Bad Habit (Bad Love 1)

“You’re serious,” I ask, but it comes out more like a statement. Asher pushes off the counter and strides toward me, his multi-colored eyes blazing into mine. He threads a hand through my hair at the nape of my neck and ducks down so his mouth is level with mine. I keep my hands clenched at my sides. I know if I let myself touch him, I’m done for. I’ll stand absolutely no chance.

“I love you,” he says against my lips before pressing them to mine. I close my eyes at hearing those words spoken to me for the first time. He told Dash that he loved me, but hearing it like this is so much more. “I love every fucking thing about you,” he says, pressing another kiss to my jaw, my neck. “I love the way you smell, the way you taste.” He nips at the skin on my shoulder. “I love the way you love, recklessly and unconditionally. I love this body...” Ash’s hands smooth down my back to rub my ass through the thin T-shirt dress, and my breath hitches. A tear slips free, and he licks it up, bending to grab me by the back of my thighs. He lifts me into his arms, and my legs wrap around him, like they were meant to be there. “And how it was made for me. I loved you even when I hated you. And that’s how I knew I didn’t hate you at all.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat, looking into the whiskey and jade eyes of the boy that I’ve always loved. They search mine, begging for me to put him out of his misery.

“I love you, too. I’ve loved you forever.”

At my confession, he props me up onto the counter. He holds my face in both hands before devouring my mouth with his. His tongue pushes inside, and I suck on it, eliciting a groan from the back of his throat. We pour everything into this kiss. Every ounce of pain and love and longing and lust and betrayal. Every secret, stolen moment. Every tear, every orgasm, every touch.

Asher pulls back and lifts the hem of my dress as he sinks to his knees in front of me. Starting at the soft skin below my belly button, he peppers kisses, dragging my dress up along the way. Right before he exposes my braless chest, his eyes lock with mine. I can’t breathe, can’t speak, can’t do anything other than focus on the sensations consuming me. Still holding my gaze, he bites the ample, fleshy underside of my breast, and I shudder, goose bumps assaulting everywhere from my stomach to my ears. My nipples tighten almost painfully, and he closes his mouth around one, biting it through the fabric of my dress.

The ache in my core intensifies, and I’m so wet I can feel it between my thighs. Slowly, he peels the dress over my tight pink nipples and sucks one into his mouth while kneading the other. He alternates kissing and sucking and biting, giving them equal attention.

Needing more, I rip my dress over my head, letting it fall somewhere behind me, and pull him in for another soul-shattering kiss. When he pulls away, we’re both breathing raggedly. Hooking his fingers into the sides of my underwear, he tugs them down, leaving me in nothing but my black combat boots.

Asher drops to his knees once more. He peels my panties down, letting them drop to the floor, before spreading my legs with his shoulders. He pushes on my lower stomach, forcing me to lean back on my elbows. His tongue parts my lower lips, and I gasp at the contact. Lightly, he flicks his tongue against my swollen clit, and I jerk off the counter in response.

“Stay still, baby. I want to taste you.”

Trying my best to obey, I lie flat against the countertop. Ash wraps his hand around my right ankle and pulls my boot off. He kisses the arch of my foot before placing it on the edge, doing the same to the other one. He presses against my knees, opening me to him. I’m completely exposed, and he stands, taking his sweet time to study my most vulnerable place.

He bites on that plump bottom lip and slides two fingers over my clit, rubbing and swirling. He speeds up his movements, and soon, he’s rubbing ev

erywhere from my clit to my ass and everything in between as I desperately rock into his touch.

“Please, Ash. I need you.”

“I want to take my time with you,” he says in a strained voice, and I realize he’s scared, too. He’s afraid this will be our last time together.

“Baby,” I say, sitting up, my fingers going straight for the button of his jeans. “We have all the time in the world.” I undo his pants and use my feet to push them off his hips, not even bothering to take the time to rid him of his shirt. I take his length in my hand, directing him to my entrance. Hot and hard meets warm and wet as he thrusts inside me.

Asher holds my gaze as he slowly drives into me, and it’s the best kind of torture. I drop my eyes to see his length disappearing inside of me, and I feel myself clench around him at the sight. He groans and buries himself to the hilt, controlling my movements with his hands on my hips.

“I love you,” I say again, and those words must unleash something inside of him, because then he’s leaning me backward, covering my body with his own, as he thrusts into me like a madman. He takes my nipple into his mouth and sucks, while his hand snakes down my body to rub my clit.

“I’m going to come, Ash. Fuck me, please. I’m going to come.” My words run together, almost unintelligible, but the meaning is clear.

“Say it again,” he says raggedly. His hair is damp with sweat, and his eyes are glazed over with lust.

“I love you,” I cry out. “I love you so fucking much.”

Asher brings his big hands to grip my hips, his thumbs touching as he drives into me punishingly. I throw my head back and my body locks up, my mouth dropping open in a silent scream as he fucks me through my orgasm. My legs shake uncontrollably, and I think I might lose consciousness. Ash grabs me by the jaw, forcing my gaze back to him. He presses his thumb against my bottom lip before I suck it into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it.

“Fuck, baby.”

He tenses up, and his mouth parts in ecstasy. The veins on his neck and arms are bulging as he spills inside of me. He collapses onto my chest, and I love the feeling of his weight on top of me.

“Don’t ever take this away from me,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper, as he circles his hips, giving soft, tiny thrusts. His head is nuzzled in between my breasts, and his face sticks to my skin. I run my fingers through his damp hair as I come back down to earth.

After our breathing has returned to normal, he pulls out, slowly, and both of us groan at the loss. I feel our wetness pooling, and he pulls his black tee over his head and brings it between my legs. With more tenderness than I knew he was capable of, he cleans me up. When I bring my knees back together, he stops me, pushing them back open to make sure he got every last drop.

I sit up, and the first thing I notice is Asher’s freshly inked side.

“Asher,” I gasp, carefully tracing the design with my fingertips. It’s the drawing from his drawer. The skull with the succulents and roses covering one eye. And this time, I have no doubt in my mind that it’s for me.

“Dare did it,” he supplies.

“It’s beautiful.” And it is.