Never again...

Arabella's POV

His lips were fire against mine!

The moment he kissed me, the tension that had been coiling between us for so long snapped!

His hands found my waist,unleashing something raw…urgent, yet achingly tender. He pulled me flush against him, and I gasped into his mouth, my fingers tangling in his hair.

I could feel his heartbeat pounding just as wildly as mine. His kisses were hungry, as though he had been holding back for far too long.

His hands cupped my face and the way he kept kissing me,I was literally melting like water. My hands found their way to his chest.I tugged at the fabric of his shirt.His scent was like a mix of pine and something uniquely him. It filled my senses, making my head spin. I could taste the faint hint of mint on his tongue, and it only made me crave him more.

I had to remind myself that this was real. That he was real.The uncountable amount of times I had actually dreamt of this moment was unhealthy. But this was far better than any of my wet dreams. Far better than all of those fantasies I had about him, tucked in my subconscious mind. I hated him, didn't I? He hurt me! He hurt me bad.

But the way he was kissing me… I was ready to die for him all over again. Stupid girl!

“Damn it, Bella,” he murmured against my jaw,down to the sensitive spot on my neck where Moana’s nails had grazed me earlier. “I have missed you so damn much.You have no idea ,baby,” he kept murmuring against my neck. “Every damn day, Bella. Every damn second.”

My heart swelled so big at his words, and I tilted my head back, giving him better access. Why did I even believe him? He was definitely not trust worthy.He broke me in ways,it took me years to stop crying myself to bed.

“Ash,” I barely whispered as a shiver ran down my spine when his lips found the spot just below my ear, sending waves of heat through my body.The heat finally settled between my legs and could feel myself getting soaked. Absolutely soaked.

Damn! This was embarrassing. With his Alpha senses, he could definitely sniff my arousal. There was no more hiding how down bad I was for him. Even after everything! Damn it girl!

His hands slid up my back as a smirk played on his face. His lips came crashing against mine once again,filled with everything we had never said.

I was drowning in him…in the way he held me, the way he kissed me like he had been starving for this moment just as much as I had.

I let out an involuntary moan just as his hands gripped my waist ,sliding under my shirt, lifting me onto the edge of his desk.

Right then, a loud bang shattered the moment.

“Asher!”

We jerked apart, breathless, as the office door swung open with force.

Beta Caleb stood there,his piercing gaze locking onto us.

Usually a Beta would never address an Alpha by his first name but Caleb and Asher's case was different. Caleb was Asher's half brother from his mother's previous marriage. He was older than Asher as well.

Caleb's face was thunderous!His jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

“What the hell is going on here?”His glare flicked between us, his lips pressing into a hard line as he took in the scene.

Our swollen lips…my flushed cheeks…Asher’s disheveled appearance…the way his body was still angled against mine.

I swallowed hard, my mind struggling to catch up, but Asher was quicker.

His expression darkened, his Alpha dominance settling over him like a storm cloud. “Watch your tone, Caleb,” his voice was a growl. “You do not barge in here without permission.”

But Caleb did not back down. “Permission?” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Are you serious right now, Ash? You know damn well why I am here.” His gaze flicked to me. It was sharp but unreadable. “Arabella is the last person you should bu…

“Enough.” Asher’s voice echoed around the room.His eyes flashed with something lethal. “Say another word, and you will regret it.”

My pulse pounded in my ears as I watched Caleb’s expression shift.I slid off the desk, straightening my dress and trying to ignore the way my skin still burned from Asher’s touch. “Maybe I should go,” I murmured. Embarrassingly,my voice was not as steady as I wanted it to be.

Asher’s grabbed on my wrist…stopping me. “You are not going anywhere,” he growled and I immediately obeyed.

Caleb exhaled. He slowly ran a hand through his hair, before his eyes locked onto Asher’s. “You need to think about this, Ash. Really think about it.” His voice dropped lower! “Because if you keep going down this road with her again, it is not just your heart at stake. It is everything.”

His words sent a chill through me, but before I could ask what he meant, he turned on his heel and stormed out, leaving the door wide open behind him.

Asher let out a curse under his breath, his grip tightening slightly before he finally let me go. His eyes met mine, conflicted, burning with something I could not quite understand.

I swallowed. “Ash… what was that about?”

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before exhaling. “It is complicated.”

His voice was softer now, but there was an edge to it. “But don’t worry, Bella.” His fingers traced a feather light touch against my cheek. “I am not letting you go. Never again in this life.”