My mind made up, I grab my cardigan and head next door. No need to put on lingerie. I’m just going to talk. I ring the doorbell twice. No one answers. I ring it a third time. Still nothing.

  I step back to check if there’s light beneath the door. There is. I press my ear against it but don’t hear a sound.

  Maybe Asher’s not here. Maybe he left the lights on or they’re automated, but he’s not here. It’s Friday night, after all. Asher could still be at the office finishing work, or at the club. Or at a hotel sleeping with another woman, which for some reason makes me furious. How can he have sex with another woman just hours after he did it with me?

  I shake off the feeling and the idea. No need to jump to any conclusions. Look what happened last time. All I know is that Asher isn’t home, so I just have to come back tomorrow and tell him everything I need to then. Plain and simple.

  ~

  Not that simple.

  Now that I’m here standing in front of Asher, who’s wearing just a robe and looks like he just woke up, I can’t seem to find my words again.

  Instead, all I can think of is how good he looks with his hair uncombed. Some of the strands tumble over his forehead and I can’t help but want to brush them off with my fingers. I can’t help but stare at the hair on his chest, exposed between the flaps of his robe, and wonder if he’s wearing anything underneath it. Boxers? Briefs? Somehow, I can’t remember what he had on when we had sex. I can’t remember what his cock looks like either, which is weird because it was inside me. I’m pretty sure I saw it.

  I glance at Asher’s crotch.

  How can you have sex with a man and not remember what his cock looks like?

  “Violet?”

  I pull my gaze up to the level of his eyes and try not to blush. I try, but I fail when I see Asher grinning like he knows what I was just thinking.

  Damn it.

  “I…” I touch the side of my neck and clear my throat. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Good.”

  I fold my arms beneath my breasts and draw a deep breath.

  Focus, Violet.

  “I came by last night,” I tell him. “But you didn’t seem to be home.”

  Asher’s bushy eyebrows arch. “You did? Well, I hope no woman answered the door this time. Otherwise, I might have to call the police.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “No one answered.”

  He leans on the door frame. “By the way, I told Roxanne that you were my neighbor, so next time, she shouldn’t slam the door in your face.”

  He did?

  I put my hand on the nape of my neck. “You didn’t have to.”

  “No, I think I did. She was rude to you because she thought you were one of those women trying to get inside my apartment to steal my stuff.”

  My eyebrows furrow. “There are women like that?”

  “Yeah. You know, women who say they’ve left their panties behind but they really want to get a pair of my boxers as a souvenir.”

  So he wears boxers. That doesn’t mean he’s wearing a pair right now, though.

  “That’s creepy,” I say, trying to stick to the topic at hand.

  “Yeah. Also, once, there was this woman who bugged Roxanne to let her in so she could wait for me in my bed. In handcuffs.”

  Handcuffs? Is Asher into that? I wouldn’t put it past him. In fact, if I remember that week when he was bringing women home every night, it seemed like he was into everything. It sounded like it. Me? I’ve never experienced being tied up, but I can’t say I’m not curious. Too bad Asher and I will never get to try it.

  Whoa. Did I just think I wouldn’t mind having sex with Asher again?

  “Anyway, Roxanne has had some bad experiences with women showing up at my door so… that’s how she reacted. But she knows better now. She knows you’re not like those other women.”

  I’m not? For some reason, hearing that sends a thrill down my spine.

  “So you came to my apartment last night?” Asher asks me as he scratches the back of his head.

  “Yes,” I answer.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I was with my brothers.”

  “Really?” That didn’t even cross my mind.

  “Well, brother. I was with Ryker. Ethan couldn’t make it. Lately, he’s been… busy. But we’re supposed to have a thing every Friday night.”

  “Oh. That’s nice.”

  I thought they weren’t that close, since even though they work at the same company, in the same building, they barely seem to talk to each other unless they’re in a meeting. I didn’t think they saw each other during the weekends either. I just thought they’d be too tired and busy with their own personal lives. It’s nice to know I was wrong, that the bond between Asher and his brothers is still strong, just like what I caught a glimpse of back in Zurich. Of course, the fact that Ethan has been busy is unfortunate, but I guess it’s inevitable that would happen sometimes. And at least they do have a brotherly ritual.

  “Anyway, did you need something?” Asher asks. “Did you want something… from me?”

  His ebony eyes narrow. My breath catches.

  “Did you maybe forget to say something? Or do something?”

  I know I forgot to say something, but now I’m starting to think it’s more of the latter. There are things I could have seen, things I could have done, things Asher could have done to me. After all, as incredible as the sex was, it happened so fast. It started and ended so fast.

  It ended too soon.

  “Or maybe there’s something more you want from me?”

  More? Yes, I definitely want more. Yesterday wasn’t enough. It was sudden and rushed and in a conference room. Besides, I never said I was only going to have sex with Asher once. All I said was that it would just be sex. And it will still just be sex no matter how many times we do it.

  I want more.

  I clutch the front of Asher’s robe and push him back, crossing the threshold of his apartment. Then I lean forward to kiss him.

  He closes the door behind me and I find my back against it as his mouth crushes mine. Over and over.

  This part I remember. After all, we’ve already kissed three times before. Or is it four? All I know is that by now, I’ve memorized the shape of Asher’s lips and how firm yet soft and smooth they feel against mine. But that doesn’t mean I’ve grown bored with Asher’s kisses. Or that they no longer have any effect on me.

  As he sucks on my lower lip, I can feel the back of my legs tingle. His tongue brushes against mine and I shiver.

  Asher’s kisses still make me weak. I love them. All I’m saying is that I want to experience other things with Asher, too. Things I’ve never experienced before.

  I push off his robe and let my fingers travel over the chiseled, hardened muscles of his broad chest and his rigid abdomen. I can almost feel them getting giddy from mapping the amazing terrain. My fingertips brush against the soft curls in the middle of his chest and I follow where they lead, all the way down to the garter of his underwear.

  So he is wearing underwear. I try to find out what it is without looking, my fingers running over the cotton. They graze against a wet spot and Asher breaks the kiss to suck in a breath. I give him a mischievous grin as I press the palm of my hand against the front of his boxers—yes, I think they’re boxers. The bulge swells and a sound rumbles deep in Asher’s throat.

  See. This is something I didn’t get to try last time, which is a pity because I find it fun.

  I kiss Asher as I start to move my hand slowly. Even through the cotton, which seems to be getting damper, I can feel the heat from Asher’s cock. I can feel the shape of it. The thickness. I can feel it throb.

  I start to move my hand faster but Asher grabs my wrist. I open my mouth to complain but then I meet his gaze. His dark eyes look straight into mine, soft yet also intense. They command me to be silent and I purse my lips. He brushes his against them as he takes my other wrist.

  He leads me to the bedroom and pulls my shirt off my head. I suddenly wish I had worn a better bra. Asher doesn’t seem to mind this one, though. He plants a kiss on the valley between my breasts and then sucks my breast through my bra as he unbuttons my shorts and pushes them down. They fall to my feet and I step out of them.

  Asher pushes me down on the bed. As soon as my back hits the mattress, his mouth is on mine. I run my hands over his back and my fingers through his hair. His hands go over my shoulders, my arms, my sides, my hips, my thighs. Everywhere they touch, my skin comes alive.

  I’m coming to life. A while ago I was drowning in Asher’s kisses, and now I’m basking in the sun, in the warmth from his skillful hands.

  He reaches behind me to unhook my bra. I slip the straps off my arms. He takes one of my breasts in his mouth and I gasp. He sucks and I moan.

  He plays with both my nipples, one with his tongue and the other with his fingers. My arms fall at my sides as I tremble. My hands clutch the sheets. The ache between my legs grows.

  When it becomes too much to bear, I grab Asher’s wrist and put his hand there. He lifts his head and grins.

  “Impatient, aren’t we?”

  I reply by reaching for his crotch. I wrap my fingers around the bulge there, which seems to have grown bigger since the last time I checked. He grunts.

  I flash him a grin of my own. “So it seems.”

  Asher takes my hand and licks my palm. It tickles so I suck in a breath.

  “Don’t worry,” he tells me. “I’ll give you as much attention as you want.”

  He pulls my panties off and settles between my legs. The next thing I know, he’s parting my other pair of lips. His tongue slides in between.

  My hips jerk. A moan escapes my lips.

  He continues to lick me and I start to tremble. My nails dig into the mattress. Each time his tongue enters me, heat floods my belly and spreads through my veins. My mind gets lost in a haze.

  When his thumb presses against my nub, my hips jerk again. My moans spill into the air as the pleasure from both his tongue and his fingers drives me crazy. I fight it at first because I’m afraid it might be too much, but eventually all I can do is surrender. As soon as I do, waves of heat roll over my skin. I grab Asher’s hair and try to hold on as my body arches. My toes curl. My eyes roll to the back of my head.

  “Holy… fuck…”

  The curse slips past my lips just before I run out of breath, of speech, of thought. For a moment after, my mind drifts off. My body goes numb. Then the sound of a drawer opening jolts me back to reality.

  I turn my head to find Asher standing by the bed. He takes out a packet of condoms from the drawer, then pulls his cock out of his boxers. My eyes grow wide as I finally lay eyes on it. Just as I thought, it’s thick. And long. Massive. I feel a tinge of fear at the thought of that entering me, but at the same time I can’t help but feel excited.

  The place he teased tingles. I’m ready for more.

  I watch Asher as he slips the rubber sheath onto his cock. Even if I wanted to tear my gaze away, I couldn’t. I’m mesmerized.

  When Asher turns, our eyes meet. His lips curve into a grin.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  I respond by stretching my arms out to him eagerly. He just brought me to a cloud of pleasure and I’m still on it. I want him to join me there as well.

  He climbs back on the bed and kneels between my legs. Then he grabs a pillow which he slips beneath my butt to lift my hips. He grips my thighs and I brace myself for what’s to come.

  Like before, I feel a slight discomfort as his cock enters me, stretching me. But it fades. The more he fills me, the more excitement swirls in my veins. I feel like I’m on a roller coaster. Right now, the car is still climbing slowly up the rails, trudging along, but I know it will soon reach the top and then…

  I let out a cry as Asher gives a hard thrust that reaches deep inside me. And then everything just speeds up. I grip the edges of the pillow under me as I scream and gasp.

  “Oh God! Oh God! It’s so… good!”

  Asher pounds into me.

  “You like that?” he asks after a particularly hard thrust.

  I do, but it’s not enough.

  “More,” I tell him. “Faster.”

  He complies. The bed creaks. My head spins. My vision starts to blur.

  Asher grabs my ankles as his pace becomes erratic. Then he buries himself deep inside me in a final thrust. That thrust sends me over the edge, causing me to tremble as I push my hips against Asher, trying to take him even deeper. As deep as I can. My cries mingle with his grunts. Then we both fall silent as we gasp for air.

  It’s over.

  I let go of the pillow and lie still, too tired to move. When Asher pulls out, I just let my legs fall on the bed. After a few seconds, I pull the pillow out from under me and hug it to my chest as I lie on my side.

  Now what? Am I satisfied now? Is this enough?

  Something inside me tells me no. But what if it is enough for Asher? What if he tells me to leave his apartment?

  I’m about to sit up, but then I feel Asher’s arm around me. He’s lying behind me. His breath tickles my ear. His erection pokes my back.

  Erection?

  He brushes my hair aside and kisses the nape of my neck. Then he whispers in my ear.

  “I’ve got nothing else to do this morning. What about you?”

  I turn my head to meet his gaze. “Nothing.”

  He grasps my chin. “Then would you like to stay a little longer?”

  My lips curve into a grin. “Sure.”

  ~

  That sure was… incredible to say the least, I think as I wipe the cum off my chest in Asher’s bathroom. That’s the result of me asking him to do me raw, which was probably the best time we did it.

  I glance at my reflection in the mirror and smile.

  How many times did we do it? Three? Four? I can’t even remember how many orgasms I had. But I do know that I’ve just had the best sex of my life. And now I’m worried that it may never happen again.

  Is this it? Is this the end?

  I linger in the bathroom because I’m afraid to find out, but I can’t stay in here forever. Finally, I draw a deep breath and step out. I see Asher already in his robe and my heart sinks.

  I guess it really is over.

  “Water?” He offers me a bottle.

  I pick my panties off the floor. “I think I’ll get dressed first.”

  “Okay.”

  I gather the rest of my clothes and head back to the bathroom.

  “But before you do…”

  I stop in my tracks.

  “Have you been around Chicago since you came here? What have you seen?”

  I look over my shoulder. “Not much. Why?”

  He gives me a charming, boyish grin. “Would you like to go to the Navy Pier with me tonight?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Asher

  The Navy Pier—my favorite place in all of Chicago.

  I can still remember the first time I came here. That was at night, too. My mother had just been buried and I was grieving. I don’t know why. I didn’t even get to know her that well or spend much time with her. But I was lonely. One of the maids took pity on me and whisked me out of the house without my father knowing. She brought me here, thinking it would cheer me up. It did.

  And it still makes me smile.

  Maybe it’s simply because of the bright, colorful lights that are reflected on the water and illuminate the sky. They remind me of the Northern Lights I saw in Finland once. Maybe it’s because of the music, the sounds, the bustle—they’re all proof that life goes on. Maybe it’s because of the majestic view of the city. Or the serenity of the lake, undisturbed by all that’s going on. Or maybe it’s the happy faces of families and couples. At any rate, whenever I’m here, I seem to forget whatever it is I’m missing—a mother, a higher purpose, friends, love. It’s my happy place.

  I think Violet likes it, too. She seems to be taking in all the sights with the wide eyes of a child in awe. And she’s smiling, which brings a glow to her cheeks and coats her eyes with a gleam so that she looks stunning even in a simple cream-colored cardigan over a pink turtleneck and light denim pants.

  I should have known she’d look good in anything. After all, she looks good even in nothing.

  The image of Violet’s flushed, naked body on top of my bed revisits my mind. I banish it. For now, I want to soak in every second of my time with a clothed Violet.

  “Do you like the place?” I ask her just to be sure.

  She nods. “Yeah. From here, Chicago looks a bit like Zurich.”

  Does it? Now that I think about it, I realize she’s right. They’re both on a lake, after all.

  “So I guess your record stays perfect,” Violet says.

  “Record?”

  She looks at me. “Isn’t that why you brought me here? Because all the girls you brought here before liked it here?”

  So she still thinks I’m a man-whore? Ouch.

  Actually, I’ve never been here with a woman, apart from that maid. I usually bring my dates to hotel bars or restaurants. That way, I can bring them straight up to a room afterwards. Or halfway through.

  I guess I have been a man-whore.

  Still, Violet is the only woman I’ve brought out here to the Navy Pier. But I don’t tell her that.

  “You think I brought you here to impress you?” I shake my head. “Sorry, but I don’t do that.”

  She grins.

  “I brought you here because you’re going to buy me dinner,” I tell her.

  Her eyes grow wide. “What? Why would I do that?”

  “There’s a game here called the Atomic Rush. You go around the maze touching the lights in the color you’ve chosen. The more you touch, the more points you score. If you somehow get a higher score than me, I’ll treat you to dinner. Whatever you want. If my score is higher than yours, you buy me dinner.”

  “I see.” Violet touches her chin. “So this is a challenge, is it?”