28. Ashlyn
CHAPTER 28
Ashlyn
My fingers move on their own, finding the buttons of his shirt and slipping them free one by one. The material parts under my touch, and I push it aside, my palms gliding over the warm expanse of his skin. His groan vibrates against my lips, the sound deep and unrestrained, sending a shiver through me that settles low in my belly.
Heat pools between my legs, slick gathering as my scent spikes, needy and unrestrained. My movements match the urgency of my perfume, my hands greedy as I slide the shirt off his shoulders. The fabric catches on his biceps, but I don’t care. I trail my hands down, exploring every inch of his chest and stomach until my fingers find the trail of hair that dips below his waistband—his happy trail, as he used to call it.
And right now, all I can think about is how happy I’d be to follow it.
My fingers fall to the button of his jeans, fumbling slightly as I work to unfasten it. But before I can, his hand covers mine, stopping me.
“Wait,” he murmurs, his voice rough, his chest rising and falling quickly. “That’s not why I kissed you.”
I freeze, my breath hitching. My fingers curl into the denim beneath his hold, and I meet his gaze, swallowing against the knot forming in my throat. “I know,” I whisper, my voice soft but steady. “But I want you.”
His eyes darken, his grip tightening slightly on my hand as though he’s waging a war with himself.
“You said just us,” I continue, my voice trembling slightly. “No strings.”
For a moment, the only sound is our ragged breathing.
“It’s not that simple, Ash,” he says, his voice thick with restraint.
“It can be,” I counter, my free hand sliding up his chest to rest over his heart. It’s pounding just as hard as mine, a wild rhythm that matches the storm building inside me. “I’m not asking for promises. Just… be here with me. Right now.”
His jaw tightens, his gaze searching mine, and for a second, I think he might pull away. But then his hand moves from mine, his fingers tangling in my hair as he pulls me back into a kiss that’s anything but restrained.
It’s desperate and consuming, his lips claiming mine like he’s been holding this back for far too long. His hands slide down my sides, gripping my waist as he presses closer, his body fitting perfectly between my legs.
I moan against his mouth, my fingers diving into his hair, pulling him impossibly closer. The counter presses into the back of my legs, but I barely notice. All I can feel is him—his warmth, his strength, the way his touch ignites every nerve in my body.
His lips leave mine, trailing down my neck to the hollow of my throat. I tilt my head back, giving him access, and the soft sound that escapes me is pure instinct—a needy purr that vibrates between us, bordering on a whimper.
“God, Ash,” he murmurs against my skin, his voice raw, unrestrained. His teeth graze my collarbone again, sending a jolt of heat through me that leaves me trembling. My hands slide back to his jeans, tugging at the waistband, desperate to feel more of him.
He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, his forehead resting against mine. His chest rising and falling as though he’s barely holding himself together. His gaze, dark and full of something that makes my pulse stumble, locks onto mine. “Are you sure?” he asks, his voice hoarse, almost reverent.
“Yes,” I breathe, no hesitation in my voice.
His restraint snaps, and for a moment, I’d swear he’s an alpha ready to claim his omega. The intensity, the sheer command in his movements, takes my breath away. The confidence he’s gained over the years is undeniable—confidence I know wasn’t always there, confidence earned in ways I don’t want to think about. Not now. Not when his hands are on me, pulling me under.
He lifts my sweater, his movements sure but unhurried, as though he’s savoring every second. I raise my arms, letting him pull it free, and it falls to the floor in a forgotten heap. My bra following shortly after.
His attention shifts immediately, his hands sliding to my sides, his lips trailing down my neck to the curve of my shoulder before dipping lower. He pauses for a breathless moment, his eyes darkening as they take me in, before his lips find the swell of my breast.
He sucks my right nipple into his mouth, the heat and pressure sending a shudder through me, while his fingers find the other, tweaking and teasing until my body arches into his touch. The sensation is electric, overwhelming, a tidal wave of pleasure that has me clutching at his hair, pulling him closer.
“Jake,” I gasp, my voice breaking on his name as his teeth graze the sensitive bud, his tongue soothing it immediately after. My hips shift involuntarily, seeking friction, relief, anything to quell the fire building between my legs.
He doesn’t stop, doesn’t hesitate, his free hand sliding down my side to my waist, gripping just hard enough to make me feel grounded. His lips switch to my other breast, lavishing it with the same attention, and I swear I’m teetering on the edge already, my body completely at his mercy.
“Fuck, Ash,” he growls, his voice vibrating against my skin. “You’re perfect.”
His words, rough and sincere, hit me in a way I’m not prepared for. Heat floods my face, but there’s no room for embarrassment—not when my body is melting under his touch, not when my nails are digging into his shoulders, desperate for more.
I tug at his jeans again, my fingers fumbling with the button, and he chuckles lightly against my skin, the sound both amused and full of desire. He shifts back just enough to make quick work of the button and zipper, shoving the denim down his hips and kicking them off with his shoes to join my sweater on the floor.
He doesn’t waste time before he’s back, his hands sliding up my thighs, parting them as he settles between my legs, his cock pressed against my leggings. His lips find mine again, his kiss hungry, consuming.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” he murmurs against my lips, the edge of command tempered by something gentler.
“It’s not enough,” I whisper, my hands finding his face, pulling him closer, needing him closer.
His groan rumbles low in his chest, a sound so raw and full of desire that it sends a fresh wave of heat through me. His hand trails down, brushing over my stomach, lower still, until his fingers dip beneath the waistband of my leggings. He stretches them taunt, as he angles his wrist. His touch leaves a trail of sparks in its wake, every nerve in my body lighting up in anticipation.
When his fingers finally brush over where I need him most, a gasp escapes me, my head falling back as my body arches into him.
“Perfect,” he murmurs against my neck, his lips trailing over my skin, leaving a path of fire. His hand moves in slow, deliberate strokes, teasing, testing, pulling me closer and closer to the edge. “So wet for me,” he says, his voice thick and filled with something primal. “God, I won’t make it inside of you at this rate.”
His words, his touch—they work together, shoving me over the edge I’ve been teetering on. I tumble into the abyss, my body trembling, my breath coming in ragged gasps as pleasure washes over me in waves.
But he doesn’t stop.
He pulls his hand away, his fingers hooking into the waistband of my leggings. “Off,” he growls, his voice low and commanding, leaving no room for argument.
I lift my hips without hesitation, and he tugs the fabric down, dragging both my leggings and panties down over my thighs and tossing them to the floor. His hands slide up my legs, spreading them as he drops to his knees before me, settling between my thighs like he belongs there.
“Jake,” I manage to whisper, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I’m feeling.
He looks up at me, his eyes dark and unrelenting, holding my gaze as he presses a kiss to the inside of my knee. “You’re beautiful,” he says, his voice softer now but no less intense. “And I want to taste all of you.”
My breath catches as his lips trail higher, his hands gripping my thighs, holding me in place. When his mouth finally finds me, warm and insistent, I gasp, my fingers diving into his hair as I arch into him.
The first swipe of his tongue is slow, deliberate, like he’s savoring me. A moan slips past my lips, unbidden, and he groans in response, the sound vibrating against me and sending another shockwave of pleasure through my body.
“Jake,” I breathe, my voice breaking on his name.
He doesn’t answer—doesn’t need to. His hands tighten on my thighs as he holds me steady, his mouth working me with a precision that leaves me breathless. His tongue teases, his lips press, and when he hums against me, I swear the world tilts on its axis.
My nails scrape against his scalp, and I’m not sure if I’m pulling him closer or holding on for dear life. My body is trembling, every nerve alight, every thought consumed by him and the way he’s unraveling me piece by piece.
“Jake,” I gasp again, my voice shaky, my thighs trembling against his grip. “I—I’m close.”
His response is immediate, his movements intensifying, drawing me closer, higher, until the tension inside me snaps for the second time.
Pleasure crashes over me like a tidal wave, my body arching, my breath catching as I shatter beneath him. He doesn’t stop, his mouth and hands working me through every pulse, every tremor, until I’m trembling and breathless, completely undone.
When he finally pulls back, his lips glisten, and his eyes are heavy with satisfaction as he looks up at me. His voice, low and rough, cuts through the haze as he murmurs, “You’re perfect.”
The raw sincerity in his words makes my chest tighten, but I don’t let it linger. Instead, I reach for him, pulling him up and crashing my lips against his. The kiss is messy, desperate, tasting of him and me and everything in between.
I pull back just enough to whisper against his lips, my voice breathless but steady. “I’m not perfect… but I will be if you fuck me.”
His breath catches, and I see something primal flare in his eyes. My fingers slide between us, wrapping around him as I guide him closer. His cock is thick, hard, and impossibly warm against my hand, and I don’t hesitate.
I tilt my hips, aligning him with my soaked core, the anticipation making my body tremble all over again. My eyes meet his, and the intensity there is almost overwhelming. “Jake,” I murmur, the word carrying everything I can’t say aloud.
His grip tightens on my hips, his control slipping as he presses forward, slow and deliberate, until there’s no space left between us.