I raised a brow at Liv.

"I'm sure you're right. I'm sure the bed is much more comfortable." The couch really wasn't appealing, but the thought of sleeping so close to Olivia was...tortuous.

But then she whispered, "Come to bed, Asher," and all other thoughts were gone. Out the window. Those four little words were impossible to deny. "I trust you to be good."

If Olivia asked me to come to bed, I would come to bed. But being good? Well, we'd have to see about that. I would try.

As I walked to the bed, I realized—horrifyingly—that there had been times in the past where Olivia had asked me to come to bed, and I hadn't. Like a fucking idiot. But not tonight. Tonight I was going to crawl into bed with her, and I would enjoy every second getting to lie by her side.

Wordlessly, I crossed the room and slid beneath the sheets.

Her eyes followed me, watching.

And then, after one more flick of her gaze, she turned on her side. Away from me. Well, I couldn't be picky.

But I could, perhaps, push my luck a bit.

After being very good for at least ten minutes, I asked, "Can I put my arm around you, Liv?"

There was a pause. I'd been expecting the delay, so it didn't hurt to have her hesitate. I mean, what could I honestly expect? But then Olivia's head nodded against the pillows. And I could barely believe it.

I didn't waste a single second. Pulling myself closer to her, I slipped an arm over Olivia's waist and reveled in the feeling of...this. Of us together, in bed. I was one hell of a big spoon when I could get my shit together.

She was quiet, but I knew she wasn't asleep. Her breathing was still shallow, her body still responding to my closeness. I brushed my nose up the back of her ear, nudging it a little before muttering, "Thank you, Olivia."

"For what?" I heard her ask. Breathlessly, I might add.

"For letting me stay. For letting me hold you."

There was another long pause.

"It really means that much to you, doesn't it?" she whispered.

"It means everything to me, Liv. I love you. And I want this. I want us. And I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it for you to believe me."

Without thinking, I pressed a little kiss to the hollow beneath her ear—something I always used to do before bed. Always. Except as my work nights began to grow later and later, Liv wasn't often awake when I did it.

But our bodies remembered things like that—whether we were awake for it or not. And Olivia's body remembered me, remembered my kisses.

She whimpered a little at the feeling of my lips on her neck, and then she arched it for me, whether knowingly or not. Whether she had meant to give me more access to her bare skin or if her body simply remembered that was what I'd do—I'd kiss the length of her neck.

But I supposed it didn't matter why she did it. The fact was that she did. So I brushed my lips down further, and Olivia..Olivia responded.

The touches and kisses were innocent enough, but I could feel the goosebumps on her flesh. I could feel the sharp breath in. I could feel the vibrations from the moans that were so light they couldn't be heard.

And then came my name. And I definitely felt that. "Asher," she sighed.

And god, it took everything in me not to grab her chin and tilt her head so I could kiss my name from her mouth. But shit, I had to be good. And if she wanted me, she needed to take me herself. I'd played my cards; she needed to decide what to do with them.

However, even though I was trying to behave myself, there were simply some things that couldn't be avoided. Like the erection that had fully hardened when she'd moaned out my name. Honestly, there was no way to have avoided that.

But Liv felt it. Of course, she had.

She squirmed in my arms, pushing back into my cock, testing out the feeling of my arousal against her body. And I knew it was doing things to her the way it was doing things to me.

I fisted the sheet to try to keep my hands from taking control of the situation, wanting to let her continue....whatever the hell this torture was. But fuck, the exploration was killing me.

And then Olivia flipped around. Her eyes found me through the darkness—sunken but luminous all at once. And I realized that the torture had only just begun.

Her hands appeared on my chest. And then they dragged down it. When they reached the hem of my shirt, she slipped her fingertips beneath it. And then she ran them along the waistband of my sweatpants. And all the while, Olivia didn't look away. 

I held her gaze, not letting it go even as she drifted her fingers lower. Even as she slipped them inside my pants and lightly rubbed my tip, making my hips jerk involuntarily against her. Even when she drifted her hands back up, smoothing them beneath my shirt. Even when she began to trace the ridges of my abs and chest.

If this was a test, I was going to fucking fail.

"Olivia, what are you doing?" I managed to ask through a clenched jaw.

"I'm just...trying something," she said with a curve of her lips. And then she shoved my shoulder, making me fall on my back. Before I could react, Olivia was on top of me, straddling my hips. I stared at how she was sitting on me; her nightgown had risen, hitting the tops of her thighs, barely covering the space between her legs.

My gaze traveled up slowly, and I realized Olivia wasn't wearing a bra, her breasts barely contained in some silky, stringy black contraption. I mean, it was a nightgown. I knew it was a nightgown. But it was such a fucking tease.

When the hell had she gotten it? Or more importantly...who had she gotten it for?

Fuck, the thought that maybe she'd worn this for someone else in the past months made my toes curl. But I pushed it away, determined not to lose sight of this moment.

Not that it was so hard—not with the way she was grinding atop me. Her hair fell in loose, messy waves on her shoulders, her face flushed with a desire I recognized.

It was too much to handle.

"Let me touch you," I rasped.

"Not yet."

I groaned. Mostly because I needed to have her in my arms, beneath my hands. But also because Olivia was touching me. She'd pushed my sweatpants down, and now she was skimming her fingertips up my shaft.

Liv had been keeping her eyes downcast, watching my cock twitch beneath her touch. But at the same moment she wrapped me in her fist, her wild eyes flicked up to look at me.

I let out a harsh curse, throwing my head back. "Fuck, baby."

"Look at me, Asher."

God, her voice was husky and skin-tightening, and she didn't have to tell me twice.

I looked at her. She was gorgeous—and I would never take her for granted again.

Liv raised a brow. "You are being good."

"I'm trying," I said through gritted teeth even as she twisted her grip up my length. Letting her have the control wasn't usually my style. But for her, I was trying.

Olivia released me then, backing away. She slithered off, and for a horrifying moment, I thought that it was over. If she was out to get payback, walking away right now would sure do the trick.

But no. She stood at the end of the bed, pulling my pants over my ankles and dropping them onto the floor. Then she shimmied out of her underwear. The thong landed on top of my pants. Olivia crawled back over me, and I could barely hear a thing over my pounding heart. I'd honestly never thought I'd see this sight again.

Straddling me once more, Olivia demanded, "Take off your shirt, Asher."

I did—without hesitating.

"What about you?" I asked, trying not to sound too eager. Lord, I wanted her naked for me.

But Olivia only flashed me a dangerous look and ignored the request. Instead she raked her hands over my chest while sliding downward, letting her slit brush up against my aching erection.

I stopped breathing altogether. This—this test or whatever it was—it was going to kill me. I was sure of it now. Because then Olivia sank down, and my shaft rubbed between her wet lips. She began grinding, soaking me as she slid up and down my length. And all without letting me inside. She moaned softly, her eyes fluttering as she pleasured herself. As she pleasured both of us.

"Olivia," I groaned, my hands gripping the sheets so hard that I was certain my knuckles were turning white.

Her eyes were hazy as they met mine again. In a low voice, she said, "That's Mrs. Graham, to you."

Fuck, that was it.

I grabbed her around the waist and flipped us over, unable to handle the torture any longer. Olivia gasped as I trapped her beneath me, and I wanted so badly to catch that gasp in my mouth. But I didn't. I fucking needed her to be the one to kiss me.

"Let me touch you, Mrs. Graham," I repeated, murmuring the words in her ear as I flexed my hips, continuing to rub between her legs in a way that was making her pant.

She arched against me before breathing, "Touch me, Mr. Graham."

Growling into her neck, I kissed there, sucking her skin and tasting her with the tip of my tongue. And meanwhile, I gripped her hips, pushing that damn nightgown up and over them. I pushed it all the way up until I was cupping her bare breasts in my palm, teasing her nipples with my fingers.

Olivia gasped—again.

I pulled back, just barely. Just barely because I wanted to align myself with her entrance. I couldn't be good any longer: I couldn't wait any longer.

Pressing my forehead to hers, I breathed her name. It was all the talking I could manage. Her hand slid up, cupping my face. I nuzzled into her hold, appreciating the momentary tenderness.

"I'm trying, Liv," I said, looking down into her eyes.

Those eyes reflected everything that I felt.

"I know," she whispered. "But stop now."

"Stop?" I choked.

"Just stop trying. And love me."

She tilted her hips a little bit, and that was all I needed.

"I love you," I groaned as I sank into Olivia, burying into her heat and nearly coming on the spot. But I managed to hold myself together so that I could pull back and do it again.

"Asher," she cried, and I could hear everything at that moment.

It might take her longer to say it, and fuck, I deserved to wait, but Olivia had missed me like I missed her. She loved me like I loved her. She needed me like I needed her.

And honestly, that was enough.

Olivia wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down. And then she kissed me, her lips sliding over mine repeatedly, taking my breath away.

She took everything away. Because everything was nothing without her.

🤍