… she gasped.
His eyes were wide open, staring intently.
She drew herself up and moved back as he sat up, careful not to disturb Ella.
He gestured toward the door and Maddy tiptoed out of the room. He followed, pulling
the door shut behind him.
“Are you sick?” she whispered.
“No.” He turned toward his room.
She reached out to stop him, her fingers barely skimming his bare back. His smooth
skin radiated heat. He flinched and she pulled her hand away. He spun back to face
her, and she wasn’t familiar with the expression on his face but it looked pained.
“Is Ella okay?”
He nodded.
“Asher, were you drinking?”
He made a low sound, between a grunt and a groan, and didn’t meet her eyes. “No. I
haven’t been drinking. Yes, Ella threw up. Too much cola, too fast.”
She groaned inwardly. Really? She was pretty sure “soda” hadn’t been on the list she’d
left for him. For a smart guy, he was hitting some low notes in the parenting department.
“She’s fine. I promise.”
Her eyes narrowed.
He was hiding something and refusing to make eye contact.
She stepped closer, worried, and he finally raised his head, giving her a glimpse
of the hot longing in his eyes. She froze. An answering heat swept through her, triggering
a wave of dizziness.
He grunted and moved toward her, closing the gap in one stride.
Maddy stood rooted to the ground.
He yanked her into his arms with a growl and lowered his head. Leaning in, he licked
his way inside her mouth, devouring her.
Maddy had been kissed plenty. But this was more than a kiss. This was conflagration.
His lips and tongue were hotly demanding, and she answered his need with her own.
She moaned, a sound of lust mingled with frustration, muffled by his mouth. His grip
on her hips tightened and she became aware of his raging erection as it pressed, almost
painfully, against her belly. She squirmed, one hand threading through the thick,
satiny hair at his nape, the other pressing against his hips, wild to get closer.
It took her a few seconds to realize he was pulling away, pulling her from him. Shame
washed through her, heating her cheeks. What had she done?
He backed up two steps, hands up, palms facing her. “I’m sorry, Maddy. That was totally
inappropriate. I promise it won’t happen again.” He took another step back. Maddy
held a hand to her forehead, body rigid with humiliation. He’d practically had to
peel her off of him.
God.
“No,
I’m
sorry. I … I — ”
“Let’s just forget it, okay? It’s late, we’re tired.”
“Okay,” Maddy whispered. She stood, frozen in the middle of the hallway, until his
retreating back disappeared into his darkened bedroom.
• • •
Maddy closed her laptop after she sent her mother the email with her flight information
and Christmas plans. She had finished her final paper and hit the send button early
this morning. Graduation was just a technicality now.
It had been a week since that kiss in the hallway. No matter how hot he was, no matter
what her feelings toward him, he was her boss. The kiss, earthshaking as it was to
her, was probably an imperceptible tremor to him.
She rose from the kitchen table to prepare for the trek to the bus stop to collect
Ella when the sound of someone clomping down the stairs drew her attention. He’d been
home a lot more lately, in his study most of the day, on the phone or in virtual meetings.
Apparently, there was a lot more to being a successful rocker than just showing up
for recording sessions and tours.
“Asher.”
“Hey, Maddy, I thought I’d pick up Ella.” He fixed an assessing gaze on her.
She was getting used to his intense looks. Unfortunately, her feelings for him were
not limited to sexual interest. She loved watching his interplay with Ella. Even the
therapist had told Maddy this week that she’d noticed a perceptible change in their
relationship.
She’d had a chance to
His eyes were wide open, staring intently.
She drew herself up and moved back as he sat up, careful not to disturb Ella.
He gestured toward the door and Maddy tiptoed out of the room. He followed, pulling
the door shut behind him.
“Are you sick?” she whispered.
“No.” He turned toward his room.
She reached out to stop him, her fingers barely skimming his bare back. His smooth
skin radiated heat. He flinched and she pulled her hand away. He spun back to face
her, and she wasn’t familiar with the expression on his face but it looked pained.
“Is Ella okay?”
He nodded.
“Asher, were you drinking?”
He made a low sound, between a grunt and a groan, and didn’t meet her eyes. “No. I
haven’t been drinking. Yes, Ella threw up. Too much cola, too fast.”
She groaned inwardly. Really? She was pretty sure “soda” hadn’t been on the list she’d
left for him. For a smart guy, he was hitting some low notes in the parenting department.
“She’s fine. I promise.”
Her eyes narrowed.
He was hiding something and refusing to make eye contact.
She stepped closer, worried, and he finally raised his head, giving her a glimpse
of the hot longing in his eyes. She froze. An answering heat swept through her, triggering
a wave of dizziness.
He grunted and moved toward her, closing the gap in one stride.
Maddy stood rooted to the ground.
He yanked her into his arms with a growl and lowered his head. Leaning in, he licked
his way inside her mouth, devouring her.
Maddy had been kissed plenty. But this was more than a kiss. This was conflagration.
His lips and tongue were hotly demanding, and she answered his need with her own.
She moaned, a sound of lust mingled with frustration, muffled by his mouth. His grip
on her hips tightened and she became aware of his raging erection as it pressed, almost
painfully, against her belly. She squirmed, one hand threading through the thick,
satiny hair at his nape, the other pressing against his hips, wild to get closer.
It took her a few seconds to realize he was pulling away, pulling her from him. Shame
washed through her, heating her cheeks. What had she done?
He backed up two steps, hands up, palms facing her. “I’m sorry, Maddy. That was totally
inappropriate. I promise it won’t happen again.” He took another step back. Maddy
held a hand to her forehead, body rigid with humiliation. He’d practically had to
peel her off of him.
God.
“No,
I’m
sorry. I … I — ”
“Let’s just forget it, okay? It’s late, we’re tired.”
“Okay,” Maddy whispered. She stood, frozen in the middle of the hallway, until his
retreating back disappeared into his darkened bedroom.
• • •
Maddy closed her laptop after she sent her mother the email with her flight information
and Christmas plans. She had finished her final paper and hit the send button early
this morning. Graduation was just a technicality now.
It had been a week since that kiss in the hallway. No matter how hot he was, no matter
what her feelings toward him, he was her boss. The kiss, earthshaking as it was to
her, was probably an imperceptible tremor to him.
She rose from the kitchen table to prepare for the trek to the bus stop to collect
Ella when the sound of someone clomping down the stairs drew her attention. He’d been
home a lot more lately, in his study most of the day, on the phone or in virtual meetings.
Apparently, there was a lot more to being a successful rocker than just showing up
for recording sessions and tours.
“Asher.”
“Hey, Maddy, I thought I’d pick up Ella.” He fixed an assessing gaze on her.
She was getting used to his intense looks. Unfortunately, her feelings for him were
not limited to sexual interest. She loved watching his interplay with Ella. Even the
therapist had told Maddy this week that she’d noticed a perceptible change in their
relationship.
She’d had a chance to
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