Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Ready for your first lesson?” he asks, voice husky.
I turn in his arms, hands coming up to rest on his chest. “Only if it involves you.”
Asher’s gaze darkens, molten with desire. “Say the word.”
I trace one finger along his sternum, memorizing the path. “Teach me.” My breath catches on the words.
He steps back, raising his hands in a mock-kata stance. “First lesson: always be aware of your surroundings.” He moves close again, pressing into me. “But right now, your surroundings include me.”
He sweeps an arm behind me, tracing a line across my ribs, eliciting a soft moan. “Second lesson: use your leverage. Your strong points.” His free hand finds the curve of my hip, gripping firmly to guide me. “Can you feel where your strength lies?”
I shiver, leaning back into his palm. “Yes,” I whisper, “right here—where you hold me.”
He smiles, amusement and lust mingling in his eyes. “Excellent. Third lesson: if you must… strike.”
His other hand lifts to my shoulder, palm pressing flat. He bows his head close, wiping his lips across the sensitive spot where my collarbone meets neck. The sensation is deliciously distracting.
“Strike me,” I challenge softly, “and see how hard you can hit.”
Asher pauses, eyes smoldering. He grips my shoulder lightly, then tilts forward, pressing a searing kiss along the plane of my neck. My world narrows to the taste of him, the press of his lips. When he finally pulls away, he grins.
“That wasn’t a strike,” he murmurs, voice thick.
“No,” I counter, stepping forward so our bodies come flush. “But I want to learn.”
He sweeps my hair aside and lowers his mouth to mine—long, slow, tender at first, then deepening with hungry confidence. His tongue slides along mine, teasing, exploring, sending white-hot sparks through my veins. My hands clutch his button-down, savoring the firmness beneath my palms.
I return his kiss with equal fervor, meeting him mouth to mouth, matching his rhythm. The night air flushes my senses as he guides me backward until my back skims the edge of the balcony railing. The lights below flicker like stars scattered on water, but all I see is Asher, framed in moonlight.
He pulls back for air, forehead resting against mine. “One more lesson,” he breathes.
I shake with anticipation. “Yes.”
He sweeps an arm behind me and, in one fluid motion, lifts me onto the railing so I’m perched tall, legs wrapped around his waist for balance. My heart hammers—both from rush of wind, of illicit thrill, and fear of falling. He steadies me, hands strong at my hips.
“Never be afraid to put yourself in a position of power,” he says, voice low and intimate. “Balance. Strength. Focus.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him close until our bodies are one. “And…fear?” I whisper.
His hands tighten, grounding me. “Fear is a tool, if you manage it. It tells you what matters.”
My pulse roars at his nearness. “You matter,” I whisper.
He crushes me to him, capturing my mouth in a heated, relentless kiss. Every nerve ignites. A fleeting thought enters my mind: What if we fall? but it dissipates in the warmth of his arms.
He finally tilts me down until my feet touch the floor, then steps back. My dress falls around my ankles, and he steps forward, brushing his thumb across my lips to catch the taste of me.
“That’s how you turn fear into adrenaline,” he says, lowering his gaze to my skin. “Into desire.”
I swallow, voice husky. “I’m ready… for the next lesson.”
He lifts me effortlessly and places me on the chaise lounge, then moves to adjust the cushions so I’m comfortable. He moves in behind me, slipping his arms beneath my arms to pull me into his front. I rest my head against his chest, hearing the steady thrum of his heartbeat.
We sit in quiet communion for a moment, the world hushed except for the gentle whoosh of ocean waves beyond the palm trees. Then he leans down and brushes another, tender kiss across my temple.
“Lesson four,” he murmurs. “Trust.”
I look up at him, heart full. “I trust you.”
He smiles, arms tightening. “Good. Because I’ll always be here to catch you.”
I reposition myself to where I’m straddling his lap. “I want you to catch me,” I tell him, truthfully. Maybe this whole thing started out as pretend, but I’m no longer pretending.
Not anymore.
I grind my hips against his lap, and I feel his dick stir to life, hardening right before me. I place my hand over the ridge of his dress slacks. “I want this,” I tell him, feeling bolder than I ever have.
I’ve never been the type of woman to ask for what I want, but with him, right here and now, I feel that bravery. He makes me feel it. I undo his pants, pulling at the material of his briefs so I can free his dick.