Page 8 of Swallow

I wasn’t sure when it happened—when the air changed, when my pulse climbed, or when I realized how close we were—but I felt so bare and vulnerable, yet I wanted to delve deeper into what these feelings were.

I could feel the heat of his body, the way his arm rested along the back of the couch close enough that if I leaned just a little,I’d feel it against my shoulders. He still had his other hand over mine, comfortingly, his thumb gently stroking my skin.

Focusing on anything other than Ash was impossible, but suddenly, I was also acutely aware of my body. And God, it had been so long since I’d felt like… me, like myself in my own skin. Which felt too warm now, assomethingtightly coiled in my belly.

Desire?

Yes.

It grew slowly before curling through my veins.

And I wasn’t afraid.

For the first time in forever,Iwas in control. And I wanted to see where this could go.

I let my gaze scan Ash’s face, taking in his square jaw with dark scruff covering his flesh. His lips were full, and mine tingled to kiss him, to see if he was as gentle with me there as he had been the rest of the short time I’d known him, despite him seeming like he could be savagely brutal in every other aspect of his life.

I shifted just enough for my knee to brush his. The touch was barely there, light, tentative, but my—his—reaction was instant.

His hand flexed lightly against mine, his big body visibly tensing.

That desire I’d felt taking over inside me grew even more.

The TV droned on in the background, forgotten as I watched Ash’s gaze drop to my lips. For a split second, doubt flickered in his expression. “Evie?—”

I moved before he could finish. My hand lifted, fingers brushing against his jaw, testing, feeling the rough scrape of his stubble beneath my palm. I expected him to pull away, to stop me, to tell me he thought I was too vulnerable because of my past and that this wasn’t a good idea.

But he didn’t move.

His breathing became heavier, his gaze burning into me. “Evie,” he said low and gruffly, so much different than the doubt his voice held only a moment ago. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, sounding strained, clearly seeing the desire on my face and knowing without a doubt what I wanted “this” to be.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

The space between us disappeared when we both leaned in at the same time. His lips met mine, softly at first, testing, waiting for me to pull away. But I didn’t.

I deepened the kiss, shifting in front of Ash, so close my breasts were just a breath away from grazing his chest. I raised my hands and threaded my fingers in his hair. The warmth of his body and the way he let me be the one to control the situation and pace, even as his hands slid up my arms, made me braver.

The heat built between us, slow and deliberate, an erotic tension that became sweltering and stretched tight, ready to snap.

I got lost in the feeling of Ash’s soft lips worshipping mine, our tongues gently swirling around each other, tangled in a slow dance of want and need.

“Jesus Christ,” he breathed, resting his forehead against mine. “You taste good, baby.”

At this moment, I realized something profound. I didn’t want to just survive. I wanted to live.

And being with Ash gave me the hope I was headed in the right direction.

6

EVIE

“God damn, Evie. You’re perfect,” he hissed against my mouth and then pulled back far too soon.

My lips tingled, Ash’s flavor covering my tongue, moving down the back of my throat until I grew thirstier for him. I’d never felt so… consumed.

He cursed again, curled his hand around the back of my neck in a gentle but firm hold, and once again brushed his lips across mine. He didn’t add pressure to the kiss, and the feeling of his warm breath along my mouth drove me mad. I clutched the material of his shirt that was molded around his flexing, hard muscles.

“You drive me crazy, sweetheart. You’re so beautiful, so sweet, that it makes me feel like a damn caveman with my need to protect you.”

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