Calling Me: Calling Me Away Part 11

I collapsed on top of her, my head in her neck, my body pressing against her. I wanted to feel as much of my skin against hers as was possible. My heart pounded against my chest. I was sure she could feel it. I reached out and laced my fingers through hers, our arms outstretched.

I brushed my lips against her shoulder and was once again intoxicated by her scent. I worked my way to her mouth. "Am I crus.h.i.+ng you?" I asked between kisses.

"I don't know where I end and you begin," she said.

The idea warmed me. We were inextricably linked.

Worried about my weight, I rolled us over so I was on my back but still inside her. I wasn't sure if it was conscious, but her muscles continued to pulse around my c.o.c.k. I started to stiffen.

"You feel so good," I said, running my fingers up and down her back. "You're going to have me hard again if you're not careful."

She pushed herself up, her hands pressing into my chest, her arms squeezing her t.i.ts together. Jesus, all these years and I'd never realized how incredible her t.i.ts were. There was so much about her I was still to learn. I shoved one hand behind my head, content just to watch her for the rest of the day, as she lay naked on top of me. She smiled at me and started to tilt her hips, rocking back and forth in tiny movements, maybe thinking I wouldn't notice. I raised my eyebrows, silently asking what she was doing as her muscles gripped my d.i.c.k, pulling it deeper into her.

"I need to come again, baby, are you with me? I need you to come again." She seemed insatiable, and I was happy to spend however long it took quenching her thirst.

I grabbed hold of her hips, and pulled her roughly onto my hardened d.i.c.k. "I want to know what you like. I want to give you everything you need."

"I need you," she said. "Just you."

Words in bed had never been a particular turn on to me. Like most men, I concentrated on the visual stuff-a nice a.s.s, a good mouth. Everything about Ashleigh was a turn on. But her words, that she needed me, and the way she said them, as if my body were pulling them from her-it was the most powerful aphrodisiac I'd ever experienced.

She continued to look at me as she rocked back and slowly heated the blood in my veins. I'd never felt so relaxed and at the same time so ready to explode.

My eyes kept dropping to her t.i.ts bouncing with her movements. "You're a b.o.o.b man," she said as if she were taking note for later. I reached for them, grazing my thumbs over her hard nipples. Her head dropped back as she groaned.

"There's nothing about your body I don't wors.h.i.+p." I'd never felt so sure about anything. I'd missed just watching her, seeing every part of her.

She took one of my hands and moved it to where our bodies joined. I loved how she asked for what she wanted. I pressed lightly on her c.l.i.t and her words got more fervent. I savored every yes, every more, every oh, every there, every please. I wanted every one of her words. I knew what it was not to have them-I'd never take them for granted.

A sheen of sweat coated her as my fingers became wetter and wetter, and her movements became faster and sharper.

"Luke," she cried. I pulled her down, claiming her mouth and pus.h.i.+ng my tongue against hers as I held her hips and thrust up into her. I took over, unable to hold back any longer. She whimpered into my mouth for just a few seconds before I felt her spasm around me, and I poured myself into her.

She lay in my arms, panting and relaxed. I couldn't imagine being any happier than I was at that exact moment.

Ashleigh.

I woke so hot I thought I had a fever. As I opened my eyes, the brightness surprised me. I lay facing the window-my curtains were open. Realization crept up on me. Luke. I must have fallen asleep after . . . Oh, yes, the s.e.x. I could still feel the shadows of him between my legs and over my skin. Right now his arm was across my shoulder, his leg over mine as if he were trying to climb me, capture me. I grinned and cupped my hand over my mouth. No, no grinning. I had to figure out what this meant. It had all been so sudden. Well, maybe not sudden, but the timing was unexpected. He'd been resolute, decisive. His words replayed in my head.

There will never be anyone else for me but you.

I knew that was how I felt about him. But could it really be how he felt about me? I grinned to myself again. Maybe it could. He and Emma had been apart for months now, and as he'd told me, he had an opportunity to choose someone else and hadn't. Time had helped me as well. Luke was laid back enough that he wanted an easy life, but not so much so that he'd risk the bond Haven, he and I shared if he wasn't serious about me, about us. I was able to see that more clearly now.

I s.h.i.+fted under his limbs, needing to think when he wasn't touching me, when I couldn't smell him, us. Carefully, I slid out from his grasp and padded into the bathroom.

My hair stuck up as though it had regressed to the eighties. I took out a brush from the cabinet and began to take out the tangles.

There will never be anyone else for me but you.

My stomach flipped over. Was this it? Was this the beginning of Luke and me? It felt like it. I knew that if I ever lost him, it might just kill me. I had to get this right. Being apart from him had been so painful, I'd felt the loss of him so viscerally-I couldn't let it happen again. We needed to be cautious, not run before we could walk.

There was no way I was going to Haven's smelling of s.e.x. And anyway, he and I needed to talk before we went anywhere. It was almost midday and we were both expected for Sunday dinner, so I texted Haven and showered quickly, drying myself off and pulling on the jeans and s.h.i.+rt I'd had on before Luke had arrived.

Sleeping Luke was one of my favorite sights in the world. I had no idea how a body that big could look so completely relaxed and vulnerable. I sat next to him on the bed, close so I could feel his warmth against me, and began to turn on the alarm on my phone to wake him. He opened his eyes before I'd finished.

"Hey," I said.

He went from sleepy to wide-awake when he saw me.

"What?" He jerked upright. "Ashleigh, what's the matter?"

"Shhhh." I stroked his face, trying to smooth the panic away. This wasn't like the last time when I'd woken him and told him it wasn't our time.

He clasped his hands around my waist and pulled us both back onto the mattress.

"We do need to talk."

"I'm not letting you go, Ashleigh. You're not pus.h.i.+ng me away." His words were clipped.

"I don't want to." I swiveled in his arms, and he gave me some room to turn. As I faced him, I brought my fingers to his face, trying to rea.s.sure him. "I just think-"

"I don't want to hear any ifs or buts. This is it. We're together now. Nothing else makes sense."

I lifted my chin and pressed my lips to his. "I know."

"You do?" he asked.

I nodded. "I want this to work."

"It is going to work." I could hear the tightness in his throat.

"But-"

"I said no buts."

He was cute when he was argumentative.

"I want this to happen and you have to admit that it is complicated because of our history and what's at stake."

"But nothing we can't handle. We got this. You have to trust me."

I loved hearing his rea.s.surance, his certainty. Everything he was saying made me feel better and better, more and more relaxed. Maybe this would be okay.

"I do trust you. More than anyone. But can I make a suggestion that I think might be good for both of us?"

He let out a short burst of breath like a sulky toddler, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Just hear me out. I was thinking that maybe we should date."

He didn't respond, instead waiting for me to elaborate.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I don't understand what you're asking me. What do you mean 'date'?"

"I mean, I think we should go out to dinner and talk, and you can walk me home and maybe kiss me and then we can talk on the phone and flirt and do all those things that people do when they're dating."

"Okay." He eyed me suspiciously.

"So you agree?"

"I guess. Honestly, I think you're trying to say something, and you're handing it to me in a box marked 'let's date.' Can you just spit it out? What are you trying to say?"

Of course he was right, he knew me so well.

"I think that last time we did this thing where we kind of went from naught to sixty in three seconds. I think this time we should give ourselves a bit more time to adjust. I mean, I know we just-"

"Had mind-blowing s.e.x."

I giggled. "Yes, and I'm not trying to put the genie back in the lamp. I'm just saying let's give ourselves some time to get to know each other like this. As a couple." I ran my fingers up his arms, unable to resist. "Maybe we shouldn't spend every second together straight away. I don't want to put more pressure on this situation in the short term, because I want it to work in the long run. Let's take things slow."

"Okay, well thank you for translating Ashleigh language into something I can just about comprehend."

I kicked him in the calf and he grinned.

"So you want to date me?" he asked. He flipped me over onto my back and propped himself up above me before I had the chance to answer.

"Maybe."

"Well, I'm having dinner with my sister and her husband later. Wanna be my date?"

I grinned at him. "Maybe."

He dipped his head and trapped my bottom lip between his teeth and sucked. "I can live with us taking things slow. For now."

"Thank you." I kissed him lightly on his shoulder.

There would never be anyone else for me but Luke.

Read more of Luke and Ashleigh in Calling Me Home.

I Can't Make You Love Me Bonnie Raitt.

If You Ever Want To Be In Love James Bay Landslide Dixie Chicks.

Say You Love Me Jessie Ware To Make Her Love Me Rascal Flatts.

If I Knew Then Lady Antebellum You Are Everything Diana Ross Let's Wait Awhile Janet Jackson.

Here I Am Leona Lewis Knocks Me Off My Feet Stevie Wonder Where My Heart Belongs Gloriana Come Rain Or Come s.h.i.+ne Ray Charles.

I'm so thankful to you for reading about Luke and Ashleigh's story. It's difficult to explain what a gorgeous lift to my day it is when I get a message from someone telling me how they enjoyed one of my books. Every single interaction on social media and my website means the world to me.

I still have to pinch myself every now and then that people are actually buying and reading my books. It's a lesson to us all that some of our best dreams are the ones we don't plan. I heard Condoleezza Rice say how important it is in life to leave room for serendipity. I've never been good at doing that but dear readers, I'm learning and you've all proved to me that it's worth it thank you.

To all the bloggers, supporters, champions and cheerleaders that I'm lucky to have in my world thank you. I love the way you're all on a crusade of positivity. We need more of it in the world.

In a sense it feels wrong to single people out to thank because the smallest like, share, retweet means so much, but I can't leave the stage without just a few others standing to take a bow.

Elizabeth-I really don't have the words to thank you. You've taught me how to write (and induced various meltdowns about my writing) and I will be forever grateful. Thank you for being brutal. Here's to being dangerous.

Karen Booth, I just love you more the more I know you. You are so kind and generous and lovely and I'm lucky to have found you.

Jessica Hawkins, you are a rock star and a dear friend. Thank you for all your support and for lending me the wonderful Elizabeth.

Lauren Blakely-thank you for all your generosity and support. I love your spirit.

Jules Rapley Collins and Megan Fields. What can I say? You pair are the girls that keep my spirits lifted and make me laugh with your outrageous confessions. Thank you for letting me share your worlds. Thank you for ALL your support and encouragement.

Thanks to Jacquie Jax Denison, Lucy May, Lauren Hutton, Kingston Westmoreland, Lauren Luman, Mimi Perez Sanchez, Ashton Williams Shone, Tina Haynes Marshall, Susan Ann Whitaker, Sally-Ann Cole and Vicky Marsh. You are so good to me!

Twirly, thank you brain twin for inspiring the line "I've lost my funny." I hope I find it again at some point. PS Juno's "the business" because she's her mother's daughter.

The Complete Series.

An enemies-to-lovers romance that will leave you panting for more.

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but Haven Daniels doesn't agree. Jake Harrison's tall hard body, deliciously golden skin and obvious wealth must mean that what's on the inside isn't worth getting to know.

Haven Daniels needs to lighten up and let people in-and Jake thinks he's the perfect guy to make it happen. It doesn't hurt that she's movie star beautiful and has no idea.

Forced to work together, verbal sparring turns into s.e.xual chemistry but men like Jake are trouble and Haven has had enough trouble to last her a lifetime.

Will Haven give into the pa.s.sion and succ.u.mb to hotter-than-h.e.l.l Jake's charms? Can Jake break through Haven's tough exterior and reveal the s.e.xy, funny woman he knows lies beneath?

Praise for What the Lightning Sees.

"Louise Bay has done it again. If you loved The Empire Series, then you will love this new series from Louise Bay." Short and Sa.s.sy Book Blurbs "Louise's ability to create great characters, people that you'd really like to spend time with, is a hallmark of her writing. Get it, read it, fall in love with it. You will not be sorry!" s.m.u.t Book Junkie Reviews "I was seriously worried that she wouldn't be able to top the wonderful Ethan Scott but I should have known better her writing just keeps getting better and better." Scandalous Book Blogs "Louise Bay did it again! 5 Amazing Stars, because it simply couldn't be any better!!!" Mia's Point of View.

"I loved the banter between them, and that combined with the s.e.xual tension was enough to create the perfect build up to their inevitable explosion. FIVE stars!" Ramblings from this Chick "Just like her previous series, Louise Bay had me swooning and panting for another book-boyfriend in What the Lightning Sees." Book Freak "I have to say that I loved Louise's Empire State series, but I think that she outdid herself with What the Lighting Sees. Ms. Bay seems to get better with each book she writes! This book was steamy, funny, and heartfelt!" Give me Books "Five Stars! Bay just keeps getting better. Totally Hooked!" Books and Beyond Fifty Shades.

A series of three novellas.

Part One: A Week in New York.

Part Two: Autumn in London.

Part Three: New Year in Manhattan.