25. Sunday

TWENTY-FIVE

"Thanks, son," I smile as Wade drops the box on the floor of the empty room. Well, it won't be empty for long. I'm going to remodel it and turn it into a room for ballet classes, hopefully anyway. It's going to take time and money, both of which I'm in limited supply, but I'm going to do this. My gut is telling me this is right. Staying here in my studio and with my friends is the right thing to do.

"Mom, can I go to Nuts?" I give him a long look before nodding.

"Is your phone charged?" I ask, and he looks down to check.

"Forty-two percent, but I'll ask Zora to borrow her charger when I get there." I press my lips together and nod, knowing I'll have to text Stevie's mother to ask her myself since there's zero chance my son will remember anything once Zora and Nika start shoving sweets in his face.

"Be careful. I love you." I kiss him on the head before he bolts out of the studio—only a minute passes when I hear the door open again. "Let me guess, you forgot your–" I stop mid-sentence when I see that it's not Wade standing there. Josh is standing there with a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

"Josh," I breathe out as I stand behind the front counter, needing something between us. "What are you doing here?"

"Sunday, I know you hate beating around the bush, so I'll be frank." He looks nervous as he sets the flowers down and runs his palms on his jeans. "I'm still in love with you and want you back."

"Josh–"

"Wait!" he interrupts loudly, holding his hands up. "I've been thinking, maybe I should go to therapy. You know, to help with my addiction and anger. I just, I think I took my frustration out on you because when we got together, I was too young and wasn't ready for the responsibilities being thrown at me."

"You were older than I am now when we got married," I say dryly.

"Yeah, but it's different for guys. Everyone knows women want to be a wife and a mom. Anyway, it's different now. Your kid is older and doesn't need to be watched or dealt with all the time, so I think now's the perfect time for us to try again."

"Uhh…" I let out an uncomfortable and irritated laugh. "Josh, there"s zero chance of us getting back together. I feel like I've made that very clear. And if me leaving you last time wasn't clear enough, I think what happened between us a couple of weeks ago should've been a good indicator." I watch as anger starts to creep over his face.

"And why the fuck not?" he barks out, startling me. "Why wouldn't you give us another shot?"

"Because I already did!" I shout back, pissed off that this man can't take a hint. "We tried to reconnect, and it ended with you holding my son's pet hostage! You don't care about Wade, and I'm not putting him or me in that situation again!"

"Why the fuck would I care about yourkid? I'm not the one that knocked you up. I shouldn't be the one dealing with him. Yet I was! Constantly having to correct that fucking bastard."

"Get. Out." I growl through my clenched jaw. "Get the FUCK out!" I scream as I point to the door. "If you ever come back here, I'm going to take my bat and destroy your truck and then your fucking face." For good measure, I pull the wooden bat I keep under the front counter and swing it over my shoulder while glaring at him, begging him to give me one reason to swing. I'll bet his blood is still embedded in the wood grain.

"Is… everything okay?" My heart drops, and my eyes widen at Ash's voice. I look behind Josh and see Ash standing at the entrance. How much did he hear?

"Yep," I say curtly. "Josh was just leaving." Josh looks as though he's going to fight me, but Ash clears his throat and gestures to the open door.

"I'll hold this for you." I watch as Josh rips the bouquet off the counter before turning and walking to the front door. He pauses briefly, and I watch as he stares at Ash. Ash stares right back, completely unfazed. Josh fakes a lunge at Ash, and I nearly scream when Ash grabs the man by the shirt and shoves him against the doorframe.

"You hurt my girl," he growls in a tone I've never heard before. It's low and threatening, sending chills down my spine. "You hurt my boy." My heart stops at Ash's words.

"If you think for one second I've forgotten that and I'm not going to fix the wrongs done, you're mistaken, friend. I'll be seeing you real soon, Josh." Ash is all but hissing as he shoves Josh out the door. Josh stumbles back several times before storming off. Once he's out of sight, my entire body relaxes, and I crumple to the floor.

"Hey! Hey! Sunday!" Ash rushes around the counter and falls to his knees in front of me. I watch as he frantically looks over my body. "Sweetheart, did he hurt you?" he asks, and I can hear the anger he's trying to suppress.

I shake my head. "No, that was just… intense." I let out a breath and lean against the counter. "I feel like I'm having a heart attack," I pant while rubbing my chest. Ash sits against the wall and motions for me to come to him. I scoot closer, and he puts me between his legs and wraps his strong arms around my chest while pulling me back to lean against him.

"Slow, deep breaths," he whispers in my ear. "You're safe, and I'm right here." I close my eyes for several long seconds, taking the slow breaths and listening to him run his fingers through my hair. I'm almost ready to fall asleep when it hits me. "Why are you here?" I ask, my brows knitting together.

Ash removes his hand, and I sit up to turn and look at him. "Oh! Well, there's this little expo thing at the convention center for artists, so I took off work and wanted to see if Wade would want to go. He mentioned it to me a month ago, but I wasn't sure if I could get us in with the convention and everything happening. I didn't want to make plans and then disappoint him. I had just texted him when I pulled up, and he said he was almost at Nuts, so I was going to say hi to you before meeting up with him."

Suddenly, I know I have a huge, massive, world-ending problem.

"Sunday? Are you okay? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Fuck my life. I think I'm actually in love with Ash Johnson.

"This isn't necessary,"I groan as Ash opens the passenger door and ushers me into his car. He surprised me by showing up at the dance studio after dropping Wade off with Indy. They're ordering all of us food so that once I'm there, we can hear all about the art convention.

"And it's dumb for you to spend money on a ride when I can take you home without a problem." He waves his hand, gesturing for me to get into the car. This is true. With me cutting back on spending and getting a night job, I don't need to be throwing money away on rides if a free one is offered to me.

Nodding my thanks as I slip into his passenger seat. Ash shuts my door before rounding his car and getting into the driver's seat. As we pull out on the road, the seatbelt alarm goes off. I look down and notice it's because of me. "Shit," I curse and grab the belt to put it on, but in my haste, it slips out of my hand, and the buckle hits my nipple, piercing. "Shit!" I cry out while cupping my injured boob. I glare over to see Ash trying his damndest not to laugh, but he fails miserably, and the chuckle escapes him, causing my glare to deepen.

"Dick," I growl out as I grab the belt again, this time putting the chest strap behind my back to ensure nothing touches my now screaming tit.

"You know, that's not really safe," he says teasingly, and I roll my eyes.

"Neither is you speaking at this moment, yet here we are, laughing in the face of danger." I snort while looking through my purse, hoping I have something to eat. "Damn it."

"What's the matter?" he asks as we stop at a red light.

"Nothing. I'm a little shaky from the day. I thought I might've had some candy or something." He starts driving again when the light turns green and startles me when he reaches over and opens the glove box.

"There's a little bag in there," he states, pointing inside the compartment. Raising my brow, I reach in and pull out the plastic bag of… huh?

"Wait a minute." I stare at the baggy of orange Starbursts in confusion. "I thought you hated these." He shrugs nonchalantly.

"Oh, I do. They're vile. But I know you love them." I set the bag on my lap as he pulls into the garage of our apartment complex. He parks in his spot and turns to face me. It's when I hear his sharp intake of breath that I realize I'm crying.

"W-what's wrong?" he asks, panic filling his tone.

"You just… what?" I ask through a small sob. "You bought these in case I just happened to get into your car and say I'm hungry?"

"Yes," he says without hesitation as if that was precisely what he did. "You said they're your favorite and that they make you happy."

I look at the bag for one more second before putting it on the dashboard, climbing over him, and straddling him in his seat.

"Holy shit, what are you–" I silence him by capturing his lips with mine. He lets out a deep breath through his nose as if letting go of his restraint before turning his head and licking between my lips with his tongue. I eagerly grant him entrance to my mouth, and he groans in triumph as he plunges inside while gripping my hips to pull me closer to him.

"I need you," I moan against him while taking his bottom lip between my teeth and giving it a small tug.

"Fuck…" he breathes out darkly as he runs a strong hand through my hair, gripping a fistful tightly. I let out a whimper while grinding against his erection. "Fucking damn it, sweetheart, if you don't get out of those shorts, I'm cutting them off." I maneuver as best as I can to slide my shorts and panties off. He's just as fast with his movements as he pulls his cock free, steadying it as he holds my hip and lowers me down. I watch his eyes roll back in his head while I release a shudder at the overly full feeling.

"I need more room," I pant as I try to get comfortable. Ash is not a small man, and his car isn"t really built for fucking in the driver's seat.

He reaches down to the side of the seat and leans the back seat slightly to give me a little room. I instantly brace my hands behind me on his knees, slip my legs up his chest, and rest them on his shoulders. He stares at me in absolute stunned silence, his jaw completely slack and I can't help the smirk that pulls at my lips, knowing I shocked him. He continues to watch intently as I bounce up and down on his hard cock while crying his name out each time I impale myself.

"Fuck." His voice is frantic, and I feel him tensing. I tighten my core around him as I continue to ride him. "Sun-Sunday, please–I'm going to… FUCK!" I feel the hot fluid fill me as he grips my hips, holding me still on his cock.

His pleasure doesn't seem to last long. And I see his eyes go wide and the embarrassment on his face. I flashback to our first sexual encounter, when he came and bolted. No, not this time. He didn't let me finish our night then, and he can't run out now.

"Sunday…" His voice sounds apologetic. "I am–"

Leaning forward, I press my lips to his. I grab his hand, and it kills me to feel him shaking. Why is he so scared? I wonder only briefly what his ex must've done or said to him to make him feel like coming first is wrong. I slide his hand between us to my clit, and I let out a strangled moan as he circles the wet bud. I feel my walls contracting around his cock that's still inside me, and I move to his ear, more determined now than ever to make sure he knows that I see him for everything he is and that I want him.

"Charming," I whimper as I nibble on his earlobe. "You make me feel so good. You have no idea how much my body craves you. You're the only one that can make me feel this way," I moan and rake my teeth down his neck.

"H-holy shit," he shudders in pleasure.

"Do you feel how wet you've made me?" I whine out as I suck on his neck and bite down.

"Fuck," his shaky voice growls out. "Harder," he pants. "Mark me, sunshine." I bite his neck hard, licking and sucking as I grind against his palm.

"Ash, please…" I mewl out against his neck. "Give me my release." I stare into his eyes, and I feel him hardening again inside me as he rubs my clit. My abdomen tightens, and I cry out as I feel myself tightening until I finally snap and my orgasm hits. My walls tighten around his now fully re-erected cock, and holy fuck, what's he doing? He grips my hip with his hand and thrusts upwards, slamming as deep inside of me as possible again, and again, and again.

"Holy shit!" he growls out as he pulls me to him. I scream out again as one orgasm after another hits me like a rolling wave.

"A-Ash! I can't come aga–ahhhh, holy fuck!" I scream as I come again.

"Yes!" he praises as he slams me against him, gripping and grinding me against him as he orgasms again. "Fuck, Sunday!" he groans out. If I have one more orgasm, I might pass out.

With my body completely spent, I remove him from inside me and move back to the passenger seat while trying to catch my breath. We stare out the windshield in silence. I think we're both in absolute fucking shock. I mean, what in the fuck just happened?

"Sunshine," he pants out slowly.

"Yeah?" I manage between heavy breaths.

"I uhhh… I don't think this friend thing is working out." I can't help the surprised laugh that escapes me.

"Yeah, charming, no shit."