Page 71 of Ash

“Wow, Mr Rominov, you and Gracie need to get a room!” Marcie winked at him.

“Later,” he told her and winked back. “And you should call me Ash. That goes for you too, Claire,” he said with a genuine smile.

I had to give it to him; he was trying hard to put Claire at ease.

She pursed her lips.

“Well, Ash,” she said, “I was about to open a bottle of wine, and we were actually planning to order some pizza for dinner. Would you both like to join us?”

She was looking at him in that assessing way again, and I could tell that the answer to that question was a make-or-break for her.

“I certainly would love to if that suits Gracie?” he replied without hesitation, looking at me for my agreement.

“Absolutely,” I said, grinning up at him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the first hint of a smile from the ice queen. I was filled with hope. It looked like Ash might just be able to thaw her out after all.

We ordered some pizzas and sides from the local takeaway to share between us, and Marcie poured the wine as they told us all about their spa trip.

We had a good evening eating and drinking, getting tipsy and laughing at Marcie’s stories about the hunky masseur and the male yoga teacher that she said Claire was so into, but Claire totally denied it.

Around 10 p.m., Ash got a call from Miki. He excused himself and went outside to take it. As soon as he was gone, Claire rounded on me.

“Spill it!” she said firmly, “All of it!”

So, I did! I told them a condensed version of pretty much everything, only leaving out the Bratva involvement and the larger situation with the Malia Boys and Broxy’s.

“Wow! You are one badass chick!” Marcie squealed in awe. “I can’t believe you took on those guys and rescued Ash!

“Me neither!” Claire said, looking at me with a newfound respect.

“At last, my little cousin is coming into her own!” she hugged me and looked proud.

“I’ve been watching you both together, and it is obvious your feelings are genuine, but there is one thing bothering me,” she told me seriously before continuing, “I’m a defence lawyer, sweetie; I’m around guys who skirt the law every day, and I can tell them a mile away, and Ash is one of them.”

“I know,” I replied, looking her directly in the eye. “He has told me, but I know that he’ll never hurt me, and I am okay with that,” I said, ensuring that I sounded it.

She pursed her lips, and her gaze was assessing again. I met her eyes squarely, and after a few seconds, she sighed.

“Well, as long as you know what you are getting yourself into,” she stated, pulling me into a hug. “But if he does hurt you or gets you hurt in any way at all, he will have me to deal with!”

She lifted her glass, “Cheers to the new and improved Gracie and her sexy boyfriend, Ash!”

We all clinked our glasses, and just like that, Ash and I were accepted.

“Yes!” my inner devil shouted.

When the man in question returned, we said our goodnights and headed to bed.

I was blissfully happy and couldn’t stop smiling.

As soon as we were inside my room, he pulled me close. His lips brushed feather-light kisses on my forehead, nose, mouth, cheeks, and chin. I smiled up at the handsome man bestowing them on me. I loved these little kisses, but I needed more. So much more!

I pressed my body against him, desperately wanting to be closer. I felt the rigid length of his cock. Hmmm. I grinned wickedly and reached down and wrapped my hand around it. He responded with a groan, and soon, the feather-like kisses became more and more frantic as our excitement built. I stroked him up and down a few times through his trousers.

It wasn’t enough for me, though. I needed to feel Ash. Quickly, I unzipped his trousers and took him in hand. I loved how hard he was. It made me feel so powerful to know that this magnificent male was filled with desire for me. I stroked him a few more times while we kissed before I bent down and licked at the precum on the tip. I lapped at him, enjoying his taste. I moaned around him, and it was obviously more than he could take because a few minutes later, he pushed me down onto the bed, climbed over me and proceeded to remind me that it wasn’t just the taste of his cock I liked.

CHAPTER 30