Chapter Twenty-Two
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“YOUR ASS COULD not look better if you paid for it.” Frankie’s voice echoes through the room from the laptop on Everly’s bed where she has them on a video call while she gets ready for her date with Asim.
“You don’t think the heels are too much? Maybe sneakers would be better.” Everly eyes the black ankle boots she’s wearing. They’re sexy as hell, with pointed metal toes and a sleek silver metal heel, but she’s not sure how smart it is to wear them on a motorcycle. Not to mention, this entire outfit is… a lot.
“They make the outfit. If you take them off I won’t speak to you for a week," Frankie says. “And leave that zipper where it is!”
Everly glances at her laptop as she releases the jacket zipper she was about to adjust, seeing Frankie fanning themself dramatically and making an “O” face. Rolling her eyes, Everly fixes the bottoms of her jeans, tucking the ends into her boots, then leans over the bed to the laptop.
“Bye!” Everly hangs up on Frankie’s cackling, having had enough of the peanut gallery, and walks back to the full-length mirror.
She twists and turns, running her hands down her sides. She’s paired the dark jeans and boots with a black leather jacket, zipped up halfway over a semi-sheer floral black lace bodysuit. Her cleavage looks incredible peeking out above the zipper, and she isn’t ashamed to admit she can’t wait for Asim to see her outfit. She’s never worn anything like it before, and although it’s nerve wracking, it also feels good. Old Anxious Everly would have worn a simple but elegant sweater, maybe cashmere, something sophisticated and expensive. But this Everly, the Everly she’s discovering, wants to be more daring. She wants to wear lace, and leather, and dark red lipstick. She wants to take risks, and Asim is the person she wants to do those things with.
Everly feels free to be herself with him, and she giggles when she thinks about the fuzzy red socks she has on inside the boots. If they’re going out at night, she doesn’t want her feet to get cold. She may also be secretly hoping they lose their clothes at some point tonight and he discovers them in the process. Everly needs his laugh like she needs to breathe.
Right on time, the rumble of his bike rounding the corner onto Poinsettia Lane reaches her ears. Everly flips off the kitchen and foyer lights, then steps outside, fingers trembling with excitement and nerves as she locks the ornate wooden door behind her. When she turns around, Asim already has his helmet off and was very clearly staring at her backside. Frankie was most definitely right.
She clears her throat, and his eyes jump up to hers. Everly smirks at him and cocks her hip, hand on her waist, relishing this moment as she turns the tables on him.
Asim swipes a hand down his face, seeming to be lost for words. Then he chuckles, acknowledging that she caught him, and swings his leg over the bike.
“You clearly already know this, but just in case,” he says, prowling up to her, “you are stunning, Ever.”
Before she can respond, he leans down and places a sweet kiss on her lips. Everly grins as he pulls away, and Asim turns back to the bike. He flips open the storage compartment, pulling out a second helmet. It’s a deep, rich red color, matte instead of shiny, with a charcoal visor. Darker than wine, it’s a near perfect match for the color of her lips tonight.
Everly loves it.
“Did you get this for me?!” she gasps.
“Of course. I can’t have you riding without a helmet," he says. “And I’m glad to see you’re wearing leather and denim too, good choices if you’re going to be on a bike, even if they are designed to torture me.” He gifts her one of his playful winks, and she bites her lip as the grin threatens to take over her face.
Asim fits the helmet over her hair and secures it in place. Stepping back, his gaze fires along her skin. It’s a thrum through her blood as his eyes sweep up and down her body, and he lets out a soft whistle.
“You just might be the death of me.” His voice is low and gravely, hands fisted at his sides. Flexing his fingers, he pulls leather gloves from his back pocket and focuses intently on putting them on before bracing himself and turning back to her.
“Ready?” he asks.
Everly nods, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
Asim straddles the bike to stabilize it and offers her a hand to hop on behind him.
“Snuggle in close,” he says, pulling her arms tight around his waist. “Hold tight, lean into the turns with me, and if you would like to stop, tap my side three times.”
Everly listens intently, committing everything to memory. Secretly she’s always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but her parents would never have approved, and she hasn’t had an opportunity before now.
As she settles onto the seat, his heated palm meets her right calf and he guides her foot into place, pausing for a moment as his gaze snags on the image of her booted foot on his bike, then he does the same with her left. Everly’s stomach tightens as she imagines his hands traveling further up her legs.
Unfortunately, he lets go instead.
Asim secures his own helmet, then reaches for her hands on his waist, pulling them more tightly around him so her breasts are pressed into his back, not even an inch of space between them. He pats her hands, indicating she should keep them there, and Everly gulps, her blood thrumming with nervous excitement.
Asim kicks the stand up and starts the bike with a thundering growl before it tapers off to a steady purr that shoots through her body. For once, Everly’s grateful for the obnoxious sound, because it covers her gasp of surprise.
She knew it was coming of course, but she didn’t expect the vibrations. Everly was already feeling flustered; between Asim’s hands on her and how confidently sexy he is sitting on the bike, she’s feeling more than a little aroused. Add the steady vibration running straight up between her legs and she’s about to completely lose her mind, and they haven’t even left the driveway yet.
Asim angles his head over his shoulder, and although she can’t see his face through his helmet, she knows he’s asking if she’s ready. She nods her head against his back and he pats her hands once more, then twists the throttle.
Everly inadvertently squeezes a little tighter as they take off and she feels him chuckle against her. She’s already grinning too though, and as they twist and turn out of her neighborhood to the more deserted back country roads, Asim starts to pick up speed. Everly clutches his jacket in her fists, arms wrapped tightly around him. A giddy laugh is bubbling up in her chest and instead of holding it in, she lets it belt out of her, throwing her delight to the darkening sky above them.
Asim ups the speed when he hears her and Everly shrieks with glee. She has not felt this alive in years, maybe ever, and she’s determined to embrace every moment. Everly isn’t paying any attention to where they’re going, instead she focuses entirely on the live wire that is her body right now.
She’s electric and invincible.
All too soon, the bike starts to slow and she opens her eyes, not aware until that moment that she had closed them. Everly looks around, seeing no buildings or vehicles or any hints of humanity at all, and she has absolutely no idea where they are. She braces for the anxiety to set in, but it doesn’t come.
Asim parks off the dirt road near some large boulders and kills the engine. She loosens her hold on him with a sigh as he pops his helmet off before gently shifting her feet to the ground on either side of the bike. Everly isn’t sure she can move on her own; the vibrations felt good initially but now her whole body feels like jelly and her legs are almost numb. Asim twists toward her and she shrugs her helplessness, flailing her arms at her sides in emphasis.
Chuckling, he places a steadying hand on her shoulder and swings himself off first, keeping his hip against the bike to steady it, then turns and circles her waist with his hands, lifting her clean off the seat and standing her in front of him. He wraps one arm around her, and loosens her helmet with the other. Everly reaches up to pull it off, shaking her hair out as she does so and eliciting a groan from Asim.
“You’re really trying to do me in tonight, aren’t you?”
“I could say the same to you," she grumbles in return, biting her tongue and pinching her lips to hold in her smile at the crooked grin on his face as she hooks her helmet on the handlebar.
“Cheeky little thing," Asim says under his breath.
“So where are we?” she asks.
“About thirty minutes northeast of town.”
“And we’re doing what out here, exactly?”
Asim smoothes her flyaway hairs, then turns back to the bike. He’s so casually tactile, it’s a new experience for her and she revels in it.
Everly hadn’t noticed the extra bags on either side of her seat when they set off, but now he starts pulling out one thing after another and she’s beginning to suspect he managed to somehow replicate the Undetectable Extension Charm Hermione used on her handbag. He passes her a woven Mexican blanket, two metal mugs, and a large insulated water bottle. From the other side, he pulls out a cooler bag and a couple other random things that she can’t see clearly in the dim evening light.
She learns soon enough one is a collapsible solar powered lantern. It gives off a soft glow when Asim expands it, and he holds it up as he walks toward the large boulders a few feet away, setting it on top of one so it lights the area around them. Asim sets everything down, then gestures for the blanket, spreading it out next to the boulders. It’s then that Everly notices this area specifically is cleared of brush and debris.
“Did you… You planned all this," she says, a touch of wonder in her voice.
“I did.” Asim glances at her, seeming almost nervous.
“That’s really sweet," she says softly.
No one has ever put this much effort into a date for her before. She knows he’s busy too, so she can’t imagine when he found the time to drive out here and clean up this spot for them.
Asim’s cheeks puff as he blows up an inflatable pillow, which he props against the large rock. He toes off his boots and lowers himself to the blanket, offering her a hand down as well, then unpacks the cooler. Sliced meats, cheeses, fruits, honey, nuts, crackers, and a salad are displayed in front of her. He takes a paper plate and tops it with a bit of everything, then passes it over to her with a napkin and fork, before turning to the water bottle.
He pours hot chocolate into the two camp mugs, then raises an eyebrow in question while holding up a hip flask. She shrugs with a smile, nodding her consent as he adds a splash into each and passes one of the mugs to her. Everly takes it with wide eyes, speechless as he proceeds to drop some marshmallows on top. No one has ever come close to doing something like this for her before. She’s dreamed of a romantic picnic, sure, but never has she thought it would be a reality. This is the kind of thing that only happens in movies.
Sniffing her mug, she notes hints of coffee and Irish cream, and she closes her eyes in appreciation as she inhales the comforting scent, cupping the warm mug between her palms.
Asim leans back against the pillow, setting his plate and mug next to him, then spreads his legs and carefully maneuvers her between them with her side to his front. He shifts and angles her slightly, then picks up his mug and taps it to hers.
“To a night to remember, my darling Ever," he says.
“A night to remember," she whispers.
~~~
When she’s eaten her fill and their charcuterie board is nothing but scraps, Everly sits closer and Asim holds an arm out. Everly tucks herself against his side and leans her head back on his shoulder to look up at the stars.
“So beautiful," she says, staring at the Milky Way glimmering above them.
“Stunning,” he murmurs into her hair.
Everly peeks at him through her eyelashes, seeing he’s already looking at her, and the breath whooshes from her chest at the naked desire in his eyes. They’ve each only had one drink; she feels drunk anyways.
It’s him. Having his full attention is dizzying and addicting.
Everly turns in his arms and he lifts her, readjusting her legs to fall on either side of his hips as her arms snake around his neck. They pause for a moment, breathing each other’s air, eyes flitting up and down, the tension building until Everly isn’t sure who moves first. One second she’s staring into his green eyes, pupils blown wide, and the next he’s devouring her. She loses herself in his lips, the feel of his tongue stroking hers, his stubble rasping against her skin as he kisses along her jaw and down her neck.
Asim’s hands move from her waist to her hips, and he rocks forward while pulling her harder into him. Everly gasps at the sensation, clenching her hands in his hair and as his hardness presses against the seam of her jeans, right where she wants it. His mouth comes back up to cover hers as he obliterates any lingering thoughts in her head.
He pulls away too soon and an involuntary whimper comes out of her mouth at the loss of contact. Asim smoothes a hand up her back and hushes her.
“Shhh, my darling, I’m not going anywhere," he whispers into her neck, lips grazing her skin as he readjusts their position.
He leans to the side and flips her onto her back, snagging the pillow from behind him and sliding it under her head as he follows her down, settling his weight between her legs. Everly arches up into him, greedy for more of his drugging kisses, but he places a firm hand on her chest as he looks down at her before he moves his fingers to toy with the zipper of her leather jacket.
“Yes,” she says, nodding in emphasis, and he unzips it slowly, eyes searing into every inch as he bares her breasts and midriff. She’s only wearing the black lace bodysuit under the jacket, and Asim groans as his eyes devour her, sending a flood of heat to her core. Her nipples are visible beneath the lace, and he palms her breast with one hand, pinching her pebbled nipple through the fabric and she arches into his touch again as they harden even more. Their bodies are tangled together, one leg entwined between his, her other hitched around his hips and as she shifts against him, she can feel the hard bulge pressing against her inner thigh.
“I have to taste you.” He barely gets the words out before his tongue curls around her peaked nipple. She twists her fingers into his hair, pulling him even closer while grinding against him. His mouth closes over her, teeth scraping, and she moans into her arm, biting down in an attempt to stifle the embarrassing sounds.
“Let me hear you," he growls. “Don’t hide from me.”
Everly looks down her body and meets his smoldering eyes as he moves to the other breast, then gently bites down. She doesn’t hide this time, she sings her pleasure to the stars above.
~~~
His fingers are magic. His tongue and mouth are divine. Everly can only imagine what it will feel like to finally have all of him, but before she can move things in that direction, Asim puts a stop to it.
“Not here," he says, stilling her hands as she reaches for his zipper. “When I finally have you, it won’t be on the side of a road. It’ll be in a bed where I can take my time, and not worry about you being cold, or uncomfortable, or anxious. Where I can easily get anything you might need or want, and you won’t have to think about one single thing except the pleasure I wring from your tight little body.”
Everly’s eyes widen, her skin flushes hot from her ears to her curling toes, and her head stutters a nod up at him.
“Can we do that now?” she says, her voice husky with want, lower than she has ever heard it.
Asim chuckles. “Let’s get this picked up and we can head back, then you let me know how you feel.”
He doesn’t move off of her yet though. Instead, he strokes his fingers down her lightly, almost like he’s petting her. He touches her face, her hair, down her neck and across her breasts, memorizing every inch he can reach through touch. Everly’s skin breaks out in goosebumps all over again and she groans dramatically.
“You have to stop touching me if you’re going to make me wait," she complains, and one side of his mouth quirks up.
“You’re just so touchable, I can’t help it.” His voice is soft and tender, bathing her in warmth. “Let’s go then.”
Asim rises fluidly to his feet and Everly gapes at him. She has no idea how he can be so graceful and move that easily after lying on the desert ground for what felt like an entire lifetime. She holds both hands up and waves them at him in a silent request for assistance. He obliges, grasping her forearms and effortlessly lifting her to her feet. His eyes twinkle at her beneath thick lashes and it takes every ounce of willpower she possesses not to lean into him for another kiss.
She steps back and looks around, taking stock of the situation, then starts collecting their trash. Before she knows it, everything is back on the bike, she has her helmet on, and her arms are wrapped around Asim’s waist again.
Everly eagerly presses her body into his this time, wiggling to get as close as she can and hugging his legs with hers in anticipation. Asim smiles at her over his shoulder before pulling his helmet on, then he checks her feet, squeezing each calf in turn, and finally taps her hands again in warning before they take off into the night.