Page 76 of Chasing Sparks

I drag my tongue along his sweat-slick skin, letting my fingers trace lazy patterns along his scalp as his breathing evens out.

Ash props himself on his forearms, his skin gleaming in the dim light. He presses his forehead to mine, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Every time with you is better than the last. How the hell do you do that to me?”

“Simple.” I smile, pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. “I’m magic, remember?”

“Yes, you are.”

“Want to take a shower?”

He nods, a flicker of tenderness crossing his face. “Sure, but give me a second to just look at you. You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

His words knock the air out of me more than any dirty line ever could. Sure, his filthy talk turns me on, but moments like this, when he lets his guard down and shows me exactly how he feels, these are the ones I’ll replay in my head for days.

Tracing my fingers along his beard, I steal another kiss. “Lucky for you, I’m all yours.”

“Damn lucky, all right.”

I’m awake before Ash, but that’s nothing new. The early morning light streams through the window, and despite the frigid temperatures outside, there’s nothing as beautiful as a winter sunrise blazing across the sky. The vibrant streaks of orange and pink bathe everything in a rosy hue.

Or maybe that’s just the look of love.

After a few minutes admiring Mother Nature’s handiwork, I pull on my clothes and drop a kiss on Ash’s cheek. “I’m off in search of coffee.”

“Okay,” he murmurs, his face buried in the pillow. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

I’m halfway to the door when he calls to me. “Hold up a second. Braden is home.”

My stance stiffens, wondering if, despite everything, I’m still a secret to the outside world.

“So?”

“Don’t go downstairs naked,” he grunts. “That gorgeous body is for my eyes only.”

“Not a problem. In fact, I might steal a few more layers before the morning is out.” Chuckling, I walk downstairs, following the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to the kitchen.

I wave to Braden as I walk into the room, nodding toward the coffeepot. “Is that?—?”

“From the store? You bet.” Braden slides a mug of coffee across the counter to me. “I made a full pot, since I knew you were here.”

Oh. My. God.

We didn’t see Braden when we arrived last night, so if he knew I was here, it’s because he heard us.

My cheeks flame as I try to hide my face behind the coffee mug. “Did we keep you up?”

Braden chuckles. “You weren’t quiet.”

I set the coffee aside and bury my face in my hands. “Oh, God. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I just figured you’d need the fix this morning, and I know you love your coffee.”

“How did you know it was me and not some other woman?”

Braden cocks his head, a slow grin spreading across his features. “Ash never brings anyone here, except for you.”

His blunt admission damn near brings me to tears, which would no doubt confuse the younger Hammond brother. But he doesn’t realize how much my heart needed the validation that I’m different. Special.

“It’s about time, too,” Braden continues. “Ash kept saying he wanted to bring you out here, but your apartment is so much closer to the shop.”

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