Chapter 23
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
ASPEN
Ihave been trying to get Rain on the phone for days. After Asher told me she might need a friend, I wanted to be there for her, but she keeps avoiding me.
I know I need to nail her down soon, but I don’t want to push too hard.
So I’m surprised when I head outside to meet Asher and find her sitting on the porch with Maggie.
“Hey, Rain. I’ve been trying to call you.”
She winces. “I know. It hasn’t been the best few days for me.”
My heart hurts for her. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.
“Didn’t Asher already tell you?” she asks, tears starting to fill her eyes.
“No, he didn’t. Whatever you spoke about, he kept to himself. All he told me was that you might need a friend,” I tell her.
She gives me a small smile. “He is a good man. It’s not a secret. Dad has decided to stop chemo treatments. It’s been a hard pill to swallow for me.”
I move to her side, crouching down as I pull her into my arms.
“I’m so sorry, babe. I know that has to be hard.”
She nods as she sobs against me. Maggie moves to her other side, hugging her as well.
“We are here for you,” Maggie tells her.
“I don’t know how to live without him. He is my dad. The toughest man I know. When he’s gone, I will be all alone,” she admits.
Rain is a sassy girl. She never shows her emotions, so the fact that she is bawling right now means she is really hurting.
“You aren’t alone. You have us. You have the entire club. We will be here,” I tell her.
“Yes. We won’t let you go,” Maggie promises.
We sit there a moment, all hugging, before we hear footsteps.
I glance over and see Asher and Ridge approaching.
“What’s wrong?” Ridge asks, moving closer.
“Nothing.” Rain sniffles, wiping her eyes. “Nothing at all.”
“Come on, Rain. Let me be there for you,” Ridge mutters.
“Now that my dad is dying, you mean? You had your shot. It’s long gone. I don’t need a babysitter.”
He groans. “I’m not trying to be your babysitter. I only want to be there for you.”
“As you can see, I don’t need you. Maggie, let’s go do that thing you said we were doing. Aspen, enjoy your date.”
“I can stay. Asher will understand,” I tell her.
“Absolutely. We can go on a date another time,” Asher says, proving he is the man I know he is.
“No. You two go. Honestly, I want to hang with Mags here. I’ll see you later.”
Rain pulls Maggie away, leaving Ridge standing there looking so hurt.
“I don’t know how to help her,” he admits.
Asher steps forward. “You can’t right now. She is hurting. All you can do is show up over and over in case she needs you.”
He sighs. “I wish Mustang hadn’t decided to stop it all now. It is killing her. She doesn’t understand that he is in pain and wants to end it. He doesn’t want to leave her, but he knows it will only get worse.”
“She is going to lash out. I can speak from experience,” I tell him.
“When we hurt, we hurt those around us, whether we want to or not. Let her process her feelings however she can while you stand there and take it. She will appreciate it after.” I reach out, grabbing Asher’s hand. “Trust me. I did.”
Ridge shakes his head. “I’m not trying to get with her. Her father trusts me to take care of her. That’s all I mean.”
I’m shocked by his words. I thought he had it bad for her. Maybe I read it all wrong.
“Whatever you are doing, man, just be there. That’s all she needs.”
He nods at Asher before stalking off.
“You think he will get through to her?” I ask.
“I think we should mind our business. He is obviously suppressing his own feelings, which is only going to cause more chaos. You be there for Rain. I will be there for Ridge, but we keep out of it. Let them figure their own lives out,” Asher tells me.
I laugh. “Such a man answer, but you’re right. So…where are you taking me?”
He smiles. “I have something special planned. I’m glad you wore comfortable shoes with your dress. It is going to be a bit of a hike.”
I hug his arm around me as he starts walking around the clubhouse.
As we walk through the woods, we chat about nothing and everything at the same time. I feel like every time we are together, I learn more about him, yet I feel like I will never know everything, and trust me, I want to.
The walk isn’t long, only about fifteen minutes or so. When we come to a lake, I smile at how beautiful it looks. It’s a chilly evening, but the sun is still out, giving us the last bit of its warmth.
In the middle of the lake are several floating candles, but none of them are moving.
“How are they so still?” I ask.
He smiles. “Magic.”
I laugh, my head falling to his shoulder.
“It’s so pretty,” I whisper.
“I have them anchored down. The lake isn’t that deep, so it wasn’t hard. I didn’t want to start a forest fire, so I figured that was best,” he tells me.
“It’s perfect.”
He leads me over to a floating swim raft with a fire pit tied to the side, the fire adding to the warmth. I hold his hand as he helps me on. Once on, he slowly paddles us out to the candles before anchoring both us and the fire pit.
Then he takes a seat, patting the spot next to him. Pulling off his cut and shirt, he lays them to the side in a small compartment that looks waterproof. Then he lounges back on the pillows laid out.
I take the seat next to him, handing him my shoes as I take them off.
We both get comfortable as he pulls a comforter over us. I cuddle in next to him as I stare at the darkening sky.
“This is perfect,” I tell him
“You are perfect,” he tells me.
I turn, looking at the tattoos on his chest. I have seen them before, but something catches my eye.
“What’s this? This is new.”
He smirks down at me. “Is it?”
I glare at him as I lean up and look closer.
My breath catches when I realize what it is.
It’s a small bird with its mouth open as if it is singing. It perches on a chain that is hooked to an anchor. In script, my name is spelled out.
“Asher,” I gasp, my eyes tearing.
“You’re my songbird, and I will always be your anchor,” he murmurs, reaching up to cup my cheek as I stare down at him.
“I have no words,” I whisper.
“I don’t need them. Your face tells me how you feel. I feel it too.”
I don’t know how, but this man has taken my entire world and shifted it on its axis until I only revolve around him.
I can’t be mad at it, though.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
ASHER
She is looking at me like I hung the moon, and damn it, if I wouldn’t if she asked me to.
When I got the tattoo last week, I knew she would see it eventually. It’s been hell trying to keep her from seeing it before it’s healed. All the trouble was worth it, though, to see the love shining in her eyes as she stared down at it.
I meant what I said. She will forever be my songbird, while I will always anchor her to this world. I never want to clip her wings, but I won’t let her fly too far from home either.
I am where she belongs.
She leans down, pressing a kiss to my lips, showing me with her body what she is still too afraid to say with her words.
I know she feels it just like she knows I feel it.
Words mean nothing at all. We don’t need them when we can show each other how we feel.
She deepens the kiss, and I let her, my hand curling into her hair as I match her pace. Her dress rides up her hips as she throws her leg over my hip, attempting to get closer to me.
I don’t let her struggle long. I grab her hips, setting her on top of me as my hands slide up under her dress, squeezing her ass.
She rocks against me, seeking more as we continue to kiss.
I pull away from her lips and kiss her cheek, then her neck.
“Tell me what you need, Aspen,” I demand.
“You. I need your cock inside of me. Please don’t deny me.”
Not tonight. Not when I made sure to make it perfect for her.
As the stars fill the sky, I flip Aspen onto her back. Pulling back from her, I undo my pants, pushing them down until my cock is free. Reaching into my pocket, I grab the strip of condoms, pulling one free. After I have my cock sheathed, I reach down, tearing her panties at the center.
She gasps at the show of strength. When my hand brushes her pussy, I feel her wetness.
She’s ready for me.
“Please, Asher.”
“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make you see stars,” I rasp at her, notching myself at her entrance.
Pressing inside of her, I grit my teeth. She feels so fucking amazing as she squeezes my cock like a vise. I can feel her pussy reacting to me as I press into her further. Once I’m fully inside, I rock into her, making sure to rub against her clit as I do.
She gasps out, her legs tightening around me as I do. I look down into her eyes, leaning to press a kiss to her lips.
She meets my kiss, her moans being swallowed by my mouth. I hike her hips up onto mine higher, changing the position so that I can hit her deeper. When I do, she pulls away, a moan floating over the water as her eyes roll back into her head.
“Asher,” she cries out.
“That’s it. Take my cock like a good girl,” I tell her.
She rocks her hips against me as I keep a steady pace, seeking more friction.
Reaching between us, I circle her clit with my thumb.
She comes on my cock seconds later, her body trying its best to steal my own release from me, but I refuse to give it.
Not until I have wrung at least one more orgasm from her lips.
I wait until she blinks her eyes open before I pull from her perfect pussy.
“On your knees,” I order her.
She follows the demand without question, turning to face away from me. I smack her ass once, loving the way she moans at it. I tuck that information away for later.
I position myself behind her, aware of how the raft bobs in the water as I thrust inside of her. It presents a slight challenge, but soon I have a good rhythm going again.
Licking my thumb, I press it into her ass, needing to see if it was a once-off thing or if she really likes it.
The way she presses back into it has me smiling. I’m going to have her ass one day.
“More, Asher. I need more.”
“Tell me what you need, little songbird. Use that voice of yours,” I tell her.
“Hand. On my throat.”
I pause.
I did that before when we were forced to fuck, but I did that for show. I didn’t think she really liked it.
“Asher, don’t stop. Please,” she begs.
I start thrusting again, reaching forward to grip her neck. Her pussy clenches around me as I hold it without applying any pressure.
Balancing on one hand and her knees, she reaches up with her other hand and squeezes mine, her breath coming a little shorter.
“You want me to choke you?” I ask her.
“Please. I trust you. Only you.”
I squeeze a little, fucking her a bit harder. When she responds with a loud moan, I apply more pressure, pistoning my hips against her ass as I do.
She is gasping now, her airway slightly cut off.
Still, I can hear the one word she mutters.
“More.”
I squeeze a tad harder, making her lose all ability to breathe as she comes against my cock, her mouth open, but no sound escaping.
I cum inside the condom, wishing it wasn’t there, and I was painting her insides white.
I slowly release her neck, my body jerking into her as she collapses underneath me.
I pull out of her quickly, my own breathing heavy as I turn her to look into her face.
She has a lazy smile as she looks up at me blissfully.
“When can we do it again?” she asks.
I laugh, collapsing next to her.
Little does she know we have all night, and I brought plenty of condoms.
I’m going to wear her ass out.