by Vivian Wood
Ashleigh blushed in turn as she pictured asking Walker on a date, but she shrugged. “Maybe I will. Thanks, Rose.”
The front door swung open and Ashleigh looked at the clock, shocked at the time. Well, well… time really does fly when you’re having fun. And she really had been, she realized.
Walker strode into the kitchen, his eyes fixed on Ashleigh and the short sundress she’d chosen this morning. He had already been gone by the time she’d finished in the shower.
He was dirty and sweaty from his day’s work on the ranch, his t-shirt clinging to his muscles as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and downed it one gulp, his eyes never leaving hers.
The girls muttered their excuses as they took one look between Ashleigh and Walker and they were gone before she could even say thank you.
Ashleigh’s mouth went dry as she was confronted with his raw masculinity, now free of any distractions. The way his shirt clung to his chest, the smell of sweat permeating in a not altogether unpleasant way, the way that he gulped down his water, ignoring the droplets that escaped down his jaw… Her cheeks flushed.
“I’m sorry I’m so sweaty. Colt’s got this bizarre idea about optimizing space in the barn. He’s making us lug everything around.” His lips played up into a grin as he waited on her response.
His remark made her blush ever harder, worrying again that he was able to read her mind. Or somehow see her thoughts.
“That’s, uh… I mean, that’s okay.” What the hell are you, fourteen? that snide voice piped up again. She felt like she was new to all of this dating stuff, if she was being honest. Trying to get someone to care for you was much more intimidating -- and way more challenging -- than shaking your hips and murmuring sexy things to make some guy feel like you felt something for him, that you wanted him.
Finally, she managed to string together an entire sentence. “So Rose told me there’s a fair this weekend?” she asked, trying her best to sound coy, or something of that variety.
“Yeah, it kids' stuff mostly, rides, petting zoos, magic shows, pageants. And a place for teenagers to make out. You know, the whole, ‘I’ll win you a teddy bear if you kiss me’ kinda thing.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her blush again.
Remember your mission, Ashleigh. Do not, under any circumstances, chicken out. She took a deep breath as she tried to gather the courage to ask him to take her there.
“Would you take me there? Like on a date?” she blurted out. “Like, uhm, I mean, you know. An actual, real date?”
His eyebrows shot up as his jaw dropped slightly, wide eyes flashing to meet hers. Uh-oh. She braced herself for ridicule, or cruel laughter that she’d even ask. Disappointment spread through her body, even though she had no right to feel it. He was delivering on his promises to her. She was the one who was trying to change their arrangement.
She forced herself to snap back to reality, ready to apologize, to take it back. It took her a second to realize that while he still looked a little shocked, there was no scorn or mocking.
Instead, he was nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, sure. Good idea.”
The sheer relief that swept through her drove her forward, and she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” she breathed.
15
Walker paced around the kitchen while waiting for Ashleigh to get ready. He tried to calm his nerves by checking that every clock in the house was set to the precise time, but they all were anyway. He tried walking around the house, checking to see if there was any maintenance that needed to be done. There wasn’t.
She had told him to give her an hour, and an unnecessary check of his watch told him it had only been twenty-two minutes.
It was a particular brand of excruciating first date nerves that coursed through his system. He’d been banished from his own bedroom, where his fiancée was getting ready for their first date. Because, oh yeah, it was her bedroom, too.
There were few things in life that shocked him. He tended to be observant enough and a good enough judge of character that he rarely found himself in situations where he was well and thoroughly shocked. Ashleigh asking him to take her on a real date had been one of those unaccustomed moments.
He wasn’t even sure what that meant. Real date. He wasn’t one to dwell on things, but he was uncertain that she’d meant what he thought she’d meant. What he wanted her to mean, deep down inside.
He wasn’t a complete idiot, and he’d felt the shift of things between them as well, but he’d also promised himself that he’d never slip up with her again and she was planning their wedding, after all. So maybe there was nothing more to it.
It sure as shit didn’t feel like that was all it was, but she was desperate to stay safe and he was desperate to keep her that way. So maybe she’d just been relaxing into normal life, routine. Maybe she felt nothing at all had changed from their initial arrangement except that she’d become more comfortable around him.
He wished he could go a few rounds with his punching bag, let off some steam, but he’d already showered and changed into a clean button-up and jeans, so that wasn’t an option. Besides, women shouldn’t wait on men for a date. He was pretty sure that’s how it worked in marriage, the husband waited for the wife to get ready. Not that he knew much about it except for the odd childhood memory where his father would be suited up and ready to go, swirling a drink around in his glass mumbling about how his mother was taking her sweet time.
Eventually, he settled on the couch and flicked on ESPN, hoping something was on that would take his mind off of his nerves.
Precisely on time, Ashleigh appeared in the doorway of the living room and he had to actively stop his jaw from hitting the ground, stripping her down and doing all the things to her that he’d fantasized about. There was a definite double take though.
She smiled shyly as she took in his expression and did a quick twirl. “Is this okay?” she asked, a worried look overtaking her eyes.
“You look…” He trailed off, searching for inoffensive, proper words to describe how he thought she looked.
“Beautiful. You look beautiful, Ashleigh.” There was an unfamiliar tone in his voice as he said the words and realized that he meant them completely. She looked like an absolute angel, actually.
She was wearing a navy skirt that hung to just about mid-thigh, a white V-neck shirt that showed off far too little cleavage for his liking and brown leather cowboy boots they’d bought her a couple of days ago. Her fiery hair hung around her shoulders, some sort of headband the color of her skirt holding it back from falling too much into her eyes, and her makeup was almost non-existent. As far as he could tell, anyway.
“Thank you,” she said, still appearing a little bit shy.
“You’re welcome.” He grinned at her, genuinely pleased that he seemed to have said the right thing for once. “You ready to go?”
“Sure!” She grabbed her purse from the kitchen and seemed thoroughly excited as he led her to the Escalade, held out a hand to steady her as she got in and drove them to the fair.
Ashleigh clutched his arm in excitement as they arrived, looking around her in silent amazement. “Oh, can we go on that one?” she pleaded, pointing to a platform of spinning lights where the riders were whirled from one side to the next while bolted into cars that took two people at a time.
He grinned. He’d loved that ride as a kid. “Sure, Ash.”
He led her deeper into the fair and quickly realized that she hadn’t been to one before as she squealed in delight and asked about more of the tamer rides.
“Whatever you want, where do you want to start?”
She pointed at another ride with shining lights and people screaming as it whirled around on its track.
He grinned and led her to it, holding her hand as he did. They spent the next hour or so until sunset on the rides. He’d been serious when he’d told her that fairs were for kids and teenagers who wanted to make out, but being there with her changed his perspective on the matter ent
irely.
He was caught up in her enthusiasm, eagerly leading her to each ride, grinning as he watched her elated expression when the ride started and listening to her excitedly recounting her favorite parts of the ride as they waited in line for the next.
“You ready to get some food?” he asked shortly after the sun had set.
“Yeah, I guess so. Who knew sitting still on a ride could work up such an appetite?” Her cheeks were flushed from excitement, her ponytail windswept and her eyes bright. She’d given up on the loose hair after the first ride and had tied it back, but some strands had escaped her handiwork and it gave her an innocent, no fuss look.
He led her to the concession stands and ordered food from a few before returning to the spot she’d found for them to eat. She tried a bit of everything and declared the chocolate-covered corn dogs her favorite.
“No one likes those!” he groaned, but pushed his toward her. Once they’d finished he led her over to the bar.
“Let’s see what the games have to offer,” he suggested. “We can carry the drinks and won’t need anyone to hold them for us while we go on rides.”
“Okay,” she agreed, her eyes quickly flashing across the backlit menu behind the counter. Walker ordered a beer for himself and a daiquiri for her. Once their drinks were in hand, they went in search of the games. Her hand slid casually into his as they walked, and he found his fingers closing around her delicate hand again.
Her proximity and that damn strawberry smell were stirring things up in his body, but he bit it down and tried to focus on showing her a good time on their first date.
They played games for a while, sipping at their drinks and talking easily. He didn’t talk to many people, not like this. She made him want to, though. She made him want to talk to her, made him want to hear her actual responses, not guess or already know what they would be.
She surprised him constantly, always reacting differently than what he’d expected. She’d taken the news of their impending nuptials better than he had. He’d been sure she would’ve felt like she was being married off against her will, but she’d thrown herself into planning the wedding with Rose and Remy and had even had a few of her own ideas along the way.
He won her a prize at one of the game booths, target shooting with a water gun. Like taking candy from a newborn, not even a baby.
It was just a cheap stuffed elephant, but you’d have sworn he’d won her a gold bar from the way she jumped and clapped and hugged the thing.
His breath caught as he watched her jump around, skirt whirling around her. She really had no idea how exquisite she was, he realized as he watched her.
When her eyes opened, they focused on the Ferris wheel and she glanced over at him.
“Yes, of course we can,” he replied, answering the question she hadn’t asked yet.
Her smile was so bright that it may have set fire to the atmosphere. “I’ve only been on one once before,” she confessed as they waited in line.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to ignore the way her body sang to his whenever he touched her.
They stepped onto the ride a few minutes later, wedged tightly together.
The wheel stopped every so often to let people on, and Ashleigh seemed to be getting the hang of it. The first few times, her hands had gripped the bar and she’d looked at Walker questioningly. Now, they were almost all the way to the top and she didn’t react as they stopped.
He’d been observing her from the corner of his eye the whole way up, trying to gauge if she was going to be sick or freak out or something once they got to the top. Also, there was the tiny matter of him not being able to keep his eyes off her.
When the wheel stopped this time, he caught her biting her lip as she stole a glance at him. He turned slowly to face her, careful not to rock their basket. Electricity passed between them as their eyes met.
Walker forgot about his personal rule book and manifesto when it came to her, captured by the look in her eyes. He felt an irresistible draw to her, like her lips were the flame and he was the moth.
He pressed his lips gently to hers and was surprised when she kissed him back, tentatively at first, but growing more passionate as time ticked by.
She was only the second person he'd kissed since Jenny and as it had with their first time, it made him feel guilty but it made him feel good, too. Really fucking good. But how does it feel to her? he suddenly wondered. Fuck.
He’d promised himself he wouldn’t slip up with her again. What if she was only doing this because she felt like she had to?
He broke their kiss immediately, but she reached up to hold his face to hers. “I’m doing this because I want to, Walker. Not because I think that I owe you something, or--”
He crushed his lips to hers again, having heard what he’d needed to hear.
She’s doing this because she wants to!
Elation rose in his stomach as he kissed her with everything he had. He tried to move his body to hers, but then remembered the fact that they were on a Ferris wheel and he could only move so much.
He let out a low groan of frustration as he ached to do more than kiss her on this stupid fucking Ferris wheel that had suddenly started to feel like a prison. Nevertheless, his hand that had been resting on her knee had started stroking upward of its own volition and was now toying with her underwear.
He teased the seam of her sex over her panties with the back of his fingers and the heat he felt there had him groaning against her mouth.
That was the irony of it folks, he thought as he tried to imagine any possible scenario that involved getting her off before they got to the bottom again. They shared a bed every night, and this finally happened when they were somewhere he couldn’t give her everything he wanted to, where he could give her almost nothing, in fact.
She gasped as his fingers slid under her panties, stroking the warm, wet folds he found there. She was so warm, so wet, so ready… He let out another groan as he realized that they were coming up on the bottom of the Ferris wheel, and withdrew his fingers from her warmth.
“We’re finishing this later!” he growled in her ear just before they stepped off the wheel.
She nodded in agreement just as he helped her off the ride, pulled her against his side and just about dragged her through the crowd toward the Escalade.
“Walker!” he heard Sawyer’s voice call through the crowd.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath and tightened his hold on Ashleigh. As much as he loved his family, they were the last thing he felt like dealing with right now.
His head was swimming with memories of just how wet Ashleigh was, and he couldn’t wait to get her home to finish what they had started.
His heart -- and other parts of his anatomy -- softened when he saw Shiloh bounding toward him, pulling on Sawyer’s hand to get to him.
He sighed, resigning himself to just a few minutes of small talk so he could make a date to spend some time with his nephew later in the week.
Tentatively letting go of Ashleigh, he dropped to his haunches and swooped Shiloh up in a bear hug when they reached him.
“How’s my favorite little man doing?” he crooned as his nephew giggled in delight.
“He was just complaining this afternoon about wanting to see Uncle Walker.” Sawyer grinned. “How you doing, Ashleigh? It’s good to see you.”
“I’m okay, thanks,” she replied softly, her cheeks still flushed from Walker's earlier attentions.
Sawyer’s eyes darted between the two of them, and he cleared his throat just as Remy and Shelby caught up with them.
Remy drew each of them into a hug, keeping one hand firmly on Harper’s stroller. Harper, for her part, seemed knocked out.
“So much stimulation here!” Remy explained as she nodded at Harper's sleeping form.
“Daddy, you promised!” Shiloh pouted at Sawyer.
“You are, in fact, correct little guy. Daddy did promise. Let’s go.” Sawyer smirked, castin
g a knowing parting look at Ashleigh and Walker.
“I gotta go take Shiloh to see the magician. You two have fun though.” He winked and disappeared into the crowd.
Remy and Ashleigh had struck up a conversation about overstimulation of babies. Rather, Remy had struck up the conversation, and Ashleigh was nodding in agreement with whatever Remy said.
“I haven’t seen you around for a while, Walker,” Shelby said, tilting her head ever so slightly and twirling a lock of golden hair in her fingers.
“Yeah. I’ve been busy,” he muttered, searching for an out. He needed to get Ashleigh home, and Shelby was making things awkward.
“I noticed.” He heard Shelby’s reply, but he wasn’t really paying attention to her until a soft hand came to rest on his bicep.
“We should hang out sometime, catch up?” His eyes darted to her hand, resting so familiarly on his arm and then to Ashleigh, whose lips were pressed into a thin line as she pinned her eyes to Shelby’s hand.
“Yeah, we will.” He shrugged, moving just enough that she let her hand fall away from him. “I’ll have Ashleigh set up a lunch or something for everyone.”
Shelby looked slightly crestfallen, but muttered okay before quickly mumbling her goodbyes and stalking off.
“We’ve gotta go, Rem. See you soon?” Walker begged her with his eyes to let them go without explanation as to why they couldn’t spend some time with them, maybe even catch the magic show.
She regarded him with curious eyes for just a moment before hers lit up in understanding. “Of course, silly me, chattering on about under- and overstimulation. I’m sure you have much more pressing matters to attend to.” She smirked, her voice laced with sarcasm and barely concealed giggles.