Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Skye took a step back, closing herself off to Ash’s imminent kiss. This was where she worked, and while no one could see them, someone could walk into the small entrance at any moment.
What was she doing anyhow? Getting back at Spencer? And, while she was angry, hurt, and devastated, wouldn’t she be guilty of a similar sin, letting this stranger have his kiss?
Why was she thinking of Spencer at all?
Reckless was a word that didn’t belong in her rigid existence.
Every step in her life had occurred after intense deliberation.
It was the only way she’d survived her childhood.
She had taken a broken little girl and transformed her into a successful physician, precisely because she’d measured and weighed every risk, knowing what she was willing to lose.
Things with Spencer hadn’t been perfect. Perhaps some of it had been her fault. The lingering scars from her past caused issues. Maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d looked outside their relationship for sex. Despite their difficulties though, a future with Spencer had had merit.
And maybe that highlighted the problem. Maybe she didn’t need safe anymore. Maybe it was time to do the unthinkable.
Ash traced the seam of her lips with his thumb, his eyes focused on where he pressed. A stillness enveloped her as his head lowered, and his lips closed the distance.
Screw Spencer.
She owed no loyalty to him.
And rational thought? Time to toss it out the window.
This was going to happen—even if her coworkers were just beyond those double doors.
Carpe diem.
She’d spent too much time being careful. In the end, by choosing Spencer, she’d still gotten hurt. Maybe it was time not to worry and to simply live in the moment without all her usual ponderous rationalization.
When Ash’s lips touched hers, he gave a cautious caress, nothing like Spencer's rough and insistent demands.
A smoldering heat replaced the chill from the outside air.
His breath released, and she shuddered. Her eyes closed, and she leaned into him, returning his touch with a more hesitant glide of her lips against his.
His fingers swept down her jawline, trailed down her neck, and cupped the back of her head, tangling in the lengths of her hair.
He supported her head and opened her lips with his warmth, letting her taste spiced coffee on his tongue.
When he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, she placed a hand against his stomach, tracing the toned muscles underneath.
His fingers massaged through the layers of her clothing, strong and confident, and she luxuriated in his exploration, sure but not rushed like Spencer.
Then, Ash disentangled his other hand from her hair and pulled back from the kiss.
For a moment, they were separated.
They stared at each other, their faces a breath apart. She had never experienced a more intimate moment, and she couldn’t help but compare this with the thousands of kisses she had shared with Spencer, so cold when contrasted with the desire this man stirred.
His expression softened, as if asking, Is this okay?
With her heart fluttering, she gave the briefest nod.
He walked the fingers of both hands down her back to settle above the rise of her ass.
Then, he pulled her close again, kissing her deeply.
His tongue tangled with hers, as if he were desperate to devour her.
Masculine deep breaths surged from within him, punctuated by rumbling moans of desire in his throat.
She savored his ardor, his willingness to reveal his passion.
Ash transformed the kiss into an act of worship, more of a giving than a taking, whereas Spencer robbed the donation tray.
She slid her hands around to Ash’s back and melted into the strength of his embrace.
He didn’t hide his growing arousal, but neither did he force it.
It was merely there, a potent presence of male virility, a symbol of what was happening between them.
And something most certainly was happening—not only with her, but with him as well. The long, hard length of him pressed against her belly, and an awakening pulsed between her legs.
His lips laid a blistering trail along her jawline, his stubble scratching the sensitive skin of her face. She giggled at the unfamiliar sensation.
Ash gripped her nape, angling her head, and intensified the kiss as he found her lips again. His mastery of the art of kissing sent an electrifying tingle running through her body. He released her then, his hooded eyes staring down, mesmerizing her with their incredible depths.
Was it possible that he’d enjoyed that half as much as she had?
“Wow.” She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “You’ve done that a lot, haven’t you?”
His grin confirmed her suspicions. “Don’t hold my past against me, Skye. I’ve certainly never enjoyed it as much as just now.”
Holy shit, was this guy for real?
And she loved how the harsh, sometimes jolting sound of her name tumbled from his lips. Ash caressed her name with the tonal qualities of his deep voice, sounding out each letter until her name danced from his lips.
He adjusted his erection without any sense of shame. Spencer would never have been so obvious about such a thing.
Ash winked and looked toward the double doors leading into the staff area of the emergency department. “Shame we’re not somewhere more private, but I’ve never let that stop me before.”
With a chuckle, he lifted her, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips.
She yelped as he pressed her against the wall.
Her head whipped left and right. One set of doors led into the building.
The other set led to the ambulance bay. She looked for anyone who might be watching, terrified she’d find someone.
“If we were some place else,” he said, “I’d have you stripped by now.”
Now, that was a little too forward, but damn if he didn’t stir a rebellious streak within her mind.
Some primal part of her brain was responding to his blatant proposition.
But this was her workplace, and she refused to lose her job over a kiss gone wild.
Besides, she would never let a man she’d just met fuck her.
Skye Summers wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of gal.
“Ash, let me down.” Her gaze flicked to the doors. She was still worried about getting caught.
He kissed the warmth of her mouth and stopped her thoughts cold as she sank into the sensation.
When he let her up for air, he continued, “I want to be buried deep inside you until you can’t think.”
She could barely hold together a coherent thought as it was. Kissing him was such a bad idea. She pushed against his chest, more forceful this time. “Put me down.”
Only she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted him to pound her against that wall like he’d said. She wanted to feel that degree of passion at least once in her life. She wanted what every other woman had seemed to experience and enjoy. Skye wanted to fly free in the arms of a man.
His erection pressed against her inner thigh and ignited something deep within her core, driving her to a frenzy she had never felt before.
Sex had always been a physical act to endure.
She’d never enjoyed it, but he had her body reacting in new and different ways.
Instead of her body shutting down, Ash was awakening something silent and slumbering deep inside of her.
Unlike Spencer, Ash listened when she said to stop.
He set her down, steadying her on her feet, but he captured her lips with his again—kissing, licking, sucking, and leaving her breathless.
Her cheeks flushed, burning with the implications of Ash’s desire to fuck her against the wall.
This wasn’t who she was. It wasn’t how she responded to a man, but she wanted exactly what he’d described.
And, as she’d feared, the outside doors swished open. Mortified at being caught, she broke off the kiss and peeked over Ash’s shoulder. From there, she tumbled straight into Spencer's hard glare.
Oh, shit.
Fury filled Spencer's eyes, and anger reddened his face. Her stomach dropped, and she pushed Ash away.
“Spencer.” Her voice cracked. She lifted a hand to her lips, finding them slightly swollen.
“Skye? What is this?” The restrained control in Spencer's voice stopped her heart because she knew what would come next.
Her hand flew to her pocket, her fingers feeling for his ring. “What are you doing here?”
The scowl on Spencer's face deepened, his eyes narrowing with dark intent. “I told you not to leave. We need to discuss what you saw.”
Ash stepped in front of her, shielding her against Spencer. “Who are you?”
She tried to push Ash away, desperate to defuse Spencer's notorious temper, but Ash wouldn’t budge.
Spencer's muscles bunched under his expensive suit. His fingers curled into fists, the veins on the backs of his hands as well as those on his forehead sticking out.
“Who am I? I’m her fiancé, asshole. Who are you, and why are you kissing my girl?”
“Your girl?” Ash crossed his arms, letting his muscles flex in a classic male pose.
Spencer's brows pinched together, casting his eyes in shadow. “Skye, tell me what’s going on.” He grabbed her wrist and jerked her out from behind Ash.
She yelped as pain shot to her shoulder.
“Whoa, what the fuck, man?” Ash took a step forward. “Let her go.”
Spencer snapped her to his side.
“Stop! You’re hurting me,” she said.
But he never stopped, not when he got like this. His grip tightened.
He pulled her toward the door. “When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it. Now, why did you leave?” He said the words without a hint of remorse, like he’d expected her to wait while he finished fucking that girl.