Page 28 of Surrendering the Skies

Laughing, she laced her fingers through his at her waist. “Maybe it’s better this way. At least none of my stuff gets destroyed.”

He kissed a line down the side of her neck. “You pretend to complain, but I know you don’t mean it.”

She swiveled in his grasp, and his hand slid down the back of her pants. After delivering a swift kiss to his lips, she ducked out of his arms. “All the same, I don’t have a change of clothes with me tonight, so let me finish this myself without ripping anything.”

Once her pants and underwear had joined the pile on the chair, she hopped onto the bed and reclined against the pillows. Ash lay beside her and caressed her cheek, threading his fingers through her hair. “Are you any happier about…well, you know, everything?” he asked.

“As happy as I’m going to get.” One side of her mouth twitched into a frown. “Right now, I still miss what I can’t have.”

“Understandable.”

She reciprocated his tender touches, letting her fingertips skate along his jaw. “But, one thing hasn’t changed—youmake me happy. I’m sure I’m not always easy to be around, but I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You know there’s no one else I’d rather spend my time with, so let’s save the argument for another day.” He smiled at her, azure eyes twinkling. “You were a good sport tonight, Geneva, doing all the right things, whatever they may be, in all these unconventional situations we manage to find ourselves in. Marcus and Adele may never acknowledge it, but I hope they appreciate it.”

She shrugged, though she matched his warm expression. “Despite everyone’s best efforts, I haven’t lost any friendships here yet.”

“Oh, stop,” he said, poking her in the rib cage. “It may sound overly optimistic, but deep down, I’ve always believed things have a way of working out. Maybe not in the ways we wanted or anticipated, but I think we’ll all be fine in the end.”

“It’s a nice idea, and I hope you’re right.”

“More about that later, though.” Ash rolled on top of her, the warmth and weight of his solid frame both reassuring and exhilarating. “There’s a lot more fun we could be having instead of discussing our feelings for another few hours. After all, I did promise to reward you for your good behavior.”

He pressed his lips to hers, eliminating her ability to answer. Geneva circled her arms around his torso, flattening her palms against his back as her tongue wove around his. She reveled in the sweet taste, probing into him.

The kiss didn’t last long as he abandoned her mouth to skim his lips down her neck toward the swell of her breasts. All the sparks she’d felt earlier reignited, the flames in her core blooming when he swirled his tongue around one stiff nipple. His palm grazed over its mate as he massaged her flesh, and her back arched to meet his provocative touch.

Keeping true to his word, Ash progressed lower, peppering kisses over her stomach until he reached the crest of her mound. He nudged her thighs apart, settling between them. A wicked chuckle resonated from his lips as he dragged his fingertip up and down her cleft, teasing at the slickness of her arousal. “I’m glad to see how much you enjoyed our performance in there,” he said.

His hot breath at the entrance of her pussy drove her wild with desire. She tried to wiggle her hips closer to him as she stroked his hair. “You know I think you look amazing, regardless of who you’re fucking.”

He laughed again and nuzzled the inside of her leg. “Doesn’t mean I’ll ever get tired of the reminders.”

His tongue slipped past her damp folds and she gasped. Adjusting his position, he used his thumbs to spread her wider and licked in long lines along her inner walls. Geneva kept one hand at the back of his head, torn between wanting to prolong the intimate act and the explosive release she craved.

He penetrated her as far as his tongue would go, avoiding her clit as he devoured her pussy. She squirmed beneath him, aching to feel more pressure along her sensitive nerves. His firm grip prevented her from moving too far, and she had no choice but to let him set the pace.

Fingers took the place of his mouth, gently tracing her slit as he pulled back. She lifted her head to look at him, and the sight of his impassioned stare and moistened lips sent another ripple of lust cascading through her. “Just so you know,” Ash said, his voice low and seductive, “you look pretty damn amazing right now, too.”

He sucked down hard on her clit as he drove two fingers into her cunt. A high-pitched moan erupted from deep in her chest as every inch of her tingled with pleasure. He thrust into her over and over, all while the tip of his tongue attacked her nub with precision. Her affection for him added to the inferno spreading throughout her body, as he always seemed to know exactly what she needed.

His expert manipulations ripped the orgasm from her in no time at all. Ecstasy sizzled through her veins and sang in her heart as she convulsed around his fingers. Only when her tremors subsided did he withdraw, resting his cheek on her thigh for a moment before crawling back up the bed to fold her into a warm embrace.

The rise and fall of his chest lulled her into serenity, yet concern lingered at the back of Geneva’s mind. She held him tight and squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to say the words aloud. “How could I ever give this up?” she murmured.

“Give what up?” Ash ran his fingers through her hair. “No one’s making you give up anything.”

“You know what I meant.” She sighed. “If I do quit, retire, whatever you want to call it, I can’t imagine seeing you so infrequently, only when you’re allowed leave. I guess I’ve gotten spoiled, being able to be with you more nights than not.”

“We’d make it work somehow.” With his fingers on her chin, he guided her face upward in order to meet her gaze. “As I’ve said before, I shouldn’t be your reason for staying.”

She offered a half-hearted shrug. “You’d be a pretty good one.”

“As flattering as it sounds, we both know it’s not therightreason.” He inched lower so their heads were level on the pillow, the intensity of his stare sending a shiver down her spine. “I also meant what I said earlier—things have a way of working out in the end. Wherever we wind up in the universe, I believe we’ll always find our way back to each other.”

She raised his hand to her lips and kissed the top of his fingers. “I’m not sure what to do with this sentimental side of you.”

A wide grin lit up his face. “Too bad. You’re stuck with me.”

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