Page 13 of Summer with a Player

"Stay with me?" I ask, my voice barely audible even to myself.

"Of course, Gypsy Girl," Asher replies, his eyes filled with need.

I walk the two steps over to the living area and Asher follows my direction as I fumble to unfold the converted futon.

He hovers over me, his green eyes sparkling. "I have a feeling this is going to be a tighter fit than I'm used to," he chuckles, referring to his tall stature compared to my petite living space.

"I think you might be too long for my little abode," I tease back, my hands resting on his shirt-covered chest. His heart thumps steady and strong beneath my touch, matching the rhythm of my own.

"What's life without a challenge?" he winks at me before sweeping me into a heated kiss. The world spins around us as his lips meet mine, creating our own universe within this small space.

His hands slowly move down my back, and he pulls away just enough to whisper, “May I?” His voice is rough with want, but there’s a question in his eyes – always so considerate, even now. I nod, unable to find words as he pulls my dress over my head. He groans softly at the sight of me. "God, Elle, you're so beautiful."

He strips off his own shirt, revealing a body built from years of athletic training. My fingers trace over his hardened abs and defined muscles that twitch under my touch. He shivers as I explore him, his breath hitching in his throat.

Slowly, we continue undressing each other until we're both bared to each other. There's a pause then - sacred and raw - as we take this moment in. Then he's guiding me back onto the bed – or what serves for one in this tiny home – with him following suit.

I can’t help but giggle as his legs hang slightly off the edge of the bed, but it quickly dissolves into a gasp as he leans over me; his heat searing. His hands roam my body, sending sparks of pleasure wherever they touch. I grip his hair, pulling him back down to me for more kisses.

He breaks the kiss to lean over to his pants discarded on the floor and grabs his wallet. With a flick of the wallet he pulls out a square packet, tears it open, and then covers his shaft in latex.

“God, Asher, you’re so beautiful,” I parrot his earlier compliment. His smile is big as he hovers over me and stares directly into my eyes.

I feel his hand between us, lining himself up to my entrance, and then the stretch that makes me gasp.

“I’ll go slow, sweetheart,” he whispers in my ear.

Although it doesn’t take long before my little body accepts his large one like it’s found its rightful home, he's moving within me, setting a rhythm that leaves me gasping and moaning his name. There’s a delicious friction between our bodies as we move together, each push and pull amplifying the heat that engulfs us.

We move together in perfect sync. Asher’s defined muscles under my touch are an aphrodisiac alone. I can’t get enough of this man. I want him closer, deeper, harder.

Each stroke of pleasure builds higher and higher until it breaks, sweeping us both into an intoxicating whirlwind of sensations.

Asher is right there with me and holds me close as we both tumble over the edge into blissful abandon. Neither of us moves an inch while we regulate our breathing, feeling the euphoric high of the moment.

Then he tugs me closer into his arms. Even though he's half-off the bed and I'm practically on top of him in this tiny living space, this moment feels perfect. We lay there wrapped around each other; two bodies curled up against one another, sharing the same space and experience.

Chapter 7

Asher

I jog along Love Beach’ s sidewalk just on the other side of the seawall. The soft sand that has spilled over onto the concrete meets the soles of my sneakers. The sun is bright, causing the shoreline to look like a disco ball, and all I can think about is Elle.

I remember when I first saw her on this very beach, her long light brown hair dancing in the wind as she laughed amongst my friends around the campfire. I knew right away there was something different about her.

"Hey, Jet!" Ryder calls out, pulling me from my thoughts. "You've been lost in thought lately. What's going on?"

"Ah, Captain, it's nothing," I say, attempting to shake off the weight of my thoughts of Elle. "Just thinking about work, you know?"

"Right," he says, unconvinced. We continue jogging in silence.

The truth is, though, I can't stop thinking about Elle. About how she feels like a guiding light in my goal-driven life. She's unique, not just another pretty face, but someone with dreams and ambitions that rival my own.

"Jet, seriously," Ryder says, interrupting my thoughts again. "You've barely been present at practice lately. If there's something distracting you, you need to deal with it."

I slow down to walk and he mirrors my pace. I chew on my lower lip, contemplating whether to confide in him, and decide to be honest.

"It's Elle," I admit. "I can't get her out of my head. But I also can't afford to lose focus on hockey. I don't know what to do."

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