Taut: The Ford Book

“My father will want to see me.”

“Do you want to see him?”

“No.”

“So don’t. Just stay with me. Let me take care of things. Let me take care of you two.”

She leans back into my chest, her back pressed against me. “OK.”

And that’s it. We lie there in the dark, listening to Kate gulp milk and the low hum of distant cars far down on the road below.

And we fall asleep as a family for the first time ever.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

I wake up to no Ashleigh or Kate. My heart pounds in my chest with this realization until I hear the soft whispers coming from down the hall. I lie there listening to Ashleigh sing a little song to Kate and can’t help but wonder how long this can possibly last.

She is everything I wanted. They are both everything I’ve wanted.

A few minutes later Ashleigh tiptoes back into the room and slips into bed next to me.

I wrap my arm around her and pull her close. We’re both naked and her warm body feels so perfect next to mine. Her skin is soft and she smells good enough to eat.

“Sorry,” she says quietly. “I tried not to wake you when I got up.”

“It was your absence that woke me, not the noise you were making.”

She turns to face me, propped up on her forearms. “I’m so sorry you had to see me like that today, Ford. I’m—”

“Shh,” I say, putting my finger to her pouty lips. “You do not owe me an apology. I know, Ashleigh. I understand you. You love him, he was your whole life. And now he’s gone and you were absolutely right back in Utah. You got shit on. Bad. Life f**ked you over and then kicked you when you were down. I’m surprised you’re still functioning.”

Her fingertips trace the muscles in my upper arms and it sends a chill through my whole body. “I know all that. I’m not sorry about that part. I’m sorry you had to listen to me carry on about him. It’s not fair to you. I like you, a lot. And when I said I loved you, Ford, I meant you. And I know you said it back as Tony, but I just wanted you to know—”

My thumb against her lips stops her words. The moon is shining through the curtainless windows and the silver light illuminates her face, like she’s a precious work of art on display in my bed. “I love you. I’m in, Ashleigh. I want you, I want Kate, I want this. I want to sleep with you every night and give you everything you want. I’m in.”

I position myself so my bare chest is over hers and then both hands cup her face as I lean in. “I’m in, Ashleigh.” And then I kiss her. I skim her lips with mine. And my heart almost stops at how soft they are. I nip her bottom lip and she sucks in a breath, then she wraps her hands around my head. I kiss her again, my tongue looking for hers, my eyes closing, trying to hold this feeling inside me for as long as possible. As the kiss lingers, breaks, and starts again, Ashleigh fists my hair, pulling it just enough to make me grow with desire. She inserts her thigh between my legs and eases it into my hard-on.

I pull back so I can look at her in the moonlight again. “You are beautiful. I could look at you all day long and never get tired of tracing the line of your lips with my eyes or imagining myself biting your earlobe.”

“You take all the bad away for me, Ford. When I’m with you, all that stuff disappears.”

My thumb traces small circles on her cheek and I watch her. I’m fulfilled just gazing at her but I want her to be fulfilled too, so I slip my hand down her belly and stop over her mound. My hand splays out, feeling every part of her folds, then one finger traces the slit of her pu**y and pushes inside her. She moans and I lean down and bite her shoulder, hard enough to make her cry out, but still just a nibble.

Her hands reach for me and I bite her again. “Grab the headboard, Ashleigh, and do not let go until I tell you.” She obeys immediately and this makes me stretch to my full hardness. “You may moan, you may scream, you may whine, you may whimper, you may cry, you may laugh, you may show your emotions in any way you please. But the only words you are allowed to say are no and stop.”

She nods her head and this makes me smile. The old Ash would smart off with a yes, sir. But New Ashleigh wants to please me.

“If you say no or stop, that’s it, I stop. No questions asked.”

She nods and grips the headboard a little tighter.

I throw the covers off and get out of bed. I watch her carefully as I do this, looking for any hint that she wants to stop, but while her eyes are exhibiting curiosity, they are not showing any fear whatsoever. I walk to the closet and grab all of my neckties. She watches me very carefully as I tie several end to end, then repeat the process so I have two long silk tie strands. I have rope, but I don’t want to scratch Ashleigh’s perfect skin.

I walk back to the bed and sit down next to her, then grab one ankle, wrap the tie carefully, but tightly. And then push her knees up to her chest and wrap the tied ankle to her thigh.

She remains still, hands holding onto the headboard, but she’s paying close attention.

I repeat this entire process with her other ankle and then I sit back and enjoy her spread open for me. He eyes wander down to my c**k and I feel it jump with excitement. My hands caress her calves and then travel up and grab her on each side by the waist and pull her whole body down a little so her arms are straining to hold onto the headboard. “Is this what you wanted last night?”

She nods. And then she smiles.

“I have a confession to make. Would you like to hear it?”