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Hi, understatement. Nice to meet you.
“Oh, shit, really? Like a bug or something?” He was already sliding past me to open the medicine cabinet. He emerged with a first aid kit.
I couldn’t help laughing. “What are you going to do with that?”
He frowned. “You’re laughing?”
“I’ve been known to now and then, yes.” He was the oddest man sometimes.
“Not around me, you don’t. Your laugh is beautiful.” He reached up to tuck my hair back again, and I let him because he had a way of charming me that I didn’t have any defenses against.
He was just so...Asher.
“I haven’t had a lot of reasons to laugh for a while now.” I cleared my throat and made myself focus on the kit in his other hand rather than the warmth of his fingers still tucked behind my ear. As if he couldn’t bear to move back.
He must be seriously sex-starved. How long had it been for him anyway? Surely, it couldn’t have been since we…
Hmm. Could it?
“I understand that. I do,” he said, although I hadn’t argued. He finally let his hand fall away from my face, then tucked it in his pocket. “My best friend died in the fall.”
It was hard to keep my face composed. I felt so guilty for not letting on that I knew. But if I did, then we’d probably have to discuss Lily. And I didn’t know if I had the mental fortitude for that right now. Just remaining upright was difficult enough.
“I’m so sorry. What happened?”
Ugh. I’d just had to ask that, hadn’t I? Might as well compound the guilt over not admitting that I already knew.
“Construction accident. Freak thing. He had a ton of years on the job, but he was up on a roof and—” He broke off as I swallowed hard. “You don’t need to hear all that. But losing him was tough. The hardest thing I’ve ever been through, other than losing my grandfather.”
Since I already knew Lily’s mother hadn’t been his partner, I didn’t bother with that line of questioning. Not even for the sake of pretending not to know anything. I’d tell him that I knew soon enough.
Probably as soon as the room stopped spinning.
“I’m so sorry,” I said again, brushing my hand over his arm. “A best friend can be as close as family. Sometimes closer.”
“Yes.” He nodded and shut his eyes. “Like a brother to me.” He released a breath and opened his eyes again, looking down at my hand on his arm before he met my gaze. “Let’s get you into your room.”
“My room? I didn’t plan on staying today, Asher. I didn’t bring a bag. I thought this was just an exploratory visit.”
That was one word for it.
“Yes, well, I’d like you to stay here on a more permanent basis, as we discussed. But nothing is set in stone. Besides, I don’t think you’ll be leaving anytime soon anyway.”
“Why?”
Instead of answering, he opened the first aid box and pried out what looked like two small candies. “These were my grandfather’s special elixir.” His voice was somber as he placed them in my palm and closed my fingers around them. “They’ll help settle your stomach, guaranteed.”
“Is it that obvious what kind of ill I meant?” I frowned. “How old are these things? And what’s in them?” I couldn’t take just anything, now that I was having a baby.
God, would that idea ever become more normal? The word baby blazed through me like fire every time I even thought it.
“There’s no expiration date on them. Made out of natural stuff. Honey, ginger, mint. A few other ingredients. I’d take one now and save one for an emergency. They’ll fix whatever ails you. He used to swear they were magic.”
I eyed them dubiously in their wax paper wrapping. “I don’t want to take your last few.”
“I have a few more in here. Go on, I insist.” He smiled down at me and for a second, I got dizzy for a whole new reason. God, he was gorgeous. “I won’t poison you, Hannah. I need you too much.”
How I longed to hear him say those words in another situation. When we were naked and in bed, wrapped up together. Nothing between us but skin and sweat.
