Until Series: Box set (26 page)

“No,” I whine
to Asher, who is behind me in bed. It’s Saturday and he’s been trying to get me up for the past hour. I’m ready to strangle him.

“Baby,” he laughs, shoving his face in my neck.

“Asher, I’m telling you right now, if you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to kill you.”

“That’s not very nice,” he chuckles.

“I don’t care. Go away. Geez, you have three brothers and a boat load of friends. Can’t you find someone else to bother?”

“I’m not going to ask one of them to shower with me.”

“Oh my God!” I yell. “Go away. I’m sleeping.” I shove my head under my pillow, trying to block him out.

“You sound awake to me.” I hear his muffled reply and I can tell he’s smiling just by the tone of his voice.

“That’s it.” I roll over and straddle him. His face lights up and he smiles. I smile back then grab my pillow and hold it over his big, stupid face. His hands run up my sides and start tickling me. When I finally call mercy, we’re both breathing heavily.

“Now, are you going to shower with me?” he asks, his eyes shining with laughter.

“You are seriously relentless, you know that, don’t you?”

“I like showering with you.” He shrugs.

I shake my head and start laughing. “No, you don’t. You like getting off in the shower.”

His face goes serious and I hold my breath. “No!” His voice is low and deep. “I like taking care of you. I can fuck you anytime. I’m not always able to take care of you.”

I feel my face go soft. I swallow against the lump in my throat then lift my head, pressing my mouth to his. “Let’s go shower,” I whisper against his lips.

He carries me to the bathroom and takes his time taking care of me. Then, I take care of him. It’s beautiful.

Standing at the kitchen counter, I watch Beast eat while I finish my coffee. Asher walks around the corner wearing his overly washed jeans that hang low on his hips, no socks, and the T-shirt he’s going to put on is in his hand. My mouth goes dry. I squeeze my hand into a fist at my side to avoid reaching out and running it down his chest and abs. He shakes his head and I know he knows what I’m thinking. It is really unfair. No one should have that much power over another person.

Once he reaches me, he bends over and kisses me softly. Then, he kisses my nose and grabs a mug from behind me to make himself a cup of coffee while crowding me against the counter. His jaw has a few days of stubble that makes his face look more rugged. Something about that look makes my tummy melt. I can’t help myself, so I run my hand from his hair, down the side of his face, feeling it prickle against my fingertips. I remember how it feels when it rubs between my thighs. I squeeze my legs together and drop my hand.

“You okay, baby?” I nod my head, but don’t say anything. I’m happy—more than happy. Some days, I wake up and wonder how I spent the first twenty-five years of my life without him. I had no clue what real happiness was. Or maybe that was happiness and now I’m living in bliss. “You look like you’re really in your head. What’s going on?” he asks, taking a bite of a bagel.

“Nothing.” I grin. “So, what are we doing today? Can we go riding?” I ask excitedly.

“No, someone’s coming over in an hour,” he says, wiping his mouth.

“O…kay,” I say slowly, waiting for him to tell me who is coming over. He doesn’t say anything, just smiles. “So, who is it?” I ask after he still doesn’t say anything.

“You’ll see.” He shrugs.

“So, you’re not going to tell me who it is?”

“Nope,” he says, putting his cup and plate into the sink without rinsing them. He starts to walk away, so I clear my throat to get his attention. When he looks at me, I nod my head in the direction of the sink and he raises his eyebrows. So I nod my head in the direction of the sink again. “Do you have a tic, baby?” he asks, his mouth twitching.

I narrow my eyes. “I’m not your maid, Asher.” He straight out smiles, giving me the dimple, then walks to the sink, takes his plate and cup out, and places them in the dishwasher without rinsing them. “You have to rinse them before you put them in the dishwasher,” I tell him, feeling and sounding like a total nag.

“It’s a dish
washer
,” he says slowly, walking towards me.

“Ye—” Before I can get the words out, his mouth is on mine. The kiss is deep, wet, and so yummy, that when he pulls his mouth away, my hands are wrapped around his neck and my legs are around his hips. I’m in an Asher fog so deep that he could tell me it’s not a dishwasher, but a microwave, and I would agree with him completely.

My eyes flutter open. He’s looking down at me with a cocky smile and mumbles, “That’s better.” Then, he squeezes my ass in his hands, sets me on the counter and leaves the kitchen, putting on his shirt as he goes.

“Holy crap,” I whisper. Beast looks at me and grunts walks to his dog bed and lays down, completely disappointed in my lack of willpower. “It’s not my fault,” I mumble to my dog. He lets out a breath and shuts his eyes, completely dismissing me. “It’s not,” I say, still mumbling. I hop off the counter, take Asher’s dishes from the dishwasher, rinse off the cream cheese so it doesn’t harden onto the plate, rinse out the cup then place them both back in the dishwasher. The whole time, I’m smiling.

I go to the bedroom to get dressed. I pull on a pair of leggings and choose a loose, off-the-shoulder cream shirt, and throw a black open front, oversized sweater on over it. I know Asher says he loves my body, but I need to stop eating everything that is placed in front of me before I need a whole new wardrobe.

Yesterday, I had to lie down to button my jeans, and let’s just say walking around all day and having my toes tingle from lack of circulation is a hazard to myself and those around me. I flop down on the bed, exhausted from getting dressed. I’m so tired that I feel like I could sleep for the next week. I close my eyes just to give them a rest. I feel a feather light touch run down my cheek. My eyes open slowly and I see Asher’s face.

“Time to get up, sleepy head. Our guest is here.”

I take a deep breath and stretch. “Okay, who is it?” I grumble, thinking that this guest better be awesome enough for my sleep interruption.

“You’ll see.” He smiles and pulls me out of bed, tucking me under his arm and walking us out to the living room where there is a guy about Asher’s age. He’s wearing jeans and a black shirt with the words,
Crystal Clear Pools and Spas
written in white on the breast.

“Oh my God!” I screech and start jumping up and down. My tiredness is a long forgotten memory. The guy takes a step back and looks nervously to Asher for help.

Asher starts laughing. “Don’t mind her, Jack. She does this when she gets excited.” I look at him and I can see he’s thinking about when he told me he was taking me four-wheeling. I bite my lip when I see his eyes turn hungry.

Jack clears his throat. “Nice to meet you, November.” He sticks out his hand and I place mine in his.

“Nice to meet you, Jack,” I say then take a step back. “Sorry about scaring you. I’m just so excited,” I mumble, slightly embarrassed by my outburst.

Asher pulls me back into him and his arms wrap around me, his chin resting on top of my head. I feel his body shaking with silent laughter behind me. “I think he got that, baby.”

“Whatever,” I say quietly, wondering if it would be rude to elbow him in his ribs in front of a guest. I give Jack a big smile after I see him shaking his head.

“So, do you guys know the type of set up you want?” Jack asks, looking between us.

“Um, it has to be childproof,” I say, remembering Asher’s pool requirement.

Jack’s eyebrows shoot up. “You havin’ a baby, man?” he asks and I wonder if it’s normal in Tennessee to ask a stranger that you’re going to be working for such a personal question. In New York, that question would surely get you fired, maybe even shot.

Asher must feel me go still, because he starts talking. “Me and Jack have been friends since high school, baby. He used to spend every summer with my family up at the cabin. Now he owns the pool and spa company with his old man and does jobs for us when we have a client who wants a pool put in on their property.”

I nod my head, thinking someone should shoot me. Asher’s friend, and not some stranger, saw me jumping up and down and being a total dork.

“So, are you havin’ a baby?” Jack asks again.

“Not yet,” Asher says, squeezing me. I don’t know if his words or the lack of oxygen is responsible for the dizziness I’m feeling.

Jack nods his head. “Alright, so the only request you have is child safety?” he asks, looking at me.

“Um…” I know nothing about pools except how to swim in one. This isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.

“You want a Jacuzzi, a grotto, a deep end?” he asks, looking at me expectantly.

“Um…” I repeat, feeling like an idiot.

“You got any books or pictures of work you’ve done that we can look at for ideas?” Asher asks and I’m thankful that he’s smart. I sag into him with relief and he kisses the top of my head.

“Yeah, of course. Let’s go to the table.”

“Would you like something to drink?” I ask as we make our way into the kitchen.

“Coffee would be good, if you’ve got it.”

“Of course.”

I pour him a cup of coffee and get one for me and Asher as well. I set out sugar and cream on the counter and then take a seat between Asher and Jack.

“So these are some of the pool designs we did last year.” He pulls out three pictures. The first one looks like a tropical paradise. It has tons of flowers and plants around it. The pool is bright blue with sand colored cement surrounding it. The second is a plain, bean shaped pool with an area for chairs and a table. The third is large and has two areas for sunbathing. It had a Jacuzzi that you could get to from inside the pool by walking up a set of stairs or you could get to it from outside the pool. It also had a shallow end that you could lay in and the water would only be about five inches deep. If you had kids, you could stay with them in that area.

“I love this.” I point to the third picture.

“I like this,” Asher says, indicating the first picture.

“Well, we can incorporate what you both like into your pool.”

“Awesome,” I whisper.

“So, when can you start?” Asher asks, and I turn my head so fast that I’m surprised it doesn’t fly across the kitchen.

“Don’t you think we should discuss price?” I ask.

“You like it?”

“Uh yeah,” I say in a duh tone.

“So we’re getting it.”

“I like the pool, babe, but I also like diamonds. I still wouldn’t buy one without knowing the price,” I say quietly.

“I would,” Asher says with a completely straight face, causing me to do a double take.

“I guarantee the price is competitive,” Jack cuts in. “And you’re getting the family discount.”

“Oh.” It’s all I can say.

“So, when can you start?” Asher asks again and I shake my head. I don’t think that it’s normal to make this kind of decision in less than twenty minutes. The prices of pool installations that I saw in my research online were twenty thousand or more. That seems like a lot of money to spend just by looking at three pictures.

“It should take a week or so to get the permit then. We can break ground. After we start to dig, it should take about six-to-eight weeks to finish. You guys should be swimming by the time the weather really changes.”

“Wow, that’s so fast,” I say, smiling at Jack. He smiles and shakes his head, looking over my shoulder at Asher.

“You get it?” Jack says, looking at Asher. I look at Asher, wondering what the heck he’s talking about. He pulls me close and kisses my temple.

“Alright, man. Send me the blueprints,” Asher says, standing. “Let me know when you get the permit and are gonna break ground.”

“I’ll call you later this week,” Jack says, putting all of his stuff back in his folder.

“Next weekend is Gran’s birthday. Everyone will be expecting you.” Asher changes the subject and reminds Jack of the upcoming celebration.

“I’m driving to Atlanta with Meg this week, but we should be back in time for the party unless her family convinces her to stick around through the weekend.”

“Bring her.”

“What?” Jack asks, shoving his folder under his arm and walking towards the front door.

“Bring Meg.”

“Bring Meg?” Jack repeats.

“Yeah, why not?” Asher shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“You hate Meg,” Jack says, looking at me. I shrug. I have no idea who Meg is or what her history is.

“No, I hated that Meg was a friend and she believed the bullshit that bitch fed her about having my baby. Then, I was pissed that she confronted me in front of people in town about abandoning Joan after I knocked her up without ever asking me about it first. To top it off, she told Joan where I lived, so when I got home from a public blow out with Meg in town, I had to deal with Joan sitting on my front porch waiting for me.” Wow, I didn’t like Meg very much right now either. How could you claim that someone is your friend then believe a stranger over them?

“So, you’re tellin’ me you’re over that shit?” Jack asks, looking like he understands why Asher was mad. I think
anyone
would understand why Asher was mad.

“No, I’m tellin’ you that I know it’s not easy to choose sides, and that I’m willing to work on my relationship with Meg so you don’t have to choose.”

Jack looked relieved. I could understand that. I’m sure it’s not easy loving two people who don’t get along. “Okay. We’ll be there for the party,” he says, opening the front door. “It was nice meeting you, November.”

“You too,” I say as the door closes behind him.

Once Asher locks the door, I yell, “We’re getting a pool!” And I launch myself at him.

“No, I’m getting summers full of you in nothing but a bikini,” he says, giving me the dimple.

“Ugh.” I scrunch up my nose. “I have never worn a bikini.”

“Well, you’re not getting in the pool without one.” He looks at the ceiling, smiles and looks back down at me. “I will make an exception for you if you’re in your birthday suit.”

“Of course, you will,” I say sarcastically. “How generous of you.” I shake my head. “Hey, what are you doing?” I screech from my now upside down position.