If Ashton could still restrain himself like this, I had to admit—I was truly a failure.

"Elaine," Ashton called my name urgently, his voice strained, as he loosened his hold on me. He gripped my shoulders firmly, his head bowed, his breathing ragged.

His Adam's apple bobbed visibly, and I noticed his hands trembling slightly. It felt like he had just run a marathon, and honestly, I wasn't in much better shape. Having crossed this line, I was caught in a ...