Page 31 of Unwrapped

His eyes gleam with amusement. “Oh, I definitely do. Lucky and maybe a little spoiled.” He leans in slightly, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate tone. “I could get used to this.”

The way he says it, with that flirtatious edge, sends a shiver down my spine. “Don’t get too used to it,” I reply, though my voice comes out softer, breathier than I expected. “I might have to keep you on your toes.”

His grin widens, and he reaches out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The touch is so simple, but it feels so intimate. “I like that idea,” he murmurs, “but for the record, I’m happy to be spoiled by you.”

The air between us shifts again, the playful flirting giving way to something deeper. His hand lingers near my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek, and I can feel my heart start to race.It’s as if everything we’ve been skirting around—the attraction, the connection, the uncertainty—is crystallizing in this moment.

I don’t want to break the spell, but I can’t help the question that rises to my lips. “What are we doing, Asher?”

He doesn’t pull away. If anything, he seems to lean in closer, his gaze steady and sincere as he searches my face. “I’ve been asking myself that same question,” he admits softly, his fingers still gently tracing my skin. “I don’t have all the answers. But I know that I don’t want this to be casual. I don’t want you to be just another part of my life that I drift away from.”

His words sink in, making my heart swell with something that feels dangerously close to hope. “I don’t want that either,” I confess, my voice barely a whisper.

He exhales, like he’s relieved to hear me say it, and then he cups my face with both hands, his expression more serious than I’ve ever seen it. “I know I can’t promise everything will be easy. My life’s… complicated. But I want to try. I want to figure this out with you, Ivy.”

There’s a sincerity in his voice that melts the last of my defenses. For so long, I’ve kept myself guarded, afraid of being hurt, afraid of letting someone in. But here he is, laying it all out there, offering me the very thing I’ve been too scared to admit I want.

“I want that too,” I say, and the moment the words leave my mouth, I feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. “I don’t need everything figured out right now. I just want… this. You and me. Whatever this turns into.”

He smiles then, the kind of smile that reaches his eyes, making them crinkle at the corners. “That sounds perfect to me.”

Before I can say anything else, he pulls me closer, his lips finding mine in a slow, deliberate kiss. It’s soft and sweet, needy and possessive all at once. I respond instantly, sinking into him,feeling the warmth of his body as his hands slip around my waist, holding me close.

We kiss like that for a while, unhurried and deep, each touch filled with a tenderness that makes my chest tighten. When we finally pull back, both of us breathless, I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips.

“What?” he asks, his own grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Nothing,” I murmur, shaking my head slightly, “it’s just… I feel really happy right now. And I didn’t think I’d be saying that.”

His thumb brushes lightly over my lower lip, his gaze soft but intense. “I’m glad,” he says quietly, leaning in to kiss me again, slower this time, like he’s savoring the moment.

When we break apart, he pulls me against his chest, and I rest my head against him, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my cheek. For a while, we sit like that, wrapped in each other, the soft glow of the fireplace casting shadows across the room.

I close my eyes, letting myself relax fully for the first time in what feels like forever. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but right now, in this moment, I’m content. I’m with him, and that’s all that matters.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Asher’s fingers start to play with my hair, his voice soft and playful as he says, “You know, if this gingerbread is as good as I think it’ll be, you might have to come over and bake for me more often.”

I laugh, rolling my eyes as I tilt my head up to look at him. “Oh, I see. This is all about getting more cookies out of me, isn’t it?”

He grins, his hand still tangled in my hair as he leans down to kiss the tip of my nose. “Hey, I didn’t say that. But if that’s the perk of seeing you more, then I’m not complaining.”

I shake my head, laughing softly as I snuggle back into him, feeling that familiar warmth spread through me again. “Well, I guess I can’t deny a man his gingerbread cookies.”

“Good,” he says, his voice full of that playful charm again, “because I plan on keeping you around for a while. But right now…” He nips my lip. “I’m in the mood for a totally different kind of cookie.”

The words are lighthearted, but there’s something deeper behind them, something that makes my heart skip a beat. I squeeze his hand, feeling the weight of his promise, and for once, I let myself believe it. Believe that this—whatever it is—might be exactly what I’ve been waiting for.

“Yeah?” It’s barely an audible word, his lips and tongue already doing things to me that have me feeling like I’m floating over my body in pure ecstasy.

I stretch,my body sore from another night of Asher leaving me completely spent and exhausted. The tinges of pain are delicious. I unbutton my shirt a little, pulling my bra down to see the purple outline of his teeth against my pale skin.

My body shivers and I glance at my phone again, half expecting another message from him, but nothing has come through yet. He dropped me off at home a couple of hours ago, giving me a sweet, lingering kiss at the door before heading out to deal with some work emergency. I could still feel the heat of his lips on mine and his lingering promise, “I’ll see you soon,” echoing in my head.

The knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts, and I sit up, heart fluttering a little until I realize it’s probably Tessa. Shehad texted earlier, saying she wanted to stop by after work to talk about the plans.

I pad over to the door and open it, finding Tessa grinning at me with two paper cups of coffee in hand. “Thought you might need a pick-me-up after the day you’ve had,” she says, stepping inside and handing me a cup.

“You have no idea,” I reply, accepting the cup gratefully. I close the door behind her and follow her back to the couch, where she promptly plops down and kicks off her shoes. I know she’s been dying to ask me since I first told her Asher and I went to the Christmas market together.

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