Authors: A.S. Fenichel
Hands on his hips, he continued to scowl down at her.
“You’re damn right you should have waited. You nearly got us both killed.”
Her tears continued to flow. “I never dreamed you’d come
after me.”
Kneeling again, he dried her cheek with his hand and pushed
her hair out of her eyes. “I’ll always come for you, Nancy.”
“I should have done something to save her, Ash. I should
have fought harder,” she said.
He tipped her chin up. “Listen to me. You may have made
mistakes, but that girl would have died either way. Her death is not your
fault.”
“I wish I could tell my heart that.”
He leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Your heart will figure
it out. Come on. Let’s eat and get some rest.”
The stew wasn’t too bad, but she could only eat a few bites
before her eyes started to close.
Asher tugged her away from the table and pulled her up onto
tired legs. When they were both lying on the soft mattress, she expected him to
move to the other side of the bed, but he pulled her back against his chest and
she could not help nestling in.
* * * * *
It was still dark when she woke up with her mouth half an
inch from Asher’s neck. Sometime during the night, she must have rolled over.
His arm casually rested over her hip. His masculine scent filled her with a
sense of security that she hadn’t felt in years. She breathed deeply, closing
her eyes to fully appreciate the aroma. Her body tingled with excitement and
her pussy moistened with anticipation. Unexpectedly, her friend seemed like
exactly what she needed. He didn’t feel like her brother or a platonic friend.
He felt like the man who had come after her and saved her from death. A man
who, even after she’d hurt his feelings, had taken care of her injuries and
held her so she could get past the demons to sleep.
She began to wonder why she hadn’t seen Asher like this
before. Tentatively, she leaned toward him, pressing her lips to his neck. He
didn’t move. She opened her mouth just slightly and kissed him just below his
ear, before kissing his jaw where days of stubble had grown. The friction of
his beard against her soft cheek intrigued her so that she rubbed against his
face like a cat and might have purred.
She didn’t know when he had awoken, but as she reached his
lips, his hungry mouth caressed hers and his tongue plunged inside. He tasted
so good she moaned deep in her throat. Her nipples tightened against his hard
chest, and even through their clothes, the sensation created an ache between
her legs. His hand gripped her hair, holding the back of her head, deepening the
kiss.
Then he stopped. His breathing came rough and deep, matching
hers. Leaning his forehead on hers, he asked, “Do you know what you’re doing,
Nancy?”
“I’m kissing you.”
“Asher,” he said. “You’re kissing Asher. I’m not Ian.”
“I know who you are.”
His eyes stared directly into hers. “Say my name.”
“Asher,” she whispered.
His eyes closed at the sound of his name, and she wondered
what he was thinking. He looked so blissful. Then his eyes opened, and she saw
his doubt return.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
His question took her by surprise and she backed away just
enough to really look at him. “Why do you have to ask so many questions?” Her
chest began to tighten, and not with the arousal of a moment before.
“Because if we go any further, this will mean something to
me, and if it doesn’t mean anything to you, I don’t want it.”
His words were so vulnerable, she almost got out of the bed.
He was exposed and it made her uncomfortable. His willingness to show weakness
both honored and frightened her, but in spite of her sympathy for him, she
could feel her anger building. “Why would you think it wouldn’t mean anything
to me? Have you known me to go around offering myself to a lot of men?”
“No, but you’ve been through a lot. I rescued you and I
don’t want you to think you owe me anything. Certainly not sex,” he said
defensively.
She relaxed. He was protecting himself, not insulting her.
That, she could understand. Self-preservation, be it physical or emotional, was
how she lived everyday since the End of Days. “I woke up and I wanted you. Why
does it have to be more complicated than that, Asher?”
He smiled in that crooked way he had. “If it’s really me you
want, it’s not complicated at all.”
His face was downcast and his long hair obscured his eyes.
She brushed it aside and he looked up.
“It’s you, Asher,” she said, so softly she didn’t think he’d
heard her.
Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
She had admired those lips many times. Women would kill to
have a mouth like his, full and always tipped up in a smile. Now those same
lips nipped at hers creating jolts of sensation that traveled directly to her
clit. Feeling the way they gently coaxed her mouth open, she thought those same
women would kill to be in her position. Her mind reeled with so many thoughts,
but mostly she allowed his mouth to drive her desire.
Heart pounding, she tugged at his shirt until he pulled it
over his head. Thick muscles bulged from his chest. She traced her fingers over
them and watched his skin prickle with goose bumps before kissing his neck and
breathing in his warm masculine scent. He smelled like mint, pine and something
that was distinctly Asher. Deep in her pelvis she began to ache. She’d never
felt anything like it and that frightened her. The need to explore him outweighed
her fear.
His mouth found hers again, nipping at her bottom lip and
sipping at the top before saying her name against them. Her body hummed with
need, but she ducked away from his attempt to capture her lips once more. Nancy
eased down so that she faced his chest, skimmed one hand down his ripped abs,
then up again, raking her nail over his nipple.
His breath rasped in his throat as she lowered her head to
take the bud into her mouth. She nipped the sensitive skin of his pec and
allowed her breasts to rub against his stomach. His eyes were dark with desire.
She had no idea that someone else’s desire could fuel her own, but the sight of
his wanting, and the feeling of him hard against her, made her clit ache for
release. She pressed full against him, his knee rubbed her slit and brought her
closer to the orgasm bubbling just below the surface.
Strong hands gripped her waist, and he lifted her up until
she faced him. His fingers cupped the back of her head. He kissed her deeply
and thoroughly before he divested her of the T-shirt. He tossed it aside and
cupped one breast in his hand while rubbing the taut nipple with his thumb. She
gasped his name, throwing her head back and bucking against his leg.
“Oh God,” she cried. He only touched her nipple, but the
sensation traveled directly to her pussy. She could feel the cream building
there and ground her pelvis harder. Moaning, she gulped for air to say more.
“I…”
“What?” he asked.
“I haven’t done this in a really long time. I may come
before we even get undressed.”
He dropped a chaste kiss on her nose. “How long?”
“Long time.” Her hands traced the line of his shoulders and
down his arms detailing every cut and bump of his muscles.
His lips trailed along her cheek. “How long?” he asked
again.
She moved her head to the side, reveling in the feel of his
mouth on her jaw and neck. Everywhere he touched her resonated. “Since before.”
She gasped as his thigh came up between her legs. She thrust hard against his
muscled limb, increasing the stimulation.
He stopped. “Before the End of Days?”
Her gut tightened and a tear spilled over her bottom lid
when she nodded. He wiped it away with his thumb.
“Why are you crying, Nancy?”
“I feel ridiculous.”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. His arms came around
her and he held her close, kissing her hair.
“You were waiting for Ian.” It wasn’t a question.
She nodded and buried her face in his chest.
“Are you sure you want to stop waiting?” he asked.
Nancy thought about Ian. She had been waiting over four
years for a man who was never going to be hers. As embarrassment flooded her,
she could feel the heat fill her neck and face. Her chest tightened with unshed
tears. How could she have been so foolish?
Ian had been a dream, but Asher was real. Looking at him,
her skin tingled with excitement. When they kissed, her pussy pulsed with
wanting.
Her heart beat so fast she wasn’t sure she would get the
words out. “I’m sure, Ash. I want this. I want you.”
His lips curled up, but only on the one side, and his eyes
sparkled. “Then if you come with your clothes still on, we’ll just have to see
that you come again with them off.”
The delicate flesh between her legs ached almost painfully.
She was so on the brink that the idea of coming twice nearly sent her over the
edge. She ground her pussy against him and moaned, feeling his rigid cock
through his jeans against her pelvis. The rough cotton of her own denim abraded
her swollen clit.
She kissed his chest, neck and chin. He tasted like the
outdoors, woodsy and slightly salty, almost like the rosemary that grew wild
around her family home in Georgia. It called her back for more. She couldn’t
get enough.
His left hand skimmed the side of her breast where she lay
on top of him. Sensations flowed from his fingertips and tiny gasps spilled
from her lips. Naked to the waist, their bodies were pressed together. The feel
of his taut skin on her softer parts, made her feel like a violin with its
strings twisted so tightly that the slightest touch created sound. She felt
like those strings might snap at any moment. His other hand gripped her ass and
pulled her hard against his rod, grinding their bodies together and tightening
her string even further. She became caught up in the rhythm and heard herself
moaning around his kisses. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her higher,
taking one nipple into his mouth. He sucked so hard that the pleasure bordered
on pain, and she cried out, arching more completely into his mouth. The
sensation sent a shock of electricity directly to her slit and she ground against
his body. She felt the building orgasm and pushed back to hold it at bay.
As if he knew she was holding back, he gripped her ass with
both hands, pulling her against the rough material of his jeans where they
covered his rock-hard cock. Through two layers of denim, the added pressure on
her clit sent her shuddering with an explosion of sensations, as her climax
erupted from her center. She could hardly breathe, but moaned loudly as the
waves of pleasure rolled over her. Her body shook and she clutched at his
shoulders, continuing to press her core against his hard body. Asher held her
tightly until the sensations began to subside and her breathing slowed to short
gasps for air.
Flushed with both pleasure and embarrassment, several
moments passed before Nancy felt like she could speak. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? That was amazing.” He rolled over so she rested
on her back looking up at him.
His hands traced the sensitive skin around her areola and
down her ribs. He tugged at the button on her jeans until it gave way before
unzipping the fly and pulling them over her hips. When she lay completely naked
in front of him, he looked in her eyes. “You’re so beautiful, Nancy.”
“No, I’m not,” she protested.
Part of her wanted to cover up, but another part was excited
by her nudity. The Southern lady she had been raised to be wanted to pull the
sheet over herself or run into the next room. The woman who had survived the
apocalypse and the aftermath basked in his attention. She raised her arms over
her head, arched her back and languidly stretched out to give him a better
view. He lay down next to her with his leg over hers and his hand on her
stomach. Everywhere his skin touched, hers buzzed with energy.
Asher seemed to be in no hurry, his head rested on his other
hand and he looked down at her. His gaze traveled the length of her body, and
she felt branded as he went. Heat seared her breasts, abdomen and pussy in
turn. Moisture built once again between her legs and her nipples tightened with
yearning to be touched.
“But you are,” he insisted.
His hand moved to cover her breast. His fingers lightly
grazed the hard peak and she arched her back, pressing the sensitive nipple
into his hand. His fingers moved downward, tracing a winding path. One finger
dipped into her bellybutton, creating a surge of sensation that was
surprisingly erotic. She gasped as the burn of awareness spread outward. She
couldn’t stop her hips from rising to his touch when his finger found its way
to her slit and slid between the folds of her pussy. The rough pad of his index
finger rubbed back and forth and around her clit.
“Oh God, Ash.” Nancy’s hips immediately followed the rhythm
he set, rising and falling as his digit sent bolts of heat to every nerve. She
heard herself begging for more between her panting cries.
“You are so wet, baby. I can’t wait to be inside you.” His
fingers continued to glide back and forth between her lips.
She opened her legs and her hand moved down to cover his
where it caressed her. In her limited experience, touching herself was not
something she’d really thought about, but the senses his touch evoked made it
feel so natural to join the act. Together, their hands moved as one and the
muscles deep in her pelvic region began to tighten deliciously.
When he stood up to take off his jeans, Nancy continued the
motion he had started, touching her soft, wet folds, and heightening her own
excitement. The sensation grew, both spreading to the rest of her body and
becoming more intense at her core. She rubbed her clit harder, bringing her
orgasm closer, before slowing and lightening her touch, so as not to come too
soon. She dipped one finger inside and moaned as the pressure heightened nearly
pushing her over the edge. Again, she forced herself to ease off and not allow
herself to climax.