22. Sutton #3
“I’m glad you went out, sweetie. You deserve some fun and to act your age.” She turned to look at the man beside me. “You aren’t who she left with.”
“I picked her up.”
She made a noise as she wiggled her eyebrows at me before looking him up and down. “Have I mentioned that I’m a big fan of all those tattoos? I like that you have them on display.”
When I cleared my throat, she looked back at me.
“Go home, Iris. I know it’s late.”
She gave me a hug, winked at Asher, and then walked out with the promise to come over in the morning.
“Can we talk?” I asked once we were alone.
“No.” His tone was harsh.
“Oh, right.” I turned away from him. “Thanks for picking me up.” I kicked off my boots, almost falling over if it hadn’t been for him catching me by the elbow.
“That isn’t what I meant, Sutton.” I kept my eyes down but he didn’t let go of my arm. “Can you look at me, please?”
“No. It’s fine. It’s the alcohol.” I tried to pull out of his grip but he didn’t let me go. And honestly, I didn’t try that hard. Instead, he put his finger under my chin and lifted my head so I was looking at him.
“I want to talk about everything you said. But not while you’re drunk. I want you to be clear so I know exactly what you’re thinking. Okay?”
I flushed a little and then nodded. He didn’t let go of my chin for another moment, looking me over, like he was making sure that I understood. Then he let me go and I let out a yawn.
“When will Soph wake up?” he asked in a low voice.
I squinted to read the clock on the stove. She normally slept through the night now but she liked to wake up early.
“I think I’ll get a few hours.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“What?”
“You had a lot to drink. I don’t want to leave you on your own.”
I liked that he cared—probably a little too much. Right now I felt like kicking myself for drawing that friends-only line in the sand.
“You really don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine and Iris is down the hall.”
“I’ll sleep on the couch.” He went to move around me, but I put my hand on his arm before he could pass. He looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. I decided to just go with what I wanted, blame it on the alcohol. That was the motto for tonight.
“I think your body almost gave up the last time you slept there. Can’t have that happening again. You can sleep in my bed with me. Friends can sleep platonically together.”
“Are you sure?” He rubbed the bridge of his nose and raised his eyes to the ceiling for a moment before looking over my face.
“Yes. You ended up on the floor last time.” I moved my hand down his arm and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward my room.
Sophie was sleeping in her cot. Eventually she would be too big to be in here and we would have to figure it out but for right now, I didn’t mind. Plus, maybe by that point I would have enough money to afford something bigger. The only problem with that was losing Iris next door.
“I’ll be right back.” I grabbed a T-shirt off the bed.
“Shh,” he hissed, looking at Sophie with wide eyes. I laughed at him.
“I made sure she could sleep through noise so unless you scream or something she shouldn’t wake up.”
I quickly went to the bathroom and got ready for bed. It felt good to clean all the makeup off my face and brush my teeth. I was buzzing with the excitement of having Asher sleep next to me. I had to keep reminding my libido that he was my friend and nothing would be happening tonight.
Heading back into the room, I stopped and smiled. Asher was standing over Sophie, a small smile on his face as he watched her sleep. He looked up at me, his gaze dragging over the extra-large T-shirt covering my body.
“There’s a toothbrush on the counter you can use. It’s new.” My voice cracked a little. Thank goodness I bought toothbrushes in bulk. He brushed against me as he moved into the washroom.
After hanging his jacket on a hanger, I climbed into bed on my normal side and pulled the covers up to my chin as I waited for him. I yawned as the water ran in the bathroom, my eyes getting heavy.
My eyes were closed when I heard the bathroom door open and before I knew it the bed was dipping on the other side. I pried my eyes open, looked over at him, and then started to laugh. He was still in his suit, minus the jacket, and was lying on top of the covers, both hands tucked behind his head.
“What are you doing?”
“I am not sleeping under the covers with you while you’re drunk.”
I started to laugh again. “You’re in a full suit and there’s a baby sleeping next to us.”
“Shut it.”
I yawned again and maybe it was the alcohol or just because I was feeling good tonight but I closed the distance between us.
I curled into him on my side and rested my head in the crook of his neck.
After a moment’s hesitation, one of his hands went around my shoulders and then I felt his chin rest on the top of my head.
I let out a content sigh and closed my eyes.
With my baby sleeping soundly beside me and Asher’s warm body pressed against mine, I fell asleep quickly. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I felt him lightly press his lips to my head.
“Sleep well, sweetheart.”