Love Thy Neighbor (Friend-Zoned)(62)

***

Waking earlier than I expected, I look over at a sleeping Asher.

No more nightmares. Yay!

Smiling, I stretch and slip out of bed. I walk over to the kitchen and get a glass of water. I make my way back to bed and my heart swells watching him sleep. He looks at peace. Too bad I have to do this.

I pour the contents of my glass over his head. Ash coughs and sputters. He looks up at me like I’ve gone cuckoo bananas and says, “Fucking devil woman! What the f*ck?”

Matter-of-factly, I tell him, “That’s for putting cameras in my place and watching me without me knowing.”

His face actually loses some of its steam and he opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off by kneeling on the bed and kissing him deeply. His argument forgotten, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him. Pulling away slightly, he says, “Wait. I have to know something.”

I look up at him and nod. He says, “Do you love me?”

And I almost choke. My face flushes and I squeak, “What?”

He runs a hand through his hair and tells me, “Last night when you were falling asleep, you said you loved me.”

Oh shit. Mother f*cking sleep talk! Look at what you did?

I sputter, “I- ah- I’m not- What I mean is I don’t kn-”

Taking hold of my hand, he says softly, “Loving someone’s not a bad thing, right?”

He’s genuinely asking me like he doesn’t know.

This makes me sad.

Squeezing his hand, I cup his cheek and confirm, “No, sweetie. Loving someone can be a really good thing.”

He nods and avoids my gaze when he asks again slowly, “So, do you, ya know, love me?”

I don’t answer for a long while. Fear of rejection creeps up my chest and into my throat. Ash looks so much like a child right now. Unsure of himself and a little na?ve. I kiss his lips and say against them, “Yeah, baby. I love you.”

Pulling back from me and looking me in the eye, he rambles, “Okay. Okay, good. This is nice. I mean, I feel nice. Yeah, okay. This is okay.”

Hmmm, not the answer I was expecting. Nor the one I was hoping for.

This makes me even sadder.

My heart hurts.

Ash doesn’t love me back.

Putting on a brave face, I smile at him and move to get up. With furrowed brows, he pulls me back to him and whispers, “Never made love before.”

Leaning forward, he kisses my stunned and lax mouth. I lean back and ask, “What’s happening here?”

He smiles. “I get that you don’t get it yet.”

I whisper wide-eyed, “Get what?”

His brow furrows but he softens it with a smile. “That you’re my girl.”

I’m stunned. I whisper, “I don’t know what to do with this new information.”

His lip twitches as he responds, “Just hold onto me and ride the wave, babe.”

Blinking once, twice, I respond on a whisper, “Okay.”

He lowers his face to mine and kisses me again. A new type of kiss. A gentle, loving kiss.

“This is new for me, so be patient. I’m bound to f*ck up once or twice,” he explains.

Nodding slowly, I circle his neck and place my mouth against his. He moans into my mouth and pulls me into him. His arms wrap around my back and he strokes me sweetly with every kiss. His lips are like wine and I’m feeling love drunk. Reaching for the bottom of his tee, I lift it up and over his head. He does the same to me and for the first time, we don’t take our eyes off each other. This time it’s different. We take our time exploring each other and removing items of clothing til we sit opposite each other naked. His hand reaches out and I curve my face into his touch. His eyes are hooded with lust but there’s more there. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Moving back from me, Ash sits in the center of the bed with his back to the heardboard. He holds his hand out to me and with a small smile, I take it. When I’m close enough, he lifts me and adjusts me to straddle him. I sit on his thighs and move slightly so his cockhead kisses my folds. I rock against him and he groans, wrapping his arms around me. Never closing his eyes, he captures my lips in a deep and sensual kiss.

If I ever had doubts before, I take them all back. I can safely say I am in love with Asher Collins.

I’ve never seen this side of him before. I doubt anyone has.

This thought makes me head-over-heels happy.

Unable to stand the imaginary distance any longer, I lift myself, move forward a little and sink down onto him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kiss him and with my feet planted on the bed, I lift and drop. Slowly. Almost slow enough to be classed as torture.

Getting into a rhythm, Ash drops his hands to my ass and squeezes. I hold his face in my hands and search his face for some clue to what he’s feeling. He doesn’t give much away, but I see he’s looking at me differently. Tenderly.

I like it.

Changing it up, I lower myself onto him and grind back and forth. He groans and grips my ass tighter, warmth spreads through my belly and my * clenches.

Almost there.

I don’t ever want this to stop. The feelings that charge through me right now are strong and empowering. I love that we’re discovering something unknown together. The tingles start and I whisper, “Love you, Ash,” before taking his mouth in deep, wet kisses. He returns my kisses enthusiastically and thrusts up into me. He moans as I start to come and pulls me down into his body. Without a word, he stills and I feel his cock jerk in me.