Marley

He’s a devil.

Because he makes me do things.

Things I don’t want to admit.

Things I absolutely should not want.

But oh...

Things I love.

I can’t find any remorse to care about how many ethical laws I’ve broken since this man first came into my office. Not when my body is still tingling from his words.

His dirty, filthy words.

I’ve been living off of them all night, feeding from them like a starved animal. Shame heats my cheeks thinking about how many times I’ve gotten myself off fantasizing about all the depraved things I want him to do to me.

Which is exactly why the moment I get to work the following morning, I call him to let him know I can no longer see him as a patient. I should have never let it get this far.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I get his voicemail instead. I quickly spit out the message then ask Clara to reschedule my appointments for the day and make up the excuse that I’m not feeling well.

I bid Clara goodbye on my way out and decide to leave Lyla at daycare until it’s closer to the time I normally pick her up because I need some time alone to think.

How can a man wield that much power over someone? Make them do things they wouldn’t normally do? It’s as if he unleashed a part of me I never even knew existed, and the truth is, I loved every second of it. I loved giving up that control and handing it all over to him, and honestly, I want to do it again.

And again and again and again.

My cell phone is ringing before I even leave the parking lot of my office.

It’s him.

My finger hovers over the screen, wanting to hear his voice, but I silence the call instead and turn off my ringer, tossing it in my bag. Why do I feel so guilty for ignoring him? And why does it feel so wrong to want to push him away?

The minute I walk through the door of my condo, I toss my keys in the bowl and head straight for the fridge to pour myself a glass of wine. Day drinking really isn’t my thing but my nerves are shot and I need something to calm me down. I don’t even get the first sip down when there is a pounding at my door.

“I know you’re in there, Marley. Open the door.”

I stand there dumbfounded, wondering how the hell he found me. Flinging open the door, I ask, “How the hell did you know where I live?”

“I’m a cop, remember?” He walks forward and I take a few steps back as he slams the door behind him.

“Asher, please. What happened yesterday should have never happened. I—I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“I got into you.”

That’s an understatement.

“You know what I mean. We can’t do this. I could lose my license. My livelihood. I can’t risk that. No matter how much I want you.”

“Too late to have a conscious, Doc.”

His lips crash against mine.

Hard.

Hot.

Demanding.

His soft, wet tongue pushes between my parted lips while both hands cradle my jaw, tilting my head, holding me in place. Then his hands move to fist in my hair, gripping the strands just tight enough to pull a heated moan from my throat.

God, this man can kiss.

My knees threaten to buckle beneath me but Asher is right there to hold me in place.

Our mouths barely touch as he drinks each heated gasp from my trembling lips. “You’re fucking mine,” he growls.

I sigh, my shoulders sagging with relief as he makes his possessive declaration.

“Tell me you want me, Marley. Tell me you want me just as bad as I want you. I need to hear those words.”

Adrenaline spikes in my veins, my body an inferno of need. “I want you.”

A satisfied grin stretches his lips as he releases my hair, his hands moving down to pull my skirt up over my hips. He grips the back of my thong and shreds the flimsy fabric from my body. Then he lifts me up to sit on the arm of the sofa as he unbuttons his fly to pull his cock out.

“First time will be quick, Doc. But I promise to take my time when we go for round two.” He retrieves a condom from his wallet, using his teeth to rip it open before rolling it onto his cock.

His hand disappears between my legs, gliding back and forth between my wet slit, circling my clit before burying two thick fingers inside of me.

I grip his shirt, clutching him tight as he curls them inside of me. The intense orgasm slams into me hard and fast, a blast of heat snarling from the pit of my stomach and burning every nerve ending in my body. Asher doesn’t let up, renewing his efforts as I work to recover from the overwhelming emotion threading through me. Before long, I’m cresting again, building and charging toward an unknown oblivion.

Something explodes inside of me.

A prism of heat that rocks me to my core.

I want to live and die in this moment and I know, after today, I will never be the same because this man has not only invaded my mind but now he owns my body.

Asher slows his fingers, dragging them in and out of me slowly as I ride the last waves of heat.

“Now you’re ready for me.” He grins, lifting his wet hand between us. Heat flushes my cheeks as he offers me his drenched fingers. I lick each one. “Dirty girl, so eager to taste how sweet you are.”

The head of his cock nudges my opening before he slowly pushes inside, stretching and filling me up. He doesn’t move right away, his breath hot and heavy in my ear. “I’ve always been a man of instant gratification but right now all I want to do is savor every second of this.” He lifts his head, bringing his eyes to mine.

With me, I can tell there’s absolutely nothing he wants to hide. He feels safe here and that fills me with an immense amount of satisfaction in knowing I can give him this. His lips seize mine, passion and desire thrumming between us like a live wire, sparking with electricity as he begins to move.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

The slick slap of skin and the heat of our kisses are the only sounds that echo throughout the space and it only adds to the fire that’s building between us.

Asher leans back to look down where we are joined; his eyes grow heavier. “Look at us, Marley. Your perfect little cunt taking me all the way in. You’re like a drug. I should leave you alone. But I want more.”

His words are a stark reality of what is happening but I quickly push it down, not wanting to escape this moment.

Not yet anyway.

I’ll deal with the consequences later.

Because all I can think about right now is the way he’s possessing my body. His hand cradles the back of my neck, holding me in place, and he drives in and out of me, fucking me hard.

Rough.

I need to feel his skin so I push the fabric of his shirt upwards, revealing more of his inked body. Reaching back, he pulls the shirt over his head, discarding it on the floor. I gasp at the man before me. His body is a work of art, chiseled to perfection and bearing some of the most stunning ink I’ve ever seen. I want to explore every single inch of his marked skin and learn the meaning behind every one, but it’s the lion on his torso that holds my attention. The fierce eyes of a predator, sharp teeth stained with blood. The shading and incredible detail make it look so real.

I grip the back of his neck, pulling him down for another brutal kiss, desperate for him to release the animal I know he is inside.

“I’m going to come,” I moan.

“Not until I say so,” he growls, his strokes growing more savage with every thrust.

I claw his shoulders, begging him to never stop and to fuck me harder in the same breath, trying desperately to hold my orgasm at bay but with every inch of his cock, he pushes me further and further to the edge until finally...

“Come,” he demands, his dark eyes locking tight with mine.

With his mouth hovering just above mine, he continues his ruthless fucking as I fall apart, splintering into a million sharp and jagged pieces, his name a constant plea on my trembling lips.

“Fuck,” he grunts, pulsing inside of me, finding his own release as he buries himself to the hilt. His face twists in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

We remain unmoving for what feels like forever before he pulls out and lifts me from the couch, carrying me to my bedroom. He deposits me gently onto the bed then disappears into my bathroom.

A few moments later, the toilet flushes and he returns. At first, I’m not sure what to expect. But he surprises me when he walks over and climbs in next to me, pulling me into his arms. My skirt is still bunched around my hips, my blouse is a shredded mess but I couldn’t care less.

“Are you okay?” I murmur, using the tip of my finger to outline the mouth of the lion on his abs.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

I lift my head and find his brows furrowed in confusion.

“This is the part where you normally feel empty and unsatisfied, isn’t it?”

His arm tightens around me, his other hand holding my face in place as he leans up to press his lips to mine in a soft, gentle kiss. “That’s not what I’m feeling right now.”

I blink. “It’s not?”

He shakes his head with an amused smile. “No, it’s not.”

“What do you feel?”

“A lot of shit.”

I smile, happy to know he feels something other than the void he normally does. “I think you’re making progress then.”

“I sure as hell hope so, Doc.” He rolls me over, positioning himself between my legs, kissing his way down my body. “But I think I’m going to need more physical therapy just to be sure.”

***

A couple of hours later, I drag my sexed-up ass from the bed an hour before I need to go pick up Lyla. Asher folds his hands behind his head, watching me get dressed. My mouth waters and my belly dips at the sight of him lying so comfortably in my bed.

“I’m taking you and Lyla out on a date this weekend. We can go eat at this great pizza joint in Midtown. Then we can go to the zoo. Kids love the zoo, right?”

I blink at him, then a laugh bubbles from my throat.

“What’s so funny?”

“You.”

“What about me?”

I walk over to his side of the bed and sit on the edge before leaning down to press my lips to his. “You’re nothing like I thought you would be.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“A very good thing.”

“So me, you, and that crazy kid of yours going to the zoo or what?”

“It’ll have to wait until next weekend. Lyla goes to her dad’s this weekend.”

Asher’s jaw clenches tight but he doesn’t say anything else.

I move to pick up a pair of my yoga pants lying beside the bed on the floor and he reaches up to snag my waist with his arm.

“Today was one of the best days of my life,” he says.

“Mine, too.”

“I don’t want you to wonder where we go from here so I’m just going to lay it all out for you now, okay?”

“All right.”

“We can take this as slow as you want but know this, you’re mine now. Which means I take care of you. I do whatever it takes to keep you safe. That goes for Lyla, too.”

I’m not usually into bossy, dominating men but when he says things like this I can’t help but melt against him and soak in every ounce of warmth and safety he has to offer, because it’s been too long since I felt either of those things.

And I want to feel them.

I want Asher.

“How about we hit the zoo next weekend and this weekend you can show me your moves on the basketball court.”

I circle my arms around his neck as he kisses his way down my cheek to my neck. “It’s a date.”