Page 32 of A Little More Hope

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“Get a nice tight grip,” I directed Ash as he tried to remove a particularly stubborn length of pipework from the bathroom. “And wiggle it around until the piece comes off in your hands.”

He looked up at me from where he crouched on the floor, a massive smile on his face. “Seriously?”

“What?”

His jaw dropped. “What do you mean, what?”

I scrunched up my face until I replayed my instructions and got embarrassed at the unintended double entendre. I slapped him gently around the head. “Can you please keep your mind out of the gutter for five minutes and do your job?”

“You’re no fun,” he pouted. “What if I need to screw in your flange or something?”

I squinted at him. “Do you even know what a flange is?”

“Nope. But it sounds kind of dirty, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and I couldn’t prevent a laugh from escaping.

I shook my head at him. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Yep,” he popped the p really loud. “I sure am.”

“Get back to work,” I chided and laughed at his indignant grunt.

I always had fun around Ash, but watching his confidence grow each time he resolved any issues with the plumbing, or when he tore down a wall, with so much joy on his face was infectious. After the tenseness of last night, we’d found an easy camaraderie today, our mutual enjoyment of the work bonding us.

Ash picked up new skills lightning quick. Far quicker than the four of us ever had, and after showing him what he needed to do once, he had the technique down with no need for repeats.

The pipe he currently worked on removing came off suddenly, the action sending him sprawling on his butt on the floor with a yelp.

I peered at him. “You okay down there?”

He swallowed hard; his eyes riveted at the top of my legs. He’d landed directly between them, his head nestled by my ankles, the position giving him a direct line of sight right up the loose-fitting shorts I’d worn. Today was a scorcher, and I hated sweaty balls so I hadn’t bothered with underwear, thinking the see-through mesh would be enough to hold everything in place while letting the air circulate at the same time. Obviously, I hadn’t figured on Ash falling in a heap at my feet, able to get a good eyeful.

“Here,” I said huskily and lowered my hand. He gave me one of his, and I hauled him up. He came up awkwardly, his body twisting with the grip we had, causing him to fall against me, chest to chest.

His eyes widened at how close we were, our faces only inches apart. His temperature spiked, making the light citrusy aftershave he wore, the one continually teasing my senses all morning, headier and more potent. His own unique scent deepened and became more intense.

“You all right?” I asked, my voice rough. He didn’t say anything as a deep flush crept up his neck and into his cheeks, his breath coming out in small pants, fanning my face. We remained locked in stasis, our gazes connected. I teetered on the edge of a precipice, struggling not to fall, to give in to the feelings I’d developed for Ash since the first time we’d met. My brain tried to reason with me, warn me this was madness and that I hadn’t recovered and remained far too vulnerable and emotionally unstable to contemplate any kind of a connection with him. Plus, Ash was young, too young and grieving over the loss of his aunt and struggling to come to terms with what that loss meant.

But when his eyes dropped to my lips, the hunger for me clear in their depths, all my reservations and hesitation vanished into thin air. The single thought rushing through my mind demanded I give Ash all his beautiful eyes were telling me he wanted. With my heart beating like a hammer, I haltingly lowered my head. Closing the small gap between us, I grazed my lips along his partly open mouth. Sparks crackled at the connection, sizzling along my nerve endings, scorching me from head to toe.

The walls of the dam cracked wide open, allowing every one of the emotions I’d repressed for so many months to break free. The feel of his mouth against my own was nothing at all like I expected. There was no taste of lipstick, no soft small lips gently caressing my own. I was kissing a hard, unforgiving male—make no mistake. Ash hesitated for a few brief seconds before grabbing at my shoulder with his free hand, his fingers digging into my skin, sending arrows of pleasure down to my groin. He tilted his head, getting closer, slanting his mouth over mine, his tongue pushing between my lips, curling against my own.

Taking.

He moved his hand from my shoulder to coil around my neck and hold on firmly, allowing him the access he craved. Ash whimpered into my mouth, but I swallowed it down, kissing him deeper. My tongue took possession of his, dominating him, licking inside his mouth, the tender flesh warm and wet. I gripped his jaw, keeping him exactly where I wanted him and continued devouring his mouth. He melted in submission, and I reveled in the sweetest of victories as his body aligned with mine, joined from chest to thigh. I released his hand, the one I’d used to help him up, and slid mine down his muscular back to his ass, taking a firm hold of his gorgeous bubble butt.

As tight and as round as I’d dreamed, I couldn’t resist the temptation to hold both of his full heavy globes in my palms, so releasing his jaw, and dragging my fingers down the length of his lean body, I cupped the other cheek. Squeezing tight, I pulled him into me, grinding my already hard cock against his, and loving the deep moan he released between our kisses.

Pulling away, needing the air, Ash chased after me.

“No,” he whined, “Don’t stop.” His mouth again glued to mine, and ceding control, I let him take over the kiss as he sucked on my tongue, tangling with it, and tasting every part of me the same way I had him.

Massaging his ass cheeks, he writhed against me, up and down my hips, his movements becoming urgent, his rock-hard length thrusting against mine, the friction sending waves of pleasure into my body, down my spine and straight to my cock.

I found the waistband at the rear of his board shorts and slipped a hand underneath his briefs to get to his heated skin. The wail of pleasure he let forth as my fingers slid down his crease nearly undid me, but at the same time dragged me from the cliff edge I’d nearly thrown both of us over.

Wrenching my hand free, I stumbled away, my chest heaving as I tried to get some air in my burning lungs.

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