Chapter 20
20
Sienna
I wasn’t used to waking up with a man in my bed. Asher had changed that quickly. Within the span of a few weeks, everything had changed.
He’d stayed overnight every night since the day at the firing range, only missing the two nights he was on duty at the fire station. Beyond that, he’d moved right in to sleeping in my bed.
I’d missed him this morning, stirring awake to find I was alone. Friday he was back on another twenty-four-hour duty, so I spent my time learning how to add lighting effects to photos. Now it was Saturday morning, and Asher only had another twenty minutes before his seven A.M. shift was over. Soon, I’d have him for the entire weekend all to myself.
He’d given me one, non-negotiable order before he’d said “goodnight” to me last night. Three words that kept rolling through my mind: “pack a bag.” There may have been more words used in that request, but it was clear I was sleeping overnight at his place tonight. It made me feel giddy inside, and if I wasn’t so sore from twenty orgasms and yoga, I might just be tempted to do a few cartwheels and excited jumps in the backyard.
Asher had been a bit reluctant to join me for hot yoga, so I was shocked that he actually showed up. He was physically fit, since his jobs demanded a lot from him, but he’d shared in bed that night that weight training and runs on the treadmill were his thing before he’d drifted off to sleep.
The yoga session had taken a lot out of both of us, leaving us both famished. After a very sensual shower, we’d moved to the couch to dig into the sub sandwiches we’d gotten from the place next to the yoga studio.
Asher had slipped on shorts and stretched out on my couch, pulling me down on top of him. It had felt wonderful. Normal. Just a relaxing night cuddled on the couch, watching an action movie with lots of special effects.
I wasn’t used to it. Any of it. But I was quickly becoming addicted to the feeling of being in his arms, using his solid body and warmth like a pillow. He also didn’t expect anything, which felt odd, even stopping me when I’d tried to initiate something more. He simply just slid my hand off his package and wrapped my hand in his over his chest.
That’s when he’d said, “Babe, I will never tell you no if you need something from me, but I’m good just like this.”
Truth was, I was just as good like that with him holding me too.
And the night that followed, he brightened my world even more by taking me for the best damn chicken I’ve ever eaten, followed by a nice stroll downtown and even more amazing lovemaking and cuddles in my bed.
I needed to get showered and ready because the other order from his lips was to be ready by eight o’clock because he was picking me up in his truck to whisk me off to places unknown. I truly didn’t know how he did it, working a twenty-four-hour shift and then having the energy to entertain me all day.
He'd said that they get to sleep overnight in dorm-like rooms at the station, but often sleep evaded him if Hawk snored too loudly. They were just supposed to be on-the-ready should disaster ensue. I found that concept troubling as the type of trouble that often ensued was wrapped in tragedy.
A few minutes before eight, a light tap sounded out on my door. I was in mid-curling iron primping, adding some long curls back into my hair. My roots were starting to show—the natural blonde I’d tried to keep hidden. Maybe I’d save some Rainy-Day fund for a proper visit to the hair salon and go back to my natural color.
Asher wasted no time kissing me “hello.” His eyes narrowed on my partial state of hair care and lack of clothing. I’d stolen one of his T-shirts the other night and now it was mine. It was Navy blue, baggy, long, with the Nashville Fire Company logo and the number forty-seven on the front and back. Best of all it smelled like him.
His hand naturally gravitated to cup my backside. “You ready soon?”
I hurried back to the bathroom to finish. “Yes, but we have a slight change of plans. I hope that’s okay?” I grabbed my new phone and showed him the text I’d just received. “Haley asked if we could do their family pictures this afternoon instead of next week. I didn’t know what to tell her as I said I needed to ask you first.”
Asher studied the screen. “Yeah, Coop had mentioned it.” He handed my phone back to me. “I don’t care. We can go do whatever.”
I smiled at the way he was just so easy. The former jerk-that-shall-no-longer-be-named never made things easy for me. I tapped the screen and started typing a reply back to Haley. As soon as I was finished, I stood in front of Asher, snagged him by the shirt, and planted a kiss on him. “Thanks for being so easy.”
Asher smiled on my lips; his hand returning to its favorite place on my butt. “You best get dressed before I show you how easy I am.” He gave me a squeeze. “You pack a bag for the weekend?”
I nodded. “Yep.”
And just like that, Asher made my world brighter.
We’d spent almost three hours with Haley, Coop, and little Roman taking photos of them at Radnor Lake State Park. I’d never been there before and now, seeing such beauty not too far from home, I was addicted. It probably was even more breathtaking once all the leaves changed their colors.
Asher didn’t care where we drove to; he just went with the flow. Seeing him keep Roman safe and entertained while I’d taken a lot of photos of just Haley and Coop together made my heart do more somersaults.
He was a natural with the little boy, showing him rocks and twigs and picking up stray leaves while having their own small adventure together.
It had been a bit of a hike to find good locations, trudging a pregnant woman through the woods, but the one small bridge area we’d found was perfect for a couple’s shoot. The trees still held their shades of green of summer, and the reflection off the water showcased nature in all her glory. The sun overhead was just right, casting breathtaking shadows and turning Haley’s gorgeous auburn hair into a halo.
It was so easy to see they were madly in love just by the way they looked at each other. I tried to capture that for them—the way he fixed her hair when they thought I wasn’t taking pictures. The hearty laughs they both had after hearing I made Asher do hot yoga. The candid shots I did while pretending to fuss with my camera while Coop was pointing at an eagle flying overhead, or when he'd had his arms wrapped around her, supporting her growing baby belly. The close-ups of the rings he’d put on their fingers with Roman’s hand resting on top. The family they were building together.
Asher had been sneaking pictures of his own with his phone while I’d been working, so when he was busy doing that, I snapped a few of him too. I didn’t want to allow my brain to consider what Asher and I might look like standing in the same spot Coop and Haley were in. It was hard to ignore that desire growing inside me, planting itself firmly in my heart. Dreaming was dangerous. Disappointment only led to heartache. But falling for him just felt out of my control.
All those thoughts swirled while the five of us sat at a nice, dark oak table at a place I’d never been too before, called The Taproom. Roman was set up in a booster chair of his own, chowing down on the snacks he was fisting while waiting for his lunch. He was so adorable.
“Is that yummy, Roman?” I helped him scoop up a small pile of crackers, loving how he concentrated so hard on his goal. He pinched one cracker and held it out to me. “Is that for me?” I pretended to snack on his hand, loving his smile. “Mmmm. Thank you.”
“So Sienna, tell me about hot yoga,” Haley said while sipping her iced tea. “Is it fun?”
I’d forgotten there were others around me. I took a sip of my own tea and then bent to pick up the Spider-Man action figure Roman had tossed at me. Coop and Asher were sharing some unspoken manly words with just looks between them, finding the entire topic amusing.
“I love it and apparently I need more of it since Ash has been making it his mission to keep feeding me,” I said, giving him a little playful side-eye. “But I’m pretty sure he’s not a hot yoga fan.” I dangled the plastic Spider-Man in front of Roman, making him giggle. Together, with me as Spider-Man and Roman as the Hulk, we squashed a few snacks into dust. “They also have classes there for expectant mothers if you’re interested.”
Coop took a swig of beer, smiling hard.
Asher took a swig of his own bottle. “Never said I wasn’t a fan, babe. But the poses you were bending into… well that I am most certainly a fan of.” He caught Coop’s unspoken question. “Two words, Coop. Downward dog. That’s all I’m saying.”
“That good, eh?” Coop asked.
“I’m telling ya. Flexibility is completely underrated.” He pointed his beer at Haley. “I suggest once you have that baby, you join Sienna every week.” He motioned between himself and Coop. “We’ll be at home, waiting.”
Haley gave Coop a poke. “You would just love that, wouldn’t you?”
He laughed. “Hell yes. I expect Hayes here is going to fill me in on how best to help you with achieving maximum flexibility.”
“Great. I’m already getting pregnant again while pregnant,” she grumbled. She made me laugh.
Asher leaned up on the table. “And it’s not just the flexibility, Coop. It comes with skin-tight outfits too. Yoga pants?” He raised his brows. “I am most certainly a fan of that as well.”
I gave him a teasing nudge with my elbow, fighting my smile while being embarrassed. Asher just wrapped his hand around my neck and tugged me in for a quick kiss. “You need to buy that shit in every color, babe.”
Haley got all excited. “I get to buy new stretch pants too?” She rubbed her stomach. “I’m going shopping with Sienna. We don’t need boys to ruin a fun time. They work on Monday. You up for some girl time?”
It sounded like fun. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone shopping with someone my age. Candace had been my shopping partner since I’d landed on her doorstep, but beyond her, I didn’t have any friends. That realization felt like a knife to the gut. Seeing the anticipation on Haley’s face made me want it all the more. “I would love to. And if you need a mommy yoga partner, I’m all in.”
It was time to start living.