"Was there anyone else?"

The summer sun streamed into Olivia's room, hitting my backside as I pulled on my clothes the next morning. But at that question, I froze. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Liv standing in the doorway to the ensuite bathroom.

"What?"

She shrugged, making it seem nonchalant. But those four little words were anything but. "Have you been with anyone else, Asher? Since you left."

"I—" Cutting myself off, I tried to decide what exactly to say. Or rather, how to say it.

But Olivia's eyes grew wide at my hesitation. I crossed the room, meeting her in the doorway. Swallowing, I admitted, "There was one kiss. The night...the night you told me to leave."

If possible, her eyes bugged out even more as I said those last words. Olivia spun on her heel, but I caught her arm. She was forced to glance back at me, her eyes conflicted.

"Listen to me, Olivia—"

"Asher, I'm not...I'm just—" She shook her head. There were already tears forming in her eyes, and I cursed internally.

"Listen to me, Olivia." I spoke lowly. Clearly, so she wouldn't miss a single word. Releasing her arm, I held my breath, and when she didn't try to run away, I continued. "When I left, I didn't know where to go. My world was...turned upside down." Sighing, I added, "So I met Avery at a pub."

Liv scoffed. "As if you don't spend enough time with your brother at work."

I ignored the comment. She wasn't wrong, and it wasn't the point. "Well, when I got there, he was already piss drunk and had like four girls hanging off of him."

"Of course he did."

Again, she wasn't wrong. It was basically Avery's MO—drunk and surrounded by women.

"They were as drunk as him, Liv. I fucking sat there—basically drinking alone—and one of them must have gotten bored of trying to get his attention. Because suddenly some blonde chick came over and sat on my lap."

I could see that Olivia was trying not to react, but she was doing a poor job of it. Her face screwed up, and honestly, there was a part of me that was simply happy to see that she still cared.

"And what did you do, Ash?" she asked quietly.

"Well, I was going to ask her to get off, but then she attacked my face and kissed me without warning."

Liv's face was unreadable. "And?"

"And for a second—a split second, Liv—I kissed her back. Because I wanted to know. I wanted to know if a kiss with another woman could even be a fraction of what it is like to kiss you. But it was nothing. Nothing. So I pushed her away." I took a deep breath, trying to get a grip. "Jesus, of course I should have pushed her off sooner, though. She was drunk as hell, reeked of vodka, but most importantly—"

I snapped my mouth shut, shaking my head.

"But most importantly?" Olivia hedged.

Lowering my volume again, I said, "But most importantly, she wasn't you." I paused, letting that soak in before adding, "Olivia, please believe me. It's the truth."

"Was there anyone else after that?"

I shook my head. "No. Please believe me."

There were a few awful, long moments where Olivia's eyes looked anywhere but my face. And then finally, she said, "I believe you."

I practically collapsed against the wall. "Thank god."

But then I was straightening back up again when Olivia confessed, "I went...I went on a few dates."

Biting my tongue, I pushed my hands deep into my pockets. And I didn't say anything. Because I didn't know what to fucking say to that.

Olivia still wouldn't meet my gaze. And I just wanted to grab her chin and force her to look at me. I didn't like this... shiftiness. I didn't like that I had no idea what it meant. "They were just guys I met on Tinder," she muttered, her cheeks pinkening a bit. "But nothing...nothing really happened."

I relaxed slightly at that, not even realizing how tight my body had become. But then I stiffened right back up again when Olivia said, "There was one goodnight kiss. But it wasn't until months after me and you..."

I clenched my jaw, fastening it shut.

Finally, she glanced at me. And when she saw my face, she was quick to scowl. "You can't be mad, Asher."

"I'm not mad," I forced out.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You're clearly mad. You look ready to explode."

"I'm not mad, Olivia," I repeated, well aware that the words sounded incredibly...mad. "We weren't together. I can't be mad about that."

"But?"

I sighed, trying to figure out how to convey what this conversation was doing to me. "But thinking about another man putting his lips on you makes me feel things I can't describe. You're my wife, Liv."

"You had no claim on me at the time," she said quietly. Sadly. "You left."

"Shit, I know. I know, Liv." I shifted on my feet, and my fists balled even tighter in my pockets. "But not anymore. I'm not leaving. And all I want is to claim you as mine."

Olivia's gaze was golden with the way the sun had leaked into the room and onto her pretty face. She met my hard stare, her eyes searching for... something. Liv traced my entire face with those irises, and every flick of her gaze made my heart beat faster. My chest pounded. It heaved throughout the long wait for her reply.

Finally, finally, she looked me in the eye. Breathlessly, she said, "So claim me, Asher."

She didn't need to say it twice. Wordlessly, I found her waist and pulled her in close. I kissed her. It was deep, rough, and without finesse. And then I flicked open Olivia's robe, trailing my fingers down her bare self before backing her into the bedroom wall.

And then...god.

There was hardly any skin on her body that went untouched by my lips. I reveled in her cries and moans and tight little pants as I lavished my mouth over her neck. Over her breasts. Over her core, which was wet and dripping, proving just how much she wanted to be claimed.

She came in my mouth, and then—when she was shivering and shaking in my arms—I claimed her. I released my throbbing erection and slammed into her, pinning my wife to the wall with my hips.

Her legs tightened around my waist as she cried my name into my ear.

"Liv," I groaned before gazing down at her flushed face.

Her eyes rolled back as my thrusts hit home. I waited for her to look back at me before capturing her lips and whispering, "You're mine, Mrs. Graham."

Olivia didn't reply. But she grabbed my neck and kissed me back.

Even in the haze of pleasure and love, I was a little disappointed, wanting to hear her say it. I wanted to hear her say the words. But that disappointment didn't last long, because after I finished claiming my wife up against her bedroom wall, she pushed me back. With one dainty finger, she pushed me back until I was flat on the bed.

Her hooded expression wandered over me before she climbed atop the mattress and said, "No, Mr. Graham." I raised a brow as Olivia smirked, leaning down to kiss me. But she didn't, not yet. She stayed there, taunting me with every inch of her perfectness. And finally, Liv breathed, "You're mine."

"Fuck, Olivia," I growled. "I am."

And then, my wife took her sweet, torturous time as she claimed me.

And hell, I loved it.

I was hers.

Always hers.

🤍