Page 141 of Stone Temptation

He kissed my lower back, then rolled off the bed.

“Where you going?” I asked, not ready to move.

“Shower. Care to join me?”

Amazingly, I did get under the water with him for a sexy lather, and plenty of kisses.

Back in bed, Luke yawned. “God. I’m super sleepy now.”

“Then sleep.” I stroked his hair.

“I should be at work, not exhausted. Right now, I’d be mixing and… and… and…”

He fell asleep.

I stayed in the bed. Leaving these sheets meant ending this amazing moment. He might wanna fuck again at some point, but when would we actually get the chance? My prickling senses were on high alert, a fresh bite of dread gnawing at me.

Clouds of doom ready to piss in all the cereal.

I snapped at my rose quartz, thinking too hard but getting nowhere fast. This was the calm before the storm. A nice afterglow didn’t change the mark on his neck, the reality of the bond between us.

He was in danger, and that danger was closer now.

I just knew it.

THIRTY-TWO

Luke

Iwoke in Asher’s arms, him the big spoon behind me. Languishing in the reality of what we’d done, how my already weak resistance had collapsed so easily. Ready for the next stage.

But I couldn’t enjoy it for long, not with the ring sitting on the mattress.

That would teach for me daring to think there would be a happy next stage.

“Asher?”

He stirred, his stubbled chin scratching the back of my neck.

“Asher?”

“Mmmm?”

“Wake up.”

He lifted his head, voice suddenly alert. “What’s wrong?”

I sat up. He moved with me.

“Look.” The tiny stones in the metal sparkled when I pointed at it.

“What the fuck?” Asher threw an arm around me, pulling me back. “Don’t touch it.”

“Don’t intend to.”

“How did it get in here?” He sniffed the air. “No one’s been here.”

The ring gleamed, keeping my attention, drawing me in.

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