Page 46 of Chasing Sparks

I straddle the bike seat and press a soft kiss against his cheek. “I never will. Thank you for entrusting me with this place.”

His hands settle on my thighs, giving them a light squeeze. “I wanted to come by your apartment last night.”

“Really? I assumed you and Raven …” I trail off, unwilling to dredge up any more mental images of them together.

Ash shakes his head. “I finished her tattoo and went home.”

Well, this is an interesting turn of events, because I know Raven would love a piece of him. “Guess all that demo work caught up with you.”

Am I sorry about this hiccup in his plans? Not in the slightest.

Ash huffs out a breath, his focus shifting back to the mountain view. “I wasn’t too tired. I just … didn’t want to hang out with her.”

He doesn’t say more, but somehow, it’s enough.

Reading between the lines, I know I’m the reason—and I hate how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel.

“So, why didn’t you come by?”

Ash chuckles, his hands gliding along my legs before slipping beneath my ass. “Because I felt like an asshole. I knew what you thought was going to happen with me and her, and I felt stupid for not doing a better job reassuring you it wasn’t. That nothing was going to happen with her—because I had someonefarmore important to see today. But I really wanted to see you last night. The idea of you, wine, and a bubble bath sounded spectacular.”

Looping my fingers around his neck, I shift closer, draping my legs over his. “How about you make it up to me andshowme how spectacular I am?”

His brows shoot up at my bold statement. “Right here? Okay.”

I’m glad he’s on board for a little public display, even if the chill is biting harder by the second. “Fabulous idea, but I might freeze my tits off if we do it right here. How about taking me home and giving me that dessert you promised earlier?”

Ash narrows his gaze at me, his fingers squeezing me tighter. “See, that’s not the deal, remember? I have to take you out to dinner first.”

In my mind, it’s semantics.

I dust my mouth against his, teasing his lower lip with my tongue. “Fuck the deal. How about you fuck me instead?”

Ash pulls back just a fraction and slides his hands along my jaw, cupping my face. He presses a tiny kiss to my nose, then each cheek, before settling on my lips. “I don’t like that term.”

“What term?”

“Fucking. It’s too caustic. Too raw.”

My heart flips at the tenderness in his eyes as he speaks the words.

Even if he can’t say it outright, I am different. I see that now.

With a soft smile, I steal another kiss. “It is a bit crude, isn’t it? How about this—forget the dinner deal and spend the rest of tonight making me feel so damn good I forget my name? Does that work for you?”

A smile cuts across his face as he claims my mouth in a slow, drugging kiss. “That I can do. But first, turn around.”

I oblige, shifting closer when he wraps his arms around me, his chin settling on my shoulder.

“Let’s hang out just a minute more,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. “I want this memory.”

Chapter 6

Maybe He Feels It, Too

Ori

“Y

---