And like he could sense it, his mouth came crashing down on her. His tongue swept into her mouth as she clung to his. He continued grinding and pressing into her clit with each thrust.

She was lost and found in the same moment as she gave over to the wave of pleasure. Asher kissed down her neck, nipping and biting and sucking, as she fell apart.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he slammed into her before pulling her close and pulsing inside of her.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. Just the two of them connected in the moment.

They panted as he rested his forehead on hers.

“Fuck, Sunny. That was amazing. I almost forgot how good it could be.”

He kissed her one last time before pulling out. Her body almost ached at his absence but then he wrapped her up in his arms, and her head found its way to that blessed spot between his shoulder and his neck, and she was home.

“I missed this,” she said.

What she wanted to say was I love you, but she wasn’t quite sure she’d gained the right to say those words yet.

Asher held her tighter, and sleep started to overtake her. A yawn cracked her mouth as she snuggled into him, the safety of his embrace allowing her to drift off.

Chapter

Eighteen

ASHER

Asher watched as Sunny’s eyes got heavier, and she settled into him. He had forgotten how good it could be. Sex with other women had been good—some great, even—but it had never held a candle to the way it felt when he was with Sunny.

They were meant to be together, and their bodies knew it. They fit together so perfectly, and the magic igniting in them every time they connected this way was almost forgotten.

He held her a little tighter.

The moonlight filtered into her room as Sunny fell asleep. He melted into her, watching her, until, at some point, sleep overtook him.

The sunlight through the window woke him hours later. Sunny hadn’t left his side all night long. In fact, she had snuggled in closer and had thrown her leg over him. He buried his head in her hair, breathing deeply, taking in a long hit of her intoxicating scent.

Knowing Sunny, he knew she would be asleep for a while longer. Asher had always been up with the sun, but Sunny, despite her name, was a late riser.

Carefully, he extricated himself from her and made his way downstairs. He got the coffee maker going and then started on some pancake batter.

When she got up, he would have breakfast waiting for her. As hurt as he had been when she left, it felt good to let all of that go and be with her again like this. Nothing felt as good as making sure Sunny was happy and safe . . . and, well fucked.

A smile crossed his face at that point as he cracked an egg into the mixing bowl. After sifting the dry ingredients and adding them, he was about to pour the first batch onto the griddle when he was startled by a loud scream.

Sunny!

As he turned to bolt up the stairs, the radio on the living room started blaring “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

His brain didn’t have time to comprehend how crazy that was because all he could think and feel was Sunny. After their connection, he was keyed into her system and could feel her panic. It almost felt like she was choking.

He almost tore down the banister trying to rush to her. In less than a moment, he was flinging open her bedroom door with a loud thud to find her sitting up in bed, her face covered in panic as she coughed and gasped for breath.

“Sunny,” he cried out, running over to the bed and gripping her shoulders. “What is it?”

She continued to cough and sputter while the music blared up the stairs.

“What are you listening to?”

“I don’t know . . . Your radio just turned on.”