Hold the Forevers

“Fuck, Lila.”

He walked me backward until my knees hit the bed. Then, he lifted my ass up, dropping me on the comforter, never breaking our lip-lock. I stroked him up and down once before he pressed me flat.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he said, wrapping my legs around his waist and positioning himself at my opening.

“I’ve missed you too.”

We were in a position to rewrite our relationship. We could have a fresh start and finally put the past behind us.

“Come here,” I said, reaching for him.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. His hand slid up my arm before pinning it over my head. He did it with the other one as well, so I was practically immobile before him.

“You’re mine.”

“Yes,” I whispered.

I squirmed, wanting him to move forward, to claim me in every way.

Then he plunged forward, and we were fitted together again. I was completely full of him. My shout smothered by his kisses. My body there for his taking. My heart raced ahead of us both.

“Ash,” I gasped.

“Yes. Lila, God, you feel so fucking good. So fucking good.”

He stole my breath again, holding both of my hands down with one of his and using his free hand to grip my hip as he pushed in and out. Gradually picking up speed as he worked me into a frenzy. I was already so hot for him that I thought I would combust, but he kept me from the edge as he used every trick he’d learned about my body over the years to take me there.

His fingers slipped down between my legs, and the first brush of his thumb against my clit sent me jumping.

“Oh!”

But he didn’t stop. He circled my clit as he drove into me over and over again. I saw stars as everything built up and up and up. Until I could hold out no longer and I shouted my orgasm into the bedroom. He kept pumping in and out as I contracted around him.

“Fuck,” he growled before jerking to a halt and finishing inside of me. He pressed his forehead to my chest once he was done. He mumbled a chorus of, “Fuck, fuck, fuck …”

He released my hands, and I slowly dropped them down into his hair. I didn’t care that I was messing up the perfectly gelled strands. All I cared about was how incredible I felt and that I was here right now with my Ash.

“Hey,” I whispered.

He looked up at me with sex eyes.

“Give me a kiss.”

“Anything for you.”

His mouth met mine one last time, a slow, generous kiss. One that sent my core tightening all over again with him still inside of me. We stayed like that longer than we probably should have, considering we were hosting this party. But it was worth it.

By the time we’d righted our clothes and returned to the party, we were in the beginning of the midnight countdown. Marley shot me a suspicious look, but I just smiled at her. Who cared what anyone else thought? I knew that this thing with Ash was right. It had never felt more right than with his arms around me as we counted down to a whole new year.

“Lila,” he murmured into my ear.

“Hmm?”

“I want everything with you.”

I laughed softly. “You have everything with me.”

“No, I want … more … all of it.”

I looked up at his very serious expression. “What do you mean?”

“Now that I have you, I never want to lose you.” His mouth brushed the shell of my ear. “I want the whole lot: you in my house, you with my name, you with my kids.”

I froze at the words. At the future that he’d painted for us. I could see it so clearly. And somehow, I’d never thought that far ahead. Never let myself consider where I was going or when wedding bells would ring.

“Why don’t we take it one day at a time?”

But Ash knew me too well not to understand my hesitancy.

“It’s too soon,” he said automatically. “I know it is. But with you, Lila, I always seem to get ahead of myself. First step: move in with me.”

My jaw dropped at the quick proposal. “I have … the house with Maddox.”

“We could make it work.”

And so I gave him the truth. “I’m not ready.”

There was hurt in his blue eyes. He was ready. Ready for everything with me. Ready to marry me on the spot if he could. I could see it all in his eyes. But I wasn’t there yet. I’d been the one who was hurt, and while I could argue with Marley all day long, she had been right. I needed to be careful. I needed to be sure.

Then the countdown rang down to zero, fireworks exploded in the sky overhead, and Ash pulled me in for a lasting kiss. A new year, a new promise, a new life.