Page 41 of One More Song

Pizza and gamenight was a blast, and the tongue flicking in her bed that took place afterward was more than fucking memorable - it was delicious. God, Ember makes me want to never leave her bed again.

But the next day, Ember looks emotionally drained. It’s not until she tells me that she’s decided to let Cadence stay at Mitch’s for a sleepover that I understand why.

I give her space, knowing she wants to be with her daughter, and when I see them together at the kitchen table, with paintbrushes and thick paper spread across the surface, a palette of colors out, I know she needs time alone with her little girl. While they paint watercolor pictures, I pull out my journal and work on another song... this one inspired by the bond they share, the love between mother and child.

Tears fill my fucking eyes, knowing I owe my ma a phone call, but I put it off again. If I spoke to her right now, I’d sound like more of a mess than I was when I left her place for this three-month hiatus in the middle of nowhere.

Ember is changing me...making me think about life in a way I never have before.

And I need my head on straight before I let my ma start peeling back my layers and getting to the heart of things. She’s always been able to read me well. And after the year I’ve put her through, I refuse to give her any more reason for heartache.

After Cadence leaves for Mitch’s, I have a feeling what Ember really needs is to disappear mentally. I knock on her bedroom door and slip inside, her eyes are red, and it’s clear she’s been crying.

“Hey,” I whisper. “It’s okay.”

“I’m so glad I don’t have to be alone right now,” she says, her eyes meeting mine, our mutual need so damn clear.

I move to her, pulling her into my arms, my lips covering hers, my hunger fueled by a protectiveness that I still don’t understand. A fuse was lit inside me the first time I laid eyes on her, and every touch, every moment I spend with her only ignites the flame higher, stronger, and I know I’m on the verge of destruction.

Ember, this house, this life she’s created, it’s the total antithesis of who I am.

And yet I’m drawn to her like a drowning man.

Kissing her, I know this is the first time I’ve really breathed in years. My own flame was snuffed out by alcohol, drugs, fame...and finally guilt. My world had been built out of straw and I’d burned it down until nothing was left but ashes.

With Ember, I feel like I can rebuild, create something new, something that can withstand the fire, the passion...a place we can both burn bright.

Her arms wrap around my neck, her mouth fighting for control of the kiss, and she groans when I lift her up and carry her to the bed.

“Ash,” she groans, her body telling me everything I need to know.

She needs my touch. Craves it. And when I hold her gaze, my chest explodes in emotions I’m unprepared for.

I’ve never been sentimental. Never really believed in love. Not the kind that connects two people for life. Always thought that shit was for suckers.

But now...

I breathe out a harsh breath.

Shit.

Ember rests a palm on my cheek, those golden-brown eyes studying me, a question there that she doesn’t ask -what is this?

I rest my forehead against hers and blow out an uneven breath, because I have no fucking clue. All I know is I don’t want it to end.

I kiss her again, this time slower, but the fire is still there, like molten lava running through my veins. And I know I’ve never felt anything like it. The passion. The need. Possessiveness.

The love.

I push the thought away, because it terrifies me.

Ember’s fingers are the distraction I need as they find the hem of my shirt and push it up over my head. Her nails rasp over my back, down to my waist. A small, desperate whimper vibrates from her throat, and she kisses me, tugging at the button of my jeans.

“Ash. I need...”

I grin down at her, undressing her slowly, kissing her bare skin. “What do you need, sweetheart?”

She blinks up at me, her cheeks filling with color. “To taste you.”

---