Rebound (Seattle Steelheads #1)(37)

An hour and a half after I’d sent the text, I was in the middle of a routine traffic stop when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I couldn’t be sure if it was Asher, but the possibility that it was had me so distracted I could barely go through the motions of the most basic police work imaginable.

To the driver, I said, “I need your license, registration, and proof of insurance.”

He furrowed his brow. “Um.” His eyes flicked to my hand.

I glanced down and realized I had all the documents already. Clearing my throat, I gestured at the cruiser. “I’ll be right back.”

He eyed me like he wondered if maybe I should be doing a field sobriety test.

Nope, not drunk. Just distracted.

I probably set a new land speed record as I wrapped up that traffic stop. The sooner I sent this guy on his way, the sooner I could check the message my phone kept reminding me I hadn’t opened yet. After issuing the bemused driver a verbal warning and reminding him that the speed limit didn’t rise to thirty-five until he’d passed the sign, as opposed to seeing it three blocks in the distance, I let him on his way.

I’d barely dropped into the cruiser’s passenger seat before I had my phone out.

What changed your mind?

Damn text messages for not giving me more insight into how he meant the question. Was it sarcastic? Suspicious? Genuine?

I’m not psychic, you stupid smartphone!

The best thing I could do was answer honestly and hope for the best, so I wrote back, Came to my senses. Enjoy being with you more than not.

Shit. Was that too sappy? Over the top? And damn it, I already hit Send. Fuck. There was no taking it back now, was there? Awesome. I might’ve had a chance at hooking up with him again, and I’d blown it by being too—

I’ll be home from practice by 8. Come by?

I blinked. Whoa. I hadn’t blown it? Holy crap.

Beside me, Laura cleared her throat, and I jumped.

“Huh?” I turned to her. “Sorry, what?”

She gestured ahead of the car. “I asked if I’m handling this one, or are you?”

I looked, and when the hell had we—well, she—pulled someone else over? “Uh. You should probably take this one. I wasn’t paying attention.”

Laura glanced at my phone, then at me, and she laughed as she rolled her eyes. Opening the car door, she said, “You’re so cute when you’re this into somebody, you know that?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’re blushing.” And the door shut before I could insist that I was not blushing. Except I knew I was. The heat was kind of a dead giveaway.

I looked down at my screen. Okay, so I’d reconnected with Asher. Now I should probably do my job before I got fired or something.

So in between keeping an eye on Laura while she talked to the other driver, I wrote back, See you tonight.

And I couldn’t wait.

*

If I had any doubts that Asher was onboard with me being back onboard, they vanished as soon as I was in his house. The door had barely clicked shut behind us before we were wrapped up in each other’s arms, kissing breathlessly and pawing at each other like it had been months instead of a couple of days.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered between kisses. “I didn’t want to be wishy washy, I just—”

“It’s okay. You’re looking out for your kids.” He nipped my lower lip. “I get it. And now I get you, so…” We sank into another deep kiss. His back hit the wall, and he kneaded my ass, pulling our hips closer together.

I ran my hands down his sides and let my fingers dip just under his waistband. “You know, your bed is a lot more comfortable than the wall.”

“Mmm, good point.”

“Maybe we should—”

“Yeah we should.”

We didn’t waste any time. We hurried up to the third floor and down the hall, and as soon as we were in the bedroom, we cut right to the chase—clothes started coming off.

I paused to pull a small pack out of my pocket, and tossed it on the nightstand. “We have condoms this time, by the way.”

Asher tensed, shirt half off. “Oh. Uh.” He cleared his throat and—slower than before—finished removing his shirt. “Good. That’s good.”

Something about the way he said it, not to mention the tension, made me draw back. “Is it?”

Our eyes met. There was something unreadable in his. Unreadable, but clearly not something that belonged in the bedroom with us.

I came closer and put a hand on his bare waist. “What’s wrong?”

Asher blushed. His fair skin always gave him away.

“Talk to me,” I whispered. “Whatever it is.”

“I…” His jaw worked. Then, all at once he met my eyes and blurted out, “Is anal a deal-breaker?”

It took a second for me to make sense of the question. “You don’t want to?”

He blushed, biting his lip as he dropped his gaze, and slowly he shook his head. When he started talking, the words came fast and furious: “I can handle it, so if you really want it, then we can. It’s not my favorite thing, but I—”

“Asher. Hey.”

He looked at me, uncertainty etched all over his freckle-sprinkled face.

I caressed his cheek. “It’s not a deal-breaker.”