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I felt my cheeks get warm at his text. I knew I was blushing, and my centre throbbed as I thought about what it was he would prescribe.
BELLA: Perhaps ;)
I sat staring at my phone. Why had I just typed that? It was almost as if I were a glutton for punishment. As I lay there waiting for his reply, I could have kicked myself, and the longer it took for him to respond, the more I’d wished I could actually do just that. After a full minute, those three little dots began bouncing again.
ASHER: Since we both can’t sleep do you feel like company?
I bit my bottom lip. We hadn’t been alone since those nights in Columbus. The memory of them had sat in the front of my mind ever since. How he’d comforted me, how he held me before, during, and after sex. I’d grown to love being held by him, and for the past week, ever since seeing him at the diner, I’d been dying to feel that again. I’d have died to have had him hold me when my mother passed, but that had been impossible. Now, with a pregnancy looming over my head, I felt I needed him more than ever, and yet I was afraid to tell him for fear he said good-bye.
BELLA: Sure come over
That was all I texted, then immediately I wanted to kick myself again.
ASHER: On my way
I kicked the blankets off me and made my way out into the hallway. The crib Brielle and Sawyer had gotten me earlier this week was leaning against the wall, still in the box. I walked over and tried to move it, but it was too heavy to even drag into the small spare bedroom that would end up being the nursery. Panic filled me. Sawyer was supposed to have come back tonight and move it into the room for me, but he’d had an emergency and wasn’t able to, and now I knew Asher would ask questions.
I gave it another try, moving it only an inch. “Shit,” I muttered to myself. I thought about getting my phone and just telling Asher I was tired when I heard a quiet knock on the door.
I took a couple of steps and spotted the small bag of baby clothes I’d also purchased laying on the floor. I picked them up and threw them into the spare room before making my way to the door.
“Hey,” he said, smiling.
I stepped to the side and let him in, taking his coat and hanging it on the small hooks just inside the door. I shut and locked the door and turned to see him toe his shoes off. He was barely in the door and the scent of his cologne was driving me mad.
We stood in the entryway, looking at one another. Then he stepped toward me, placing his arms around my waist, and pulled me against him for a hug. He was so warm, I could feel his heat through my thin silk pajamas. I buried my face into the crook of his neck as he hugged me tight. God, I’d missed how his body felt against mine. I hadn’t really realized it until now. As I stood there, in his arms, our bodies pressed against one another, I knew in a matter of moments I would want more. I’d want to feel his lips on mine and his hands exploring my body until I could no longer stand it. I was about to step away when our eyes locked.
There was no time to stop and rationally think about what I was doing, because my lips were already against his. The kiss broke, both of us breathing hard. We finally pulled away from one another. Then he blew out a deep breath.
“I need to calm down. I didn’t just come here for this. I don’t want you to think that,” he said in a quiet voice as he ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair.
He looked around my dark apartment. “I thought you said you were up when you messaged me?”
“I was, but I was in bed watching TV.” I giggled. “Come.” I placed my hand in his, hit the light in the hallway, and pulled him down the hall and into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us.
I crawled into bed and watched while he removed his shirt and unbuttoned his jeans. Then he crawled into bed, under the covers, and pulled me into him.
“You know, I thought a lot about you while you were gone. I thought more about us after I left Columbus too.”
“You did?”
“I did. I meant what I said earlier this week as well. That I wanted us to continue from where we left things off.”
“What does that mean for you?” I questioned.
“I really like you, Bella. We said we were only going to do the friendship thing, but I want more. I want you, and I want to see if we can give a relationship a try.”
I was quiet. My head spun. I wanted that so bad. “I don’t know,” I whispered.
“What don’t you know?”
“I don’t know if that—if we, are a good idea,” I said, swallowing hard.
Asher met my eyes. “Don’t say that.”
“I can’t help it. I’m afraid.”
Asher pulled me into him. “Tell me, what would make you less afraid.”
