Page 45 of Saving the Rockstar

I smiled, my thumb stroking gently across his knuckles. "Being with you, seeing the way you face your fears and fight for what you believe in, it's inspired me in ways I never could have imagined."

Once back at the hotel, the elevator ride up to our floor seemed to stretch on for an eternity, the air between us thick with tension and unspoken longing. I could feel Asher's presence like a physical force, his body so close to mine that I could almost feel the heat radiating off his skin.

It took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to reach out and pull him into my arms, to crush my lips against his and lose myself in the taste and feel of him. But I held back, my hands clenched into fists at my sides, my breath coming in short, sharp bursts as I tried to control the desire that was raging through my veins.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open to reveal the quiet hallway of our floor. We stepped out, our movements stiff and awkward as we made our way towards Asher's room.

As we reached his door, Asher paused, his hand on the handle, his back to me. And then, slowly, he turned, his eyes finding mine with a look that stole the breath from my lungs.

His lashes were lowered, his lips parted slightly, a silent invitation that made my heart race and my blood burn with need. And before I could stop myself, I was reaching out, my fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind his ear, the soft skin of his cheek like silk beneath my touch.

I wanted nothing more than to kiss him, to pour all the longing and tenderness and desire I felt into a single, perfect moment. And from the way his breath hitched, the way his eyes darkened with hunger, I knew that he wanted it too.

We leaned in, our faces just inches apart, our breaths mingling in the charged air between us. The world around us faded away, the hotel, Paris, everything disappearing until therewas nothing left but the two of us, suspended in a moment of perfect anticipation.

And then, just as our lips were about to meet, a sudden noise from down the hall shattered the spell, causing us both to jump apart like guilty teenagers caught in the act.

We stared at each other for a long moment, our chests heaving, our faces flushed with a mixture of desire and frustration. And then, with a rueful smile, Asher stepped back, his hand finding the door handle once more.

"Goodnight, Jared," he said softly.

"Goodnight," I whispered back, my heart aching with the unspoken promise of later.

And then he was gone, disappearing into his room with a soft click of the door, leaving me alone in the hallway, my body thrumming with need.

I made my way back to my own room in a daze, my mind replaying the moment over and over again, the ghost of Asher's breath on my lips, the heat of his skin beneath my fingers.

But as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, the emptiness of the space hit me like a physical blow, the silence pressing in on me from all sides.

Suddenly, the thought of spending the night alone, of letting this moment slip away, was unbearable. And before I knew what I was doing, I was moving, my feet carrying me back out into the hallway, back towards the one place I knew I needed to be.

I found myself standing outside Asher's door, my heart pounding in my throat, my hand raised to knock. I knew that there was no turning back, no pretending that this was anything less than what it was.

Because I liked Asher, utterly and completely. And I was tired of fighting it, tired of denying the truth that had been staring me in the face all along.

So I knocked, the sound echoing through the quiet hallway like a gunshot. And when Asher opened the door, his eyes wide and shining with a hope that matched my own, I knew that I had made the right choice.

We came together in a rush of heat and hunger, our lips crashing together like waves against the shore. The kiss was electric, a release of all the pent-up longing and desire that had been building between us for weeks, maybe even from the moment we first met.

Asher's hands were everywhere, tugging at my clothes, his fingers sliding beneath the fabric to dance across my skin. And I was lost, drowning in the taste and feel of him, in the way his body molded to mine like it was made to fit there.

We stumbled backwards into the room, our mouths never breaking contact, our hands roaming and exploring with a desperation that bordered on frenzy. In the end, that was what this was all about. Not the fame or the money or the adoration of the crowds. But the simple, perfect truth of two hearts beating as one, two souls finding their way home in the darkness.

Chapter 15: Asher

I stood frozen in the doorway of my hotel room, hardly daring to breathe. Jared was here. Actually here. All I could see was him - the nervous twitch of his fingers, the rise and fall of his chest, the way his eyes darted around before finally settling on me.

"You came back," I whispered, my voice barely audible even in the hushed room.

Jared nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I couldn't stay away. Not anymore."

Those words broke the spell of stillness. We moved towards each other as if drawn by an invisible force, meeting in the middle of the room. My hands trembled as I reached up to cup his face, hardly believing this was real.

He leaned into my touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. When he opened them again, there was an intensity in his gaze.

"Asher," he breathed, and then his lips were on mine.

The kiss was gentle at first, almost hesitant. But as the reality of the moment sank in, our passion ignited. My fingers tangled in his hair as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him. I parted my lips on a gasp and he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth with a reverence that made my knees weak.

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