; it was like it was meant to be. He fitted me so perfectly, and everything in my world seemed good, healed, and incredible. He was the only one in the world I could be this close to, and let have this power over me. I trusted him and only him.
I couldn’t keep still under him as he controlled my body perfectly, strumming it, playing it like we had done this hundreds of times before. It seemed like he knew exactly how and where to touch me. My mind was slowly melting at his touch. Sweat covered my skin in a thin sheen as I raised my hips to meet his and clawed at his back in ecstasy. My body was racing towards its climax; with every thrust he was pushing me towards my end. His mouth lavished attention on my body, driving me into a state of wild abandon.
As my body seemed to get hotter and hotter, my pulse drummed in my ears and finally my body shattered, coming apart under him and his expert touch. I cried out his name as my eyes filled with tears because of the intense sensations. My whole body was quivering in pleasure and my heart crashed in my ears. It felt like heaven, like a waking dream. His lips claimed mine in a kiss that felt like it could devour my soul as he let out a long groan. His body stiffened on top of me and he thrust another couple of times as he reached his end too.
When he pulled back slightly, I looked up into his face. He was smiling down at me, his eyes filled with passion, tenderness, and something that I could easily mistake for love, but it couldn’t be that. I dismissed it as gratitude because he hadn’t had sex for two months.
“Holy shit, Baby Girl, that was incredible,” he growled, kissing along my cheeks to nibble on my earlobe as he eased out of me.
“You were just okay,” I joked breathlessly as he rolled to the side and pulled the condom off, throwing it into the trashcan before turning back to me to wrap me in his arms.
“Don’t tell me… you’ve had better,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes jokingly. My heart stopped at his words. I’d only ever been with him and Carter. Tears stung my eyes as my throat seemed to tighten. Ashton’s eyes widened as he gasped and shook his head, cupping my face in his hands. “Fuck. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just kidding. I’m so, so sorry!”
I forced a smile even though my heart now hurt at the reminder. It seemed like I would never escape the fact that I was dirty and used, not even for a moment. “It’s alright. Don’t worry,” I lied.
He grimaced and kissed the tip of my nose. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, kissing my nose.
“Just forget it, it’s fine.” I knew he hadn’t meant it that way at all, but it was just the reminder that hurt. I didn’t for a second think that he had meant to bring up Carter; it was just a joke than he hadn’t thought through. “Just for the record, I think you were incredible too, and I’ll never have better,” I said honestly. I knew that for a fact because I’d never have anyone else. I kissed him again, cuddling close to his side as I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his delicious smell. I instantly felt better. His body didn’t relax at my reassurances though. His muscles were still bunched; his arms were too stiff around me. I moved back, looking up to see his tense face. He was clearly angry with himself. Reaching out, I smoothed his frown line from his forehead. “It’s okay, I promise.”
He sighed heavily. “Man, I’m such a douchebag. I can’t believe I said that to you.”
I smiled. “Just forget it. I have.” I decided then that I refused to think about anything bad after I had just had the most incredible sex ever. He rolled to his side so we were facing each other. His body was still tense, so I snuggled closer to him and kissed his lips softly. For a few minutes, we just lay there in silence, looking at each other as his fingers tickled up and down my spine. Finally, he spoke, “Thank you for today, I’ve honestly had the best birthday ever,” he said quietly.
I smiled. “I had a great day too,” I replied. “Although I feel guilty because you’ve technically been working and couldn’t drink and stuff because I’m here. You really should have just come on your own; you would have had so much more fun.”
He shook his head in protest. “Baby Girl, you are what made my day great. I don’t care if I don’t drink,” he countered. I smiled and he leant forward, kissing me again hungrily. He moaned in the back of his throat and tightened his hold on me. Where we were pressed so tightly against one another, I could feel that he was starting to get excited again. I grinned against his lips, and he pulled back, smiling at me tenderly as he combed his fingers through my hair. “What’s funny?” he asked.
“You’re like some kind of machine. It’s lucky we agreed on one night, and not one time, huh?” I teased, running my finger down his chest and raising one eyebrow when I got to his groin. He grunted, obviously shocked, but a slow smile spread across his face before he covered my mouth with his and we started all over again.