17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Piper – Five Days Later
My friend and the scent of sugar, flour, and butter greets me the second I enter Chloe’s Bakery. I grin and embrace Lexie in a quick hug. “It’s only been a week and a half since we’ve seen each other.”
She laughs while grasping my shoulders. “I know. You look fantastic. The sunshine must have agreed with you.”
“It did.” I trail behind her as we take up our usual table by the front window. The sun warms us as it presses through the windowpane.
“So, tell me about Asher while we eat cupcakes and sigh with pleasure.”
A shiver crawls along my spine as visions of making love to Asher fill my mind. Our first time might not have been what I expected, but he’s proven his dedication to pleasuring me since then.
“That good?” She arches her eyebrow as she speaks.
The doorbell jingles as another customer arrives. The shop’s interior is a mixture of white, pink, and yellow, giving it a cheery, warm vibe. I adore this place. And Chloe. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. She and her husband, Rich, and their children are staples in the neighborhood.
As if on cue, Rich strides through the bakery, causing Chloe’s cheeks to pinken. Will Asher and I still look at each other like that five years from now? God, I hope so.
I blink and return my attention to Lexie. “Yes, it’s that good.”
“Did you meet his family? What did Charlotte, Weston, and your mom think of him?”
I chuckle and unbox the pink frosted cupcake. One whiff of the baked good and my mouth is already a puddle of saliva. “Weston hated him. Charlotte thinks he’s great, and mom is already planning our children’s names.”
“As to be expected.” Lexie laughs, following suit by digging into her cupcake. “And his family?”
For a few seconds, there’s a break in our conversation as we both bite into the moist, spongy cupcakes and lick the frosting from our lips. These are so good, almost as good as sex. Cupcakes and sex? My gaze darts to Chloe and Rich chatting behind the cash register as he cups her face.
“Earth to Piper.”
“Oops.” My face heats as I refocus my attention on my friend. “Sorry about that. Yes, I met his parents. They arrived the day I left town, so we didn’t have long to talk, but it was pleasant. They were happy to see Asher relaxed and content. So that’s won me some brownie points. Even his brother was excited to meet me.”
“That’s awesome. Did you like them?” Lexie swipes her finger through the frosting and pops some in her mouth.
“They seemed like good people. His parents are retired, so they’re spending time traveling, and his brother runs the resort now that they’ve retired. He and his brother used to be close, but after Asher came back from the service, it was hard for Levi to see him as he was.”
Some of the joy eases out of me as I envision what Asher was like after his injury–sullen, withdrawn, angry, depressed, moody, basically an ass. I know those feelings and the reactions they cause well. I lived with them for too long myself.
I take another bite. “I think that gap has been bridged some.”
The doorbell chimes again as someone else comes inside, and a blast of warmth flows inside. Talking about him eases the sadness of not having seen him for three days. We’ve spoken multiple times since I left, but it’s not enough. I want his arms around me. His solid frame and warmth keeping me steady.
“When do you see him again?”
“Not until next week. He starts his new job the week after.”
“New job?” Her eyebrows arch. “Where’s he working?”
I frown. Did I forget to tell her about moving in together? Shit. “He’s moving here and starting a job with one of his previous SEAL commanders. The man owns Truman Security, a top security company here in the U.S.” I shrug because I don’t know the ins and outs of the business, and considering what they do, I might never know the full details.
“That’s….” Andrea’s gaze darts behind me, and her mouth gapes open. I don’t bother to look. Rich’s best friend is on the professional football team, so he and his teammates are always stopping by and grabbing baked goods for something. They’re handsome men, but I have my own handsome man. I don’t need to gawk at one I don’t have.
“Baby?” A warm, firm hand grips my shoulder, and I nearly fall off my chair, spinning around and jumping to my feet. Asher grins down at me with his beautiful face and green eyes.
“What’re you doing here?” My heart pounds erratically in my chest. His hair is shorter. The 5 o’clock shadow he frequently wore is gone. The crinkled lines around his mouth and eyes are more pronounced as if once the first smile cracked, he can’t keep the expression off his face.
“Seeing you.” He envelops me to his chest, and I fling my arms around his neck.
“I wasn’t expecting you until next week.” I stand on my tiptoes and meet his lips. They’re soft and firm against mine. Perfect. He doesn’t deepen the kiss, but that does nothing to stop my toes from curling in my sneakers.
When he pulls back, he kisses the tip of my nose. “You taste like frosting and temptation.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Definitely a good thing.” He wraps his arm around my waist and faces Lexie. “I’m Asher, and you must be Lexie.”
“Yes, I am.” She scrambles to her feet and thrusts out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You, also.”
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
Once we’re seated, Asher laces his fingers through mine and holds it on his lap as if he needs that connection as strongly as I do. “I came in to meet with Truman and Cade later today.” He winks. “That’s why I asked what you were doing today. I wanted to surprise you.”
“You did.”
Chloe joins us and catches my eye. “Does your….” She arches an eyebrow. “Man need anything.”
My man? Giddiness rises up inside of me. He is my man. He squeezes my fingers as if reassuring me that he’s proud to belong to me.
“Do you want anything? Chloe is famous for her cupcakes and her coffee is heavenly. Or if you’d rather get something less sweet, she also has some breakfast sandwiches.”
“I’ll take a coffee and one of those pink frosted cupcakes.” One corner of his mouth arches upward. “To go.”
“Oh, hell….” Lexie shudders as if she senses where this is going.
I swallow hard as Chloe trails back to the counter. “My mom is home.”
His eyes glisten with humor and a heavy dose of desire, for me. The hairs on my arms stand. “After I acquaint myself with your friend, we have four hours until my meeting with Truman, and I have the keys to our new place.”
“Oh…” I bite my lips together. Frosting, Asher, and our new place? Delightful.