Page 102 of Winterfall Destiny

Finally telling me what I meant to him.

Realising what Tobias means to me.

I take a shaky breath. Too much to process right now.

“Don’t disappear again.”

I blink at Ash, who gives me a stern look as he pushes open his bedroom door. I’m about to apologise until I walk into his room and laugh instead.

“Ash. We’ve been here days, and you already made the room as if you’ve lived here weeks.” I gesture at the clothes strewn on the floor, the empty mugs and plates with crumbs taking up the space on the nightstand and dresser. “You must’ve been a nightmare to room with at the academy.”

Ash pulls a face and gathers clothes in his arms, amusing me again as he shoves them into a drawer. “Wasn’t expecting a visitor.”

I chuckle. “You fooled me into thinking you were a tidy person when I’d visit you at the academy. How long would you spend clearing up beforehand?”

With a growl, Ash sweeps me into an embrace and knocks my breath out as he squeezes me tight. “Stop teasing.”

I push my lips against Ash's, holding his face to mine, and I'm unprepared for the intensity that follows. Without hesitation, he roughly kisses me back, hungry and needy, nothing like the control from earlier, as he moves to hold my head to him. Ash crushes me, his muscular arm banding my waist, and the overwhelming need radiating from him pushes everything from tonight away. I grasp Ash tight, refusing to take my lips from his, as his tongue explores my mouth, his taste intoxicating me.

As I catch my breath, Ash shifts his attention to my neck, kissing and nipping my skin. My back hits the bedroom door with a hardness that forces a gasp, and I gently push at his chest. “Ash. Can you rein things in tonight?”

“Shit. Sorry.” His hold on me drops and a large palm cups my cheek. “I get…yeah. You know.”

Recently, sex with Ash became wilder and I love his barely controlled lust for me, happy to give myself over to him. I’ve a feeling of power from watching the gentle guy unleash his primal side, knowing he’s holding back, and that whatever he wants, Ash never steps over a line unless I’m crystal clear that’s okay.

Ash resists the dragon because he’s worried that the shifter part of his nature might take control and he’ll lose the ability to stop his physical actions. Times between us like this are top of his list of concerns.

“I’ll calm down,” he murmurs and brushes his mouth against mine.

“Not totally, I hope.” I tease his lips with my tongue. “You know I love every side of you, and isn’t learning more about this one fun?”

Ash runs his finger along my cheek, his concerned eyes darkening with an intent that flips my stomach, and I move my mouth to reach his again. He responds with another engulfing kiss. The intense passion overtakes, and I grip his head so he can’t pull away. His hands slide up my leg, pushing beneath my skirt until Ash reaches my backside, and digs his fingers into the skin as he holds my hips against his. His arousal pushes against me, and the ache between my legs grows at his touch.

Ash turns and moments later I fall onto the bed, my hair splaying across the crumpled sheets. Ash pauses and sits back, then grabs his shirt between the shoulder blades, the powerful muscles in his arms flexing as he does. I inhale sharply as I take in the sight of him—not only the brand on his skin, but at the new scales spreading in patches across his pecs.

Sitting, I pull my top over my head, and Ash’s eyes zone in to my breasts swelling against my lace bra, watching with heavy breaths as I remove that and wriggle from the skirt too. He looks down, and heat grazes my skin as he strokes my belly, teasingly playing with the edge of my underwear, soaking up the sight of me.

As he removes his jeans, the dim light from the small lamp highlights every inch of his sculpted physique, from the contours of his chest and tight abs to the powerful arms and shoulders. I barely get a chance to soak in the sight before Ash kneels on the floor. He moves his hands across my body, tracing my breasts, a rough thumb brushing my nipple. Mouth parted, breath coming quicker, Ash watches as he maps my skin with his fingertips. I tense, anticipating his touch as he traces his fingers along my belly and downwards.

“I want to taste you,” he says, voice thick with lust. Hooking his thumbs into my underwear, Ash watches for my response.

I only need to say yes before Ash drags me roughly toward him by the ankles and eases the thin cotton down. He parts my legs, and kisses his way from my calf to my inner thigh. Strong hands slide beneath my ass and pull me upwards, and I jolt at the sensation as his tongue slides along me. Gripping the edge of the sheets, I bite back the groan as Ash teases me with soft strokes of his tongue, the pleasure coiling deep inside. In moments, he has me moaning and when Ash slips a finger inside, I fight against crying out. The pressure builds, and I can’t decide whether to move away or give in to the inevitable. As Ash holds me to him, moving his fingers and tongue harder, I let go, arching into him, and grasping his hair as I fall apart.

Ash moves his arms either side of me, palms on the bed as he looks down, eyes brim-full of a passion to match mine. His smile grows at the panting mess he’s made of me, then sits on his haunches, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“More?” he teases, voice hoarse. “Or rein things in?”

“I only meant keep control. You promised me something, remember?”

Pinioning my hands back over my head with one hand, he pushes my legs open with his knee. “So we’re good?” he asks.

Reaching out, I curl my hand around his hard length inside his boxers before running fingers along him. “No, because you’re not naked yet.”

His darkened gaze meets mine as he fixes the problem. “Done.”

“I hope not,” I whisper, as I guide him towards me.

I gasp as Ash thrusts into me hard, then stops, forcing my mouth open to accept his tongue. I grip his shoulders again, fingers digging into the knotted muscle, and lock my legs around his waist, wanting him as close as possible. Ash pulls his head away and takes a deep breath. He withdraws slowly, watching my face as he runs his fingertips across my parted lips.

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