Page 290 of House Ignis

He stepped forward, grabbing my thigh and hoisting me up against his hip, pinning me between his body and the dresser.

"Gods, you look fucking delectable in this, darling," he murmured against my lips, his voice a jagged rasp.

"Even better to wait," I whispered back, mirroring his dark intensity.

He smiled then—not the lazy grin from before, but a look that promised a beautiful kind of ruin. It was a game now, and he looked every bit like the god of ruin himself, ready to play.

•••

Asher dressed after me, keeping up a constant, low-voiced litany of begging for me to reconsider.

Between pulling on his Umbra clothes, he pressed me against the wall, whispering all the ways he wanted me to reconsider, while I simply said no

His frustrated whines only made my victory more pleasurable, even as that damn crown continued to loop through my mind like a recurring fever dream.

We walked toward the practice fields together, his hand possessively locked in mine.

He was wearing his Umbra vest and black shorts that put his powerful, muscular legs on full display with every stride.

I couldn’t help but gaze at him; his hair was slicked back with water, save for a few rogue curls that had already escaped to fall over his forehead.

With his jaw dark with stubble—my favorite part—and his olive skin and ink shining on his arms, I found myself seriously reconsidering my decision to make him wait.

He caught me staring, a wicked glint in his silver eyes.

“I swear, firecracker, I would fuck you right here in front of my whole team,” he said, smiling down at me with absolutely zero shame.

My eyes widened at the sheer audacity of the claim.

“Ava!” Maddy’s voice squealed from across the grass.

She was already in her blue and silver cheer uniform, sprinting toward us with a frantic energy.

She skidded to a halt, her eyes darting to Asher.

“I’m glad you’re back,” she said breathlessly.

Asher gave her a polite nod and a small smile.

“I’ll be there in a sec!” Maddy added, quickly turning toward Ryven, who was sitting alone on the bench.

My eyebrows furrowed as I watched her. “Is he still being benched?” I asked, leaning back into Asher as his hands found my waist, pulling me flush against his heat.

Asher looked toward the bench, his jaw flexing rhythmically. “No. He just didn't want to play today.”

Worry ran straight through me, cold and sharp. Asher felt the spike in the bond immediately and looked down at me, his expression softening. “Don’t worry. I’ve got him, okay?”

I nodded, trusting him even if the unease didn't fully fade. He leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to my temple.

“Now, go jump around and show me some moves, princess,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes, gave him a quick, searing kiss to leave him wanting more, and started walking toward the squad.

I didn't get five steps before he reached out, slapped my ass with a resounding crack, and winked at me before jogging off toward the center of the field.

I jogged toward the girls, who all beamed at me the moment I reached the grass. Zaria, with her signature pigtails, didn't hesitate to pull me into a tight hug.

"It’s so good to see you happy again," she said, pulling back to search my face with a grin.