Touch Wood (The Ash Brothers) Read online

  I love him.

  Those words played through my head over and over again, a broken record I didn’t want to fix. But the longer he stood there, not saying anything, the more I felt like I’d messed up in coming there. I’d crossed that imaginary line I hadn’t wanted to touch.

  “Maybe this was a bad idea,” I said out loud, not meaning to. I knew my eyes were wide, my face probably red. It felt hot as hell. I was embarrassed for just showing up. “Sorry,” I muttered and turned to leave, but before I could take one step Liam had his hand wrapped gently around my wrist. I looked at where he held me then lifted my gaze to his face. The expression he wore seemed so...fierce.

  “You came here to see me, but I was on my way out to see you.”

  My heart jumped in my throat and I swallowed. “You were coming to see me?” I knew my voice was low, maybe too low for him to actually hear me.

  “Yeah.” His voice was so harsh, so gravelly that it felt like fingers skating along my skin.

  “What did you want to see me about?” I was afraid to even ask that, but I needed to know. I felt the way he moved his thumb along my wrist, gentle sweeping motions with just the barest amount of pressure added.

  “If I tell you I’m afraid you’ll run.”

  My throat tightened, my mouth dried.

  “I won’t run,” I said softly, hoping what he was going to say was what I came here to tell him.

  I faced him fully, but he still kept his hand on my wrist. And I liked that. I wanted it there always. I needed his hands on me, holding me, his lips on my skin, his breath covering my lips.

  “From the moment you came into town, all sass and mouth, I knew you were the one for me.”

  Could he hear how hard and fast my heart was beating? Could he see it thumping hard beneath my ear?

  “I’ve never met a woman like you before, Andra, and I want to keep it that way. Before you there was nothing real, nothing that meant more to me than myself, than my family business. But you are everything I want, everything I crave. I want to keep that forever. I want to keep you forever as mine.” He took a step closer and cupped my cheek. I felt myself lean into his touch. “I love you, and I don’t care that we haven’t known each other for that long. I don’t care if this is moving so fast it’s giving us fucking whiplash.”

  I laughed softly, feeling elation fill me. It was what I wanted, what I’d always wanted.

  “This is when you say I’m fucking crazy and hightail it out of here.”

  I was already shaking my head before he even finished. “I’m not going to run. I want you in my life. I want you as mine, Liam Ash.” I grinned and squealed when he pulled me into an embrace. He wrapped his muscular arms around my body and held me tight. It was perfection.

  Absolute perfection.

  Liam

  I pulled Andra closer to me, heard her gentle, even breathing, and knew she was still asleep. The scent of her made me drunk, and I inhaled deeply, taking it into the very depths of me, to a place where I could keep it forever. I was never a soft man, never one to romance a woman. But there was something about Andra that called to an untouched, untapped part of me. As soon as I saw her, I’d known she was mine, that I couldn’t let her go. That fire inside of her was too tempting to play with.

  And I’d wanted to get burned, but only by her.

  I stared at the ceiling, knowing I was one lucky bastard. She stirred slightly beside me, but stayed asleep. I pulled her impossibly closer, the warmth of her naked body against mine calming me. I’d never seen myself settling down, not because I didn’t want that, but because I didn’t think it was in the stars for me. I always thought my passion lay with Ash Lumber, but then this fiery redhead had stepped into my life and turned me upside down.

  She changed something in me, awoke it. I looked over at her and lifted my hand to brush a strand of her long red hair away from her cheek. Her skin was smooth, the color of alabaster. She was like fine bone china, and when she opened her eyes and looked at me, I was swept into the emerald color.

  I leaned down and kissed her forehead, inhaling deeply, my lips still touching her skin. She smelled sweet, but there was a mixture of my scent in there as well. I almost growled in approval.

  I knew what I was feeling, what I would always feel for this woman.

  Love.

  I truly, utterly, unconditionally loved her. This wasn’t just a fling for me, wasn’t a passing moment. I wanted her in my life, by my side.

  I didn’t care if we hadn’t known each other for that long. I didn’t care if to others this seemed insane, implausible. I knew what I felt. I knew I wanted. And that was Andra...all of her.

  “I love you,” I whispered, knowing she wouldn’t hear me. That was okay though. I had all the time in the world to tell her. But she stirred again and her eyes fluttered open, those big green irises stealing my heart. Seconds we just stared at each other, the moment changing, shifting. I felt it in my soul.

  “What did you say?” she asked softy, but I could tell in her voice that she had heard me, that she knew what I said.

  “I love you,” I said without hesitation. There was no doubt in my mind. I sat up and she did the same, neither speaking, but the air becoming thicker with the seriousness.

  “You love me?” she said softly, her eyes wide.

  “I do. I fucking love you.” I cupped her cheek and leaned in to kiss her soundly on the lips. “I know you don’t love me, but I’m a patient man, Andra.” I pulled back, my hand still on her cheek. “And I won’t let you go. I need you in my life.” And then she smiled at me and all but threw herself in my arms.

  “I love you,” she said, her mouth by my neck.

  Fuck, it was like I’d won the damn lottery. I pulled her on my lap and shifted so I was leaning against the headboard. Then I just held her, reveling in the fact I was one lucky bastard.

  Epilogue

  Andra

  One year later

  So much had changed over the last year that it was amazing I was still in one piece. Since moving to Rockbridge and being with Liam, my life had been turned upside down and inside out. But it was perfect, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  This certainly was different from the city life, where every day meshed with the next, where I couldn’t see up from down, and wondered if the rut I was in was permanent. But it hadn’t been me. It had been everything else. I realized that after moving to this little lumber town and meeting Liam.

  I realized that when I fell in love with him.

  It wasn’t long after we’d told each other how we felt that night I’d shown up at his place that I moved in. Maybe that had been rushing into things, but for us it just made sense. There was no point in living apart when we knew what we wanted, and that was each other in our lives forever.

  I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as I watched Noah and Johnny with their wives. They were protective, possessive even. But then again, so was Liam. It must be an Ash brother thing. And I knew I liked it, so there was no way Flora and Mia didn’t as well. I could see it on their faces, and the way they looked at their men, their smiles that seemed to light up the room when they were together.

  I also couldn’t help but smile at Flora and Johnny’s little girl. Aishling was a spitting image of her father. I could see the protectiveness on Johnny’s face as he looked at the two women he loved the most.

  We’d finished dinner an hour before and had just been sitting around talking about nothing in particular. But these were the times I cherished the most, when I truly felt like I was part of the family, that I had people in my life who cared about me.

  It was only when everyone left that I relaxed against the couch and looked over at Liam. He was already watching me, a smile on his face. He’d started a fire before everyone had come over, and although it wasn’t particularly cold outside, the ambienc
e seemed to make everything even more perfect.

  “I’m surprised Mia isn’t knocked up yet.”

  I laughed softly. “Maybe they don’t want kids,” I said absentmindedly.

  “They do. Noah was saying how they were talking about it. I’m just surprised there hasn’t been a surprise baby yet. Hell, Noah can’t keep his hands off her.”

  I laughed and shook my head.

  “And did you see how possessive Johnny was of Flora?” Liam was grinning from ear to ear, and I knew exactly what he was thinking before he said the words. “But then again I’m insatiable when it comes to you.”

  Before I could say anything, Liam was up and striding toward me. He helped me off the couch, but immediately sat down and pulled me on top of him. Both of my legs were draped over his, his arm wrapped around my waist, his hand running small circles around my exposed skin where my shirt was pushed up.

  He grew somber and I straightened, cupping his face and leaning in to kiss him.

  “How about I get us a couple of drinks?”

  He gave me a grin and winked, and my heart fluttered. I got up and he gave me a swat on the butt. I looked over my shoulder and smiled, winking at him this time. His deep, hearty chuckle had my belly doing flips. I went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, bent over and searched for those beers I knew we had.

  When I saw them I reached in for them, but strong hands on my hips had me stilling. Liam curled his fingers into my flesh and I closed my eyes, moaning. Even after all this time, his touch had butterflies forming in my belly, had my heart racing. I was already soaked for him, and all he had to do was touch me.

  He didn’t say anything, but he stepped up behind me, placing his stiff dick right against my bottom. I breathed out slowly, wanting him desperately. Liam wasn’t lying when he said he was insatiable for me. But then again, so was I for him.

  Before I knew it was happening...well, that was a lie. I knew it was going to happen. I’d hoped it would.

  He reached around and unbuttoned my pants, pulling the zipper down. He pushed the denim down my bottom, bringing my panties along with them. When my pants and underwear were pooled around my ankles, he helped me get a foot out, then spread my thighs.

  I curled my hand around the edge of the fridge and my other one around the top of the door. And then I felt his warm breath skate along my exposed pussy. His mouth was on me a second later, his tongue pushing through my folds, finding my clit and sucking it into his mouth.

  I knew I wouldn’t last, especially when I felt him push two thick fingers inside of me. He started fucking me with those digits, his mouth no longer on me, but the pleasure still so intense. I was breathing hard, the cold temperature from the fridge doing nothing to help ease the burning heat that coursed through me.

  “Come for me,” he said in his deep, gravelly voice. And just like that, because all he had to do was tell me to and I exploded like a firecracker, I got off for him.

  I cried out low, the pleasure washing through me, claiming me. It went on for seemingly ever, and all the while Liam still had his fingers inside of me, pushing them in and out, driving me higher and faster.

  When my pleasure started to dim and I sagged against the open door of the fridge, he wrapped his arm around my middle and pulled me up. He turned me around and hugged me, his strong, big arms wrapped around me, keeping me warm, making me feel safe.

  I rested my head on his chest and listened to the beat of his heart. My pants were still pushed down, and I could feel his hard cock digging into my belly. He still wore his jeans, and just as I was about to sink to my knees and reciprocate the act, he had his hands on my face, keeping me still. We stared into each other’s eyes and I could see something was weighing heavily on him. I lifted my hand and cupped his scruff-covered cheek, the hair beneath my palm surprisingly soft.

  “What are you thinking about?” I asked softly.

  He leaned down and kissed me and all I could taste was my flavor on his tongue, sweet yet musky. When he pulled back and took a step away from me, I started to feel like something might be wrong. He looked at me in a strange way, a way that had my belly doing flips.

  And then he dropped to one knee in front of me. I was frozen in place, my heart beating so hard it was actually painful. He reached behind him, and when he held out his hand, I saw what he held...a small black velvet box. My heart jumped into my throat and I covered my mouth with my hand, knowing my eyes must be as wide as saucers. I looked between him and the little box over and over again, not sure what to say or how to react. When he opened the lid and showed me the solitaire diamond ring inside, I actually had to reach out and brace a hand on the fridge behind me to steady myself.

  “Andra Elizabeth, I knew from the moment I saw you that there would be nobody else for me. That first look, that first touch, that first taste... I knew that you were meant to be mine and I couldn’t let you go.” He smiled, and I saw how nervous he was. “Your smart ass mouth turned me on like no other.”

  I chuckled.

  I was on the verge of crying, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes.

  “I wanted to make this romantic, wanted to make this special—”

  “It is special, Liam.” It was. I didn’t need roses or chocolate, classical music playing in the background or dimmed lights. I just needed him.

  He smiled and it was sweet, gentle. “Andra Elizabeth, will you marry me?”

  I nodded, my voice not working. Tears tracked down my cheeks, and this watery laugh came out of me. “Yes,” I said, finally finding my voice. “Yes, I will marry you.” Liam was off the floor and had me in his arms a second later. I didn’t care that I still had my pants down by my feet. That actually made me laugh.

  “Wait until the guys hear about this. They probably thought it would never happen,” he said against my neck and I closed my eyes and laughed again. He squeezed me tighter. “Fuck, you make me so happy. I love you.” He pulled back and cupped my face, leaned down and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and before I could react he had me up in his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he started striding out of the kitchen toward the bedroom.

  “I guess it’s time to celebrate, huh?”

  “Damn right,” he said and kissed me once more. “We’ll be doing a lot of celebrating, baby.”

  Good. That sounded like heaven to me.

  Who knew a city girl like me would actually get her happily ever after with a lumberjack?

  * * * * *

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to give acknowledgments to Carina, and especially my editor Kerri. This whole journey with them has been incredible.

  About the Author

  Jenika Snow is a USA TODAY bestselling author of erotic romance. She lives in the northeast and enjoys gloomy weather, as it’s the perfect time for writing. She can be found at the following sites:

  Web: www.JenikaSnow.com

  Facebook: www.Facebook.com/JenikaSnow

  Instagram www.Instagram.com/JenikaSnow

  Twitter: www.Twitter.com/JenikaSnow

  Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2dkihXD

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