Chapter 25 #2
I push into her with one deep thrust and we both cry out. Her nails dig into my shoulders, her mouth falling open, her eyes full of heat. I capture her lips with mine.
“You like this, baby?” I murmur against her. “You like being fucked like you’re owned?”
She nods, her grip on my shoulders tightening, like she needs this as badly as I do.
“More,” she begs. “Harder.”
“Ask nicely,” I murmur, thrusting into her again.
“Please,” she moans. “God, Asher, please.”
The way she says my name almost makes me come. I kiss her again, devouring the sounds from her mouth. Her body shudders with every thrust of my hips. I feel her getting closer, feel the flutter of her walls around my cock.
“I’m gonna… I can’t… Asher…” she cries out.
“You can,” I rasp, slipping my hand between us to rub her clit. “Come all over my cock, baby. Let me feel it.”
She splinters into pieces, her legs trembling, her mouth moaning against my neck.
She squeezes around me and I lose it, pounding into her one last time as I come hard, spilling inside of her in long, hot bursts, her name a growl on my lips.
It’s so fucking exquisite I see white stars behind my eyes. It’s never felt this good. This raw.
The motion light flickers on above us, casting our shadows long and wide across the porch.
We’re both panting, slick with sweat and sex, using the door to hold us up, when I go to pull out.
And fuck. “I’m not wearing a condom.” My eyes widen. How the fuck could I be so irresponsible? “Jesus, Francie. I’m sorry. I—”
She smiles at me, looking all soft and sated. “It’s okay. I’m on birth control. And I’m clean.”
But it’s not okay. I’m a thirty-six year old man. I never have sex without a condom. Fucking hell, protection is my job. The very least I can do is practice safe sex with the woman who steals my breath away.
“I’m clean too,” I murmur, brushing the hair from her face. “Next time I’ll remember.”
“Next time you’ll remember that I like you just like this,” she whispers. “I want all of you.”
My heart does a double thud against my ribcage. But I don’t argue. What this woman wants, she gets, that’s the honest truth of it.
And she already has all of me.
ASHER
I’m leaning over the security console at the hotel the next day when my phone vibrates with a message.
And because I’ve decided to actually stop being an asshole and answer Francie’s messages when she sends them, I pull it out right away, only partly grimacing when I realize it’s the Fitzgerald family group chat.
AUTUMN:
I’m messaging you live from Venice Parker just tried to row a gondola. It did not go well. There’s currently a very angry woman yelling at us in Italian.
ZACH:
Is she hot?
AUTUMN:
Zachary!
ZACH:
What? If you’re going to get yelled at, it might as well be by a woman with good cheekbones and kissable lips.
HUDSON:
Please don’t harass the locals. And tell Parker to stop trying to row things. He’s a thrower not a rower.
AUTUMN:
I’ve tried. Believe me. Anyway, how are you all? I miss you. How’s Liberty?
HUDSON:
Same old same old. We’re all good. Asher is being a pain in the ass though.
AUTUMN:
Wait, Asher is on Liberty?
I roll my eyes. Even as a kid Autumn loved to be at the center of everything. And she hated to be the last to know a secret. I also remember how easily distracted she is.
ASHER:
Yes I’m on Liberty. Doing some work for Hudson. By the way, has anybody heard from Eden? I’m kind of worried about her.
There, that should do it. The last thing I need is Autumn asking me questions about Francie.
AUTUMN:
Not since the last chat.
HUDSON:
I swear to God if she’s been arrested again—
My lips curl, because I know just how to throw a grenade into the works.
ASHER:
I’ll ask one of my team to track her down. It shouldn’t take too long.
I smirk because that’s a lie, it would take a lot of time. The CIA could learn some tricks from Eden. She knows how to hide.
EDEN:
Oh my God, chill Asher! I’m fine. I just have really bad reception. We’re working on a project in the mountains and I can be without signal for days.
ZACH:
She lives!
HUDSON:
Glad you’re all right. Just try to check in more regularly, please.
EDEN:
I can’t make any promises. The world needs me. But no tracking me down, Asher. I’m serious.
ASHER:
Noted.
EDEN:
Talking of unresponsive. Where’s Wyatt? I don’t see you all going crazy over him going radio silent. It’s very sexist, you know?
WYATT:
HUDSON:
See, he’s fine.
EDEN:
So if I just checked in with an emoji, that would be okay?
WYATT:
HUDSON:
NO
ZACH:
Definitely not.
AUTUMN:
That’s a no from me, too, sis.
Before they can ask my opinion, I shake my head and close the chat, a smile playing on my lips. Yes, my family drives me around the twist, but there’s something nice about us all checking in.
And to be honest, I’m just constantly in a good mood right now. Spending the night with Francie will do that to a man. So if they want to be chatty, let them.
Just as long as they don’t start asking me too many questions about why I’m hanging around the Lighthouse so much.