Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
“If you don’t let me up, we’re both going to be late to work and your kids will be late to school,” Ashlyn reminded him, although Grant noted that she did little to pull herself out of his embrace.
“Maybe we should all take a sick day,” he suggested. There was nothing he’d love more than to spend the entire day snuggled up in bed with this woman beneath him, listening to her breathy moans, her delightful giggle, and hearing her tell him that she loved him.
Damn, he could never get enough of hearing that.
After losing Lara, he hadn't thought he’d ever find love again, hadn't even thought he’d want to.
Until a stunning redhead in a killer black dress walked into her brother’s wedding.
That night changed everything, changed him, and he didn't care that Ashlyn looked different now she was a blonde, and more often than not, dressed in jeans, she was every bit as gorgeous as she’d been that night.
Especially with Lindsay taking him dating so hard, knowing that Lara would be happy for him made falling in love with Ashlyn that much easier.
Like he’d tried to explain to his daughter, there was room enough in his heart to love Ashlyn and build a life with her without taking anything away from his love for her mother.
“Let me up, you silly, goofy man.” Ashlyn giggled, and he pressed his lips to hers for one more kiss before complying.
“Want to take a shower before we leave?”
“Nah. I’ll shower at home. All my stuff is in my shower, and I may have quite a few products.”
“Guess when we finally get married and move in together, we’re going to need a bathroom with two showers, not just two sinks.
” Although Grant said it as a joke, he would be more than happy to have a large ensuite with multiple showers so Ashlyn could have all her stuff in one of them.
So long as she was prepared to share the shower on occasion, the idea of her all wet and soapy had him growing hard.
Ashlyn was staring at him, frozen, half in the bed and half out of it. “When we get married and move in together?”
Smiling, he rounded the bed, took her hand, and pulled her up and into his arms. “Can’t wait for that day.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Me either. I always dreamed of what my wedding would be like, ever since I was a little girl. I would imagine what my husband would be like, and how being married would be. But you, Detective Grant Bull, exceed every one of my dreams. Every single one. I love you.”
“Love you back.” Because he knew he really had to get to work and get the kids to school, he released her and stepped back. “I’ll take a quick shower and meet you downstairs. Help yourself to anything in the fridge or cupboards.”
“What do you usually have for breakfast?”
“If I have time, I usually just grab a couple of slices of toast.”
“I’ll make enough for both of us. Would the kids like some, too?”
“Lindsay usually has yoghurt, and Kevin cereal, but you can ask them if they want any.”
“I don’t want to overstep, but to give us a little more time, I could take Kevin to school so you don’t have to drop off both kids. If it’s okay, I mean. It’s fine if it’s not,” Ashlyn hurried to add.
“That’s fine, honey,” he assured her, pleased that she wanted to step up for his kids. “Kevin will love going with you.”
“You mean he’ll love showing off my car to his friends,” she grumbled, but there was no mistaking the gleam of pleasure in her eyes.
Giving her a quick kiss, he left her to get dressed and head downstairs, while he took a shower.
Things with Lindsay might be the same as they were seven months ago, but in that time, Ashlyn and Kevin had bonded a lot.
She was going to be everything he could have hoped for in a stepmother to his kids.
If only Lindsay could see that.
While he was trying to remain positive about the situation, Grant could admit that it was getting harder.
And harder when he heard yelling coming from downstairs.
Throwing on his clothes, he hurried downstairs to see that Lindsay had Ashlyn backed up against the counter.
Ashlyn had been buttering toast when his daughter must have accosted her, and he had to give her major props because her tone was even when she spoke to Lindsay despite the teenager’s hysterical screeching.
“Your dad said it was okay for me to drive your brother to school,” Ashlyn said it like she’d already repeated this several times over.
“He wouldn't say that,” Lindsay screamed. “You're not our mom and you're not family.”
“I want to go with her, Linds,” Kevin piped up from the table where he was eating cereal and scrolling on his phone.
“You're too young to know what you want,” Lindsay yelled back.
“Enough,” Grant announced, tone firm as he strode into the kitchen. “Ashlyn is taking Kevin to school because she asked, and I said yes. Your brother is fine with it, and it’s not really your business. Besides, it means you and I can spend a little bit of one-on-one time together.”
“You're really going to let her drive your son to school? Be alone with him?” Lindsay demanded, spinning around to face him.
“Yes. I am,” he answered simply. “If Kevin had a problem with it, or was uncomfortable in any way, he knows he can speak up, and Ashlyn would understand.”
“But—”
“No buts, Linds. The matter is closed.”
Including all three of them in her glare, Lindsay stomped over to the counter and snatched up her backpack. “Then I'm walking to school.”
“If that’s what you want,” he agreed. It would take her almost an hour, but if she left now she’d still make it in time for classes. Maybe she needed that time to cool down and get her head on straight.
Without another word, Lindsay stomped out of the house, slamming the door closed behind her.
“Sorry,” Ashlyn immediately apologized. “I shouldn’t have offered.”
“Nah, she’s just mad. I want to go with you,” Kevin piped up before Grant could say anything.
More than that, Kevin got up, deposited his bowl in the sink, and then paused to give Ashlyn a one-armed hug, leaving her grinning after him as he sauntered off to pick up his game controllers and plop down in front of the television.
“Lindsay will come round, we have to keep believing that,” he said as he pulled Ashlyn into his arms.
The problem was, he no longer believed it.