Reckless Abandon(42)

Our skin remains tethered to each other as our hearts find a mutual beat and our breaths take on a synchronized rhythm.

My left leg lifts off the sheet and wraps around his thighs, pulling him in closer. He arches his hips in and kisses me, rolling onto his side, taking me with him, my leg still wrapped around him.

We lay and kiss on our sides until our lips are numb and then we kiss some more. I feel like I am complete for the first time in forever.

Asher tilts his back to look at me as his fingers lightly brush the long strands of my hair. “Have you ever heard of Sirens’ Rock?”

I lightly shake my head.

“It is here, in the bay, at the center of the marina. The ancients believe it to be the place where the sirens seduced Odysseus with a song,” he says, his voice slightly above a whisper. “It’s you. My temptress who lured me in with a song.”

Leaning down, Asher takes my lips again and holds on to them, ever so still, and I savour ever last breath he breathes into me.

“What is your favorite dessert?” Asher breaks our kiss and rubs our noses together.

It’s a silly question but one I don’t mind answering. “Ice cream. You?”

“Cheesecake. But only the New York kind. I’d like to take you to this shop near my house. You’ll love it. In fact, I may bring it home and eat it off of you.” His lips find my neck and start to nibble.

My heart sighs with the thought. “Where is your home?”

He leans back and looks at me as if I already know the answer. “New York. Manhattan. I thought you knew that.”

I laugh into his chest. “I know nothing about you. Like, what kind of cologne do you wear? Because you always smell delicious.” I drink in my very sexy maritime man.

Asher’s body stiffens. “I don’t wear cologne. I used to, but someone ruined it for me.”

My head shoots up. First, I can’t believe that he smells this amazing on his own. It’s sinful and totally unfair. Second, who ruined cologne for him? A woman? A lover?

He gives me a look I’m starting to know well. “Not today. Someday I’ll share that secret but this, right here, this is too perfect to taint with the past.”

I nod in understanding. This moment is too pristine.

“Favorite color?” I ask.

“Black. I’m guessing yours is yellow.”

I scoff. “Black is not a color and how did you know I love yellow?”

“I’m very observant. You wore it two days in a row. Two days you knew you were going to see me, might I add.” His cocky smile is annoying yet totally kissable.

“It just so happens to look best on me.” I curl further into him. “What did you want to be when you were a kid?”

“I wanted to play the cello.”

“Looks like we have something in common.”

“We have a lot in common. I’ve never met someone so similar to me before.”

“Like our birthdays.”

“Yes, like our birthdays. And Emma . . .” Asher rolls us so he is on his back. I let out a yelp as he pulls me with him until I am straddling his hips. The growing erection beneath lets me know he’s ready for round two.

“Yes?” I say, cocking my brow, letting him I’m on to his wicked agenda.

“I don’t want to talk anymore.” Asher’s hands take my hips and guide me into position.

“Sounds good to me.” And it does. So we make love again.

This time we are rough and reckless and completely free.





The sun is in the beginning stages of setting when I walk up the steps toward the hotel. I asked Asher to leave me at the marina. If he walked me up, I feared we’d never make it inside. My body is so addicted to him at this moment, I’d never leave.

Asher didn’t take well to being told what to do but I promised I’d leave word with the front desk when I arrived and he could check in with them.

I have a bizarre feeling he’s following me anyway to make sure I get back to the room safely but I keep going forward, making sure I stand my ground. He can’t be near me or else I’ll jump him again and today is too special a day. I need to be with my sister.

When I make it into the room, Leah is on the bed, looking sick but much better than she was hours ago.

“How are you feeling?” I ask with concern, even though I want to scream with excitement from the amazing afternoon I had.

Leah’s face is forlorn. If she weren’t so sick I’d think she was upset. “Why is your hair wet?”

My hand tangles a lock of hair. It’s still damp from the shower I took with Asher. Shower sex is definitely better with him than it was with Parker. Hell, everything is better with him than it was with Parker.

“Oh my God, you slept with him,” she says with minimal excitement. The Leah I know would be on me right now desperate for every dirty detail. But this version of her is more subdued.

I fight back a blush. “We showered because we went swimming in the ocean.”

Leah’s eyes widen. “You said we. You showered with him? You, like, got crazy nasty dirty with him?”

There’s the Leah I know.

“Stop it.” I wave her off. “We . . . he . . . you see . . .” Oh what the hell. “Leah, I just had the most amazing, mind-blowing sex of my life. It was wicked, and sinful and soulful and powerful, and I think I’m in love with him.”