“Where is this coming from?”
“Me,” he said.
“Is this because I tied you to the bed?” I asked.
Asher laughed. He sat up a little more and eased his right hand to the back of my head. “No, sweetheart. That’s the truth. You were always destined to be something great. Something smart. Not me. I had nothing to learn from at home. It wasn’t easy. You know that. But… forget about that for a second, Lauren. I’m going to do the right thing. This… this is because you tied me to the bed.”
Asher kissed me.
And not just a regular kiss either.
Not a hello kiss. Or a goodbye kiss. Or a sweet good morning kiss.
This kiss was something completely else.
His left hand moved right back into my robe, cupping under my right breast. His fingers were obsessed with my nipples. And I was so achy and tender… yet I liked it. Each time his fingertip rolled over my nipple, my inner thighs jumped and tightened, forcing me to drive down harder against the full bulge between his legs.
The kiss told me everything that was going to happen, yet I pretended like I didn’t know.
I opened my robe the rest of the way and let it fall down my body.
My skin shivered as I wasn’t the same version of myself when I was first with Asher. Everything about me was changing. Curves were curvier. New curves were showing up. My belly was bigger than it was yesterday. My breasts were fuller.
Yet nothing felt so good as the touch of Asher.
He broke the kiss and I slowly put my head back, shutting my eyes.
Everything about me melted into him.
My hands fell to my sides.
I was all his.
Whatever he wanted.
His hands traced lines down the sides of my body and cut between my legs. I lifted just enough to allow his thumbs to touch my slit. His lips and tongue flirted their way down my chest. He groaned as he slipped his mouth over my left breast, taking me into his mouth.
I let out a sighing groan.
His thumbs made circles in opposite directions, battling each other as he continued to gently graze my clit. My hips bucked each time he did so. The electricity of pleasure rippled throughout my entire body. My toes curled tight as I craved more.
Asher pulled his mouth away from my breast and groaned. “Always beautiful, Lauren. The only one who challenged me and fucking won.”
His hands moved around to my ass and he pulled me up, putting distance between us. I leaned forward and put my hands to the headboard. I stared forward and saw the sight of the marks in the wall. From that first night with Asher. The night it was all confirmed that I always loved him. The night we made a baby together.
I heard him wrestling to get his jeans down.
Then I felt the intense and impossible swell of his cock as he lowered me down against him.
I gasped and moved my hands to his face.
I hovered over him as he climbed his hands up to my breasts.
Leaving me in control of my body. And his.
As I inched down, taking him inside me, the pressure and pleasure smashed together. He was only halfway… and I began to climax.
I lifted back up as my body shook. I tried to make a sound, but it was just weird noises that were kind of embarrassing. My hips kept jerking as I fought against it and finally just came down on Asher.
Burying himself inside me, I thrust forward and back as hard as I could, over and over, wasting no time in taking all I wanted from him.
Asher moved his hands to my back and sat up even more, seeking my mouth again.
I hurried to kiss him, wanting to match the fury he kissed me with.
I lasted all of two seconds before the pleasure attacked me again between my legs and in my core. I cried out as Asher kept kissing me. His hands felt so fucking massive, stretching along my entire back. My body pressed tight against his as I kept pumping my hips against his body.
I begged for his climax. I worked for it. I wanted to feel him everywhere, inside me, leaving his mark even more than he had already done.
The faster I moved, the harder Asher kissed me.
I went until I couldn’t any longer.
My entire body froze for a few seconds as round fucking three began.
The moment I froze, Asher made his move.
He swung his feet off the bed and stood up, taking me with him.
I let out a playful yell of surprise as he turned and put me on my back.
I felt exposed, vulnerable… the angle…
I didn’t like it.
But Asher put his hands to the bed and stared up and down at my body.
He was still inside me, gently moving, making sure I could never forget the way he felt. The thickness. The definition. The way certain parts just seemed to match certain parts of mine.
“So fucking beautiful,” he growled.
I wanted to tell him he was beautiful too. Or handsome. Or sexy. Or hot. Or whatever.
I opened my mouth as he began to thrust.
I lost all my words.
I lost my mind too.
I was in love with Asher. Carrying his baby. Wanting him for the rest of my life.
I wanted a plan, like I had with everything else in my life.
Except… this was Asher.
Which meant you never knew what would happen next.
* * *
His fingertips moved up and down my shoulder and my arm. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, but I didn’t want to sleep anymore. The coffee didn’t do a thing for me. Then again, spending time with Asher was always tiring. He never just finished once it seemed. With him it was… go until it was physically impossible to go anymore.
My body ached with warmth and I thought about taking a bath, but I wasn’t sure if that was good for the baby or not. I had read too much online about whether it was allowed or not, so I made the mental note that I would wait until I could walk again and then take a long, hot shower.
Preferably with Asher.
You know, just in case I needed someone to hold me. Or touch me. Or…
“You know I love you,” Asher whispered as he kissed my shoulder. “And the baby.”
“I’m coming around to that idea,” I whispered.
“Just believe in what I say, sweetheart. Now close your eyes.”
I sighed as I felt his fingertips touching my skin.
It was soothing and relaxing, two words that didn’t seem to go along with Asher.
I had a hundred questions for him though.
I swallowed them and drifted off to sleep.
At some point I thought I heard the door shut but I didn’t wake up.
When I did wake up, it was three hours later, my coffee was stone cold, and my apartment was empty.
I found my robe at the end of the bed and put it on.
I checked every room twice as though Asher was hiding somewhere.
He wasn’t hiding though.
He left.
Like always.
I stepped into a hot shower, alone, and looked down, realizing I was never alone.
I wanted to have good stories to tell the baby about his or her father.
Or maybe it was time to just tell Asher to stay away for good.
26
(Asher)
NOW
I faced off with Jared as he tightened his lips, trying to look big and bad.
“You’re sure about this?” Tristian asked.
“Positive,” I said, without looking away from Jared.
“You know what this means then,” Jared said. “I won’t say it… but I’m not tolerating any bullshit, Asher.”
“I know,” I said. “Time to make a choice here, right?”
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Tristian said. “There’s other ways.”
“It’s already done,” I said. “Everything is signed.”
I offered my hand and Jared shook it.
I walked away to my truck and tossed the envelope to the
passenger seat and drove to the cafe.
I was going to face some serious hell for what I had done.
But that was okay.
It was decision time and there was no turning back.
I never meant for anything to happen the way it did with Lauren.
I wasn’t sure if she’d ever understand, but maybe that was okay. She didn’t need to understand. I was going to do my part and that was it.
The moment I walked into the cafe, it was like the world stopped.
Lauren stood holding a small tray of dirty mugs and dishes. Her hair was messy with a few strands stuck to her forehead from sweat. Her stomach looked so pretty pushing against her apron. She looked tired. She looked like she needed someone…
You, Asher. She needs you.
“Can I kill him now or later?” Peggy asked from behind the counter.
“Do it later,” I said. “I have something for Lauren.”
“Can I at least punch him first?” Marissa asked.
“That’s fine with me,” I said.
“No,” Lauren said. “Nobody’s to go near him.”
“I brought something for you,” I said. I waved the envelope. “Can I have a minute?”
“Oh, is that all?” Lauren asked. “Just a minute?”
I walked to a table and sat down.
Lauren put down the tray of dirty dishes and walked to the table.
I had the most wicked urge to touch her belly. To kiss her belly. To kiss her. To lift her up and smile and tell her I loved her.
But I can’t hurt her. Not anymore. I can hurt myself…
“What do you want now?” she asked.
“This is for you,” I said and slid the envelope across the table.
“What’s that for?”
“Open it.”
Lauren sat down and opened the envelope. Her eyes went wide when she saw the check.
“What is this?”
“I sold my portion of the business,” I said.
“What?”
“I sold to Jared and Tristian. So now I work there. For them.”
“Asher…”
I reached across the table. “That’s yours, sweetheart. Take the check and do what you want with it. Buy a house. Put it away for college. I don’t care. You deserve it. The baby deserves it.”
“Are you buying your way out of our life?” Lauren asked.
“No,” I said. “This is… this is the right thing.”
“So, you just hand me a check and then leave for good?”
I swallowed hard. “This is so you can forget about everything. Me. Us. I don’t want anyone else hurt.”
I stood up and Lauren grabbed for my hand. “Is this a fucking joke?”
“No,” I said.
She stood up.
The cafe door opened and in came a rush of people. There was a large bus parked outside.
Some type of charter bus stopping for some coffee.
“Looks like you just got busy,” I said. I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I really do love you, Lauren.” I put my hand to her stomach. “And I really love this baby. But you two are better off this way. You have everything you need right here. I can’t fuck that up for you, sweetheart.”
I moved away from her and waited at the door as at least thirty people came into the cafe. A group of elderly women with puffy hair, bags over their shoulders, the smell like cheap perfume at a department store counter.
When I had my chance to leave, someone touched my arm.
I turned and Lauren was right there.
Her eyes were big, almost bigger than her glasses.
I opened my mouth to tell her I loved her again.
She punched me.
* * *
She had a hell of a punch.
I tasted blood instantly.
A bunch of the women let out a gasp.
Lauren turned with beautiful poise and pointed to her stomach. “Pregnancy hormones… and men… am I right?”
The group of women all agreed with nods, laughs, and even a few clapped.
Peggy stuck her fingers into her mouth and whistled.
I touched my lip and nodded. “Something you want to say, sweetheart?”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” she asked me.
“I’m making my decision.”
“Money. You hand me a check and leave. I have everything I need right here. Fine. You’re right. But what about what I want? Huh?”
“And what’s that?”
“You,” she said. She punched my chest. “You, you stupid Ash-hole.”
I swallowed hard. I lifted my hand and put up four fingers.
Lauren’s lips curled.
She wound up for another punch.
Before she could throw it, I kissed her.
Just our lips though. Nothing crazy.
Just a sweet and perfect kiss.
The kind of kiss I had waited so long to give to her.
Because she made me fucking nervous. She threw me off my path all the time. She made me think things that weren’t meant for me.
Lauren broke the kiss. “I don’t want a fucking check, Asher.”
“Too late. It’s yours.”
“I hate you so much.”
“I know you do,” I said. I put my forehead to hers. “I want you, Lauren. I want everything about you.” My hands touched her sides. “I thought if I could give enough to get you by, it would be easier to let go.”
“You didn’t make it out the door,” she said.
“I know. My head…”
I lost the words again. I hated losing the words.
I pushed Lauren away and looked around the cafe.
That’s when it all hit me.
“Everyone, please listen,” I called out. “I need to say something.”
I had all eyes on me.
“This woman right here,” I said and pointed to Lauren.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her cheeks turning red.
“This woman doesn’t deserve me,” I said. “She deserves so much better. But she loves me. I used to pick on her all the time. I used to break her toys. I threw a frog at her. I told her lies. I called her names. In reality, I was in love with her. I didn’t know how to handle it back then when we were kids. And what she doesn’t know is that I always protected her. I kick anyone’s ass who said anything bad about her. Everything about her is perfect and always has been. And now she’s carrying my baby. Our baby. And here I am, trying to find out what the hell I’m supposed to do. My father was a bad person. He and my mother fought all the time and I have no idea what it means to be a good father. I don’t even know what it means to be a good man to a woman. Especially to a woman like Lauren here. But here’s what I do know… I know that I love her. And I love the baby. And I will do anything for either of them. I would find a way to lift the world and carry it somewhere else if Lauren told me to do so. I just sold my business and gave her all the money. Thinking that would make her run away from me and stay away. Because I love her so much…” I looked right at Lauren. “I love you so much I don’t want to let you down. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to be everything you want and need…”
Lauren blinked fast. “You’re such an asshole.”
“I know.”
“Is everyone still watching us?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“I want to punch you again.”
“I know,” I said.
“I’m crazy for this,” she said. “For not taking that check and running. Don’t make me regret it.”
I grabbed her again. “You’re going to regret every single day with me, sweetheart. That’s my charm. But at the same time, you won’t know what it’s like to live without me.”
“I’m not sure that’s what a woman wants to hear.”
“I don’t give a shit what anyone wants to hear,” I said. “I’m just telling the truth.”
“Why do I love you, Asher?”
“I have no idea,” I said.
“But I love you right back… Loser Lauren.”
She gently slapped my cheek. “My Ash-hole.”
I moved in for a kiss and Lauren pulled away.
“What the hell?” I asked.
“I have a lot of customers. Maybe we’ll catch up later.”
I took her by the hand. “I’m thinking about changing careers. And it looks like you need some help.”
“You want a job here?”
“Yeah.”
“That makes me your boss.”
“Yeah, I guess it does.”
“That means I can fire you,” Lauren said.
“Or punish me,” I said. “Tie to me the counter? Pour ice water on me?”
Her cheeks brightened again. “You have to wear an apron.”
“With no shirt on under it!” someone called out.
That got everyone cheering.
I smiled.
Lauren blushed harder and rubbed her forehead.
I touched her chin and made her look at me.
I loved her glasses. I loved her hair. I loved her eyes. I loved her smile.
I licked my lip, tasting blood again.
The dorky girl next door really turned into an amazing woman.
She could tie me to the bed anytime she wanted.
She could punch me in the mouth anytime she wanted.
I meant what I said…
I would do anything to make my four eyes, Loser Lauren the happiest woman in the world.
27
(Asher)
THEN
She sat on the porch with a book in her hands. She stared down at the pages and her big, dorky glasses hung from her face. They looked ready to fall off at any second. She had just moved in like a month ago. Her dumb long hair and her blue flower dress that sort of matched her shoes, made her look like a character out of a book. She was so nice and proper. Smiled all the time.
I didn’t get it.
When she saw me, she would wave.
She even said Hello to me a few times.
Which wasn’t a big deal.
I guess.
It made no sense.
I shouldn’t have cared as much as I did.
She was just some girl.
Some new girl too.
I had plenty of other girlfriends in my life.
LUCKY KISS Page 13