If Only (The Willowbrook Series Book 1) by Ashlyn Mathews Read Free Book Online Page A

“Right?”
    “Yes.”
    “And will you?”
    “Will I what?”
    “Forget me? Forget I was your first?” he asked.
    “Never.” Her ponytail swung as she shook her head.
    He clenched his hands at his sides. “A year, Asa. Do you realize how much I’ve missed you?”
    Suddenly, he stilled and time stopped as she soaked in his words, like they were rays of sunshine after days of endless rain. He had missed her. Rhys Miles had missed her.
    “Shit!” He turned and snatching his jacket off the coatrack by the door, he stormed out of the house for the second time today.
    But unlike the first instance, she wasn’t willing to stay behind to pick up the shattered pieces. Tugging on her boots before she grabbed her own jacket off the arm of the couch, Asa hurried after him. She wouldn’t be like her father any longer, satisfied to keep his emotions in check and a smile on his face while her mother slept with other men.
     
     

Chapter Five
    Asa flung open the workshop’s doors and marched inside. “You can’t leave every time your emotions surface, Rhys.”
    The workshop was sweltering, the heat cranked up to God-knew what temperature. Perspiration trickled down the side of his face, reminding her of another time when he’d sweated in a warm room. Her irritation disappeared, replaced by lust.
    “Look at me like that some more and I won’t be able to stop myself from taking you right here and now.”
    Her panties dampened while her nipples hardened. For the life of her, she couldn’t utter a feisty comeback. All she could do was lick her dry lips. He groaned, his gaze darting to her mouth.
    “Please—” She bit her lower lip.
    He stalked forward until they were toe to toe.
    “Please, what?” His voice came out husky, sexy, just like the way it had sounded a year ago the night he had said her name right before he gently pushed inside her and took her virginity.
    “Oh, God, Rhys.”
    She wanted to throw herself into his arms, to beg him to make love to her until the pressure deep inside disappeared. Instead, she ran a shaky hand over her eyes.
    “Turn off the heat. You’re gonna burn the place down.”
    He laughed, and the sound washed over her in waves. “Is that all you want?”
    He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. Asa closed her eyes. Soft lips. The flick of his tongue. She shivered.
    “Put your arms around me.”
    She wound her arms around his neck. Betrayed by her body, her mind weakened until thoughts of forgiveness, forgetting, and moving on disappeared in her haze of longing. Darn her for falling, and shame on him for not doing this sooner. Arching, she groaned as he dropped kisses on her cheek, jaw line, and neck.
    His mouth felt too good, his touch even better as he cupped her ass to bring her closer. When he smoothed his palms over her backside, causing her panties to dampen more, she yanked him down for a deep kiss.
    “Asa.”
    A low growl rumbled in his throat. Just like that night, he wanted her . . . wanted her to say yes to him. She could tell by the underlying question in his voice. That night . Be vulnerable again and she was afraid he’d have his way with her, only to leave and not return to Willowbrook.
    She extracted herself out of his hold, her uncertainty overriding her need to have him inside her again. “We can’t. If we sleep together, it wouldn’t be for the right reasons.” She shrugged. “Call me old-fashioned, but I want love with my sex.”
    A guarded expression slipped over his face. Leaning back against the wall of the workshop, he crossed his arms over his chest and studied her. “Jo had interesting things to say about you the last time I was here.”
    “Ditto for you,” she said, and blew at a stray strand of hair that had come loose out of her ponytail.
    If he could easily dismiss what had just happened between them, she could too. Bringing her hand to her face, she pretended to nonchalantly study her fingernails. Dammit! There was dirt embedded in her nails.