SASHA ROSARIO'S POINT OF VIEW
"So you still don't remember anything at all?"
"Nope. Not a single thing. All I know is I washed up here. Woke up clutching a piece of driftwood, if that counts."
I pout and nod, leaning against the wall of our new house with a mug of coffee warm in my hands. Wind whips around the eaves and rain drums against the windows. We have to raise our voices to cut through the noise; every word feels like it has to fight its way from mouth to ear.
I'd boiled water earlier and the timing is perfect. The coffee seeps warmth through my palms and down into my bones, chasing off the chill that clings to the air.
"How come you speak English so well? Maybe you are rich after all." My eyes stretch wide. "Should I take you to the police station tomorrow?"
He stops with his mug halfway to his lips. His gaze fixes on mine and I swear he can see every silly thought bouncing around my skull. I've always been quick to leap to conclusions and now my cheeks bloom pink under his attention. A man this handsome looking at you like you're the only thing in the world will do that. The cotton between my legs is already damp and he hasn't even touched me.
"Why? Are you ready for me to leave?"
The question lands soft and heavy in my chest. I can't name what I feel. There's relief that I might not have to make a choice I don't want to make. There's a hollow ache at the thought of coming home to silence again.
But would it be selfish to keep him here?
Sadness settles in my features before I speak. "What about you? Don't you want to find your real family?" I hold his gaze steady, watching for every shift in his expression.
"Hmm. Maybe. But think about it. I have no memories. Anyone who says they're my family would be strangers to me, right?" He takes his sip then, steam curling up around his mouth and nose. "No memories. Isn't that terrifying? Going off with people you don't even know?"
I press my teeth to my lower lip as I consider it. He's right. If I'd woken up with nothing in my head, I'd be afraid to trust anyone I couldn't place.
Oh Sasha, when did you start thinking things through for once?
Wait. If that's how he feels…
My eyes widen and I stare at him. He's watching me too, calm and knowing. I think he can read exactly what I'm about to say.
It's embarrassing to be so forward but asking never hurt anyone. At least only the two of us will see me make a fool of myself.
"So. You'd rather stay here with me? Even though I'm not really your wife?" I want to sink through the floorboards. He'll think I'm getting ahead of myself but what does it matter? I'm as much a stranger to him as anyone else would be.
"Well, you're the first face I saw when I woke up." A smirk tugs at one corner of his mouth. "Besides, I know you're a good person. You didn't leave me to die on some beach. You fed me, gave me a place to sleep. You took care of me like I mattered to you."
I bite down on my lip and turn my face away, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
Did you hear that? He thinks I'm good. Like I could actually be someone's wife.
"Hehe. Stop it. You'll make me too proud for my own good." I try to sound shy but my voice goes thin and breathy before I can help it. I nearly choke on my own saliva.
He laughs and my face grows hotter still. I lift the mug to my lips without thinking and take a big drink. The scald hits my tongue and I cry out, dropping the cup to the floor.
"A-Ahh. Ouchhh!" I stick my tongue out, certain I look ridiculous.
I burned myself. I'd forgotten the water was still hot enough to scald, the coffee not cooled at all. I could cry from being so careless but at least he's here, looking at me with concern instead of judgment.
He steps close and cups my chin in one hand, tilting my face up to his. A tear slides down my right cheek as I meet his eyes and I know I must look like a mess. My nose is probably running too.
"Tsk. My poor Sasha."
His voice is soft enough to make my knees wobble, like I'm a child he's soothing after a fall. His eyes focus on my swollen tongue and even with my face hot with shame, something flutters low in my belly.
"Does it sting?"
I can barely follow his words; his voice is so deep and warm. But I know what he's asking.
Of course it hurts but I'm not about to let this moment pass. I nod slowly, letting my eyelids flutter the way I've seen in movies. Let him see what he does to me.
A smile curves his lips and his thumb slides across my dry lips. I swallow and my throat feels tight. Heat spreads through my body, like I'm coming down with a fever.
"Hmm. Do you want your hubby to heal it?" He smirks and nips at his own lip.
I think I might faint. This man is going to drive me wild with how much he affects me. The house is cold but I can feel sweat gathering between my thighs.
"What's your answer?" he asks again.
What are you waiting for? More excuses? No.
I feel like a schoolgirl with her first crush, glancing around the quiet room before I nod and meet his eyes again.
The look on his face steals my breath. His gray eyes are dark and bright at once, burning with want as he looks down at me.
He pulls me toward him and I crane my neck up to meet him. The angle makes my muscles ache but I don't care. I close my eyes and wait for his lips.
He doesn't disappoint me. I'm not being foolish after all. Seconds later his lips press to mine, soft and warm and I know I'm already hooked. Hooked on the feel of him, hooked on this man whose name and past are still a mystery to me.
One hand wraps around my waist, pulling me against him until there's no space left between us. We don't notice the spilled coffee or the damp spot spreading across the floor. I find myself on his lap, our kiss growing deeper with every breath we share. It's gentle work, not rough, and shivers move across my skin like live wires.
I wrap both arms around his neck and hold on as his hands settle on my hips, guiding me closer still.
"Umm." I gasp against his mouth when I feel him hard and solid against me, pressing exactly where I need him most. I sit higher than he does now so he looks up at me as I lean down to deepen our kiss.
I don't care about the risks. I want him to be mine. God, what am I doing? I've never even had a boyfriend before and now I'm falling for him completely. He's the first man to touch me like this, the first to claim what I've never given anyone else.
The cold outside is irrelevant. Our bodies are burning hot enough to warm the whole house.
"O-Ohhh." Our kiss breaks and his lips trail down my jaw to my neck. He kisses and licks at my skin like I'm something sweet he can't get enough of.
He doesn't stop there. He tears my shirt open without warning and I wince, staring at him in shock.
"F-Favorite shirt!" I say it like a complaint. Last time it was my panties and now it's this top I've had for years. How is he so strong that fabric gives way under his hands like paper?
He pulls me tight against his chest and buries his face against my breasts, even through my bra. My eyes go wide at the feeling of his mouth so close to my skin.
My face burns as I watch him. His head fits perfectly there, like it belongs. He looks up at me with those gray eyes and they're more dangerous than any I've ever seen.
"Hmm? It's just a shirt. You look better wrapped up in me instead." He squeezes me gently. "Like this."
I swallow hard. He's definitely seducing me and it's working. My body grows warmer by the second but I can't find the words to say it.
"So? What do you prefer? Me? Or your shirt?"
"H-Hmpph." My whole body shakes when he licks my breast through the fabric of my bra. I press my hand to my mouth to quiet the sound that rises up in my throat.
"Answer me, Sasha." He smirks. "I'll give you a reward if you do."
Something clicks in my head at the word reward. I don't need much to make me happy. I just need him. I find my voice at last.
"I-I want you. More than my shirt." I can't keep the smile from my face.
"Good girl."
The words are simple but they send excitement rushing through me, sharp and sweet all at once.