"Hayden, are you okay? You're okay." He closes the door behind her and follows her into the center of the room. He leans closer, trying to get his hands on her shoulders, around her neck, anywhere so that he can get her attention. She must stop running around, almost screaming, almost crying.
Her scarf falls around her feet as she drops her purse on the floor. Pulling her hoodie on the top of her head, she gets nervous by the second and lets out a few cries. She pushes her trousers down, throws her sneakers in two separate corners of the room and keeps pulling her shirt away from her, swinging the sleeves around her barely naked body. It's almost as if she is fighting against something in her own blood, almost scratching off the skin off her bones.
"I need to breathe" she whispers, grabbing Ash by the arm. He helps her get rid of her tank top, and there she remains finally. Almost naked standing in the center of his living room.
"I couldn't breathe."
Her eyes are empty, the blank of it covering her thoughts. The only thing Ash wants to ask right now is why was she wearing so many clothes. But he doesn't.
None of them move for a few seconds, his breathing gets louder and starts filling the silence between them. He is trying so hard right now not to move too fast, not to screw up this time. She closes her eyes and can now feel the breeze running on her bare skin. All the windows are opened, she doesn't mention it, it soothes her anyway. Sounds from the street fill in the blanks, it helps.
Her hair tangled around her neck is the first thing he reaches for. His fingers run across her neck and now, he can feel her pulse under his thumb. She acknowledges the distance between them, him standing right in front of her. She leads his hands to her shoulders, letting his fingers slip from her collarbone to her chest. She wishes to keep her eyes closed the whole time, otherwise, he will notice it. Her eyes are doing it right now, she got high before coming and now they're screwing up. He will know. But right now, all she can do is think about his fingers on her. His touch is soft, at first, but he soon presses his hands against her sides, still sliding down her body. He pushes his chin in the crook of her neck and everything he does starts to seem heavier. His breathing on her cheeks is as thick as blood and his kisses as sharp as blades as he undresses her. He starts by taking off her bra, then slides his hands to her hips, moving with her. Wanting to see her, to meet with her eyes, he tries for her chin, but she pushes him back; keeping her eyes closed firmly, breathing loudly still not comfortable.
"You okay?" he asks while wiping the lone tears that escaped her eyes, but she doesn't answer. Too late. He's facing her now.
"Just, don't freak out," she says softly, his touch getting stronger, his hands pressing harder into her skin.
"It's okay," he whispers, "I smelled it when you walked in."
***
When he climbs on top of her already naked body and reaches under her neck to bring her closer to him, Hayden closes her eyes, so she can feel every inch of his body touching hers. Ashton lays his fingers on her chest, leaving trails of soft kisses on her cheeks. He lets go of her head and follows his hands down Hayden's panting frame.
First, he kisses her neck, from jawline to collarbone, not letting go of her body in his hands. Shivering under his weight, it feels as if she's just waiting for his next move, expecting everything and anything at the same time. She lifts her hips as if to join their two bodies together, finally. She opens her eyes slowly and looks deeply into his before he disappears again, burying his face in her neck. Her hands are in his hair, holding tight, pulling him closer, mostly tightening around his locks. Then, he holds himself firm, his body weight falling onto his elbows, hovering over Hayden. After kissing her a couple times, he finally gives in and starts moving with her, every inch of his skin attached to hers. The last thing she sees is his gaze as he holds his hand clasped around her neck.
YOU ARE READING
Settle Down
Romance"She came and it was two in the morning. She'd been crying. She started screaming in my backyard. She was yelling for me to let her in while I had never met her before. Mate, she was nuts. She wore that fucking purple dress. You know, the dark one...
