All In

by Amy DeMeritt

  “You’re adorable.”

  Skylar spins to face her again and releases an overwhelmed sort of laugh. She inhales deeply as she walks forward and wraps her arms around the back of Ashton’s neck. She gives her a soft kiss on her lips and caresses her cheek.

  “You already know this collection is worth a lot of money, don’t you?”

  “I do.”

  “And you brought me here anyway.”

  “I trust you. And because I trust you, I’ll take whatever advice you give me on what I should do about the collection and the insurance. So, you willing to sell me a policy, Ms. Skylar West?”

  “This is insane.” She laughs as she kisses Ashton’s lips again. “Yes, I’ll help you figure out what to do and I’ll help you with the insurance.”

  “Great. So, who is someone you really want a vinyl for?”

  “Ash, do not tease me like that. I am already losing my shit right now.”

  Ashton laughs and shakes her head. “I’m not teasing. Name one person or band that you really want and it’s yours if you can find it.”

  She groans as she firmly runs her hands up over Ashton’s head and firmly kisses her lips. She shivers from her excitement and releases a small giggle, making Ashton laugh.

  “You are making it really hard not to kiss you right now.”

  With a smirk, Ashton teases, “I didn’t realize you weren’t allowed.”

  “Ash,” she caresses her cheeks and traces her bottom lip with her thumb, “I really want to kiss you. I’ve been wanting to kiss you since that first day I came to see you at the firehouse. But if I kiss you right now, it will seem like I’m only doing it because you’re offering me such an incredible gift. I mean, these records belonged to your mom – that’s such a priceless gift. And you already gave me the ultimate priceless gift – my life.”

  “I kept these records because they meant so much to my mom, but this,” she motions to the plastic storage bins, “is not what my mom would want for her records. She would want someone to listen to them and enjoy them, like she did. You are the first person I’ve met who not only enjoys to listen to vinyl records, but who I also trust to take care of them like she did. For now, I’d really like you to pick one record, then we’ll figure out what I should do with the rest of them.” She grins, and adds, “Oh, and you can kiss me later. I know your mind is more focused on the records than anything else.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Who else has seen these?”

  “Just Gloria. She helped me to organize and store them after my mom passed. She bugs me every so often about getting them appraised and getting insurance on them. She’ll be happy to know you had the same reaction.”

  “Well, if I have the Gloria Sanchez seal of approval, I think I’m doing pretty good.” Ashton laughs and nods. “Thank you for sharing this with me. Even just to see it is a gift.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, go on, I know you’re just itching to look through those bins.”

  “I don’t even know where to start.” She releases Ashton and spins on her heels. She bites her bottom lip and walks around the storage unit, looking at the walls of bins and their labels. “Holy shit. There are six of these bins from the eighties. Ash, how am I supposed to pick what we’re going to listen to today? I want to listen to all of it.”

  “We can come back as often as you’d like to swap out records. If I wasn’t broken right now, I could just put a couple of bins in the truck and you’d be set for a while. But I’ll open my incision if I attempt to move one of those.”

  “No, god no, you’re not coming anywhere near these to move them. Okay, I’m just going to grab a couple off of the ends of a few of these top bins, then we can go. I’m not going to look through them.”

  “That’s quite a gamble. You might end up with some records you don’t like.”

  “Ash, it’s music. All music should be experienced at least once. You never know what you’ll find that you just absolutely love.”

  Ashton’s eyes tear up as a tingling sensation races through her veins. With a hushed tone, she says, “You sounded just like my mom right then. She used to say something very similar.”

  Skylar slowly turns to face Ashton, and as their eyes lock, she closes the distance between them in three easy confident steps. She grabs the sides of Ashton’s face and firmly kisses her lips. She inhales deeply through her nose as Ashton wraps her arms around her. Their lips part and their tongues clash together in a warm slick twist. Skylar releases a quiet whimper as arousal floods her veins, causing her clit to pulse and her insides contract. Every twisting flick of their tongues and sucking nibble of their lips causes their body temperature to rise.

  Skylar’s hands palm through Ashton’s short hair, over her neck, and the top of her chest. Her entire body is tingling and she’s throbbing with pleasure and arousal between her thighs. As Ashton sucks her bottom lip then slips her tongue forward, flicks and pulls back to suck her top lip, Skylar sways and releases an involuntary whimpering moan from a gripping tug in her clit. Her mouth stalls from the impact, so Ashton slowly pulls away from the kiss.

  “I…” Skylar takes a deep breath and places her hands on the top of Ashton’s chest. “That was the most amazing kiss I’ve ever had. I’m…” She swallows hard as her body shudders from the pleasure still pulsing through her. “Was that okay for you?”

  Ashton kisses her lips and brushes a thumb across her cheekbone. “It was wonderful. Thank you.”

  “Thank you?” Skylar breathily laughs a little. “If you knew what I was feeling right now, it’s me who should thank you. You are a crazily good kisser, Lieutenant.”

  She grins as she slightly bites her bottom lip, and as she starts to take a step back, her desire propels her forward. She releases another whimper as their tongues meet in a sweet dance.

  But after only a few moments, another shuddering pulse quakes through her body, causing her to pull away with a quiet gasping, “Fuck.” She takes a few weak steps back. “Don’t let me near your lips again while we’re still in this storage unit.”

  Ashton releases a small laugh and nods as she takes a few steps back to put more distance between them. “I’m going to stay right here while you find us some music to listen to.”

  Skylar looks longingly at Ashton’s lips for a few moments then turns on her heels to give her attention to the bins of records. Some stacks are too tall for her to reach to open any, and after testing their weight, she knows she’s not strong enough to move them by herself. She’s able to reach the top bin on seven stacks, so she opens them one at a time and delicately pulls ten records out from each one. After she closes the bins, she carefully stores the selected records in a cardboard box Ashton brought with them.

  “I’m ready. I’ll wait to look at them till we get back to your place.”

  “Okay.”

  When they get in Ashton’s truck, Skylar holds the box on her lap with such care that it causes emotion to swell in Ashton’s chest again. It feels good to have someone to share this with who can fully appreciate what it means to her personally, and who can also appreciate the records in the same way as her mother had when she was alive. Erin knows the story about Ashton’s mother’s record collection, but she never showed interest in actually seeing the collection so Ashton never brought her to the storage unit.

  “Ash?”

  She looks over for a moment as she slows for a red light. “What’s up?”

  “We kissed.”

  Suddenly afraid to meet her eyes because of the caution in her voice, Ashton stares ahead, and responds, “We did. Do you regret it?”

  “No. Well, maybe.” Ashton looks over to see Skylar staring down and fiddling with the corner of the top flap of the cardboard box. “I really like you. I’ve never really felt this way about someone. But I don’t want to be the girl you’re with to get over your breakup. I want to be the girl you’re with because you think we have something special – some
thing that can last. Ash, I want to be in a serious committed relationship with you.”

  “Do you think I would allow something to happen with you if I wasn’t serious about it going somewhere?”

  Skylar smiles as she continues to look at the box. She nervously bites her bottom lip then looks up to meet Ashton’s eyes. “No, I don’t think you would do that to me. Are you ready to move on though? Have I given you enough time? It has only been two weeks since Erin broke up with you.”

  “Damn, it has been two weeks already that I’ve been on medical leave?” She laughs a little as she releases the break and follows traffic through the green light. “You know, that’s a huge testament to the impact you have on me. I barely noticed the time going by. Yeah, I’d say I’m ready to move on.” She looks over at Skylar with a smile for a moment then looks back at the road. “Of course, if you disagree, I can be patient. Or, if you change your mind, I’ll understand that too.”

  “I think you’re ready. And I’m not changing my mind.”

  “How will your parents feel about this?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t care. I wouldn’t have a life for them to try to butt their noses into if it wasn’t for you.”

  “Is that a factor as to why you want to be with me – because I saved your life?”

  “No, not really. I mean, when I came to visit you at the firehouse, I just wanted to come thank you for saving me. I never expected us to be friends or anything. I was actually really nervous about coming to see you because I didn’t want you to think I was a weirdo – like how obsessed some people get with people in uniforms. Then when we started talking, I just felt like we really clicked. I had so much fun talking to you and getting to know you. I really liked your personality. And you are really hot.” She laughs a little as she blushes. “Anyway, the fact that you saved my life helps me to trust you like I’ve never trusted anyone before, but I didn’t start having feelings for you till I started to get to know you. Have you had that problem before? I mean, people getting obsessed because you saved them?”

  “More than a few times. I didn’t get the creepy-stalker vibe from you though.”

  Skylar laughs a little and leans over the center console to kiss Ashton’s cheek. “Good to know. So, are we, uh, I mean…? What happens now?”

  Ashton waits to answer for a few moments as she pulls into a parking space. She cuts the engine and turns slightly in her seat to face Skylar.

  “If you’re okay with your date having a broken body, I’d like to take you out to dinner. But if you would like to wait until I’m healed, I’m okay with that.”

  “We have already gone out and done things since you’ve been out of the hospital and your injuries didn’t get in the way of us enjoying ourselves at all. So, if you feel up to it, I would really love to go to dinner with you.”

  “Do you have plans Friday night?”

  She smiles with her cheeks blushing and shakes her head. “No, I don’t have any plans.”

  “May I take you to dinner?”

  “You may.”

  “Does your father own any firearms?”

  She giggles with her brows pinched, and asks, “Why?”

  “I just want to know how high the risks are of me showing up at your house to pick you up Friday night. I might need to invest in some armor.”

  “As far as I’m aware, he does not. I’ll talk to them beforehand, and if it doesn’t go well, I’ll just meet you here so we can skip the drama.”

  “Okay. Are you ready to get out of this heat and go listen to some music?”

  With a wide grin, Skylar turns in her seat to open her door and hops out of the truck. Ashton releases a small laugh as she slowly climbs out, wincing in pain from her incision and ribs. As she comes around the back of the truck, Skylar sidles up next to her with the box of records held against her chest.

  When they get up to Ashton’s apartment, Skylar sits on the couch with the box on her lap, anxiously fiddling with the flaps with a broad smile. Ashton settles down next to her and lifts an arm to rest across her shoulder. Skylar grins as she leans into her and slowly opens the box.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Her heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s trying to peck its way out of her chest. Ashton hasn’t been this nervous for a date since her senior year high school prom. And, unfortunately, the scenario feels much too similar. If Skylar had her own place, she wouldn’t be this nervous. Actually, she probably wouldn’t be nervous at all. But Ashton is twice Skylar’s age and Skylar’s parents are very protective of her.

  Skylar assured her that they are “supportive,” but she’s not buying it, not till she sees it. But in order to see the truth, she has to actually face whatever that truth might be. She may very well end up getting decked in the jaw the instant that front door opens. Or worse, they may take aim for the incision in her abdomen, knowing that will do the worst damage.

  Ashton slows to a crawl as she approaches the curb of the quaint cookie-cutter two-story house with baby-blue wood paneling. There are two vehicles in the driveway and Skylar’s car is parked out front along the curb. There’s just barely enough room for Ashton to fit behind Skylar without blocking the driveway.

  As she turns the engine off, she settles back to take a few moments to collect herself, but she sees the curtains in the front window shift, as if someone is watching. She doesn’t want to lose points by procrastinating, so she takes one deep breath and carefully climbs out of the truck with the effort causing a bit of discomfort and pain in her abdomen and back.

  Ashton made reservations at a very fancy restaurant that sits on the nearby lake, so she is dressed nicely in a pair of relax-fit flat-front black slacks, a slightly form fitting light gray V-neck that matches her eyes, a burgundy wine-red modern cut blazer over top, and black double-clasp monk style dress shoes. She has onyx stone silver studs in her earlobes, and a silver ring with an onyx stone inlay around the band on the second finger of her left hand. She put a lot of care and thought into her appearance tonight, not just to look nice for Skylar, but so her parents will feel comfortable with this situation.

  Only three heart-pounding seconds after she taps the doorknocker, the white door opens inward and a flutter of joy and admiration erupts in her stomach. Skylar is standing in front of her with a brilliant smile and wearing a cream-colored lace dress with thin shoulder straps that’s form fitting on the torso and flares a bit in the skirt that reaches just a few inches above her knees. She has a small but pretty cream and black cameo necklace hanging at the top of her modestly revealed cleavage, and she has on a pair of dressy cream-colored flats on her feet. She looks stunning with a mixture of innocence and maturity that has Ashton feeling completely transfixed.

  “You look beautiful.”

  She takes a step forward, offering Skylar a large bouquet of long-stem crimson red roses and mini white calla lilies. Skylar accepts the flowers with one hand and takes Ashton’s hand with the other.

  “Thank you. These are gorgeous and you look,” she nervously bites her bottom lip as she glances over her shoulder, then looks back at Ashton and mouths, “hot,” making her smile. “Come on in.”

  Ashton closes the door behind herself, and with their fingers entwined, Skylar leads her down a well-lit, pristinely clean hallway and to the equally clean and lit living room, where her parents are sitting in tall backed Victorian style beige chairs, pretending to read a newspaper and a book.

  “Mom, Dad you remember Ashton?”

  Both of them quickly stand, setting their reading materials down on their chairs. Ashton releases Skylar’s hand to offer it to Mr. West to shake, and she mentally thanks him for accepting her hand and not cocking his back into a fist.

  “Mr. West, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Likewise.” As she’s shaking with Mrs. West, her father adds, “Skylar tells us you fell through a floor and got a bit banged up. How are you fairing with your healing?” He looks her up and down as if he doesn’t believe
she’s actually injured.

  “It’s frustratingly slow. I had the staples removed yesterday from the incision for the spleen repair, so that’s some progress. I still have several weeks of soreness and weakness in my ribs and abdomen ahead of me, so I’m a pretty limited on what I can do.”

  “So, no strenuous activity, then?”

  “I think walking is about as much as I’ll be doing for a while.”

  She sees a flash of relief cross his face and knows he’s concerned about them having sex.

  “Where are you headed?”

  “Oliver’s on Silver Lake.”

  “Ash,” Skylar places a hand on her upper back, “I’m going to put these in water so we can go.”

  Her parents watch her leave the room, then both of them look sharply at Ashton and Mr. West takes a step closer to her, leaving less than a foot between them.

  With his voice lowered, he pointedly says, “That is my only child in there and she is a very kind, smart, and responsible young woman. You better treat her with respect or so help me God, I will come after you.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree; you raised a phenomenal woman. She deserves the best and that is all she will ever receive from me. I have nothing but the upmost respect for Skylar.”

  He lowers his tone, and with narrowed eyes, he doubles down on his warning. “Hurt her, and I will ruin you.”

  “Understood.”

  As they sit back down on their chairs with their reading materials, Skylar walks back in with an affectionate smile and takes Ashton’s hand.

  “I’m ready.” She waves to her parents. “See you later.”

  Her mom speaks for the first time, saying, “Please be home by eleven.”

  “Sure. Have a good night.”

  The happy glow coming off of Skylar is so strong it obliterates the tension in Ashton’s shoulders from the standoff with her parents. The glow also gains the attention of her parents, causing both of them to share a sanguine glance.