28. Isla

28

ISLA

I ’m still trying to catch my breath because my heart is racing in my chest when Asher’s words wash over me. Part of me wants to say bullshit as a coping mechanism, but I can’t bring myself to because of the raw honesty in his voice.

Instead, I tilt my head to gaze into those mesmerizing green eyes I’m convinced are piercing through my soul. What greets me in return is the heat in Asher’s eyes, showcasing his desire for me. Hell, that’s not the only thing. I can very much feel his cock up against me, and it’s obvious that he is ready to come out and play.

The intensity in his eyes grows as he slowly rolls his hips against me. The movement allows him to press his hard length right where I need him most. A moan catches in my throat at the delicious friction, and my body starts humming in anticipation.

“Tell me what you want, Isla,” he commands, as his lips graze my ear. “I need to hear you say it.”

I shudder as his teeth nip at my earlobe. “You,” I gasp out. “I want… I want your cock, Asher.” Thank fuck I can get the words out.

A low, approving hum rumbles through his chest. “Good girl,” he praises.

The unexpected words send a thrill straight to my pussy, but that isn’t all that shocking, to be honest.

Asher’s lips claim mine once more. I arch into him, my body craving more of this and so much more. He seems to sense this because his hand trails down my side. When he reaches my hip, he grips it possessively, pulling me flush against him so I can feel every hard inch of him.

“I need to be inside you. Now.”

“Then stop waiting and take me.”

Asher’s eyes flash with a mix of hunger and something else I can’t quite decipher before he pulls away from me. I watch as he stands and removes his jeans and boxer briefs in one fluid motion. My breath catches at the sight of him, and there’s no doubt he’s not ready for what is coming next.

Not to mention, he’s even more impressive than I remember.

Asher crawls back onto the bed, but then pauses before a frown lands on his face. “Shit, I need to grab a condom.”

The words snap me out of my lust-filled haze, and I nod; suddenly feeling awkward lying there naked while he rummages through his nightstand drawer. The momentary interruption allows some of my nerves to creep back in. It’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone, let alone the man in front of me.

After what feels like an eternity but is probably only a few seconds, Asher finds what he’s looking for and rolls the condom on. Then he’s back on the bed, settling his hips between my thighs.

“Hey,” he says while cupping my cheek and forcing me to meet his gaze. “You okay?”

I nod, leaning into his touch. “Yeah, I’m good. Just... it’s been a while.”

He pauses for a second before placing a tender kiss on my forehead. “We’ll take it slow. If you need to stop at any point, just tell me, okay?”

His thoughtfulness makes my heart clench, and I pull him down for another sensual kiss. Asher groans into my mouth as I feel him reaching down to line himself up at my entrance.

With a slow, controlled thrust of his hips, he pushes inside me. I gasp at the intrusion just before my nails dig into his shoulders. I take a few deep breaths to adjust to the feeling of him stretching and filling me. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.

“Fuck, you feel incredible,” Asher tosses out quickly as he stiffens up, likely doing everything he can to control his body right now. He presses his forehead against mine, allowing me time to get acclimated to him. “So tight and perfect.”

I can only whimper in response because I am genuinely lost in the sensation of our bodies becoming one again after so many years apart. When the initial discomfort subsides, I experimentally roll my hips to urge him to move.

Asher takes the hint and thrusts, setting a steady, deep rhythm that has me seeing stars. This moment is both familiar and new as our bodies remember how to move together while also discovering uncharted territory. We aren’t teenagers anymore, and the finesse with which we are moving now makes that very apparent. Each snap of his hips sends sparks of pleasure radiating through me.

“Oh god, Asher,” I wrap my legs around his waist to take him even deeper. The new angle allows him to hit what I swear is the perfect spot, and I can’t hold back the moans spilling from my lips.

Asher’s pace quickens, spurred on by my obvious enjoyment. His lips find my neck once more, sucking and nipping at the sensitive skin there. I should be irritated if he leaves a mark there, but my mind is preoccupied. In fact, I tilt my head back, giving him better access to the area.

“You feel so good, sunshine,” he groans against my throat. “I never want to stop.”

“Then don’t,” I manage to get out. I give myself a mental high five. “Don’t ever stop.”

He captures my mouth in a searing kiss, swallowing the sounds that are desperate to fall from my lips. The longer we kiss, the more the tension within me grows once more. The feel of his skin against mine is too much but not enough at the same time. He breaks the kiss and pulls back, giving his hand the opportunity to slip between our bodies. My clit is his intended destination, and the added stimulation from his fingers has me on the verge of screaming in ecstasy.

“Come for me, Isla,” he commands. “I want to feel you come all over my cock.”

His words and the relentless onslaught of sensations send me flying over the edge again. My orgasm crashes over me in intense waves, and I can feel my inner walls clenching around him. Asher’s rhythm falters as he chases his own moment of bliss, his hips snapping against mine erratically.

I watch as his eyes slam shut, and his mouth drops open. Soon, it’s followed by a hoarse groan that sounds primal. Asher’s body tenses above me, his muscles rippling under my fingertips as he finds his release. I can feel him pulsing inside me, his cock twitching with each wave of pleasure that crashes over him. He leans forward to bury his face in the crook of my neck, his breath coming in hot, ragged pants against my sweat-slicked skin.

For a moment, we stay like that, intertwined, our hearts racing in sync as we float down from the high we’ve both just reached. I run my fingers up and down his back, savoring the feel of his warm, damp skin beneath my touch.

Eventually, he lifts his head to gaze down at me, his green eyes much softer than they were just moments ago. A lazy smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “That was...” He trails off, and I know he’s at a loss for words.

“Amazing? Incredible? Mind-blowing?” I toss out with a smirk.

Asher chuckles, the sound low and rumbling in his chest. “All the above.” He leans down to press a tender kiss to my lips. “You’re amazing, Isla.”

I feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks at his praise. “You’re not so bad yourself, Bennett.”

“Since when do you call me Bennett? This is the second or third time you’ve said it.”

I shrug halfheartedly. “I guess the team is rubbing off on me.”

Asher grins just before he drops this bomb. “Well, as long as I’m the only one rubbing off on you, I suppose I can live with that.”

I can’t fight the laugh that erupts from my lips. When I’m finished laughing, Asher gives me a quick peck on the nose before carefully pulling out and rolling off me. The sudden loss of his warmth and weight makes me want to pout, but I stop myself from doing so. I watch as he disposes of the condom and then settles back onto the bed, pulling me into his arms.

I rest my head on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. His fingers comb through my hair, working out the tangles our activities caused. The tender gesture makes something in my chest tighten. It’s been so long since I’ve experienced this with anyone, let alone him. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed it until now.

“What are you thinking about?” Asher asks.

I hesitate, not sure if I’m ready to voice the tangled web of emotions swirling inside me. “Just... how right this moment feels,” I say. “Being here with you like this. It’s like no time has passed at all.”

Asher is quiet for a moment, and I wonder if I’ve said too much. Of course, I did. I’m excellent at putting my foot in my mouth. But then he tightens his arm around me, pulling me even closer against his side. “I know what you mean,” he says in a low voice, as if worried about how I might react to his words. “It’s like we just picked up right where we left off, even though so much has changed.”

I nod, tracing idle patterns on his chest with my fingertips. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn’t broken up with me?”

See? Foot. In. Mouth.

Asher’s body tenses up beneath my touch because of my blunt question. Shit. I shouldn’t have asked that. Everything was perfect, and I had to ruin it by bringing up the past. What is wrong with me?

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...” I backpedal, but Asher cuts me off.

“No, it’s okay.” He sighs, his chest rising and falling under my cheek. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it. Especially over these past few weeks after seeing you again.”

I prop myself up on my elbow so I can see his face. I find him staring up at the ceiling as if it’s the most exciting thing in the world.

“Asher, we don’t have to talk about this now...”

“I think we do, though.” He turns his head to meet my gaze. “I need you to know that breaking up with you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. And not a day has gone by when I haven’t wondered if I made a mistake. Hell, I know I made a mistake.”

I swallow hard when he stops speaking. I search his face, looking for any sign that he might not be being sincere. But nothing is shouting at me that he’s lying right now.

“You mean that?” I ask softly. I’m almost afraid to believe him, afraid to let myself hope that maybe, just maybe, this could be our second chance and not just a quick fuck.

Granted, nothing about this has been quick, and I love that for me.

Asher reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek. “I do. I was young and stupid, and I thought I was doing what was best for me at the time because Coach was your father. That was not the case.”

His confession hangs in the air between us, neither one of us knowing what to say after that. A part of me wants to be angry with him for making that decision for both of us all those years ago. But another part, a bigger part, understands the pressure he must have felt, the fear of jeopardizing his hockey career and his relationship with my dad.

Not to mention the effect it could have had on his family.

“I get it,” I say softly, leaning into his touch. “I totally get it.”

But I’m not sure if Asher hears me. His eyes have a slight glaze, and his words do not directly correspond to what I said. “I was terrified of disappointing him and losing my spot on the team. But in the end, I lost something far more important—you.”

Tears form in the corners of my eyes as the gravity of his words rests on my heart. There’s no doubt in my mind that his focus is completely on me. His eyes bore into mine, and I feel a shiver. The intensity in his gaze reminds me of the stare down we shared just before we climaxed. I’m not sure what to say in response. However, Asher has no problem filling in the gap.

“And I refuse to make that same mistake again, sunshine.”