Without thinking, Asher reached out and pushed the tendril behind her ear. Her eyes widened a fraction when the tip of his finger grazed her cheek. She didn’t speak for several seconds, and he pulled his hand back, hoping he hadn’t overstepped a line.
“I’ve only ever been with a couple guys in my life, and I’ve certainly not been in a relationship with two at the same time.”
He leaned back. “We never thought you did, and truthfully Mason is the first man I have ever been with and vice versa. I never thought of myself as gay, but when you’re on the road and the loneliness sets in, attractions shift, or in this case grow in a different direction.” He shrugged. “Or maybe I have always been this way but never allowed myself to grow as a person to realize it.” Yeah, that was probably the most logical explanation.
“I am the least judgmental person, believe me. I got enough flack in school for my size.” He looked her up and down, and although he couldn’t see much with the table in the way, he had seen plenty while traveling with her. She had curves and was exactly the type of female he would have gone after before all of this happened.
“Mason shouldn’t have told you anything until the three of us could sit down. Springing that on you probably freaked you out.” He was sure there was a lot of emotions going through her, the same as Mason and him, but then she had kissed Mace, and that gave Ash hope things may actually go right for once.
“Maybe he should have waited until we all could have talked about it, but I’m glad he didn’t. To be honest, I have been struggling with my own feelings.” The flame flickered between them, and the urge to kiss her was strong.
“Come here, Sparrow.”
She started breathing harder, but the sound of her chair scraping along the ground was loud and broke up the stillness. It only took a step for her to reach him, and when she was within reaching distance, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her forward until there was no room separating them. Her breasts were right in his face, and he slowly dragged his eyes up her body and to her face. Several more pieces of her hair fell around her cheeks.
“I really want to kiss you,” he said as he looked at her mouth, loving that she was feeling exactly what he was and was willing to try. Pulling her until she was forced to sit on his lap, he slid his hand behind her neck and reveled in the fact that her skin was so soft. Her body was a stark contrast to Mason’s, but he loved both differences, got erect from her softness and also from Mason’s hardness.
He cupped her face with his other hand and pulled her head forward until his mouth was right on hers. She tasted like whiskey, spicy and sweet, but with a hint of something almost innocent. When their tongues started moving together, he made sure to take it slow and not force anything on her. Everything was new, to all of them, and there was no rush. Even if it had been less than a week since she had come into their lives, nothing was taken for granted.
“You taste so good, Sparrow.” She made a small noise in the back of her throat, and he swallowed it, needing more and never wanting to let go. She felt good in his arms, really fucking good, in fact.
She broke the kiss and looked at him. Her lips were swollen, and the candlelight illuminated the fact that they were glossy. “There is a part of me that feels like I’m doing something wrong.”
“What do you mean, sweetheart?” Asher had an inkling of what she was talking about but wanted to hear her say it, and when she did, he’d assure her that everything would be okay.
“I know that with the world the way it is, things are different, move at a different pace, and therefore the standards we used to have in another life don’t matter now.”
“You’re complicating something that is very, very easy, Sparrow.” He cupped her cheeks and brought his mouth to hers once more. It was almost frightening the way he felt with her, so comfortable and right. It was the same way he felt with Mason, how he felt when he first looked into the tormented eyes of the man he loved. “Sparrow, trust me, this can be a very simple thing if you don’t let your mind try to overrule your emotions.” He kissed her again, and again. They were little kisses, ones that weren’t consuming or penetrating but still had his blood boiling. “I know it’s fast, and I know it’s confusing, but if we can have something like this in a world filled with pain, degradation, and death, why not take hold and not let go?”