by Kit Rocha
His name. Broken and needy, just like he was.
When the blinding pleasure had faded and her shudders had stilled, he withdrew carefully, mindful of the way even that contact made her whimper. She was boneless as he lifted her in his arms and braced her weight long enough to tug the dusty comforter out of the way.
The sheets beneath where blissfully clean and cool under their overheated skin. Kora rolled toward him as if by instinct, seeking his embrace—and that was better than the orgasm. He cuddled her close and stroked her hair, still struggling to catch his breath.
Eventually, she turned her face from his shoulder and looked across the room. “You know...the tub looks big enough for two.”
He imagined it—Kora, wet and soapy, her skin gliding over his as he held her trapped in place and rocked just enough to drive her wild. Someday, he would restrain her like that and see how long he could hold her on that edge, how fantastically she’d shatter when he finally let her come.
His cock stirred.
She wiggled against him with a husky laugh. “Really?”
Ashwin gripped her hip in warning. If she wiggled too much, he’d end up rolling her onto her stomach right here—or maybe rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. She’d look beautiful above him, her hair tousled from his fingers, her skin still flushed from her last orgasm, her eyes heavy and glazed with pleasure.
“You know,” he murmured, “with your enhanced genetics, there’s a high probability that you were given increased stamina, as well. We should test the theory. Extensively.” He slid his hand down to dip between her thighs, teasing the soft skin there. “Sufficient experimentation is a priority.”
Laughing, she nodded. “For science.”
“Of course. What other rational reason is there to do it?”
“Funny, I can only think of one.” Her hand grazed his side, lingering over his ribs. “Knock, knock.”
A knock-knock joke. He could still remember the first time she’d tried to tell him one. How long ago it seemed—a different lifetime. A different him. “Who’s there?”
Her foot inched up his leg. “Boo.”
“Boo who?”
“Don’t cry, soldier.” She slipped her leg over his and stretched out on top of him. “It’s not that bad.”
It took a second for the ridiculousness of the play on words to sink in. And then Ashwin did something he’d never done before in his life.
He laughed.
It started deep in his chest, and it hurt a little. It got caught in his throat and came out choked, almost sputtering. But that was so absurd it happened again, and as if a broken circuit had finally been closed, he couldn’t stop.
Kora laughed with him, cradling his face between her hands. “See? You’re getting the hang of it.”
Only because she was teaching him. It had taken all the years since that first joke for him to learn how to laugh. Learning how to love her the way she deserved would be a lifelong mission.
Luckily, Ashwin had always been mission-oriented.
Before You Leave the Sectors
If you'd like to receive notification of future Kit Rocha titles, you can subscribe to our announcement list.
Interested in more books about Gideon and his Riders?
Book #1: Ashwin
Book #2: Deacon
Book #3: Ivan
Have you read the BEYOND series? Find out how Dallas and the O'Kanes brought down Eden...
Volume One (Contains books #1-3)
Volume Two (Contains books #4-6)
Volume Three (Contains books #7-9)
Learn more about the characters and the world by checking out the Beyond Series Guide.
Want more frequent updates? Keep up with news, contests & chatter on Facebook at The Broken Circle Page or in the The Broken Circle VIP Lounge Group by following the authors on twitter: @kitrocha, @mostlybree & @donnajherren. Or visit the author's website at kitrocha.com
Want to show off your O'Kane style? We have T-shirts, mugs, keychains and more, all available through Zazzle!
About the Author
Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance. The Beyond series has appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and was honored with a 2013 RT Reviewer's Choice award. Get updates about their new books by subscribing to their announcement list, or visit their website at kitrocha.com
Acknowledgements
We always have so many thanks to go around, but we always start with the team that makes these books happen. Our editor, Sasha Knight. Our proofreader, Sharon Muha. (She hasn't proofread this part, all mistakes are my own.) Lillie Applegarth, who maintains our timelines and series bible. Jay and Tracy, the original VIPs, who run our reader group and have made it the haven of sisterhood that it is. Gene Mollica, who brought Ashwin & Kora to life in the cover. And Angie Ramey, our assistant who keeps taking more and more off this process off our shoulders, which leaves us with more and more time to write books.
But as always, we end our thanks with our readers. Because without you, there would be no team. No books. You embraced the O'Kanes and became their family. I can't wait to see what your love does for Gideon and his rag-tag band of Riders. Because readers are the fuel for Happily Ever Afters.
Copyright Information
Ashwin
Copyright © 2017 by Kit Rocha
Cover Art by Gene Mollica
Editing by Sasha Knight
This novella is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.