Connor took his cue from her, fitting his body against hers and pressing kisses to her exposed throat. She shivered. The feeling of his stubble scratching against her skin made her feel even more sensitive to the warmth of his mouth. “You’ve got me,” he assured, pulling back only so that he could push his pants off.
He paused, smoothing his hands up Ashley’s legs. “I want you to be wearing fewer clothes,” he told her, grinning. It was good to see him playful and confident again. Ashley made no objections as he reached for the buttons on her jeans.
He didn’t hurry over taking them off. Instead, he nipped at every exposed inch of Ashley’s stomach, sliding the material away from her until only her panties remained.
Once upon a time Ashley might’ve felt exposed like this, but now she didn’t. She trusted Connor so fully, knew that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. With him having pulled back, Ashley could drink in how truly beautiful and sexy he was. The curve of his shoulders, the smoothness of his stomach - she loved being able to just reach out and touch him. As a reward, Ashley saw a shiver run over Connor’s skin. A shiver her touch put there.
“Kiss me again,” she told him, smiling up at Connor. He didn’t hesitate, his lips pressing against hers almost straight away. Moving her legs, Ashley let him slot between them, only the material of their underwear between them. She rocked her hips up, swallowing the moan that escaped Connor at the contact.
Heat built between them slowly as they rocked together, until Ashley felt sure they’d set each other on fire if they didn’t do something. One of Connor’s hands cupped her ass, lifting her hips so he could grind against her. “Fuck,” he groaned, nipping at Ashley’s lower lip before he licked into her mouth.
Connor didn’t pull away from the kiss to undress her. Instead, he slipped his hand under the material of her panties. His fingers felt so good against Ashley’s sensitive skin. It was hard to tell which of them moaned louder when he stroked gently through the wetness that had gathered.
It wasn’t enough. Ashley wanted more, she wanted to feel Connor. Her hands pushed at his boxers, until he pulled his hand back so he could take them off. “And mine,” she insisted lifting her hips. The way that made Connor laugh was very rewarding. Ashley liked that they could do this. That it didn’t have to be all serious and sexy. It could be fun and sexy.
She lifted her hips more to help Connor remove her underwear once he’d disposed of his own. This time when he resettled on top of her, there was no material between them. Ashley could feel the heat rolling off of him.
“Show me? Show me how much you’ve missed me?” She asked, a soft moan falling from her lips even at the thought .
Connor pressed his body to hers, letting Ashley feel him everywhere . His hand moved between them, touching her so carefully as he made sure she was ready. “I did,” he breathed, pressing his cock against her. “I missed you so much.” He pushed forward, filling her. Ashley heard his breath catch in his throat.
He didn’t stop until he was inside her completely, no space left between them. It was just what Ashley wanted. She tipped her head back as Connor’s hips slowly rocked out and in once more. His thrusts were slow, but so strong , like he needed Ashley more than he needed air.
Ashley could feel the way her heart was beating against her chest. Or maybe it was the way Connor’s heart was beating. He felt perfect against her and inside her. With a hand against the back of Connor’s head, Ashley ran her fingers through his hair gently. “You feel great,” she murmured before pulling him down for a kiss.
With Connor still moving slowly in and out of her, Ashley gave a string of soft moans, all of which were swallowed up by Connor’s mouth. She wrapped her legs around Connor’s waist as if to pull him in even closer. It encouraged Connor to start moving faster, sending thrills of pleasure through Ashley’s body.
“Ah, yes, just like that,” she moaned softly.
With their bodies so entwined, Connor’s thrusts rocked Ashley against the bed. The two of them moved in harmony. As he increased the pace, Connor buried his face against Ashley’s neck, crying out against her skin every time he pressed into her. She could feel his muscles flexing and releasing under her hands as she stroked over his back and ass.
“Ashley,” he groaned softly, “you’re perfect .” One hand hitched Ashley’s thigh even higher. The change of angle let him press deeper inside her. She could hear the noise he made as he tried not to buck his hips too hard.
Maybe under different circumstances, Ashley would’ve questioned how truly perfect she was. Or even pointed out that she wasn’t. Right now, with Connor’s body hard against her? Ashley was willing to just accept that. Especially when Connor’s movement made her cry out in pleasure. A string of soft moans and chants of Connor’s name fell from Ashley’s lips.
This felt perfect, having Connor like this. Ashley moved faster under him, meeting every thrust as much as she could. The angle meant that Ashley’s orgasm began building quickly and steadily. Before she knew it, the pleasure ran through her veins like fire.
“Oh God, Connor!” Ashley half-screamed, bucking up even more to urge him to go faster. He did, doing exactly what she wanted. The pleasure was immediate. A breathless scream got stuck in Ashley’s throat as she came. Her fingers tightened against Connor’s arm, probably leaving marks of just how strong an orgasm it had been.
She carried on moving, not wanting Connor to stop until he came, too. With her muscles tightening around him, it hardly took much more than a few thrusts. She felt him come, her name on his lips as he did so. Tilting her head back, Ashley sought out Connor’s lips for a hard, passionate kiss.
They kissed until they were breathless. Ashley felt almost giddy from it. When Connor did pull away, it was with reluctance. He slipped free from her, but only far enough that his weight didn’t pin her against the mattress. In his big hands, he scooped her body close against his side, one of his legs draped over both of hers.
He leaned in, kissing the angle of Ashley’s jaw and the arch of her eyebrow. It almost seemed as though he was memorizing her face. Ashley recognized the feeling. In the weeks they’d been apart, she’d tried not to spend time remembering the exact blue of Connor’s eyes, or the way his hair stuck up in a thousand directions.
Pressing a softer, sweeter kiss against her lips, Connor murmured, “I love you, Ashley.”
The words made her smile, a warmth instantly settling in Ashley’s stomach. She turned slightly in Connor’s arms so she could bring a hand up to his cheek. Her fingers were soft as she stroked over it. Leaning in, Ashley brushed her nose against Connor’s. There was something so intimate about how they were. Ashley didn’t even a tiny bit doubt that Connor meant it. That Connor truly loved her.
“I love you, too,” she told him gently. There was no hesitance in her voice. Ashley knew she loved Connor and it was easy to tell him as much.
“I’m a little afraid this will all be a dream, and I’ll wake up just to miss you even more.” There was a trace of anxiety in Connor’s eyes as he said the words.
“I thought about you all the time,” he said, “but I didn’t think we’d ever be here again.”
It was sweet. Ashley gave Connor a soft smile. She liked that he told her. It was a good indication that Connor was willing to truly try; to make this relationship better than it had been (and it had been good until it hadn’t).
“It’s real,” Ashley promised, brushing her hand over Connor's arm. “I’m not going to take the job in Dallas,” she said, turning so she’d have more space and a better angle to look at Connor. Her hand didn’t leave his arm as it stroked over it.
“You - what?” Connor asked. Ashley had to bite her lip not to laugh at how obvious his surprise and confusion were. “But I thought it was your dream job? You had to do three different assessments and your Master’s thesis just to have a chance at it?” It proved that he’d been listening, and Ashley found that reassuring, too. He bit his lip, gaze dropping and cheeks col
oring slightly. “Is it because I ruined it?” he asked, and Ashley could tell that he genuinely thought it was a possibility.
“It’s not about you,” Ashley said, shaking her head. “Not really.” Obviously, if Connor hadn’t messed up her chances at the job in the first place - even if he had now fixed it - Ashley would’ve gone. She would’ve never even considered other options. So in a way, it was about Connor, but her decision to stay wasn’t because of him, which was why Ashley found it easy to choose.
“Yes, if you hadn’t... ruined it,” she did consider using a different word, but frankly, that was appropriate. “I would’ve gone, but I’ve actually had a new job offer.” There she paused before a small grin settled on her lips. “Scott offered me a job with the Howlers.”
She watched as the emotions played out on Connor’s face. She could see his hesitance to believe it before his mouth twitched into an irrepressible grin. He shifted even closer, warm hand spanning Ashley’s back. “Really?” he asked, amazement obvious in his voice. “You’re not teasing me?”
Ashley had barely started to shake her head before Connor was kissing her, shifting them around until Ashley was half on top of him. He pulled back, looking up at her. “That’s amazing ! Are you going to take it? Is it a good job?”
Those were fair questions. Pride swelled inside of Ashley when Connor asked them. She didn’t doubt for a moment that if she said that it wasn’t, or that she wasn’t sure, he would support her decision. Besides, they had also been questions that Ashley had asked herself when Scott had offered. That and whether Scott was offering it to her because of Connor.
He had promised Ashley that Connor wasn’t the reason. Scott was very impressed with how Ashley had handled Connor’s PR. He wanted to train her to do the Howlers’ PR on a greater scale. Ashley had to admit that as far as working for brands went, sports really hadn’t ever featured in her plans. It was, however, a great opportunity and Ashley had enjoyed doing Connor’s PR.
“It’s a very good job,” Ashley nodded. “I am going to take it.” And if that meant that she got to be with Connor, well, that was just an added bonus.
Connor kissed her again as if it was easier to show her how pleased he was than put it into words. Ashley couldn’t complain, not when Connor’s tongue still felt so good as it teased against her own. Connor lifted a hand, running it through Ashley’s hair and then pulling back, grinning his excitement up at her.
“They’re not going to say we can’t date if we work together, are they?” he asked. Unlike his earlier questions, this one sounded teasing. That was fair enough, given they’d started dating because they were working together.
Ashley dragged her hand up Connor’s arm, fingers picking against the corner of the sticker hiding his soulmark before she pulled it off. “They can’t stop soulmates from being together,” she pointed out. And yes, maybe there was still a chance that they weren’t, but there was just as much chance that they were . And for the first time in her life, Ashley felt happy at the idea that perhaps she did have a soulmate, and maybe she’d even met him.
“No one will stop us from dating,” Ashley promised.
The smile Connor gave her at that was softer, and he ran his fingers over Ashley’s soulmark, tracing the letters of his name. It took Ashley back to the first time she’d asked if he’d like to touch it. Such a lot had changed since then. Ashley really did think they were both happier now than they had been.
“My mom’s going to be over the moon,” Connor said, looking delighted at the prospect of telling her. “And Maisy’s going to like you,” he promised. “She’ll probably side with you over everything, just to wind me up.” He paused, eyes darting to Ashley’s face. “Over trivial things,” he corrected. “I know we might still have arguments, but I’ll talk to you about them, not my sister.”
Ashley laughed at that because it was just such a genuine thing to say and a very Connor thing to say. It was pleasing to think just how well she now knew him. “You can talk to us both,” she teased, pressing another kiss against Connor’s lips. “But I’ll always be here to listen to you, yeah? Always.”
Growing more serious again, Connor nodded. “I know you will,” he confirmed, so sincerely. Ashley genuinely believed he meant it. It made her feel warm, knowing that Connor trusted her to be there for him. “And I’ll do better at being here to listen to you,” he promised in turn. “I don’t ever want to hurt you again, and I know I probably will , accidentally, but I hope it won’t ever be so bad.”
His hand was still moving, almost reverently, over Ashley’s soulmark. “I want to be the kind of soulmate you deserve,” he said, “and I will learn how to be. No matter what.” He gave her a grin, before adding, “I’m very good at doing things I set my mind to.”
Ashley realized that she truly believed him. Her heart felt so heavy with love that she couldn’t stop leaning in and kissing Connor. “We’re going to make this work,” she promised Connor, so sure of her words.
Licking her lips, Ashley grinned at Connor. “Your first task as a soulmate could feature using your mouth?” She offered, wiggling her eyebrows in a very comical display of suggestiveness. It made Connor laugh, just as Ashley had hoped it would. He did then lean in to press a trail of kisses against her neck.
She hardly needed more words when Connor’s mouth and hands moved lower. His touch was soft and tender against her skin, sending shivers of heat through her. As she moaned Connor’s name, Ashley was very sure this would work out for them.
Ashley’s first month at the new job was busy . She honestly hadn’t realized just how much work there was when it came to PR for an NHL hockey team. Not only was there the brand as a whole but also each individual player’s PR. Some had their agents take care of it, but most relied on the Howlers’ PR team. It was definitely a very steep learning curve. Ashley loved it .
Being so busy meant that Ashley didn’t get as much time to spend with Connor. Then again, he didn’t have much spare time either now that the Howlers were in the playoffs. Ashley didn’t mind. In fact, she quite liked it. Having them both busy with work meant that they couldn’t feel left out by the other. It helped that they both worked for the Howlers even if it was in very different roles.
Despite everything else, what Ashley liked the most was coming home to Connor or having him come home to her. Normally on game nights, Ashley was first to come home since Connor was out celebrating with the team. Tonight when she pulled up outside his house, the lights were on.
The house was warm and smelled amazing . After hanging her jacket up in the hall, Ashley made her way through to the kitchen.
“What’s this?” She asked, finding Connor next to the stove stirring something in a pot. “I thought you’d be out with the team celebrating your win.”
Connor smiled, leaving the spoon just long enough to press a kiss against Ashley’s cheek. It was a casual gesture, almost as if Connor hadn’t needed to think about it. Somehow, that made Ashley feel even more like she was at home , even if it wasn’t her home.
“I went out for a drink,” he told her, “but I wanted us to celebrate. We’ve been back together for exactly a month.” He grinned, and Ashley knew that it made him genuinely happy.
“So,” Connor carried on, gesturing with his free hand to the stove, “I’m making risotto, and there’s a bottle of white in the fridge, and I’ve got a surprise for you.” That was unexpected. Connor honestly wasn’t very good at not telling people things, so if he’d planned a surprise, it must really have taken a concerted effort.
Ashley took a seat on one of the bar stools at Connor’s kitchen island, smiling at Connor when he presented her with a glass of the said wine. “A surprise,” she repeated. “Will I have to wait until after dinner for it?” If this was a sex surprise then she almost definitely would, but Ashley didn’t think Connor would surprise her like that.
Connor hummed thoughtfully as he continued to stir the rice, then seemed to come to a decision. “No, I’ll tell yo
u the surprise before we eat, otherwise I’ll end up telling you during dinner, and that’ll ruin everything.” He looked so eager, and so enthusiastic. It made Ashley very curious about what the surprise could be.
“It’s not a present,” he said as if reading Ashley’s thoughts. Taking the pan off the heat, Connor stirred some butter into it, then put it aside. “Do you want to come to see it now?” he asked, picking up his own glass of wine.
“Yes, of course,” Ashley nodded. For all that Connor wasn’t very good at keeping a surprise secret, she was far too eager to find out what the surprise was to be truly patient. It was probably yet another way in which they were well matched.
Setting her glass down after another small sip, Ashley got up, ready to follow Connor to wherever this non-present surprise was. Walking over so she could tiptoe to kiss him, Ashley smiled against his lips.
“I like coming home to you,” she said truthfully.
Now that his hands weren’t busy with cooking, Connor wrapped one strong arm around Ashley’s waist. He beamed down at her with a smile that made Ashley’s heart seem to skip a beat. “I like having you come home to me,” he echoed. “That’s why -” He caught himself, pressing his lips firmly closed.
“Come on,” he urged, taking Ashley’s hand and leading her towards the bedroom. It was unusually tidy. Ashley considered asking whether that was the surprise, but before she could, Connor had put both hands on her shoulders and positioned her in front of the closet.
Stepping around her, he pulled the door open, like a magician unveiling a trick. Ashley didn’t immediately get it . Connor must have noticed her lack of reaction because he waved a hand at the space where there were currently no clothes hanging.
“I moved my winter things out of the closet,” he explained, “so that there’ll be space for you to hang stuff.”
“Oh,” Ashley heard herself say. That was... she had no idea how she felt about that. Good , was the first thing that came to her mind. Connor had taken the time - God only knew when he’d had the time - to clean out a space for Ashley, to make sure she had a space in his home if she wanted it.
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