Chapter Twenty-One
Nina
My eyelids were heavy as I began to wake up. A leg was thrown over mine; an arm lay on my side. And warm breath moved steadily across the back of my neck.
It’s real!
The night before had been so fantastic that I was sure it had to have been a dream. But feeling Ashton lying behind me, holding me, that wasn’t a dream at all.
This is real!
I didn’t open my eyes. I lay perfectly still, loving every second of the way it felt. His skin touching mine, his body against my back, even the way he breathed captivated me.
I could live like this forever.
In bed, with Ashton wrapped around me, that was a place I never wanted to leave. And I wouldn’t have, either, except for the fact that my bladder was full and it was beginning to get uncomfortable.
Easing his arm off me, then his leg, I sat up, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. When I stood up, I found my body aching in the best possible way. Stiff and sore, I made my way to the bathroom, making sure to grab a robe to cover myself before I left my bedroom.
In the bathroom mirror, I found my hair a mess, but my face had a glow about it. “Man, he sure has done a number on you, sis.” My cheeks were red from his whiskers, my lips swollen from his kisses.
When I sat on the toilet, I saw that the insides of my thighs were also red, again from his whiskered cheeks. A smile curved my lips. But it went away just as quickly when I felt the burning sensation as I peed. “Ow!”
But the smile crept back as I recalled just why that burn was there, and suddenly I didn’t mind the pain at all. Sure, my body hurt all over, but that was because of the strenuous workout Ashton had given me. An immensely pleasurable workout.
After washing my face, brushing my teeth, taming my hair, and dousing myself with a bit of lavender body spray, I felt fit to get back to bed. Cuddling with Ashton sounded like heaven to me.
When I got back into my room, I found Ashton sitting up. His eyes were on me. “I missed you.”
“I wasn’t gone but a few minutes.” I pulled the robe off, tossing it to the side. Strolling over to him, I added an extra sway to my step, flaunting my body.
His hands met my hips, holding me still. “Let me look at you.” His lips pressed against my stomach, then he ran his tongue around my belly button.
It sent chills through me. I ran my hands through his blond waves, which had fallen out of the man-bun he’d had it in during the night. Now it was loose, and I wanted nothing more than to tangle my hands in it.
Just as I was falling into the abyss that was Ashton, a loud bang came on the wall. Then muffled voices came through it, cursing and laughing. “That’s Sandy’s room.”
The sound of not one, but two male voices laughing had Ashton looking at me with one raised brow. “She’s got two boyfriends?”
I shook my head. “She has no boyfriends. She refuses to be monogamous. But this is the first time I’ve heard two guys with her at the same time.”
“Me first!” one of the guys shouted.
“Boys, no need to fight. One can take the top, and one can take the bottom,” Sandy offered them.
I was so embarrassed, my entire body heated up. “Oh, God. Ashton, I’m so sorry.”
With a smile, he pulled me down on top of him. “Don’t be. Just come here, and we can make some noise of our own. Forget about them. I already have.”
He turned over with me, pinning me underneath him. His cerulean eyes gazed into mine as I brushed his long hair back. “It’s nice to see you in my bed this morning, Ashton.”
“It’s nice to be in your bed this morning, Nina.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I hope you know I plan to monopolize your time this weekend.”
“I hope you know that makes me very happy.” I ran my hands over his broad shoulders and bit my lip as his muscles rippled.
Nuzzling my neck, he whispered, “I had better go wash up a bit.”
I hated to let him go. But I had to. “Go and wash up. I’ll be right here when you get back.”
With a swift kiss to my cheek, he climbed off me then walked away. I turned to my side to watch him. His ass was chiseled and magnificent. His shoulders were wide, and the muscles in his back moved with each step he took. Along the back of one shoulder, there was an eagle with its wings spread, as if it was flying.
I never knew that Ashton sported any ink. There were still a lot of things to learn about this man I’d thought I knew pretty damn well.
After putting on one of my robes, he slipped out of my room, and I closed my eyes. I couldn’t ever recall being as happy as I was then. My heart beat with a steady rhythm. I felt perky even though I’d had little sleep.
This has to be love.
There wasn’t anything else to which I could attribute this feeling of well-being.
I am in love with Ashton Lange.
I had never mentioned love, or even thought about it during the past two years of knowing the man. But with that first kiss, I knew I was in love with him. I’d fallen in love through the years and hadn’t even realized it.
As I lay there, I let myself dream of the future. I was sure he would want to move things along fast, now that we were open about things. But how fast did I want to move?
I wasn’t sure about that. I still had some worries about how Ashton would take things. I wasn’t some fool who thought his issues with his past would just disappear with our new relationship.
I did hope that the issues would slowly dissipate. And now that he was seeing a therapist, my hopes were higher than I ever thought they would be.
We could make a future together; I knew we could. And I knew it wouldn’t always be the rosiest of pictures. But I was ready for it all. Whatever came with the man, I would take it.
When my door opened, I found Ashton striding in, red-faced. “I met one of your roomie’s friends.”
“Oh, hell!” I sat up, the blanket falling off my breasts as I did.
He looked directly at them. “Um, yeah.” He pulled off the robe but went for his clothes, which were strewn around. “We should go to my place.”
“But it’s so early.” I stretched then patted the bed. “Come on, let’s stay here for a little while longer then we can go if you want to.”
“I want to go now.” He pulled on his underwear. “That guy told me there are a few more people coming to join them. Apparently, it’s orgy Saturday here at your casa, baby.” He looked at me with an odd expression. “Is this something you were aware of?”
I laughed. “No. I’m sure that guy was just kidding.” I patted the bed again to encourage him to climb back in with me.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head as he picked his pants up off the floor. “He said we should come and join them. He seemed pretty serious. I would just feel better if we left.” He pulled on his pants as he gave me a stern look. “And you’re coming too. Don’t you think for half a second that I’m leaving you here. Get up, girl. We’re out of here.”
I laughed as I got up. It was obvious that Ashton was set on leaving. And I liked the fact that he was adamant that I come with him.
He always had looked out for me. I expected that would only grow with our budding relationship. “Okay, Daddy.”
“Daddy?” he asked, as he stopped putting his clothes on for a second. “I think I like that.”
Giggling, I went up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Carry me, Daddy.”
He picked me up and I kissed him as I ran my legs around him. My pussy pulsed against his now covered cock. I wanted him so bad, I couldn’t control my movements.
But then some loud grunting crept through the wall, followed by a shrill, screaming moan by Sandy, and I was ready to go too.
He put me down and scowled at me. “Let’s get the hell out of here before we hear things that will haunt us.”
I had no idea what had gotten into Sandy, but I didn’t want to be any part of it. I supposed that Kyle’s absence for the weekend had spurred her into making some naughty plans.
Just as I was thinking about what I should do if her bender was going to be happening all weekend, Ashton said, “Pack a bag. You’re staying with me all weekend. You can come back here after work on Monday.”
I wasn’t used to being told what to do, but I liked it. “Okay.”
After packing a bag and getting dressed, we headed down to catch a cab to his apartment. He held my hand, running his thumb over the top of it as he went from looking out the window to looking at me. “We can make breakfast together at my place. I’ve got some eggs and bacon.”
“Good. I’ll make the eggs, you make the bacon, and we’ll be eating in no time.” I leaned in to kiss his cheek. And then it just came out again. “I love you.”
His crooked smile had me smiling right back. “I love you too.” His lips pressed against the top of my head. “More than I knew was possible.”
My heart skipped a beat. Does that mean he loves me more than he loved Natalia?
I didn’t dare ask. But I did wonder if that’s what he meant.
Cuddling up to his side, I whispered, “I feel more for you than I’ve ever felt for anyone.”
His hand cupped my chin as he placed his lips on mine. The touch was so gentle that it made my body all fluttery. My stomach filled with butterflies. My head went light.
He made a long, deep sigh as he pulled back. “This is going to be a piece of cake.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant. “What is?”
“Loving you.” His eyes sparkled as he looked into mine. “I’ve fought this for what seems like forever. I was so afraid that transitioning from friends to lovers would be awkward at best. But nothing we do feels awkward. It all feels so natural. Like we’ve been doing this for a very long time.”
The way he was looking into my eyes had me thinking he wanted to tell me more, but he wasn’t sure how to word it. So I took a guess, hoping he’d be more willing to share if he wasn’t the one to bring it up. “It feels different with me, doesn’t it?”
He nodded. “It does.”
Since he hadn’t balked at that, I went a bit further. “It feels more natural, huh?”
“It does.” His hand moved up my arm then his fingertips grazed my jawline. “I have no doubts about you, Nina. Now that I’ve let go, I’m all in. I’ve never been all in before. Not the way I am with you.”
My heart raced with the knowledge that I wouldn’t be living in a dead girl’s shadow. I had his heart, and that was all that mattered to me, because he had my heart too.