I angled my body in a way that allowed me to face her. My movement gained her attention, and she watched with earnest as I leaned in toward her ear.

“Trust me,” I whispered, lightly sweeping a piece of loose hair over her shoulder.

She turned her head until there was barely two inches between us. Her breathing increased, bouncing off my lips as we remained close. I wish I could step into her head and sort through her thoughts. I needed to know what she was thinking. Her anxiety was palpable, and it slammed into me full force. I never wanted her to be nervous around me, and I’d work my ass off to prevent it.

“I do trust you,” she whispered, her gaze dropping momentarily to my lips.

Her gasp rang through the cab as my hand fell to the bare skin just above her knee. My eyes darted from hers to the driver, but he was focused entirely on the road, as if Ashlyn and I didn’t exist. My hand swept lightly up her leg, caressing her skin like it was delicate silk, and I wanted to treasure it like it was priceless. Her eyes trained on mine, locking me in with fierce need flashing within them. With a zealous sigh, her head fell back against the leather headrest, but she never broke my gaze. Slowly, and with a featherlike touch, I ran my fingertips over her thighs until I hit the edge of her dress. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her lips parted as she took an unsteady breath. It was the best fucking sight in the world. Her body was electric, needy, and alight. My fingertips edged under the red satin, and I glided it up her thighs.

“Do you want me to stop?” I asked in a voice laced with desire. I was so fucking close to her panties, to her pussy, and the throbbing in my pants indicated that my cock knew it too.

There was one question that held so many other questions within it. If she said no, I’d respect her decision, and that would be it. My hand would come out from under her dress and leave only a memory on her skin. I’d move back to the other side of the cab, then we’d go back to my apartment, say goodnight, and disappear into our own rooms. No would mean that we’d continue what we’d been sharing for the past five years. A friendship filled with flirting, sideways glances, and my obsession with wanting to grab her by the shoulders, kiss the fuck out of her, and tell her exactly what I wanted. I’d remain her friend, the brother of her best friend, and the guy who took her virginity, and she’d remain my not-so-secret temptation, the girl who was my ultimate sacrifice, the girl who ruined me the moment she pleaded with me to take all of her. I wasn’t a praying man, but I was praying to every god there was that she wouldn’t say no.

Her gaze dashed from mine to the cab driver, and it hit me. She wasn’t nervous about me, she was nervous about him. She wasn’t hesitating because of my actions, her hesitation was from not wanting to be seen. Calm cascaded through me, and my intentions roared to life. I leaned in until my mouth hovered over her ear, and I devoured the gasp that shot from her like a starving man.

“It’s just me and you, Ashy. Trust me.”

Her hand dropped to my forearm as the cab stopped at a set of lights. “Touch me,” she whispered.

Our heated stares locked, and my heart hammered in my chest as she moved my hand devastatingly slow along her thigh. With one slight movement, she encouraged me to go where I wanted, and she pushed my hand under her dress until it rested on her upper thigh.

Her head fell back, and she turned to look at me, allowing me to keep hold of her gaze. My fingertips grazed the edge of her silk panties, then she shifted in the seat and licked her lips. The glaze that was moving across her eyes, combined with her broken breathing, was the greatest kind of encouragement. My skin stabbed to life as Ashlyn dug her nails into my arm when I ran my finger over her panties and pressed down on her clit. Neither of us broke our gaze, which only increased the sheer need to make her completely lose control. I pushed aside the edge of her panties, and hissed as my finger ran through her wetness. One thing about Ashlyn was that I knew she’d always be ready for me, and that made me want to beat my chest and claim victory.

Her broken breathing switched into soft pants, and her hips shifted, pushing closer to my hand and fingers. I was desperate to witness every emotion that swept over her face: the need, the want, the desire, the lust, and the realization that this was exactly where she should be . . . with me. I needed to see it. The green eyes that held me captive from day one now begged me for relief, and the passing lights that washed through the cab allowed me to see the flush of heat that swept across her cheeks. She pulled her plump bottom lip between her teeth and slammed her eyes shut, as I slowly pushed a finger deep inside her.

All the inhibition and hesitation that consumed her body earlier, fled as she parted her legs, offering herself to me. I took her invitation without question. I added a second finger, and her gasp rang through the cab.

“Fuck,” she hissed, as I slowly moved my fingers in and out of her. Her grip on my arm intensified, and all sense of reason fled as I focused squarely on her face. Perfection certainly did exist, and it was in the form of a stunning blond, with eyes that destroyed me, a body that encouraged me, and a heart that owned me.

The slowing movements of the cab and the sound of the driver humming tugged me back to reality. It took every bit of strength I had as a man to remove my fingers when all I wanted was to see her lose control.

“You two are very quiet back there,” the cab driver announced.

His eyes hit the rearview mirror seconds after I ceased finger fucking Ashlyn in the back of his cab.

“Just relaxing, it’s been a big night,” I shot back, my gaze firmly locked on Ashlyn.

Her eyes widened as she realized what could have happened, but I saw a flicker of rebellion flash before me.

I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Her hand rested on my stomach, her head fell against my heart, and we were soon lost in a thick silence. Our driver continued his humming and swerving through the traffic as we made our way back to my apartment. With every minute that passed, the electricity between us strengthened. The soft movements of her hand over my stomach, the light kisses I lay on her forehead, and the barely heard sighs she’d make when she moved her legs, made me feel as alive as I did five years ago.

“You stopped,” she whispered and turned her head slightly. “I’d just like it noted, that was an asshole move. You don’t leave a woman hanging like that.”

“Like what?” I asked innocently, and received a slap on my stomach.

“Don’t be an asshole.” She laughed softly.

I pulled her in closer and dropped my mouth to her ear. “I’d love to finger fuck you until you come, but it won’t be in the back of a cab when we have an overeager driver who likes to chat. No one but me is seeing you come apart, Ashy. If I get to have you again, I am going to damn well enjoy every fucking second of it, and I want you to be as loud as you want as you come on my cock, mouth, and fingers.”

With a smirk, she spoke so low that I almost didn’t hear her. “Do you think we can get him to hurry up?”

The moment I opened my apartment door, tension spilled over. Our hands pawed at each other like we were feral animals desperate for our next meal, and our mouths frantically devoured each other, desperate to steal one another’s breath. After kicking the door shut, we were on the move. We stumbled into the coffee table and hit the couch before we came to a stop against the wall. Ashlyn’s hands ripped at my shirt, pulling it out of my pants, and her touch made my skin feel electric.

I dropped to my knees and my hands ran up her thighs, pushing the red satin over her hips. Her arousal was evident, engulfing, and teasing my senses. Knowing that she wanted this, that her body was as eager as mine, was the only encouragement I needed.