From Ashes

“You okay, darlin’?” If the guys didn’t start talking soon, I was going to get uncomfortable.

“I’m great.” Her head tilted back and she smiled widely at me; her hand came up around my neck and brought my head down for a slow kiss in front of everyone. Knowing how much she hated showing affection with Ty in front of anyone, that kiss meant the damn world.

I smiled down at her and kissed her softly once more before straightening up and facing the guys and a gleefully happy Dana and Jackie, who must have come in sometime after I’d pi

Tossing the remote back at his stomach, I said, loud enough for him and Grant to hear me, “You come over to watch the game or stare at my girl? ’Cause if it’s the latter, y’all can leave.”

“You and Cassi?” Jake finally asked with raised brows.

“Yeah, me and Cass. If you have a problem with it, you can take that as another invitation to get the hell out.”

“I’m good,” he said, and I looked up at Grant, who had just pulled his eyes away from Cassidy and given me a satisfied smirk before settling into one of the couches.

I FINISHED SAYING bye to Grant and Jake after practically throwing them out of the house. Everyone else had left an hour before, and I wasn’t dumb enough to not realize they were staying to piss me off. I’d had a hard-on practically the entire night and I couldn’t stop touching Cassidy in some way or another. We’d been anxiously waiting for everyone to leave, and those two settled in further and started flipping through the guide on my TV when the game was done. Trying to give them a hint, Cass and I had done the dishes and stood in the kitchen talking after we were done. When I realized they weren’t going on their own, I made sure to let them know their time was up.

Turning around after dead-bolting the door, I caught sight of Cassidy dropping her shirt to the floor with a Come get me look on her face as she turned to go down the hall toward my room. Hell. Yeah. My girl is damn sexy. I didn’t wait for the bedroom either; my shirt was forgotten somewhere in the living room and my jeans made it as far as the bedroom door before being left behind as well. Cassidy had just slipped off her bra, and I picked her up and tossed her on the bed; a throaty laugh filled the room as she landed. Before the bed was done settling from my having her thrown on, I was on top of her and claiming her mouth. She moaned and secured me to her body with her arms and legs, but it wasn’t close enough . . . I doubted it ever would be. I would always want to be closer to my Cassidy.

Her hands trailed up my back, over my shoulders, and then one continued down to my hand, which was in her thick hair. Grabbing my fingers, she moved my hand and slowly brought it down her body, keeping our fingers intertwined as she led our hands to remove her underwear. I stopped kissing her to watch our hands make their way back up her leg and stop below her left hip. Looking down into her now-dark eyes, I held her gaze as I took my hand from hers and slowly ran it over her before sliding one finger inside. She gasped and let her head fall back as her eyes fluttered shut and her mouth opened slightly. I watched her face as every sensation ran through her body and soon added a second finger, earning a soft whimper from her. Holy hell, she was so tight. Glancing down again, I watched my hand teasing her body and got the strongest urge to do something I’d never done. I know I told her she was in control, and she was, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking. Hell, I was about ready to beg her to let me do this for her.

“Darlin’, I—”

“Please, Gage,” she said soft as a whisper, and her heavy-lidded eyes looked up at me. “I’ve wanted and dreamed about this for so long. I don’t want you to stop.” She brought her shaky hands up to my hips and slid the band of my boxer-briefs down enough to take my erection in her hands, and a shiver ran through my body.

She’d barely touched me and already I had to work at not coming yet. I’d never had an issue with this, but then again, it’d never been Cassidy touching me. I focused all my attention on what I was doing for her and couldn’t wait another second to take what I wanted. The instant loss of her hands on me was like a physical blow, but this was about her. Sliding my body down the bed, I continued to work her with my fingers and leaned forward to taste her. Cassidy roughly whispered my name and her hands flew to my head, but instead of pulling me away like I was expecting, she held it in place. And thank God, because now that I had a taste of her, I didn’t want to stop.

When her body shook and she cried out my name, I pulled my boxer-briefs off the rest of the way and positioned myself between her thighs. She looked up at me after I cupped her cheek with a hand and I kept our gazes locked on each other. “You say stop and we’ll stop. Okay?”

Cassidy nodded and wiggled beneath me as she said, “I want this, don’t stop.”

All the muscles in my body locked and I clenched my jaw as I slowly entered her. God, she was so damn tight. “Fuck,” I growled. I saw the uncomfortable pleasure on her face and gave her time as her body stretched around me. I wasn’t even halfway in when her body locked and she huffed out harshly. I looked into her wide, trusting eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready for this Cass?” The first girl I’d ever been with had been a virgin, but since her, Cassidy was the only other one. My first time I hadn’t realized what I was doing until it was practically over, and even then I didn’t care that she was probably hurting. But knowing I was about to deliberately hurt Cassidy had my chest tightening.

Her only answer was to hitch her knees up onto my hips and wrap her hands around my neck.

I pulled back slightly and pushed back in the inch I’d just given up a few times to ready her. The fourth time I pulled back farther before filling her with my entire length in one swift, but as gentle as possible, thrust. Cassidy’s mouth and eyes clamped shut as her forehead pressed into my neck and her hold on me tightened. A whimper escaped her, and there was no doubt in my damn mind that it was a bad one. I didn’t move until she lay back against the pillow, and when I saw her face I about died. Her eyes were bright and a few tears were on her cheeks and spilling down into her hair. The pain in her face was evident, as was the love she had for me.

“Cassidy—” I whispered as I slowly started to pull out.

When she realized what I was doing, her eyes went wide and she dug her heels into my lower back as she shook her head. “No, Gage, don’t.”

“I’m hurting you.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine.” Her voice shook slightly and my jaw clenched. “You’ll crush me if you stop now. I want this with you so bad, don’t stop this. I love you.”

Pressing my lips to hers, I slowly inched my way back in and cringed when another muffled cry left her chest. “I love you too, darlin’.”

I kept everything slow and easy for a few minutes, listening intently to every sound she made and watching every expression cross her face. Her head dropped back first, then another couple minutes after that her body completely relaxed and her sounds started turning into breathy moans. I picked up the pace slightly and later, when she dug her nails into my back and her thighs tightened around me as she came for the second time, I pulled all the way out and slammed back into her. And God, that erotic moan that sounded in my ear almost pushed me over the edge. She started matching me thrust for thrust and soon her moans turned into pleas to go faster, harder, and I was more than happy to give my girl what she wanted. Right before I gave myself over to her, I felt her tightening around me for the third time. God, she was so freakin’ responsive! I ground my teeth and held off until she came undone once again; her name ripped from my throat as I came crashing down with her. My arms gave out and I rolled us so she lay on top of me as our breathing slowed and returned to normal.