Chapter 21

21

LOGAN

T he water glides over my skin as I swim back and forth across the pool, the cold liquid doing nothing to dull the anger and need raging inside of me. I don't know what's stronger, the sting of betrayal from Lincoln not being honest with me sooner, or the lust from the memory of finally being on my knees for Asher Donovan. I know I should be more focused on Lincoln, he's my boyfriend, he's the one who actually owes me something, yet every time I think of him, my mind is clouded with the taste of Ash and how Linc dominated us both so perfectly. It felt right, like it was always meant to be that way, but of course, as soon as it was over, Ash got spooked and ran off again, and I wasn't far behind him.

Today is the wedding and that's what I should be focused on, Elle and Marcus getting married, but instead my mind is at war and I don't know what to do next. I managed to avoid Lincoln after he bent me over the bar last night and fucked me hard, heading straight back to our room and feigning going straight to sleep. Then I left as soon as dawn hit this morning with the premise of my workout, and I haven't seen either of them since. So it's safe to say I'm slowly spiraling.

Not even my routine of a morning swim se ems to be helping, and it's something that has been able to come to my aid since I was nine years old, and my therapist suggested an outlet for my overactive personality. I guess they never imagined I'd be dealing with two testosterone-filled assholes who are more stubborn than anyone I have ever met.

My shoulders begin to ache, as exertion rears its ugly head at how hard I am pushing myself, and I know I need to stop and catch my breath, but the water is my safe haven. When I leave here, I know I need to face Lincoln and then put on a happy face in front of all of my family for the sake of today's celebrations, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

I've lost count of how many laps I have done now, but leaving wins out, as I reach the wall and lean backwards, floating a little to calm my racing heart. The sun is starting to get higher in the sky, and I know it won't be long until everyone else starts to wake up. So now is my time to slip away unnoticed.

What I don't expect when I climb out of the pool to grab my towel, is to come face to face with Asher. As I reach the sunbed where I dumped my stuff, he rounds the corner, his skin slick with sweat, as he was no doubt on the way back to his room after his own morning workout. His running shorts are climbing high up his thighs in a delicious display, as he attempts to catch his breath.

When he spots me he freezes, his eyes dropping down to my pool-soaked body, and I see the calm that his workout brought him instantly melt away. As soon as our eyes lock, he changes direction, storming towards me with that usual mask of anger, and I know whatever he is about to say is only going to piss me off even more than I already am, so I attempt to beat him to it.

"Look, Ash, if this is about last night, then I'm really not in the mood, we can pretend it never even happened if you want…" I start, but as he reaches me he doesn't stop, just grabs my arm and starts shoving me backwards towards one of the pool houses. When my bo dy connects with the door it flies open, and he pushes us through it until we are on the other side. "What the hell is your…" My words are cut off as he slams me against the wall and silences me with his mouth on mine.

He's kissing me.

Asher Donovan is kissing me.

No other thought exists in my mind except for that.

Asher Donovan, the boy I've had a crush on for six years, is finally kissing me and it feels fucking amazing.

His lips are firm against my own, with an urgency I have never experienced, yet still somehow I can feel the restraint in them, like he still isn't sure, and fuck if that doesn't rip me apart. Especially when he pulls back and his eyes are wide with shock, and a hunger I have never seen, as he tries to stumble away from me.

My hands are quick to lock onto his, and I can't help but smirk as I purr, "Well it's about fucking time, my little psycho." Then my lips are on his, taking what I've wanted since the day I first laid eyes on him.

I pull his body against my own until there isn't an inch of space between us, devouring his mouth with my own. Then my hands are everywhere, his hair, his neck, his shoulders, his back, exploring as much of him as possible, until he is panting against me. Only then do I push my tongue into his mouth and curl it around his own.

A muffled grunt leaves him and it only spurs me on, forcing my hands up to curl around his neck and holding onto him for dear life, as he kisses me back like it's the most natural thing in the world. When his tongue rolls against mine it's like every part of me comes alive, like I was dying and he is the only thing that can coax me back to life. I've wanted this for years, wanted him for years, and despite my feelings for Lincoln, I still want Asher too. I want them both, need them both, and right now it feels like it might just be within my reach.

Asher pulls away, panting against my lips with his eyes wide and lust-filled, but before I can say anything he is kissing me again. Claiming my mouth like it is his and only his. Kissing me eagerly, achingly, demandingly, until I'm not sure where I end and he begins, and all I can do is hold on and pull him even tighter against me.

His own hands start to explore the wet planes of my body, tracing my skin possessively until I am groaning against his lips. When he pulls back, his ocean eyes are so filled with heat they could be mistaken for the sun, and when his hips press further against mine, I feel his desire for me. I roll my hips slightly, forcing my own rock solid length to slide along his, making him grit his teeth, as his hands drop to my waist and attempt to hold me in place, but I use my hold around his neck to keep going. Grinding my dick against his with slow, seductive rolls of my body, until he is breathing even heavier.

"Can you feel what you do to me, Ash?" I ask, rubbing our cocks together through the thin material of our shorts, the fabric of mine soaking into his. "Can you feel how fucking hard and desperate I am for you?" My voice comes out breathy and shaky, as I try to cling to my sanity, but if there is one thing Asher Donovan can do, then it's make you lose your mind. "Oh fuck," I mutter, rolling my hips a little faster, as my fingers dig into the skin at the nape of his neck. "This feels so fucking good," I whine, and Ash's low hum of agreement has my stomach flooding with butterflies, as he leans forward and claims my mouth once more.

We begin to dry hump one another, as his sinful tongue tangles with mine and the friction sends a jolt of lust through my entire body, as I push against him and roll us, pinning him to the wa ll now and rutting against him like a dog in heat.

When he pulls back, his head drops against the wall with a thud, and his eyes look completely gone to the pleasure. All that does is make me want more. "Do you think I can make you come like this?" I ask, not stopping the rough rocking of my hips as I trail my mouth along his jaw and down his throat, relishing in the goosebumps my tongue leaves in its wake. "Do you think I could have you screaming my name and coming for me without me even touching you?"

His head is already nodding before I've even finished speaking, as we continue to grind against one another. "I need," he pants, struggling to get the words out. "I need…" he trails off, his words both moaned and strained, as he stares down at me in complete pleasure and desperation.

I slow the movement of our hips, much to his dismay, kissing and sucking my way back up to his mouth before I murmur against his lips, "It's okay, baby, I know what you need."

My heart pounds against my rib cage, as I pull back and reach between our bodies, pushing down my own shorts first and giving my cock a slow, leisurely stroke with Asher's eye tracking my every move. Pre-cum leaks down the head of my dick, and I use my thumb to spread it down my shaft until it's nice and coated. Only then do I lock eyes with Asher, as I steadily reach for his shorts and slowly push them down his hips. His breathing is ragged as he watches me with bated breath, until his own cock is completely free.

I use the precum on his to get him nice and wet, and then I line up our cocks and spit into the palm of my hand, wrapping it around both of our lengths and stroking them together.

"Shit, Lo, that feels so good," Ash hisses, his eyes fixed on the movement of my hand as it jerks us both off at the same time.

"Remember last night when you fucked my mouth and flooded my throat with your cum?" I ask, stroking us a little harder, and he grits his teeth so hard trying to bite back his pleasure, that I'm surprised they don't crack. "I always knew you'd fall apart for me so pretty, my little psycho."

"Logan," he snaps my name in a half grunt, half moan, and all I can do is smile, as he starts to fuck up into my fist.

The feel of his dick rubbing against mine, as I stroke us together, has my entire body tightening with need and desire. "That's it baby, don't be shy, tell me who's making you feel so fucking good right now." He draws in a deep, sharp gasp as our crowns rub together, and I use my thumb to spread our pre-cum messily over our tips until we are both grinding and moaning. "Come on, Ash, tell me how good your cock feels rubbing against mine."

"So fucking good," he breathes out desperately, spurring me on to jerk us faster and tighter. "Kiss me, please," he begs, and I have never heard anything so sweet fall from his lips, and before I can oblige his mouth is on mine, swallowing down my moans.

There is no hesitation in his kisses now, they're rough and insistent, claiming and possessive as his teeth sink into my bottom lip and suck and pull, before soothing the bite with his tongue, until I feel like I might explode. I feel him everywhere and it's too much. It's all too much, he's too much, we're too much, this is too much. The feel of my hand wrapped around us, the heat of his hard cock rubbing against my own, the weight of his lips, the sound of his pleasured sighs, the goddam sweet scent of his sweat-soaked body as it moves against me. All of it is delicious and overwhelming and pushes me into a free falling abyss of pleasure before I even realize it.

"Oh fuck, I'm coming," I choke out, as cum bursts from my cock, coating my fingers and Ash's length in long ropes of my pleasure, but my hand doesn't falter, as I force myself to keep going. "Come on, Ash, come for me," I demand against his mouth, and it sends him off like a shot.

"Fuck, fuck," he hisses, rutting into my hand as his own orgasm bursts from his cock, mixing with mine and covering my hand and cock in a messy display of our lust, until we are both panting and breathless.

My lips are back on his without pause, claiming them as my own, only this time the kiss is slow, sensual, satisfied, and when I pull back I can't help but drop my forehead against his and breathe him in. His eyes look clearer than they did before, but I can still see some confusion and maybe wariness in them, like he doesn't know what to do next.

"No more running," I find myself saying, commanding really, and to my surprise he smirks.

"How can I run when you haven't even cleaned up your mess yet?" He muses, and it sounds so close to flirting that it nearly knocks me off my feet.

I don't even respond as I push back a little and bring my cum-soaked hand up between us and start to lick it clean. "Is this what you want, Ash, the taste of you on my tongue again?" I ask, slowly lapping up our cum from my skin, until his eyes are darkening once more. "Do you want to hear how good you taste? How my throat aches for more?" I swirl my tongue around two of my fingers and then sink them into my mouth, repeating the same motions I did on his cock last night.

"Keep talking like that and maybe it will be me fucking you in punishment," he drawls easily, surprising us both, and I can tell he didn't mean that thought to pass his lips so freely, so I decide to push us back to safer territory, for now at least.

"Trust me, Ash, that wouldn't be a punishment," I laugh, tucking myself away, and running a hand through my wet hair, as I watch him put himself away too. "Besides, you and I are not in a fight," I add with a shrug, not sure where we are going to go fro m here after what just happened between us.

Yet my words have him pausing completely. "Are you and Lincoln in a fight?" He asks, clearly no longer caring about getting involved in our relationship, I mean, I guess it's a little late for that anyway after the last couple of days.

"No," I snap far too quickly, and Ash just looks at me, waiting for me to continue. "Yes, I don't know," I tell him truthfully. "He lied to me."

Asher is quiet at my words, looking at me thoughtfully, until he finally replies, "Lincoln Blackwell is many things, but a liar is not one of them."

"No, instead he's a murderer," I clap back, both jealous and annoyed at how easily he comes to his defense, which only intensifies when Asher doesn't look surprised in the slightest.

"So he finally told you then?" He asks, confirming what I already knew, yet still it hurts more than it should.

"Of course you knew," I mutter under my breath, laughing humorlessly. "And I suppose you think it's okay that he is putting himself in danger and taking innocent lives and playing judge, jury, and executioner without a thought for anyone else?"

My anger intensifies with every word, and to my surprise Asher pushes towards me until I am forced to look at him. "Lincoln has never, and would never, take an innocent life. Every person he has killed has committed more crimes than I can even bear thinking about, so while I don't think what he is doing is safe, I do understand why he is doing it."

My head is spinning with what he is saying, but I am still confused. Lincoln never mentioned who he was killing or why. Could I have this whole thing all wrong? "Crimes? What crimes?"

Asher now also looks confused slightly, but straightens his shoulders as he pushes to have Lincoln's back. "The crimes the men w ho he killed committed, abuse, rape, murder, they might go unpunished in this world, but they don't go unnoticed, not by him."

Suddenly I am thrown back to the words he told me in the kitchen at my apartment, about his father, about his mother, and about him. There is no way in this world he could escape that situation without some trauma, and I must be blind and stupid to have thought he could have. We all did what we had to do in the war to protect Elle and Cassie, but who protected him? How come none of us except Ash have noticed what he is doing?

My eyes focus back on Ash, and I know he sees it, the mistake I made, the understanding I now have, and all he does is softly say, "You should go talk to him before things get crazy today."

He's right, because of course he is, and I just nod in agreement before turning to leave. I make it almost all the way out of the door before I turn around and storm back towards him, startling him by slamming my lips against his, and piercing him with a blistering kiss that leaves us both breathless.

"This, us, it isn't over, so don't you dare fucking run from it, not when I have waited so long just for a taste of it, we are just getting started, okay?" I rush the words out, imploring him to agree, and when he nods ever so sightly, I feel on top of the fucking world.

"Okay, Lo, no running," he whispers, and I grin, kissing him again and forcing his own lips to tip up into his own version of a soft smile.

"Save me a dance later, okay? I need to go fix things with my other boyfriend now," I muse, walking backwards towards the door.

"I'm not your boyfriend," he tosses back, only making my grin grow wider.

"Not yet you're not, you haven't asked me nicely enough," I purr, winking at him before I dip out of sight, quickly grabbing my thin gs to head back to my room.

That's one problem sorted this morning, now I need to go and fix the other, and something tells me it won't be as simple as a hot as fuck double hand job.