Prologue: The Encounter

I, Ashley Banner, was sitting by myself on a Friday night in a downtown bar as I was looking at my drink. I sighed before I sipped on my apple martini before someone was taking a seat beside me.

I did not know who was it but with the smell of aftershave, pine, and mint, I knew it was a male. I smirked inwardly before I was tossing my hair on one side of my shoulder, trying to be sexy when I don't even know if the male was looking at me.

"One whiskey on ice, please," his baritone voice was making shudders down my spine as I tried so hard to not be showing that I was interested in the male beside me. The bartender nodded at the male before he went to pour one in the glass before handing it to him.

I waited as I was wishing him to go away but secretly, I was hoping that he would stay. I don't know what to think but to sip on my martini before that baritone voice was heard again.

"What a rough night," he said, not knowing that he might be actually talking to me. I turned slowly to see the male that was assumed to be talking to me. And I sucked my breath when I was taking him in, sinking his features into my brain until the rest of my life.

His hazel eyes were burning into my emerald orbs before I was looking at his black hair. It was shining like moonlight was glistening in them but I thought it was just the dim lighting in this bar. I smiled.

"And what makes it a rough night, sir?" I asked before I was sipping again on my martini. His gaze was locking on my lips as I was smacking them, making sure that my tongue was sticking out as I was licking my lower lips. He smirked.

"Someone was making me having difficulty saying a proper sentence tonight," he said as he was sipping on his whiskey, making sure that I was looking at his twinkling hazel eyes. I chuckled before I was playing with the rim of my glass.

"Oh?"

"And I was wondering if she was occupied tonight, perhaps waiting for someone?" he said smoothly before I was smiling seductively at him, batting my eyelashes.

"And what will you do if she doesn't?" I asked, noting that he was playing a game with me. The male chuckled before he put his glass down and turned his lean, muscular body toward me. He extended his hand for me to shake as he introduced himself.

"Ashton Flammen, nice to meet you, Miss…"

"Ashley Banner. It's a pleasure," I said as I took his rough, calloused hand. Electric was running through my spine at the contact before I was smiling at him. I was taking in every feature that was on his face before we dropped our hands.

"Flammen, you say? Is that some kind of another language?" I said as I know it was not a common surname. Ashton chuckled lowly before he was leaning closer to my ear, making sure that I was angling my body so that he can see the top of my cleavage.

"It's German for flames. My father thought it would be fun to have a surname in honor to Rhein in Flammen," Ashton said before I chuckled at his joke.

"He had a very dry sense of humor then," I said before I was taking my apple martini again as I was looking at the hazel eyes. Ashton smirked.

"So, if you're not too busy, shall we go somewhere else?" he asked me before I was arching my eyebrow. He laughed.

"I was hoping that I could get to know you better," he said before settling his empty glass down. I put my martini down before I was looking at the watch. It was almost 10 PM. I shrugged.

"Why not?" I said before I was reaching for my purse to pay for my meal. Ashton stopped me.

"Please, allow me," he said before I shook my head.

"We're not on a date and I can certainly pay for my drinks," I said before I put a twenty note down. Ashton laughed as he was allowing me to go first. I got off from my stool, noticing his eyes were traveling down my long legs as I was wearing a short black dress with matching stiletto.

I know what it does to my legs.

I walked ahead of him, leaving the bar before I felt the body heat behind me. Ashton was tall, a few inches taller than me as we walked side by side. I kept my hands to my sides before Ashton was dumping his coat onto my shoulders. I turned to look at him before he smiled.

"It looks like you're freezing. I don't want to kill you since it was my invitation to get out of that bar," Ashton said before I laughed. He smiled.

"I never thought you would be a considerate person, Ashton," I said, tasting my tongue on his given name. I kind of liked it.

"Your laughter is nice. I never made a woman laugh before," he said as we were looking out on the pier. I turned to look at him before he was staring out into the horizon where the boats and yachts were settling in. I smiled.

"Then they don't have a sense of humor," I said before Ashton turned to look at me.

"I guess they don't then," he said before he was stepping closer to me. I was looking up at his face before he was reaching out to caress my cheek. I let him.

"I never encounter someone like you before, Ashley Banner," he said huskily as he was staring into my eyes. His hazel eyes were twinkling. I smiled.

"Then, I don't think you want to let me go then," I said as I was moving closer to him, gripping his shirt as I was licking my lower lips. His gaze was focused on them. Then, he shook his head, wanting to withdraw. I did not give him a chance since I was pulling him closer and kissed his lips.

The first thought that came to my mind: soft. Soft and smooth as I was kissing him. I don't think that Ashton would kiss a woman as he did to me right now for I know when a guy looked at me with lust in his eyes…

Perhaps I cannot simply compare him to anyone after all.

I moved my lips against him and Ashton was moving in sync. I moaned as I moved my hands to grip his neck before I was arching my back, grazing my nipples against him. right after that, Ashton broke the kiss.

"We shouldn't," he said as I was arching my eyebrow, still clinging myself to him.

"Shouldn't what?"

Ashton shook his head before he was about to turn away. But I stopped him, stopped him because all I wanted was to forget who I was in one night. In his arms.

"Just for tonight?" I asked him as his hazel eyes were looking at me. I smiled before I was pulling him away from the pier as I only had one destination in mind.

Bed and that will be my bed in my home.

*****

We hardly passed the front door as Ashton was kissing me again. he pushed me into the household before he was hitting my back against the door. I don't know if it was his nature to be rough and hard.

I liked it.

I was kissing him fervently as he was finding the zipper of my dress in the back. He unzipped it as my hands were tearing his shirt as I sent the buttons flying on the floor. He chuckled.

"So, feisty," he said before I was gripping his neck and kissed him again.

"Talk later," I said before I was pushing him toward the bed that was located at the end of the studio. I was straddling him as Ashton was sitting at the edge. He was roaming my sides with his rough hands before I was fumbling with his belt. He chuckled.

"Slow down, kitten," he said before he flipped me over as I was on my back on the mattress. I was breathing hard as I was left in my panties. My nipples were hardened and I was looking at his darkened hazel eyes that were taking in my half nakedness.

"You're beautiful, Ashley," he said as he kneeled in front of me before a ripping sound was heard. I looked at him before Ashton was smirking at me.

"Now, for the dessert," he said as he was spreading my thighs. I have been wet ever since I smelled his aftershave but when his eyes were on me, I bit my lower lips as I can sense my nectar was flowing down my core.

"Guten Appetit," he said and then dove between my thighs. I arched my back as I was gripping his hair while his tongue did wicked things on me. I was breathing hard as I was looking at the ceiling before I felt his finger inside me.

"Fuck, you're tight," he said before I moaned as his mouth was feasting on my clit. I was sucking in deep breaths as he was sucking and licking it as he owned it.

A wave of pleasure came before I was arching my back as his hands were fondling my breasts. He chuckled before Ashton was positioning himself between me, question inside his eyes as his tip was at my entrance. I nodded at him before he moved forward, plunging me with his cock inside my core.

Then, I shouted his name for all I know was a pleasure after that.