Page 50 of The Backup

“Come in,” he says, his voice softer now, a hint of warmth breaking through the cool exterior.

Relief washes over me as I step inside, my shoulders relaxing for the first time in hours. He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t press for details as I undress, his gaze steady but careful, as if he knows I’m holding myself together by a thread.

Instead, he simply pulls back the covers and leaves an opening for me to slide in beside him. The simplicity of it, the quiet acceptance, brings a stinging heat to the back of my eyes.

I climb in, settling against the warmth of his body, my bra and panties the last barrier between us. He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close, his hand resting just above the curve of my hip.

“No,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“No?” I turn my head slightly to look at him, confused.

“If I’m sleeping naked, you are too,” he says, his voice low, teasing, but there’s an edge of seriousness to it that sends a thrill down my spine.

“Oh. I can do that,” I say, a smile tugging at my lips as I shimmy out of my panties. His hands are gentle, almost reverent, as he helps me unclasp my bra, sliding the straps from my shoulders. For the first time all night, the knot in my chest loosens, replaced by a strange kind of ease I didn’t realize I needed.

“So,” he starts, his grin widening as I press my backside into him, feeling the heat of his bare skin against mine. His arm tightens around me, pulling me closer until I can feel the slow rise and fall of his chest against my back. “Couldn’t stay away from me, huh?”

“Don’t press your luck,” I joke, though my voice is softer than I intend. “You’re still my little secret. I’ll just have to slip out of here early enough that no one sees me.”

His lips brush my shoulder, the lightest touch, but it sends a ripple of heat down my spine. His grin is almost audible in the darkness, teasing yet possessive. “I’ll be your secret for as long as you need, my hot little nerd. Just remember…” His voice drops lower, the playful edge dissolving into something darker, hungrier. “I don’t share.”

A shiver runs through me, and I bite my lip to keep from gasping. The knot in my chest loosens further, replaced by a tension of a different kind. I’ve never been this turned on before—this aware of every inch of my body, of his body against mine. My skin feels electric, every nerve ending attuned to him.

My mind flickers to the clause in our agreement.Whenever he wants.I’d written it off as a reckless promise in the moment, something I’d agreed to without fully thinking it through. But now, as his fingers brush my hip, anchoring me to him, I find myself hoping. Hoping he’ll want me again. Hoping he’ll takeme again. The thought sends another wave of heat through me, pooling low in my belly.

I press back into him just a little, testing the line between suggestion and hesitation, feeling the way his breath catches, then steadies. My heart races, caught between anticipation and surrender.

fifteen

. . .

Asher

The room isdark and still, the faint glow of the digital clock casting a soft green light across the nightstand.3:21 a.m.I stir awake, the kind of half-awareness that pulls you out of sleep slowly—until I hear her.

A soft, breathy moan escapes her lips, followed by a quiet sigh. Her body shifts against mine, warm and restless, her back pressed snugly to my chest. I blink, clearing the haze from my mind, and realize her hips are subtly rocking against me.

“Can’t sleep?” I murmur, my voice rough from sleep but laced with curiosity.

She twists slightly, enough to look back at me. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted. “No,” she whispers, her voice trembling with frustration. “I…I just can’t. I’ve been lying here for an hour, and I—” She stops, exhaling shakily. “Don’t make fun of me?”

“Of course not. Unless it’s something really hilarious.” I smirk, the beginnings of a wicked grin spreading across my face as I pull her closer, my hand resting low on her hip. “Kidding. What is it?”

“I’m just…I’m still horny after that. Is that bad? It’s like…I want to go again.”

“This was ‘wheneverIwanted,’ remember?” I tease, my voice dipping lower, heavy with meaning.

“Well what aboutme?”

She slides her hand between my legs and gasps softly, and for a second, I think she’s going to argue—but instead, she bites her lip, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Look,” she whispers, her tone half-playful, half-daring as she lets me go, “if you can’t keep up with me, maybe we’ll have to break the agreement.”

My grin widens, my fingers tightening on her hip as I roll her onto her back, my body shifting over hers. “Oh, I can keep up,” I say, my voice dark with promise. “But let’s see ifyoucan.”

Her breath hitches, catching in her throat as her gaze locks onto mine, wide and unguarded, filled with unspoken need. The world feels still, the air between us charged and electric. She doesn’t look away, her vulnerability as raw as it is bold.

“I need it again,” she whispers, the words trembling with urgency, carrying a weight that wraps around me and pulls me in. Her voice is low, almost pleading, and it sends a jolt straight through me.

Before I can respond, her hand reaches out, tentative yet deliberate, her fingers wrapping around the base of my hard length. The contact is enough to knock the air out of my lungs, and I feel myself throb under her touch, my body responding instantly to her. She tightens her hold slightly, testing, and her lips part as she exhales shakily.

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