Ash hit the last note, and he pulled the bow from the strings with a final flicking motion, opening his eyes at the same time. Weakly, I laid my phone on the back of the couch, shaking my head at him.
In a matter of seconds, Ash set his cello and bow aside and crossed to me, looking concerned at my tear-streaked face. I smiled as he approached, just to reassure him.
"Are you okay?" he asked, taking me into his arms. I held onto him for dear life, squeezing him tightly and wishing we could just morph into one person so I could be next to him forever.
"I'm so okay, Ash. I love that song so much that tears just come out of my eyes when you play it. I can't help it."
He pulled back and stared sweetly at my face. He reached up with one hand and used his thumb to wipe my cheek. He was quite a bit taller than me, and I found myself leaning on his arm that was supporting my back as I looked up at him. He smiled at me—a thoughtful smile that made me wonder what he was thinking.
"What?" I asked softly.
"You were the most beautiful woman there tonight," he said. "So delicate and precious. No one would ever guess that you could gut a fish in less than a minute like some burly, bearded guy who works at the fish market."
I laughed. "Well, you don't necessarily look like someone who would play the cello," I said.
"I guess things aren't always what they seem," he said.
"Nope."
"I've never wanted anything more in my life, Abigail."
"More than what?" I asked.
"More than you," he said. "I'm tired of being so cautious. I want you with me. I ache when you're not around. I want to play. I want my music and my life to be the same, but I need more of you in it, Abigail. I'm tired of keeping this distance from you. I want you here with me. Is that possible? Can I have that?"
"Yes," I said instantly, reassuring him even though I wasn't entirely sure what he was asking. "I'm here right now."
Ash gave me another thoughtful smile as if to say he was hoping for something more, but he didn't explain.
I touched the side of his face, letting my fingers lace through the hair above his ear. "I want to be with you too," I said, my voice a little shaky and uncertain. "I want what you want. I ache with it, too."
"So, when spring rolls around, and I'm done with this engagement, that's not the end for us, okay?"
"Definitely okay," I said. "It would be terrible if it was the end."
"Well, it won't be," he said. "I know we haven't really talked about what will happen, exactly, once that time comes, but I just need to know that I'll be with you. Okay? Can you promise me that?"
I nodded.
"Say it," he whispered.
"I promise, Ash. I promise we'll be together."
The corner of his mouth lifted in a slow, easy grin. His lips were irresistible. I had kissed them many times, yet my body felt a surge of anticipation while looking at him like I had never done it before. This genius of a man was my Ash yet he was all new to me. He was staring down at me like I was his one and only.
"Do you remember that time when we went to Key Largo?" he asked.
Of course I remembered.
My gut clenched at the thought of it. We went on a date down there a few weeks ago. We had stopped in Cutler Bay so Ash could meet my family, and we went to Key Largo afterward. We spent the afternoon there and went for a long walk on the beach that evening. It was on a secluded stretch of beach near the end of our walk when he kissed me. It wasn't just any kiss, either. That kiss was a declaration of just how physically attracted we were to one another. We didn't mean for it to happen—we had been trying to take things slow, but both of us got swept away in the moment. It was so raw and heavy that we were breathless and panting by the time we broke apart. We had to agree to reign it in a little bit from that point forward—no more late-night beach walks.
Just the mention of that night made a warm rush run through my body. Desire washed over me, making me feel needy and wanton. I took a few breaths, seeing my own chest rise and fall. I was unable to regulate my breathing.
"I remember it too," he said, seeing my reaction.
I nodded, and he reached up and touched my lip. He stared straight at my mouth as he traced the curves of it with his fingertip. "Abigail."
"What?"
"I know we can't take things too far before I make you my wife."
I nodded and bit my lip, unintentionally moving it under his fingers.
"I plan on doing that sooner than later," he added.
I nodded again, knowing I would marry him that very second if he asked me to. He lowered his head, nestling his face in the crook of my neck, smelling me. My breathing became even more labored. I could faintly smell his cologne, but I still smelled something more personal—the woodsy smell of his cello combined with his sweat. I pulled him closer, my muscles tightening as I tried to fight the fierce waves of yearning.
He placed his mouth on my ear. "I'm going to kiss you, Abigail," he whispered.
"I know," I whispered weakly.
"I want you," he said.
"I know."
"Can I have you?" he asked.
I nodded before letting my head tilt back. "Yes, Ash."
He moved his face, letting his cheek and nose brush my neck. "Forever?" he asked, whispering in my ear again.
"Yes," I breathed.
Ash moved slowly, gently allowing his mouth to come to mine. He let his open mouth linger on mine, moving it ever so slightly without kissing me. I felt the ridges of our lips connect as our mouths touched, explored. Our faces moved, but our mouths didn't—we just let them brush up against each other in a painfully slow, steady way. Our breath mingled as we stood there, letting our lips barely make contact. I took a hold of the fabric of his shirt, tightening my grip but still not giving into the desire to lean into the kiss.
He licked his own lips, and his tongue came in contact with my mouth. Maybe it was unintentional because it barely happened, but it sent me over the edge, I gasped and leaned forward just enough so that our mouths fully made contact.
He kissed me several times, pulling back and then touching me again and again. "You're mine, you know that?" he whispered.
"Yes," I whispered.
Another kiss.
"I love you, Abigail."
"I know you do."
Three more kisses.
"I love you too," I said.
He kissed me again. "I know you do," he said.
Then he pulled me even closer, holding me against his hard body as if to tell me he had no intention of ever letting me go. I leaned into him, offering him all of me.
And he kissed me.
It was Key Largo all over again, and then some. I opened my mouth to Ash, and he didn't hesitate to accept my invitation. We connected deeply, falling into a natural, smooth rhythm as we moved and shifted, trying to get closer, deeper, have more. Moments passed as passion poured through us.
This man, this talented, genius, gorgeous man gave himself to me in more ways than one that night, and I felt spent by the time he pulled back to stare at me.
I sighed, smiling at him, and he smiled back. He kissed me one last time, a quick one right on the lips that said he just couldn't resist.
"We better find something else to do before…" he hesitated, and I grinned.
"Before what?" I asked, pretending not to know.
"Before I try to compromise your virtue," he said. He wiped his face. "Because, believe me, Abigail, it's tempting."
"I know it is," I said with a sigh. "It's tempting for me too." I squeezed him quickly before letting him go, taking a tiny step back in the process. "Maybe we should go check on the fish."
He nodded and began pulling me toward the back door. We stopped at the shed to grab some fish food.
"I remember the first time I handed you food like this," I said, taking a handful from the bag and placing it in Ash's hand.
"I do too," he said. "You basically threw it at me. You dropped it before I was ready."
I let out a little laugh. "I was nervous," I said.
"Why?"
"Because I was stinky and sweaty, and you were so… cute."
Ash just smiled and shook his head at me. He wasn't cute. He was devastatingly gorgeous, dashing, debonair, and he knew it. He didn't even need to make me clarify. I reached into the bag, getting another handful for myself.
"You weren't stinky," he said. "And I was nervous, too, for what it's worth. I didn't want you to leave. I called Mandy the instant you drove off, telling her I had to have the same woman back here working on the pond. She said her regular guy would take care of it, and I told her no one else would do. She probably thought I was a… who knows what she thought. I didn't really care. I just knew I had to see you again."
"I'm so glad you did that," I said, glancing at him.
"Then I stalked you at The Bombay," he added as we walked toward the pond.
That made me laugh. "I wouldn't call it stalking if I desperately wanted you to do it. I almost fell off of my ladder when I saw you sitting there."
"I almost got into a fist fight with that chef for making you aioli. Nobody makes my lady aioli. Just serve her the mayonnaise like she ordered, chief."
I laughed again as we sat on the edge of the pond. The fish came to the surface instantly, and rather than handfeed them, I threw the handful in all at once. Ash gave me a sideways stare.
"You wasted it all at one time," he said. "You know that's all you're getting, right?"
I nodded defiantly and held my hand out. Ash grinned as he handed over the food that was in his hand. I glanced at the lower pond. It was about ten feet away, but I reached back, hurling Ash's handful through the air in that direction. Most of it landed in the pond, and Ash chuckled and glanced that way before focusing on me with an impressed expression.
"Pretty good aim," he said with his eyebrows raised.
I shrugged and bit my lip shyly.
He shook his head slowly, giving me an amused grin. "You don't care about feeding the fish, do you?"
I shook my head.
"Good. Neither do I."