Page 19 of Restorations

“And doeshegive you that same thrill?”

“You’re awfully concerned with Sawyer? You sureyouaren’t in love with him?”

I would find that funny if our situation wasn’t so fucking unfunny. I lean closer, our mouths so close I can feel her breath on my lips. “You want me, Viv?”

Our lips are close now as she stays plastered to the headboard and my hands rest on both sides of her on the mattress. She doesn’t answer me with words and when her hand caresses my cheek softly, I almost pull away from the touch. The contact burns me with a fire I've tried to put out for over a year.

Her lips seek mine, and I have every intention of pulling away from her, but I don’t. I can’t. When I feel her lips on mine the flames roar higher, and without thinking, I pull her body to mine. I sit back, pulling her onto my lap, allowing her thighs to straddle me as we kiss with passionate fury.

Her hands grasp my shoulders as our mouths tangle, our tongues dueling for dominance as my hard cock rests between her legs, dying for a taste, begging me to stop thinking and just give into this woman I crave.

My mouth slides hungrily over her jaw and down her neck, sucking and biting with the intention of causing her pain, but only eliciting a hearty moan from her. She fucking loves it.Ifucking love it.

I know it will leave a mark, and, in this moment, I crave that too.

My hands grip her firm ass as she grinds against my raging erection. I devour her elegant throat, both wanting to choke the life out of her for the pain she’s caused me and hear her sweet moans for eternity because I know I'll never hurt her.

“Asher.” It’s a soft breathy groan as her hands grip my face and she pulls my mouth back to hers. I kiss her, feeling my heart thump erratically in my chest, my mind going to the day she told me goodbye. The day she wrote me off and took Baz away.

The loneliness I felt after that was crippling. The hatred comes back, overriding my desire, drowning every ounce of pleasure and leaving only hot rage.

I grip her shoulders and pull her back away from my mouth. “Stop.” She’s panting as she looks at me in horror. “Jesus, Viv. You can’t be desperate for a fuck.”

She looks like she’s going to be sick as her hand rests over her heart. “What?”

“I mean, the first time we fooled around, you hadn’t been laid in a long time. I get that. But it was just the other day I was listening to Sawyer fumble around in this very bed, trying to get you off.”

Her eyes flash with anger as she climbs off my lap. “He has no problem with that. And this wasn’t just about sex, and you know it.”

I stand up off the bed, hoping to tame my dick with the distance from her and start using my brain. “I’m not doing this again.” I take one step away from the bed where she stays,watching me with guarded caution. “I’m not here to fuck you or fuck with you. I’m here for Baz and only for him. That’s all.”

She takes a deep breath but doesn’t say a word.

I turn and finally make it to the door by sheer will but glance at her over my shoulder as I reach for the handle. “They all think I hurt you.” Her eyes register guilt. “But it’s you that shattered my fucking heart into a million pieces. And we both know it.”

“I know,” she says softly, barely choking out the words.

“It won’t happen again.”

I open the door and leave, going back to my room.

That was way too close.

10

VIVIENNE

What was I thinking?I’m so tired of thinking that. I know exactly what I was thinking. Asher is gorgeous. He was in my bed, and I wanted him. It’s not as complicated as my brain wants to make it this morning.

So what if I was once in love with him? And I left him, breaking his heart. But he broke me too. I wanted to try. I begged him to try. And he wouldn’t.

I’m frustrated and angry as I climb out of bed, going into my bathroom. Baz and Asher will have to share the bathroom between their rooms, but luckily, I have my own. I quickly go about my morning routine but remain in my pajama shirt and shorts, unable to ignore the purple marks on my neck when I look in the mirror as I brush my teeth.Jesus, his mouth felt good.

I shake off the memories of Asher’s mouth on me last night and creep to Baz’s room, peeking through the door and seeing him awake playing with his toys. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

He smiles over at me. “Good morning!”

“You want breakfast?”

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