28: Guarding What's Mine Part 01

Asher’s POV

Her ragged cries, the desperate clench of her inner muscles around my throbbing cock, were a primal symphony, a fierce confirmation of our raw connection. Yet, beneath the exclusive triumph, the echo of her words, "We can't keep doing this..." still clawed at my gut, a cold fist squeezing my lungs. The terror of losing her, of that fire in her eyes dying for me, sent a jolt of icy fear through the lingering heat of our frantic coupling. The thought of returning to that hollow existence before Cecilia, before her soft moans became desperate cries against my lips, was unbearable.

The guarding instinct that had flared when those drunken bastards laid their hands on her hadn’t abated, twisting into an unshakeable urge to protect her. It was primal, fueled by the terror of almost losing her and amplified by the terrifying fragility of our stolen moments.

The next morning, an intense need to see her, to ensure her safety, gnawed at me with an intensity that surprised even myself, a relentless undercurrent beneath the surface of my day. I found myself inexplicably drawn towards the cognitive lab building just before her class with Davies, a knot of unease tightening in my chest. The memory of Liv’s hushed words about the professor's lingering touch, the way his gaze seemed to cling to her, now ignited a cold fury within me, a possessive protectiveness I couldn't ignore.

Leaning against the cool brick across the pathway, the phantom sensation of her slick heat still ghosting my cock, I scanned the stream of students heading towards the building, each one a potential intrusion into our volatile secret. When I finally spotted her blonde hair with Liv, a jealous tension tightened my jaw. I wanted her to myself, away from prying eyes, away from anyone who might look at her, touch her, want her.

As they approached, my feet moved without conscious thought. "CeCe," I called out, my voice rough, insistent, cutting through the morning chatter. Her surprise flickered in her widening eyes. Liv’s eyebrows rose, a silent question.

"Asher? What are you doing here?" Her carefully neutral tone, a guarded wall she erected so effortlessly, both frustrated and aroused me. The need to pull her away, to taste her again right there in the morning light, was a near-unbearable ache.

"Just... wanted to walk you to class," I said, my gaze locking with hers, letting the unspoken intensity simmer beneath the surface of my words. My eyes flicked briefly to Liv, a silent warning. "Especially after... last night." The implication hung heavy between us, a reminder of the desperate claiming that still throbbed in my veins. The memory of her slick heat, the frantic grip of her inner muscles, sent a jolt of desire through me, hardening my cock against my jeans. I wanted to pull her close, to whisper all the fierce, carnal urges that still raged within me, to taste the fear and the desire that I knew still lingered in her kiss.

The thought of Davies, his unwanted attention, only fueled the jealous fire within me, the primal need to protect what was mine, even if "mine" was a dangerous, stolen fantasy.

As I walked Cecilia towards the door of her Cognitive Psychology lab, that familiar protectiveness tightened its grip on me. The desperate press of her skin against mine, her frantic cries, the exclusive heat of her wrapped around me – it all fueled a primal urge to shield what felt intrinsically mine, despite the world’s perception of her and Julian.

"You didn't have to walk me, Ash," she said softly, her voice still carrying a faint tremor from… well, from everything. But her eyes, when they met mine, held a flicker of something else, a vulnerability that snagged at my guarding instincts.

"I wanted to," I replied, my gaze lingering on her, letting the unspoken intensity simmer beneath the surface. "Everything okay?"

She hesitated, her brow furrowing slightly, and then let out a small sigh of relief. "Actually… yeah. I mean, yes. I'm almost… relieved you did."

My gut clenched. "Why?"