Chapter 22
Damien
Three Days Later
‘Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby’ – Cigarettes After Sex
Fuck, I didn’t realize how much I liked to smoke.
It’s only been a couple of weeks since I quit, but it feels longer than that.
I didn’t smoke much to begin with, but now that we’re up and moving around more, the itch to get back to work is creeping on me.
Work means blood, and blood used to trigger the addiction.
I suppose my mind is still wired to crave one after a while.
It’s the same way I can feel my need to kill when it’s been too long.
The wind whips its way past the balcony doors as I open them, and the heat doesn’t immediately smack me in the face as I step outside.
My hair blows across my face, and while the breeze feels nice against my bare chest, it might not be quite cool enough for Ashia.
She won’t be able to stand out here for too long without getting sick again.
This heat hasn’t made her nausea any better, but I know that within the next couple of weeks, it’ll start to settle down.
Eleven weeks. She’s eleven weeks pregnant tomorrow.
I know she doesn’t want to get her hopes up until she’s past the twelve-week mark, but I can’t help it.
They’re perfect. I know it. We’re going to go to this appointment next week, and the doctor will tell us how amazing they are.
She’ll remind my wife how incredible she is, and if I’m lucky, she’ll convince Ashia to do the blood test. Then, the doctor can confirm that she’s, in fact, carrying my princess.
I know that, too. The feeling comes from deep within my bones, but I promised Ashia I would keep the teasing to a minimum.
For now. Until thirteen weeks on the fucking dot.
I can tell that she’s near, even before her arms snake around me from behind. One of her palms flattens against my chest, and as her other holds onto my side, she pulls me close. She gently lays her head against my back, and I can’t help but grin as I entangle my fingers with hers.
“It feels nice out here,” she says in a relaxed, innocent tone, like an angel is experiencing life outside heaven for the first time.
“Yeah, it does.” I turn slowly to face her.
While I want to stare into her eyes and compare them to the stars above us, she immediately buries her face in my chest, denying my chances.
She keeps her arms wrapped around me in an affectionate hold, so I mimic her and pull her close.
Her soft hair grazes against my cheek as I rest on top of her head.
That intoxicating, warm scent faintly mixes with the breeze and travels up my nose, easing the smoking urge instantly.
“Do you think Ser and Carter are still downstairs arguing?” She giggles softly, and I laugh with her.
“Probably. Those two are more stubborn than an alligator at the dentist.”
She chuckles even louder, but instead of pulling back so I can see that gorgeous smile, she hides her face with her hair and moves to my neck.
“Practicing your dad jokes already, are you?”
“Is it that obvious?” I feign my innocence, and she burrows even further into the spot between my throat and shoulder.
“Just a little.” As her hands start to explore the skin on my back, I can’t help but look past her and into our bedroom, knowing that our baby’s nursery is just on the other side of that wall.
I’ve already thought of a thousand things I could do to get it ready for both Ashia and my baby girl, but nothing stuck out more than my initial thought.
Everything is already planned out. The only thing I need, as unfortunate as it is, is Serena’s approval.
Never did I think that I needed that, but the theme I want to bring to life for them is a little…
risky. Considering Ashia’s past, it’ll either go over really well, or really bad.
If my assumption is right, though, she’ll fucking love it—and that’s my only concern.
I tighten my grip on her and rake my fingers through her long locks. The silky strands slide perfectly between my digits, and the soft moan she lets out vibrates against the skin on my neck, sending a tingle down my spine.
“If it gets too hot out here, baby, just let me know,” I whisper in her ear.
“Actually, I’m not sure that it’s hot enough…
” She presses a soft, hesitant kiss to my throat.
A soft groan purrs against my lips, and I bury my nose in her hair.
My hand grips the back of her head, forcing her to stay right where she is.
She continues to pepper kisses along the column of my neck, and when her teeth graze my collar bone, I let my head fall backward.
My cock instantly hardens, and I can’t help but press against her.
“Little wolf… You’re playing a very dangerous game right now.”
“What?” she says between embraces. “Can I not…” She kisses the middle of my chest. “Make my husband…” Her lips move lower and trial down the muscles on my abdomen. “Feel good?”
God, she’s going to be the death of me.
“It should be the other way around, baby. I should be making you feel good…” I moan as her nails graze the sensitive area over my hip bone and dip into my sweatpants.
“You always take care of me. It’s my turn, now.”
I pick my head up to watch her yank my sweats down, taking my boxers with them, and my dick springs free.
Her hair is still hiding her face, but she makes her excitement clear when she drags her tongue along the underside of my cock.
My body immediately comes to life, and a static erupts across my skin.
“Holy shit…” I grip the railing behind me with one hand and fist her hair in the other.
Her nails trail over my hip and around to grip my ass, while her other hand wraps around my shaft.
I shudder as she pumps her fist and swirls her tongue around the tip of my dick.
It’s been too long since I’ve felt her wrapped around my cock.
I’m already fighting demons, and she hasn’t even taken me into her mouth.
“Ashia…” I growl. “I’m going to come all over that beautiful face if you don’t slow down. ”
She tightens her grip on my length as she wraps her lips around the head of my dick and sucks, making me groan.
I hiss and squeeze the railing until it creaks when she flicks her tongue, barely striking my tip.
As she pulls away, like the damn tease she is, she drags her nails down my ass and thigh.
“I didn’t know you only liked to paint my insides with your cum.”
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
“You’re trying to rile me up…” I pant. My fingers massage the back of her head, and as I look to the stars again, I’m met with nothing but a grey wall. It’s there for only a second, and I barely make it out against the dark sky, but it was long enough to force me to blink a few times.
“I’m just trying to take care of you, baby.
” Then she takes me into her mouth in one harsh, swift motion, making my eyes roll back.
She works her throat and tongue at the same time, and I swear she’s trying to take my soul.
Her throat constricts as she swallows around me.
A bolt of tingly shock shoots up my spine, and I have to grip her hair even tighter, so I don’t blow too soon. “Just let me take the pain away.”
A wave of warning crashes into me, and my body locks up.
“What?” I whisper out, suddenly feeling a sting in my throat.
I look down again, trying to gauge how she’s feeling, but her hair is still in the way. Even when I pull my hand away and force her to let me go with a small ‘pop,’ she doesn’t look up at me.
“Ashia?” I call out for her, but it doesn’t come out any easier this time. Flashes of stone and dirt pulse in front of me, making me look around the balcony.
It’s gone again before I can make any sense of it. Ashia stands up and buries her face in my chest like before, evading my gaze another time.
“Just focus on me, Damien.”
“It’ll be over soon,” she whispers, but it sounds distorted, like she has something stuck in her throat or she’s sick. Silver strands move against my vision like a wave, moving from one side to the other before I can register them.
“Ashia, what’s going on?” I look down at her head again, and her straight locks remain a barrier between me and her perfect features. They whisp across my stomach as the breeze continues to glide past us, but it has an icy bite this time.
“Nothing, baby. Just let me take care of you.” She kisses my chest, and then back up to my neck like before.
One of her arms loops around my neck, while the other snakes down to continue stroking me.
I try to melt back into the moment, desperate to have my wife in one of the ways I’ve missed her most, but something is blocking me.
I can feel her warmth against me, and I can smell her, clear as day.
“I love you,” she whispers again, sounding a little more like herself.
“I love you too, little wolf…”
“Tell me how much you love me. Don’t stop until I’m done, okay?” she begs, and my stomach does a full three-sixty. Something is wrong. I go to push her back enough to just fucking look at me, but her grip only tightens, keeping me as close as she can. “Please, Damien. Just tell me.”
I bury my face in the crook of her neck, absorbing any ounce of her aura that I can as I nod against her skin.
I’ve never been able to deny her, and while something feels terribly wrong, I do what she asks.
I’m sure to whisper my adoration and devotion, so she hears the words that are only meant for her.
She loves it when I tell her how I feel, and after a few minutes, I can’t even hear myself anymore, but she still can.
Her hold doesn’t ease up, and soon, that’s all I feel.
Even if she isn’t stroking me anymore, we’re right where we should be.
We’re dancing under the stars, stealing whatever piece of heaven we can get.