Page 87 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

“Can we talk tomorrow? I’m exhausted,” I reply, my hand tightening against Ash’s mouth.

A short beat passes as I stare at the door, bracing for a persistent reply. My body slumps with relief when he responds with, “Yeah. M’ kay.”

Chase’s footsteps fade as he walks away, and I punch Ash’s shoulder while pulling my hand away from his mouth. “Fucker.”

“You’re cute when you’re frazzled.”

“Don’t you start with me,” I grumble.

“It’s not my first time having to be sneaky, bumble bee. This reward is a lot better, though.”

He kisses me, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of him so casually comparing me to someone else. Especially when I can’t do the same. He’s been my first everything. First kiss. First boyfriend. First sex. First painless sex. First man in my bed.

“I can tell you’re thinking.”

“What?” I ask.

“You stop kissing when you’re thinking.” He taps my head. “What?”

“You’re my first in a lot of things,” I say slowly. “And you have experience. I mean, you don’t push for sex. You care more about talking to me, and … I like that, I do, I just feel like I’m learning everything right now, and you already know all the rules.”

“And?”

And it’s not fucking even. Not close to even.

“It scares me,” I simplify.

Ash kisses my forehead softly, then my temple. “Anything I can do?”

“Why are you with me?”

He pauses, obviously confused. He looks over my face slowly. “Sky, Ilikeyou.”

“Yeah, but why? What changed?”

“Me.”

Not the answer I was expecting, but I nod for him to continue.

“Being at school and feeling like a fucking … idiot, a fish out of water, all of it … it was hell. I realized before I left that I’d made you feel the same way, and you didn’t deserve it. Chase could handle the punches I threw at him, but you couldn’t.”

I swallow as he cups my cheek.

“You’d been so sweet and wild … and I come back, and you’re on the offensive, and it’s sexy as hell but raised so many questions, and the more I looked into it, the more I looked into you, the more time we spent together, the more I realized how amazing you are. When I realized you were around me for me … not for what you expected me to be … that sealed it.”

“Ash.”

“And how much I wanted to be with you, learn more, be the reason you smile, or a reason, even if it’s with a time limit.” He leans forward. “Sky, I don’t waste my time, and I don’t like wasting someone else’s. That’s why I mostly have flings, and why my few romantic relationships were short. I feel like we have something here, something good. If you don’t, now’s the time to tell me. Don’t drag it out.”

I suck my bottom lip as I look over his earnest face. Fucking hell, this man is going to ruin me. And I have the sneaking feeling that I’m going to let him.

Chapter 27

Ashton

I’m actually holding my breath while Sky processes this. Being open is easy with her. Beingmeis easy with her. Her support, her affection, the little clues she gives me about who she is, her life, all of it has my stomach in knots, my heart beating out of rhythm, my whole self on fire.

Dizziness is setting in, but finally, Sky kisses me softly. I kiss her back, breathing her in, hoping this means what I think it means and isn’t a kiss goodbye. When she draws back, her nose brushes mine. “There’s something here.”

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