Asher bit her earlobe lightly, and she tipped her head to the side to grant him access to whatever parts he wanted to kiss. Because his mouth felt amazing, or because she was too tired to fight him, or because she missed him…Hell, all three.
Part of her didn’t like to think too hard about consequences. She and Ash were compatible in that way. A large part of him didn’t think hard about consequences either. She understood some relationships were temporary and just for fun and that was fine. Her family had been like that, her foster family had been like that, and she even had a few clients who had said “adios” after their temporary shared partnership.
People left. People moved on. It was an indisputable fact of life.
But Asher Knight—the very man who should have been a one-time thing, or at most a two-time thing—had somehow found purchase in her memory and her bones, and probably other parts of her she didn’t want to acknowledge at the moment. If ever.
Behind her, his hands slipped up her dress, over both breasts, and then away, and she decided to hell with it. There was no way to avoid this. She knew it the moment she drove to his house on autopilot, the moment she spotted him with his guitar, the moment he offered her his hand. She was destined to end up with his mouth on hers again. That’s where it belonged.
She lifted a hand and threaded her fingers through his hair as he continued kissing her neck. She kept her eyes locked on the stars, trying not to think about how good it was to touch him again, and how she hadn’t forgotten what he smelled like, or how good he felt against her. Liked how she had someone to lean on. Someone she could trust.
Not hurting matters was the fact that the man was sex on legs. Watching him do anything led to imagining him naked. Another indelible fact was he was amazing in bed—and once she knew, she couldn’t unknow.
Gloria could get a thousand kisses from now until the day she died, and she’d bet not a single one of them could rival the last press of Asher’s lips to hers.
A tug on the back of her dress snapped her back to present. He pulled her hand out of his hair, drew the zipper down, and had her shoulders bared before she could think. Which was so damn refreshing after a day of nonstop thinking that she went with it. Warm, firm lips hit her shoulder as he moved her hair to the side.
“I missed that,” she breathed. He knew how to turn her on. Better than anyone.
“I know.” Another tug and the dress dropped to her feet.
She faced him. His eyes locked on her lingerie, matching white lace. She loved the fire in his eyes as much as she loved the answering fire in her belly.
“Sarge,” he said, his voice husky, hands skimming over her waist.
“I know.” She grinned.
He grinned back. A spark lit his eyes, and alongside the inferno of attraction burning between them, it was absolutely irresistible. She’d say yes to whatever he said next. He pulled off his shirt, exposing scrumptious abs and tats, and she was pretty sure she knew what was coming.
Until he said, “Skinny-dipping.”
“What?” She took a step back from him and wrapped her arms around herself. “Forget it! There could be eels in there.”
“Sarge.” He flicked the snap of his shorts and dropped them, exposing a pair of V-lines above the black boxer briefs hugging his slim hips.
“Asher.”
“Get wet with me.” His eyes went to her panties. “I mean wetter than you already are because I know kissing your neck worked for you.”
She narrowed her eyelids in faux anger. He was right—it did work for her. They were back on the familiar ground of attraction and playfulness, which was so much more comfortable than the intensity of a few moments ago.
“I don’t have to do what you say,” she challenged.
“No?” he asked, a feral light in his eyes.
She was feeling vulnerable standing this close to the water. She took another precarious step away from him and he advanced, crowding her closer to the edge of the dock. His lips quirked.
“Don’t you dare.” She held out a hand as he advanced.
“You’ll like it.” Another step forward.
“Asher, I mean it!” She skirted to the side, but he caught her. One warm arm locked around her waist like steel.
“No!” she whined, unable to fight his strength.
“Hold your nose.” She heard the smile in his voice.
“Ash! Don’t you dare! I mean it.” She made a final, futile attempt to escape, but it was no use. Before she knew what happened, she was flying through the air.
*
Gloria’s limbs went in every direction as she hit the water with the most inelegant splash he’d ever seen. It was fantastic. Nothing was more beautiful than when she let go. She was a planner and a control freak. So when he pushed her—this time literally—and she let him, well, hell…life didn’t get better.
She popped out of the water and gathered enough oxygen to sputter, “You asshole!”