• • •
After an hour on the trail, Carly’s chest was burning and she had a stitch in her side, but she kept going. She would be damned before Asher knew that she was having difficulty on the steep path. Trying to keep her breathing quiet, she leaned against a tree for a minute, wiping the sweat from her neck. Her legs felt like rubber bands.
Asher looked back in amusement. “Having trouble?” he asked, holding out his hand.
“Not a bit,” she replied, barely able to keep the huffing and puffing out of her voice.
“It’s only another couple hundred yards. You’ll make it.” Asher turned and continued up the rocky trail, more slowly this time.
Despite her discomfort, Carly couldn’t help but admire him from behind. The soft dark hair, blowing in the wind … the strong shoulders and broad back. Deliberately, she skipped his jeans-clad backside … it was too much to think about … and continued her examination … those strong thighs and lean calves …
Suddenly, a pine branch whipped across her face. Ouch! She wanted to squeal, but also didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing she wasn’t paying attention. Because she could pretty well tell that he would know just why she was distracted. Which made her even more determined to stick with the plan of driving him crazy … by being as cool and calm as possible.
Sucking in a breath, she forged ahead and met Asher at the top of the crest. Spilling out before them was another valley, this one even more beautiful than the one that contained Ruby Spring. It was lusher, for one thing. Tall pine trees thickly covered the mountainsides and a sparkling, clear lake, which was obviously the authentic Ruby Spring, rested at the base of the valley. A tiny cabin sat on a ridge above the lake, a winding dirt road snaking away from it. Asher’s familiar old van was parked next to the cabin.
“Wow.” Carly’s feigned nonchalance dissolved and when he draped an arm around her shoulders, she didn’t lean away. In fact, did her body just sway closer to his? Yep. It was probably because her legs were so shaky from the hike. That’s all.
Asher grinned with pride. “This is the real Ruby Spring, my dear,” His eyes twinkled and his face somehow seemed younger. His smile was relaxed and genuine. It was … revealing. She looked away.
Tipping her head up to the sun, Carly beamed. “I see that it is. And I’m really glad that you made me come here,” she admitted.
Catching her hand, Asher pulled her farther down the trail. “C’mon, let’s go to the cabin. You shouldn’t be in the sun too much longer. I don’t want Daniel accusing me of French-frying his set designer.”
Laughing, she trotted along beside him. Now, this was more like it. Fighting with him was fun, but also tiring after a while. And it was fairly obvious how comfortable he was in this setting. Was the cabin where he had been for that week? If so, his grumpy ass should spend more time here. Carly giggled to herself as they reached the cabin door.
“Why is your van here, Asher?” she teased, “Did you plan this trip, knowing that I would say yes?”
“Yep. And I figured that you might be too tired to hike back down. Or that we might run out of time. I didn’t want a hysterical employee on my hands.”
Carly punched his solid shoulder and grabbed the picnic basket out of his hands. “I’m never hysterical. Just very dedicated to my work.”
“What, no sassy comeback? You’re in a good mood, finally.” He pushed open the door.
“I could say the same to you, Mr. Grouch,” she retorted.
What a cute little cabin. A wide bed covered in an old quilt was built snugly in to one of the walls, and a plank table and benches rested next to another wall. The large fireplace was blackened with use, and a small set of shelves sat near it, holding simple ceramic dishes and cookware. A folded up easel and a box of paints were propped in a corner next to the single large window.
“Home away from home?” she inquired, her eyes resting on the art supplies.
Asher cleared his throat. “You might say that, but let’s not talk about it right now. Let’s eat.” Placing the picnic basket on the table, he began to pull out sandwiches and bottles of water.
Watching him to make sure she hadn’t broken the pleasant mood, Carly crossed over to the bed and sat down. He wasn’t frowning, which was a good sign. Pulling off her baseball cap, she shook her hair free and slipped off her hiking boots. They were new and still pinched just a bit. She glanced over at Asher, her eyes drinking him in. God, how she wished she could give in and just flirt with him. Just a little bit. She sighed.
Asher met her gaze; the hungry look in his brown eyes making her stomach flutter. “Getting ready for bed?” A smile played over his sculpted lips and he moved toward her. “You want some company?”
A delicious shiver ran down Carly’s spine and it was all she could do not to scream out “Yesss.” Primly, she sat up straight and smoothed the hair out of her eyes. “Oh, I’m not sleepy!” she said, “Just hungry.” Her eyes widened. Crap. Why couldn’t she keep her big mouth shut?
Asher stepped closer, leaned down, and placed his palms on her bare thighs. “I’m hungry, too,” he whispered.
Carly’s lips parted and she tried desperately not to look into his eyes. She failed.
“Really?”
“Really,” Asher replied. Slowly, his palms moved up her thighs and caressed her hips. He rested them on her waist and she closed her eyes. Oh, God. Struggling for a good reason to stop him was pointless, though. She couldn’t think.
Asher nudged her thighs apart gently with his knee. The soft cotton of the jeans and the warm firmness of his leg sent electric thrills to the very center of her. His knee sank into the bed between her legs and his hands moved up to her ribcage. Carly’s face was close to his chest, and she let her head sink onto it as his hands moved further still, now resting under her full breasts.
“Carly?” he whispered.
She couldn’t speak, but nodded. “Yes.”
Asher groaned and pushed her backward until her head was resting on the pillow. Instinctively, her legs opened wider as Asher’s other knee swung onto the bed. Pulling himself over her, he nestled between her thighs.
Slowly, Carly reached up with trembling fingers and touched his lips. “If you want to … I want you to kiss me,” she murmured.
His eyes darkened and he slipped his warm hands under her T-shirt to rest lightly on her belly. “Are you sure?” He began to slowly rub her stomach, his hands brushing against her lacy bra.
Carly nodded and opened her mouth slightly, pulling his head in for a kiss. He resisted and continued his delicious assault, this time his hands slipping under the bra, lifting it up. Her shirt followed. His eyes burned fire as he observed her building passion, his hands light as feathers as they cupped her breasts. Carly’s head dropped back and she moaned.
“I hope you’re sure, because I doubt it will stop with a kiss,” Asher whispered.
Still he denied her his mouth, but his thumbs were driving her into insanity.
Carly reached up blindly and grabbed his taut shoulders. “I hope it doesn’t stop with a kiss … God, I hope it doesn’t,” she breathed, and pulled him down. His lips were so close, but still he hesitated.
And waited just a few seconds too long. The sudden high-pitched trill of a cell phone jolted them both out of the trance. Hovering above her, his expression changed and she blinked, rolling her head to the side in embarrassment. Asher groaned and clapped a hand over his eyes. He sat back on his heels, still between Carly’s thighs.
Wrestling the phone from his pocket, he looked at the caller ID on the screen and rolled his eyes. “What, Danny?” he said in a tight voice.
Gingerly moving her legs, Carly wriggled out from under him and slid off the bed, her heart hammering in her throat. What the hell had just happened? Her summer promise was to stay away from pr
ickly men, not have sex with one of them in a deserted cabin. Dammit. She had to stay away from Asher as much as possible from now on. She had to.
“Carly?”
She turned at Asher’s voice, and met his gaze. The passion had been replaced by anxiety. Great.
“We have to go. Now. Right now,” he commanded, striding to the table and throwing sandwiches back into the basket.
Mortified, she shoved her boots on and began lacing them up. “I know,” she replied, “I didn’t mean for … that … to happen either.”
Asher let out a rueful laugh. “No, no, no. That was amazing … or was going to be,” he said. “We have to go because Sophie is in labor.”
Carly’s mouth dropped open and she laced faster. “Good thing you have your van up here, Asher, or you’d be in deep … without a paddle.”
Chapter Seven
Daniel Day shifted his weight in the uncomfortable chair as he flipped through the channels on the hospital waiting room television. Sighing, he threw the remote on a side table and glanced up at the clock for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. There was absolutely nothing on television in the middle of the night.
“Tell me again why they won’t let me back there?” he groused.
“Because you just got out of the hospital yourself, and they don’t want to risk infection, Bro,” replied Asher, swirling the grounds in his questionable cup of coffee.
Daniel shifted again and stared down at the cast encasing his leg from ankle to hip. “All I did was break my leg.”
“Yeah, but badly,” replied Asher, “Remember … you had a fever for two days afterward.”
Daniel knew it was true, but he wasn’t finished complaining. “I’m sick of wearing sweatpants and … and … showering with trash bags taped to my thigh.”
“And I’m pretty sure that your wife is sick of being in labor,” said Carly, as she walked in to the room, “but life is life, boss man.”
Handing him a sandwich, she sat down in a corner, picked up a magazine, and started flipping through it. She didn’t want to be unkind, but she also didn’t want to get sucked into a conversation that included Asher. Daniel wasn’t a fool and he’d figure out quick enough that Carly wanted to jump his brother’s bones. She wasn’t a very good liar.
It didn’t help that Asher had been pushing her buttons since they’d arrived at the hospital. Every time she turned around, he was staring at her with intense eyes, and over the past few hours in the waiting room, he had taken each and every opportunity to touch her. Granted, it was casual … a squeeze of the hand, a brush of a shoulder, but it was driving her hormones wild. She wanted him. Really bad. And he wanted her back. That thought alone caused the butterflies in the pit of her stomach to flit again.
“Carly? Car … lee?” Daniel’s whimper broke through and she raised her head. “Could you please go and check at the nurse’s station again?”
She had been six times in the past hour, but how could she say no? Rising, she stretched and zipped up her comfy, baggy sweater. And saw Asher staring at her out of the corner of his eye. Dammit. Flashing a nervous smile, she darted for the door. “I’ll be happy to, Danny. But I’m afraid that the news will be the same.”
Daniel sighed and turned the TV back on, flipping to a home shopping network. “There’s some cool stuff on here, huh, Bro?”
Asher shook his head. “Give me that remote, you dumbass. That stuff’s a bunch of crap. Are you crazy?”
“No, but you are,” retorted Daniel, “Lust-crazed.”
“What?” Crap. He should have known better than to try to play games with Carly in front of his older brother … the only person who knew him like he knew himself.
Daniel stared at him, a smug look animating his worn-out features. “Don’t play stupid.” He waggled a finger. “I can totally see that something is going on there.”
Asher rolled his eyes and wandered over to the door, peering out the small, long window. “Nothing’s going on, Danny. You’re seeing things because you’re tired.”
“See there. You’re looking for her.” Daniel goaded.
Shaking his head again, Asher leaned against the door. “I most certainly am not. I’m just bored is all.” Trying his best to fake a world-weary attitude, he exhaled and gazed up at the ceiling.
“Pining for your lover?” Daniel chuckled.
Asher gave him a wary glance. If anyone knew how to push his buttons it was Danny. Or maybe Carly Foster. But time would tell on that one.
“No. I don’t have a lover, thank you very much. Women are not at the top of my list these days.” Asher pushed away from the door and advanced into the room, glowering at Daniel, his hands on his hips.
Daniel glanced at the door and cleared his throat. “Sure, sure. I understand. So why is it, then, that every time you look at Carly, your eyes are unsnapping her bra?”
“Not true.” Asher said through gritted teeth.
“And why is it every time she looks at you, she’s unbuttoning your … ah … shirt?”
“Again, decidedly, untrue.”
Daniel reached up and thumped Asher’s chest. “Oh, come off it. You’re so full of shit, man! Mark my words, if we’re here another two hours, you two will have abandoned me for an empty broom closet.”
The door clattered open and the two brothers turned sharply at the gasp behind them. Carly stood behind a wheelchair, her mouth hanging open. Her face was beet red. She looked back and forth between them.
“If this was any other time, I would have a bone to pick with each of you. You guys get off lucky this time, though.” Pushing the wheelchair into the room, she glared at Asher as she passed. He, in turn, gazed at her butt, winking at Daniel over her head.
Daniel let out a hoot of laugher. “That’s my boy.”
Carly ignored his outburst and stopped in front of him. “C’mon, Danny Boy, it’s really happening this time. The doctor agreed to let you in the delivery room, but you have to get suited up first.”
“You’re going to be a daddy, bro.” Asher sprang into action and heaved his brother into the wheelchair and rolled him to the door. For once, Danny was speechless.
• • •
Four hours later, as the sun was peeking over the mountains in the distance, Carly found herself again entering a hospital room. Sophie lay on the bed, her blonde hair smoothed back in a headband. Her eyes gleamed as she looked down at the tiny bundle nestled in her arms.
“Hi there, mommy,” whispered Carly. She glanced over to the corner of the room. Asher and Daniel were sound asleep in a heap on a small sofa, Daniel’s broken leg propped up on Asher’s chest. Each of them snored, and each of them did so through a wide-open mouth.
Sophie pointed down at her son. The baby’s mouth was wide open, too, and he let out a little groan. “Like father, like son,” she whispered, “And like uncle, too.”
Carly reached out and held his tiny hand. The baby grasped it. She smiled in wonder and looked down at Sophie. “Wow … he’s strong.”
Sophie gazed serenely down at him. “Yeah. He’s that for sure.” She gestured with her head toward the two snoring men on the sofa. “You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but my husband is the inspiration for this little one’s name.”
Carly raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Which is?”
“Daniel Henry Day,” declared Sophie.
Daniel snorted awake in the corner and lifted his sleepy head. “Huh? Coming,” he mumbled. His head fell back again. Asher shifted and moved Daniel’s leg to the floor, waking him in the process. Yawning, Asher smiled and turned a bleary gaze on Sophie.
“Your husband barely recognizes his own name, sis,” he chuckled. Stretching, he turned his head and saw Carly. His eyes focused on her and she stepped back from the bed, smiling hesitantly at him.
&nbs
p; “Good morning, Asher,” she began.
“Hi, Carly. Did you stay all night?”
“Um … yeah,” she fumbled. “Hey … uh … I’m sure all of you want some family time, now that everyone’s awake,” she said, looking around the room.
Asher shrugged and ambled to the bed. “You can stay if you want, I guess … right, Sophie?”
Sophie looked up at Asher and raised an eyebrow in interest. She turned her gaze to Carly, who blushed and looked down at the blanket on the bed. Clearing her throat, Carly pressed her lips together and reached out to grasp the baby’s hand again.
A small, satisfied smile played around the edges of Sophie’s mouth. “Oh, I think she’d better stay, don’t you, Asher?”
• • •
“I’m sick of waiting rooms,” complained Carly, as she stood up and stretched. Ambling over to the monitor on the wall, she checked again to make sure Marilyn’s flight was on time.
Ross sighed and continued to type away on his laptop. “Then why don’t you go down to the end of baggage claim and get us some coffee?”
“What’s the point? Her flight lands in ten minutes. Did you remember to bring her head shot?”
Ross pulled it out from his backpack and waved it, his eyes still on the computer screen. “Yeah, I printed it off my e-mail this morning. Just give me a sec, Carly; I have to get the rest of the stage directions down for Marilyn. Nancy sure made a mess of it,” he muttered.
Carly walked back over and took the photo from his outstretched hand. She gazed at the face and shook her head. Marilyn certainly was beautiful; Mike hadn’t lied about that. Large, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with mischief in a heavily made-up, but flawless face. There were hints of wrinkles around the forehead, but they were so small they would never be seen from the audience. The lovely mouth revealed perfect, even teeth, and the hair was a gleaming blond waterfall. “At least Asher will have something new to occupy himself,” Carly thought with a hint of jealousy.
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