Burn (Breathless #3)(37)

“The hell that’s happening.”

He pounded into her, the force of his thrusts shaking the entire bed. Her br**sts jiggled enticingly, her ni**les so hard and beaded that it looked painful. But then hell, he was banging away at her like some rutting pig.

Need splintered through him. Razor sharp, his orgasm swelled and boiled low, gathering in his balls and then shooting straight up his cock, exploding outward in a painful spurt. He wasn’t breathing. He was just thrusting, riding the wave. Immersing himself in her warm clasp over and over.

“Josie,” he whispered, her name nearly a groan.

“I’m with you, Ash.”

Her words cut the last thread and he spiraled downward like a snowflake in the wind. Crazy. Fluttering madly. His entire body sizzling like a blown fuse. Hell, he probably had blown a few circuits. His mind was mush. Completely overtaken, sated, satisfied.

He collapsed down on her, no longer able to keep his weight off her. He lay there, gasping for breath, her body beneath his. For a long moment he remained there, but he knew he was smothering her and he also had to get rid of the damn condom.

He couldn’t wait to have her bareback. He’d stay inside her all damn night. They’d wake up a sticky, wet mess, but he didn’t give two f**ks. He wanted his come in her and on her.

Levering himself upward, he kissed her forehead and then smoothed the hair from her face before kissing her lips.

“Was that good for you?” he asked.

“If it was any better, I’d be dead,” she said ruefully.

He smiled and then got up just long enough to discard the condom. Then he crawled back into bed, pulling her into the shelter of his body.

“Think I could go back to sleep for a while,” he murmured.

“Mmm hmm,” she agreed.

“Then let’s sleep. I’ll arrange something for us to eat when we wake up.”

She snuggled deeper into his embrace and then threaded her leg through his so his was looped over hers.

“Works for me,” she whispered.

Chapter thirteen

“I want you to wear my collar, Josie,” Ash said in a low voice.

She turned in his arms, surprised at the blunt declaration. The two were stretched out on Ash’s couch, a lazy morning after their lovemaking and short nap earlier. After they’d woken up again, Ash had brought her breakfast in bed and then he’d taken her into the bathroom where he’d washed every inch of her skin and hair in the shower.

He’d dried her, brushed out her hair and then wrapped one of his robes around her before taking her into the living room where they’d been on the couch ever since.

Ash stared intently at her as if gauging her response. His gaze flickered over her face and then back up to hold her eyes.

“Know you wore Michael’s. Also know it didn’t mean a damn thing. It means something to me, Josie. I want it to mean something to you too.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“I want to choose it especially for you. I don’t have it yet, but I will. And when I get it, I want you to wear it. Will you do that for me?”

She nodded, already imagining wearing his jewelry, the knowledge of what it would mean to him alive in her mind.

“Got a lot of other things to talk about today,” he continued. “A lot we need to work out. I’d rather get it all out today so we can move on, knowing what we need to know. And you’ll know what you need to know.”

“Okay, Ash. I’m ready.”

He squeezed her arms, satisfaction brimming in his eyes. “Means a lot for you to trust me. Especially after what happened with that prick. I won’t ever hurt you like that, Josie. You may not know it right now, but you’ll know it soon.”

“I know you won’t hurt me,” she said, lowering her mouth to his. “I trust you, Ash. I do. I’m not just saying that. You have to know how hard this is for me. But I’m good with my decision. I know it’s the right one. You don’t have to prove that to me.”

“Yeah, I do,” he refuted. “Every day. I have to show you every day what you’ll mean to me. That’s on me. And we’ll get there. This—you—are important to me. I’m going to make sure you know that at all times.”

She leaned in, laying her head on his shoulder, her body settling over his. He felt so good. So solid and strong. He didn’t have to work at making her feel safe. She did feel safe. Just being close to him.

“First thing we need to talk about is medical exams and birth control.”

She lifted her head back up, one eyebrow raised in question.

“I don’t want to use condoms. Not with you. I want to be able to come inside you, on you. In order for us to do that, you need to have an alternate method of birth control and we also both need tests so we know we’re both clean, although I’ll tell you now, Josie. Not sure what you did with Michael, but I use condoms. Never haven’t. And it’s been a while for me. Not since . . .”

He broke off and shook his head. “That will come in a bit.”

She cocked her head to the side. “What will come?”

“The circumstance surrounding the last time I had sex with a woman,” Ash said in a serious tone. “I’ll get to that. But right now there are other things we need to get settled.”

The way he said it made her concerned. Her brow furrowed and he reached up, curling his hand around her nape to pull her down so his lips settled against her forehead.