~ Zoie's POV ~
Before Asher could say another word, Zoie pulled her nightgown over her head. She was lying there, completely naked. There were still some bruises left on her body, but they weren't as bad as they were a few weeks ago. Time really does heal everything.
Asher swallowed hard and his eyes darkened. His hand reached to touch her stomach where there was a bruise. He gently ran his finger on her skin and looked to see her reaction.
"Does it still hurt?" he asked cautiously.
"Not at all," she said bravely.
Asher swallowed again.
"A-are you sure?" he started stammering. "Because God, I want you so bad, you have no idea. But if you wanna wait, I can wait..."
"I don't wanna wait anymore," she shook her head. "I've been talking to Dr. Brooks and she said I should trust my instinct. If I feel like I'm ready then I'm ready,"
Dr. Brooks was Zoie's new therapist. Of course, she had to have a therapist now, her mom thought that was best. Having a therapist did help a lot. She was able to process what happened to her without feeling irreparably broken. Still, that doesn't mean that everything's gone back to normal one hundred percent. She still couldn't sleep alone at night, she got anxious in dark and cramped spaces, and there were still nightmares creeping in.
Zoie knew that just like her bruises, the trauma will heal someday too. It just takes more time and it's harder to do. But with Asher by her side, everything feels possible. A future with hope seems possible. A life full of happiness seems possible. And a healthy, safe, and harmonious home seems possible too.
Which is why I don't wanna stay in this dark place forever... I wanna take the next step forward.
"Hey," Zoie said, running her fingers gently on his cheek. "I know you're worried about me, but you can stop treating me like I'm some fragile thing. I can handle it,"
Zoie leaned her head forward. She rested her forehead against his. Their noses were touching. His delicious scent filled her senses and her body shivered in response. Something must be happening with Asher too because his body stiffened. He put a hand on her face, clinging onto her cheek. He wanted to kiss her, she can tell. But he was still holding back.
"Sweet girl..." he started, pausing for a beat before continuing, "You're the strongest girl I've ever met. I know you can handle anything. But-"
"No buts," she shook her head, cutting him off. "I want you, Ash. Here, now, forever,"
Asher looked up instinctively. He found her beautiful purple-blue eyes already staring right at him. It was a stare so deep, it cut right through his soul.
"Forever? I don't think I can last that long," he said with that playful smile. Zoie couldn't help but smile too, smacking his arm playfully.
"Oh, shut up and kiss me already,"
Asher let out a laugh. And with it, a weight seemed to have been lifted off his shoulder.
"Yes ma'am," he said as he leaned closer, capturing her lips with a kiss.
Unlike all the other kisses before, this one was deep and passionate. It held a lot of fervor and fire. It was like a dam had burst and everything inside him was overflowing out. His hands were locked on her face. His lips, his tongue, everything was hungry for her taste. And Zoie responded with the same amount of passion.
Oh, finally, this kind of a kiss...
Something so liberating was happening. Zoie felt like she could finally breathe again.
"I love you, Ash," she whispered through the kiss.
"Mmhmm,"
Asher wanted to say the words back to her, but he was mumbling incoherently like an idiot. She was kissing him back with such passion and fervor, it was hard to get a word out.
Using both her hands, Zoie pushed Asher back until he was lying flat on the bed. She then sat straddling him and his eyes turned dark as he watched her naked body. His hands slowly reached up to touch her breasts. They are still as soft as ever, he noted to himself. Asher swallowed hard before leaning up to capture her nipples in his mouth. Zoie tipped her head back and sighed as Asher massaged and kissed her breasts.
Zoie's hands then began to work on Asher's jeans. She unzipped his pants and rubbed her hand down his length. Her hips were also moving so seductively against his groin, Asher couldn't help himself. He was hard as steel.
Zoie let out a victorious smile. Asher's mouth now traveled to her neck and jaw, trailing small kisses all over her skin. Soft moans escaped her lips as his hands and mouth roamed her body. Zoie felt the need building in her stomach, and she was desperate for a release.
Asher knew what she needed. He flipped her around on the bed until he was hovering on top of her. Then, he positioned himself between her legs, stretching them wide open, revealing her entrance to him. Zoie was staring at him with hooded eyes and she was biting her lips. Asher smiled as he leaned closer, planting a sweet, soft kiss on the entrance to her core.
"Aaahh..."
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~ Asher's POV ~
Asher spent the next hour worshiping her body. His tongue was nibbling at her clit, his lips were kissing and sucking at her core, and his finger was playing circles around her entrance. Zoie had come several times at this point, and he gladly lapped and licked all her sweet juices.
This was the first time he got to make love to her ever since the incident. He didn't want to rush this moment. He wanted to savor it and make sure he wasn't wasting it. If Asher had learned anything from his near-death experience was that life is too damn short to be wasted. And this moment right here, being with her, this is what life's all about. To love and be loved.
I'd die a thousand deaths just for this moment if I have to.
"Ash..." Zoie moaned breathlessly.
"Yes, sweet girl?"
"I need you..."
"I got you,"
Asher pulled himself up and trailed kisses on her neck and jaw. He positioned himself on her wet entrance and rubbed his length along her folds. Zoie linked her arms around his neck, locking him in place. Asher's lips then crashed onto hers again, the same time as his manhood pierced into her core.
"Ah!"
Zoie let out a sharp breath, but Asher caught it in his throat. The sensation of being inside her was dizzying, but Asher kept his composure. Slowly and gently, he picked up the pace and found the rhythm for his movement. Zoie's body was moving with him instinctively, meeting him at every thrust.
"I love you, Ash," she said in between her moans.
Asher couldn't help but smile. She was getting close to her climax and he was steadily bringing her there. From where he was looking, she looked so beautiful to him. Her skin was like porcelain, her cheeks were blushing, and her purple-blue eyes were magnetic to watch. Asher couldn't believe his luck.
I'll never take this for granted. Ever.
Asher pushed her over the edge with one deep thrust. Zoie let out a scream as her body jerked and convulsed, but Asher kept her steady. With his hands locked around her body, he leaned down and kissed her lips again, whispering, "I love you more,"
More than you can ever know. More than you can ever imagine. Always. And only you. The baddest, most sweetest girl I've ever met.
And with that, Asher released himself deep inside her core. He came so much and so hard, the white liquid was oozing out of her. Asher never felt a release so great, it was like having an out of body experience. With his eyes closed and his mind in pieces, he held onto her for dear life. He held on for as long as he could. Buried deep inside her warmth, forever if he could.
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~ Zoie's POV ~
Zoie lay with her head resting on Asher's chest and their naked bodies were tangled together. After such an intense love-making session, you'd think that they would be resting, but no. Neither one of them wanted to close their eyes. Sleep wasn't as important anymore. She just wanted to look at him. To feel his gentle touch on her skin. To relish in his scent and his breathing.
The sun was now rising, but it didn't seem to bother them. Zoie turned her face up to look at Asher. His skin was glowing under the warm sunlight. Asher noticed that she was looking at him, so he looked at her too. His gaze was so warm and so deep, it was like he was looking straight at her soul.
"Hey, Ash,"
"Hm?"
"Do you think this means we should rebuild the playroom next door?"
Asher blurted a laugh. Clearly, he didn't expect that. Meanwhile, Zoie just smiled sheepishly.
What? Look at my cute boyfriend. How can I help myself?
"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves here?" he said through his laughs.
"No, I don't think so," she said unapologetically.
"Geez," he shook her head and smiled at her. "My girl. Always so impatient,"
"Is that a yes?" she batted her eyes at him.
He put his hand on her chin and brought her face close to him.
"How can I ever say no to you?"
Zoie couldn't stop the smile forming on her face. Asher captured her lips with a kiss and even then, she couldn't stop smiling.
"Hmmm," she sighed as she pulled away slightly. "This year's gonna be a great year. I just know it,"
"Oh, yeah. It's only just the beginning," he said, lacing their fingers together. "And every year from now is gonna get even better and better,"
Every year from now...?
"Don't look at me like you're surprised," he said again. "You know I'm gonna marry you someday,"
At that moment, Zoie's heart flatlined. It literally skipped a beat.
"Oh," she said, gathering herself. "Is that so?"
"Yes, ma'am. You best believe it,"
With that, Asher flipped their bodies around so he was hovering on top of her again. They'd already made love several times last night. Surely, he wasn't gonna go again?
And Zoie was wrong.
Asher's mouth went to her neck and he started kissing and sucking on her sweet spot. His hands captured her hands and he pinned her wrists on that bed, giving her no room to go. Then, he parted her legs open with his knees, and Zoie felt his erect manhood gently caressing her folds, looking for a way in.
Oh, I love you, Ash. The baddest and the sweetest guy in the world.
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- - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - - -