Page 73 of Penalized Love

After what feels like an eternity but is probably only a few seconds, Asher finds what he’s looking for and rolls the condom on. Then he’s back on the bed, settling his hips between my thighs.

“Hey,” he says while cupping my cheek and forcing me to meet his gaze. “You okay?”

I nod, leaning into his touch. “Yeah, I’m good. Just... it’s been a while.”

He pauses for a second before placing a tender kiss on my forehead. “We’ll take it slow. If you need to stop at any point, just tell me, okay?”

His thoughtfulness makes my heart clench, and I pull him down for another sensual kiss. Asher groans into my mouth as I feel him reaching down to line himself up at my entrance.

With a slow, controlled thrust of his hips, he pushes inside me. I gasp at the intrusion just before my nails dig into his shoulders. I take a few deep breaths to adjust to the feeling of him stretching and filling me. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.

“Fuck, you feel incredible,” Asher tosses out quickly as he stiffens up, likely doing everything he can to control his body right now. He presses his forehead against mine, allowing me time to get acclimated to him. “So tight and perfect.”

I can only whimper in response because I am genuinely lost in the sensation of our bodies becoming one again after so many years apart. When the initial discomfort subsides, I experimentally roll my hips to urge him to move.

Asher takes the hint and thrusts, setting a steady, deep rhythm that has me seeing stars. This moment is both familiar and new as our bodies remember how to move together while also discovering uncharted territory. We aren’t teenagers anymore, and the finesse with which we are moving now makes that very apparent. Each snap of his hips sends sparks of pleasure radiating through me.

“Oh god, Asher,” I wrap my legs around his waist to take him even deeper. The new angle allows him to hit what I swear is the perfect spot, and I can’t hold back the moans spilling from my lips.

Asher’s pace quickens, spurred on by my obvious enjoyment. His lips find my neck once more, sucking and nipping at the sensitive skin there. I should be irritated if he leaves a markthere, but my mind is preoccupied. In fact, I tilt my head back, giving him better access to the area.

“You feel so good, sunshine,” he groans against my throat. “I never want to stop.”

“Then don’t,” I manage to get out. I give myself a mental high five. “Don’t ever stop.”

He captures my mouth in a searing kiss, swallowing the sounds that are desperate to fall from my lips. The longer we kiss, the more the tension within me grows once more. The feel of his skin against mine is too much but not enough at the same time. He breaks the kiss and pulls back, giving his hand the opportunity to slip between our bodies. My clit is his intended destination, and the added stimulation from his fingers has me on the verge of screaming in ecstasy.

“Come for me, Isla,” he commands. “I want to feel you come all over my cock.”

His words and the relentless onslaught of sensations send me flying over the edge again. My orgasm crashes over me in intense waves, and I can feel my inner walls clenching around him. Asher’s rhythm falters as he chases his own moment of bliss, his hips snapping against mine erratically.

I watch as his eyes slam shut, and his mouth drops open. Soon, it’s followed by a hoarse groan that sounds primal. Asher’s body tenses above me, his muscles rippling under my fingertips as he finds his release. I can feel him pulsing inside me, his cock twitching with each wave of pleasure that crashes over him. He leans forward to bury his face in the crook of my neck, his breath coming in hot, ragged pants against my sweat-slicked skin.

For a moment, we stay like that, intertwined, our hearts racing in sync as we float down from the high we’ve both just reached. I run my fingers up and down his back, savoring the feel of his warm, damp skin beneath my touch.

Eventually, he lifts his head to gaze down at me, his green eyes much softer than they were just moments ago. A lazy smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “That was...” He trails off, and I know he’s at a loss for words.

“Amazing? Incredible? Mind-blowing?” I toss out with a smirk.

Asher chuckles, the sound low and rumbling in his chest. “All the above.” He leans down to press a tender kiss to my lips. “You’re amazing, Isla.”

I feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks at his praise. “You’re not so bad yourself, Bennett.”

“Since when do you call me Bennett? This is the second or third time you’ve said it.”

I shrug halfheartedly. “I guess the team is rubbing off on me.”

Asher grins just before he drops this bomb. “Well, as long as I’m the only one rubbing off on you, I suppose I can live with that.”

I can’t fight the laugh that erupts from my lips. When I’m finished laughing, Asher gives me a quick peck on the nose before carefully pulling out and rolling off me. The sudden loss of his warmth and weight makes me want to pout, but I stop myself from doing so. I watch as he disposes of the condom and then settles back onto the bed, pulling me into his arms.

I rest my head on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. His fingers comb through my hair, working out the tangles our activities caused. The tender gesture makes something in my chest tighten. It’s been so long since I’ve experienced this with anyone, let alone him. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed it until now.

“What are you thinking about?” Asher asks.

I hesitate, not sure if I’m ready to voice the tangled web of emotions swirling inside me. “Just... how right this momentfeels,” I say. “Being here with you like this. It’s like no time has passed at all.”

Asher is quiet for a moment, and I wonder if I’ve said too much. Of course, I did. I’m excellent at putting my foot in my mouth. But then he tightens his arm around me, pulling me even closer against his side. “I know what you mean,” he says in a low voice, as if worried about how I might react to his words. “It’s like we just picked up right where we left off, even though so much has changed.”

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