I lift my head, waiting until her gaze locks with mine. “I want to do this right, Ash. I want to take you out on dates, bring you flowers, and learn everything about you. I want to take you dancing in the rain and for lazy picnics by the lake.” I graze myknuckles over her cheek, and she leans into the touch, making my heart clench. “I want to sweep you off your feet.”
Her smile is warm, and she leans into me, pressing the lightest kiss to my lips. “I want all those things too, Ben, and I want them with you.”
But then she bites her bottom lip, and I can tell something’s on her mind. My brows pull together in a frown. “What are you thinking?”
“I know we said we’d take things slow, but… can you stay the night? We don’t have to do anything, but I’d really like you to be here.”
Her words rush out in a nervous tumble, and I can hear the hope in them. Laney’s staying at my parents’ house tonight, so there’s no reason I can’t stay.
“I can stay,” I tell her. It’s going to take every ounce of self-control I have to keep my hands to myself if we’re sharing a bed, but there’s no way I’m passing up the chance to wake up with her in my arms.
Her grin is instant, and I can’t help but smile back. I open my arms, and she steps into them without hesitation. Wrapping her up, I pull her close, loving the way she fits against me. She lets out a soft yawn, reminding me how exhausted she must be after everything at the hospital. It’s not even nine yet, but I’m more than ready to call it a night if it means holding her while she sleeps.
“Come on,” I murmur. “Let’s go to bed. You look wiped out.”
She yawns again, covering her mouth. “I am tired. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not,” I say gently. “Let’s go.”
I watch as she locks up the apartment and switches off the lights before leading the way to her room. Once inside, she quickly gathers up the clothes scattered on the floor, glancing over her shoulder with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry it’s a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
I take the clothes from her hands and set them on the chair in the corner. “Ash, I couldn’t care less about the mess,” I tell her, lacing our fingers together and tugging her softly toward the bed. “I just want to be here with you.”
She smiles sleepily, another yawn escaping before she crawls up onto the bed. I stand there watching as she slides her hands under her tank and unclasps her bra, slipping it off and tossing it to the floor. My throat goes dry as my gaze catches the way her nipples peak beneath the thin fabric. I have to force myself to drag my eyes back up to hers.
She looks at me, a teasing glint in her expression. “Are you planning to sleep in all that?” she asks, her voice low.
I give her a slow smile. “No, Ash. Just boxers.”
Her teeth sink into her bottom lip as I strip down, and the heat in her eyes nearly undoes me. It feels like she’s seeing me, really seeing me, for the first time, and it’s been a long time since anyone looked at me like that. She’s stirring things in me I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel again.
Once she’s under the covers, I switch off the light, letting the room fall into darkness. I climb onto the bed and lie down, holding out my arms for her. She moves toward me without hesitation, settling against my chest as I wrap her up and hold her close.
“You okay?” I murmur, pressing a kiss into her hair.
She tilts her head back just enough to meet my eyes, smiling softly. “I’m good. Thanks for being here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I tell her, and I mean every word. With her in my arms, everything feels right. Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Even though my body is screaming at me to take things further, I know she’s exhausted, so I’m content just holding her.
Within minutes, her breathing evens out and she’s asleep. I close my eyes too, realizing it’s been weeks since I’ve felt this kind of peace. Between Ash consuming my thoughts and Laney barely speaking to me, sleep hasn’t come easily.
But here, with Ashlyn in my arms, it finally does.
I’ve just drifted off when a sharp knock at Ashlyn’s front door pulls me out of sleep. She’s still out cold, her head resting on my chest. She looks so peaceful; I doubt anything would wake her right now, and after the day she’s had, she needs the rest.
Careful not to disturb her, I ease her off me and slide out of bed. I pull my T-shirt on as I make my way through her apartment to the front door. When I open it. Nash stands in the hallway, fully suited up in his uniform, his expression thunderous.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he snaps, his gaze darting over my shoulder, scanning the apartment. “Where’s Ashlyn?”
I probably should have expected him to overreact, especially after how he acted at the hospital that time, but still, his outburst catches me off guard. Then again, I did just open his sister’s front door half-dressed. “She’s asleep,” I reply evenly.
His eyes rake over me, his scowl deepening. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
I glance down at myself. “Because I was asleep too.”
