Page 85 of Exactly What I Needed
Even telling me how amazing my voice was.
Asking when we could have a girls’ night. Making sure it fit my schedule, too, since they knew I taught school.
They genuinely seemed to care about me without needing anything but my presence.
I glanced over Ava’s shoulder and found Asher with the guys talking. He lifted his gaze and smiled. It was a simple smile, but one that told me I’d found home. I’d found the place that I was meant to be, with the people that I was truly meant to be with.
“I’m hungry,” Ava said, pulling away to whine to her boyfriend. Jaxon chuckled, lifting a brow at the rest of the boys.
“What time is it?” I asked, and Nova glanced at her watch.
“Almost six.”
“Shit, I should probably get home.” I quickly rushed around the girls. I could only imagine what Sydney was going to say when I got home. Not only had I told her I wouldn’t be picking her up last night, now it was nearly six in the evening, and I still wasn’t home. The butt chewing I was about to receive was something that even with my creative mind, I couldn’t fathom. And the excuses I would have to come up with.
Asher pulled the guitar strap over his head and quickly handed it to Drake, jogging to meet me at the stairs. “You’re not staying tonight with me?” he asked, cutting me off.
I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth. “I want to, but Sydney. After last night…” My voice trailed off, and he took a deep breath. Running his tattooed fingers through his hair, he nodded.
“I get it,” he muttered, clearly disappointed.
“I’m sorry.” I threw my gaze to the ground.
“Really, Princess. I understand. Even if it fucking sucks.” He kissed my forehead. “Let me walk you to your car.”
Stepping forward, I threw my arms around his waist. He stiffened beneath my blatantly open gesture of affection and then melted around me. Holding me tightly, he rested his chin against the top of my head as I buried my face against his chest. I wanted just one more minute with him. One more blissful second spent where I was totally me.
Chapter 29
His fingers laced into mine as we walked slowly, very slowly through the parking lot toward my car. It was parked beneath some trees on the edge, shaded and out of the way. We didn’t speak, both of us dragging out the commute to my vehicle. I hated how quickly it inched closer, how little time we had left with each step forward.
I wanted to stay lost in his smell, in his touch. I wanted to stay lost in him. Nothing else satisfied me the way he did. No matter how many times I got to see his handsome face, his sharp, wide-set jaw, his deep honey eyes, I would never get bored. No matter how many times I heard him speak or sing, or felt his fingers run across my skin, I would never want it to end.
But here we were, taking the last step to my car. And then we stopped. Turning to my left, I glanced up at his face. “What about tomorrow?” he asked, and I took a deep breath in.
“Tell me where you are when I’m done teaching.” I offered him a smile, and he sighed, visibly relieved. “What were you so worried about?”
“That you’d do what you normally do and tell me we can’t keep doing this.”
I rolled my eyes and stepped into his body. He cupped my cheeks, tipping my head up to meet his gaze better. Pushing me gently, he bumped my backside against my car door and bent down.
His lips were against mine, all passion he could muster flowing with the kiss. I fisted the sides of his cut-off T-shirt and pulled him against my body. This time, I took the initiative to shove my tongue between his teeth. I felt his lips lift in a smile as he slid his hands down the sides of my body and wrapped them tightly around my waist.
Lifting my own arms to throw them around his neck, I tipped on my toes, falling in tighter to his embrace. The kiss became a little more aggressive, and I began to pant, desperately wanting more.
But instead, he pulled away, breaking our intimate moment. Before he suddenly grabbed one boob and squeezed. I opened my eyes to find him grinning from ear to ear.
“Stop that,” I teased, swatting at his hand.
“Okay.” He let go and slapped both palms, hard, against my ass.
“Asher…”
“Fuck,” he growled and shifted his hips against me. His excitement stayed as hard as it had been the entire time we’d been making out.
I stared at him, waiting for my racing heart to calm back down. All that pent-up arousal was going to feel uncomfortable for a bit, but I really did need to get home to Sydney. And there was something I needed to pick up for Asher on the way. I was genuinely excited to see it, hoping it turned out as pretty as I thought it would.
“I should let you go,” he muttered, slipping his hands back around my waist. I nodded, and the smile fell from his face.
