Chapter 23 Asia
It felt like an out of body experience as my mind drifted away while my heart and my body took center stage.
Nyree stood in my living room while I stared at him with clarity ringing in my ears.
He seemed nervous but I was ready to seize the moment. I set my purse down on the coffee table, then slowly stepped out of my heels. My toes sank into the softness of my carpet as I took a couple of steps toward him, then lifted the hem of my dress so it went over my head in one smooth motion.
Nyree swallowed, his eyes trailing up and down my body.
I was standing before him in nothing but a black lace bra and panty set that I’d low key purchased for this occasion.
I approached him with desire pooling in the pit of my belly.
“Asia,” he said in a low tone, but I silenced him with a soft finger against his lips, then my hand trailed the curve of his jaw before I pulled him down from the back of his neck for a kiss.
His arms encircled my waist, then the kiss deepened as he cupped my ass cheeks. I felt him harden against my thigh.
“Shit,” he murmured when he pulled back, but I leaned upward to kiss him again.
He lifted me by the back of my thighs and began carrying me toward my bedroom.
When we entered, we tumbled onto the bed and I relished in the feeling of his hard, muscular body on top of mine.
His weight pressed me into the mattress in the most delicious way. I ran my hands up his back, feeling the muscles shift beneath his shirt, wanting it gone. I tugged at the fabric, and he understood, sitting up just enough to unbutton it and toss it aside.
The sight of his bare chest nearly took my breath away. I'd seen glimpses before, but having him here, in my bed, his skin warm beneath my fingertips—it was different. Better. My hands explored the ridges of his abs, the broadness of his shoulders.
Nyree's eyes never left mine as he reached behind me to unhook my bra with one motion. As he peeled it away, I felt a brief flicker of self-consciousness, but the look in his eyes—hungry, appreciative, full of desire—washed it away.
"You're so damn beautiful," he whispered, lowering his head to press kisses along my collarbone, then down to the swell of my breasts.
When his mouth closed around my nipple, I arched into him, a small gasp escaping my lips. His tongue swirled, teased, while his hand caressed my other breast. The dual sensation sent sparks of pleasure shooting through me.
He hooked his fingers into the sides of my panties, looking up at me for permission. I nodded, lifting my hips to help him slide them down my legs.
And then I was naked.
His hands seemed to be everywhere at once—caressing my thighs, my waist, my breasts. His mouth followed, trailing kisses down my stomach, moving lower with clear intent.
"Can I taste you?" he asked, his voice husky with desire.
I nodded, unable to form words as anticipation built inside me. He settled between my thighs, his broad shoulders pushing them wider. The first touch of his tongue against my clit had me clutching the sheets, a moan escaping unbidden from my throat.
Nyree knew what he was doing—that much was clear. He alternated between long, slow strokes and focused attention where I needed it most. My hips began to move of their own accord, seeking more pressure, more friction.
His hands gripped my thighs, holding me steady as he worked me toward the edge. When he slipped one finger inside me, then two, curling them just right while his tongue continued its relentless rhythm, I felt the tension building, coiling tighter and tighter.
"Nyree," I gasped, one hand moving to the back of his head, fingers running through his waves.
He hummed against me, the vibration sending me even higher. My back arched off the bed as the wave of pleasure crashed over me, intense and all-consuming. He stayed with me through it, easing me down with softer touches as the aftershocks rippled through me.
When I could breathe again, I opened my eyes to find him looking up at me with a mixture of pride and unmistakable desire. He moved back up my body, kissing me deeply, letting me taste myself on his lips.
I reached between us, taking him in my hand, feeling him pulse against my palm. He groaned into my mouth.
"I want you," I whispered against his lips.
He pulled back, his eyes searching mine. "You sure?"
I nodded, eager and ready to feel all of him. "I'm sure."
But then, surprising me, he caught my wrist. "Asia," he said, "I want this to be right."
I looked at him, confused. "This feels right to me."
He smiled, kissing me again. "It does to me too. But..."
"But what?"
He shifted to lie beside me, propping himself up on one elbow. "When we do this, I want it to be done right."
When we do this? My mind screamed. Muthafucka, we doing it right now!
I wanted to ask him what he meant, but his expression told me he wasn’t going to go there with me tonight.
I wanted to argue—my body was certainly ready to protest—but something in his eyes told me this wasn't rejection. It was respect. Care.
One side of me was pissed because his tongue game had me horny as hell, but a tiny voice in the back of my mind whispered that he was showing me he was different.
"So what are you saying?" I asked, still fighting back my attitude as my fingertips traced patterns on his chest.
"I'm saying I want to hold you tonight. And later, when the time is right, if you still want me the way I want you..." He trailed off, his meaning clear.
My anger slowly melted as I felt a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with physical desire. This man could have taken what I was offering without hesitation. Most would have. Quan damn sure did. But Nyree was showing me, once again, that he wasn't most men.
"Okay," I said, nestling into his side.
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong, beneath my ear.
As we lay there, our breathing synchronizing, I realized how right this felt. Not just the physical intimacy, but this moment of quiet connection. The yacht had been beautiful, extravagant, but this—just being here, wrapped in each other's arms—this was the real luxury.
My last conscious thought before drifting off to sleep was that I'd never felt so safe with someone so quickly. And for once, that didn't scare me at all.