Chapter 21
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
ASPEN
Asher climbed out of my bed early this morning. I didn’t want to let him go, but I knew he needed to.
Last night, he switched gate duty with Trout so that he could sleep with me. After everything with his sister, I was feeling uneasy. He read that on my face clearly and made the decision to stay with me on his own.
I didn’t hate it, though. I appreciated the fact that he could see what I needed and gave it to me.
It meant he had to get up early and relieve Trout this morning. A small price to pay for having him hold me all night.
I’m grateful he was there too. I had another nightmare, only this time it was different. I was still in the hellhole, but this time Asher was mad at me and didn’t come save me.
I know it’s a result of his being angry yesterday, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling as I lay in bed. Not until he pulled me close and whispered that he was there and everything would be okay.
Getting out of bed, I do my morning routine. By the time I make it to the kitchen, I’m surprised to see Asher there, making two cups of tea.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were on gate duty.”
He smiles, handing me one of the cups. “I was, but Panther pulled me. He wants me over at the bar today, so he got someone else to cover. I was going to bring you tea in bed before I left.”
I set my mug down and move into his chest, hugging him.
“Are you really okay with yesterday? You’re not still mad at me?”
He sets his own mug down, holding me to him.
“I was at first, but not anymore. You’re right. She deserves to find the happiness I’ve found. I can’t protect her from everything, but having her here means she will be better protected. You showed me that.”
I smile up at him. “So it’s okay if I’m friends with her? I was thinking about calling her today and seeing if she wanted to come help with the carnival. I know we have it all under control, but it would give her a chance to meet the others and get to know them.”
He kisses the end of my nose. “I think that would be a great idea, baby. She would love that. I plan to call her this morning on my way to work and apologize to her again. I want her in my life. I don’t want to lose her.”
I soften at his words. He might be my tough man who is willing to walk through fire for me, but inside, he is a soft teddy bear needing love too.
“You won’t. You need to give her some space to grow as a person.”
“I can do that. I have plenty of practice with you.”
When he kisses me, I don’t hesitate to return the kiss. After a moment, he pulls away.
“Okay, I am going to get going and call her now. Maybe give me twenty before you call her?”
“I will. I’ll see you later?” I ask.
“If I have anything to do with it, yes. Absolutely.” He kisses the hell out of me before leaving me breathless in the kitchen.
Once he is gone, I make myself something small to eat before going back to my room.
When I’m sure he is likely not on the phone with his sister, I give her a call.
“Hey, I’m about to head into class. What’s up?” she asks, reminding me that it’s a school day and she’s working.
“I’ll make this quick. We are doing this charity carnival booth. I want you to come help. We are meeting this afternoon. You can come by whenever you are done. I will leave your name at the gate,” I tell her.
“I don’t know. Asher doesn’t want me there.” She seems hesitant.
“Didn’t he call you?” I ask.
She sighs. “He did, but I don’t want him to say he wants me there because I threw a fit. I want him to actually want me there.”
I feel for the girl. It is a hard situation to navigate.
“He does want you here. We talked extensively after you left with Yak. He is scared his past is going to touch you. He doesn’t ever want you to be hurt, so he lashed out.
He saw you in the clubhouse and thought his worst nightmare had come true.
I think you should talk to him more about it, but in the end, he realized that he was trying to shelter you from the world instead of letting you live in it.
He wants you here and in his life. He just didn’t know he could have that,” I tell her.
She is quiet for several minutes before she finally speaks.
“I’ll be there. Baby steps, right?” she whispers.
“Baby steps. I’ll let you get to work. Have a great day, and I can’t wait to see you later.”
“You too.”
I smile to myself as I set down my phone.
I have already repaired a sibling relationship, and I haven’t even finished my tea yet. I feel productive.
Maybe all the therapy has been good for me. It has helped me see that the world doesn’t revolve around me. That there is a whole other place outside of my perceived reality.
I didn’t realize how messed up I was from how I was raised. Looking back, I think I should have. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty after all.
As horrid as it was to go through being kidnapped, I think I came out the other side a better person.
I’m a better sister to Calloway.
I am showing up for Maggie in a way I never have before.
I have new people in my circle, which was unheard of a year ago.
Now I have Asher too. Someone I have willingly given my heart to, despite the fear he might break it.
I am a new Aspen, and I have to say I am loving it.
ASHER
Fuck, today was a shitshow.
When Panther said he wanted me at the bar, I didn’t think twice about it. I figured they needed more manual labor without complaints, something I give them.
I didn’t realize he had an ulterior motive. One that I figured out the moment I got on site.
Caterpillar was assigned here today along with Talon, Ridge, and Yak.
If I thought he hated me before, it is even worse now. All day, he tried to boss me around and bully me, but I wasn’t having it. I have been helping at the bar for weeks now. This was his first time.
So when he tried to tell me to do the wrong thing, I ignored him and did what I knew needed to be done. When he bitched to Talon about me not listening, Talon ordered him to listen to me, which only pissed him off more.
It was a full day of dealing with toddler tantrums from a grown-ass man.
If I could have shot him and gotten away with it, I think I would have.
I don’t want to bring that shit home to Aspen, but I can’t shake the bad mood. I know she knows it the moment I walk into her room too. She stands, opening her arms for me. I go into them willingly, soaking in her warmth.
“I need a shower,” I tell her, knowing I smell like ass.
She doesn’t complain. She only holds me tighter.
When she finally pulls back, she offers me a small smile.
“Go shower. I will go get you some food, then we can cuddle,” she tells me.
I nod, leaving her in the room to go down to the communal bathroom.
I shower in record time, needing to be near Aspen. She makes everything better.
When I get back to the room, I smile at the sandwich and chips she has on a plate for me.
I scarf the food down before draining the bottle of water she brought. Then I settle into the bed next to her in nothing but my boxers. She doesn’t seem to mind as she slides up closer to me, splaying her body across mine.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks.
“No. I want to forget it,” I tell her.
She moves up to straddle me. “Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do it.”
It’s not lost on me that she is echoing my own words back to me. That she wants to be my person as much as I am hers.
I don’t want to use her, though. Not in that way.
“You being here is enough,” I tell her.
She shakes her head. “I know that, but tell me what you need? Do you need my body? I know my body needs you.”
She grinds down on me, my cock responding despite my attempt at keeping this PG.
“Aspen, baby. You’re killing me.”
She gives me a stern look. “Tell me what you need. Now.”
Growling, I grip her hips.
“I need to taste you on my lips. Come crawl up here and let me lick you until it all goes away.”
She gasps. “How is that going to help relax you? It’s more work.”
“Eating you is never work, baby. I enjoy it. It relaxes me.” I grab her hips, trying to get her to move.
“Hmm, let me try then. It’s only fair.”
She gives me a questioning look, but finally moves off me. I watch as she pulls off her sleep shorts before she turns away from me, climbing up over my mouth.
As soon as she is settled, I lean up, licking her pussy.
I love how she tastes. I meant what I said. Being between her legs brings me a sense of peace I have never found in my life.
If I’m being honest, Aspen in general brings me peace.
Still, I want to bring her pleasure. It will bring me immense pleasure as well.
Slowly, I start to lick her, playing with her a little as I feel some of the tension drain from my body. This is where I am meant to be. I can deal with any stress if I have her to come home to.
I’m so busy licking her that I don’t feel her pulling my boxers down right away. It’s not until her mouth covers my cock that I figure out why she said what she did.
My girl wants to pleasure me while I pleasure her.
Game on.
I match her pace, speeding up as she starts to suck me faster. Her little moans vibrate through my cock, making me grunt against her. She gasps as I press my tongue harder against her, sliding one of my fingers inside of her wetness.
She is going to town on my cock, but I refuse to come before she does. Circling her back entrance with my now wet finger, I love the way she shivers against me. I press in slightly as I suck her clit between my teeth, flicking my tongue against it.
I feel the moment she comes. Her entire body grows taut as her ass clenches against my finger.
She lets out a long moan against my cock, which sets me off. I empty myself inside of her, not even caring when she pulls herself off me, dripping my own release all over my legs and boxers.
I help her move her trembling legs from over my head and lay her on the bed gently. Then I turn around, lying on the bed the wrong way as I pull her into my arms.
“Thank you, my little songbird. That’s exactly what I needed.”
She giggles. “I still somehow think I got more than you did.”
“You always will. I won’t be satisfied if you aren’t thoroughly satisfied first.”
She nestles into me. “How did I get so lucky?” she asks.
I don’t answer her because the truth is, she isn’t the lucky one. I am.