Page 148 of The Ruse

“He knows I don’t believe that.”

“That’s debatable,” Asher said. “We haven’t gotten pregnant yet, so maybe he thinks we’re still just best buddies.”

“Or, maybe he knows that I wanted to graduate college and do a show for a couple of years before I started having kids,” I said. “When there’s a high possibility of having twins, you don’t just make babies for fun.”

“Really?” he asked, a half-smile lifting his lips. “Because I thought making a baby was the most fun part of the whole process.”

“Asher!” I said, covering his mouth before realizingIwas the one who had actually been loud.

He just laughed, so used to me getting all flustered at the slightest innuendo. Yes, my husband loved whispering naughty things in my ear when we were in public way too much.

“So, are we going to tell everyone the good news then?” Asher asked.

“That we’re good at staying up late and not making babies?” I raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what we were talking about anymore.

“I was thinking of the call that we were celebrating last night.“ He chuckled. “But if you want to brag about how attractive you still think I am after two years of marriage, that’s fine with me.”

“Pretty sure everyone already knows that you’re still hot, Asher.” I patted his bare chest and smiled up at him, thinking that I was so lucky to be married to him.

And not just because he was good-looking. Yes, he was still the most attractive man I’d ever laid eyes on—one who somehow got better looking every year we were together.

But he was also just an amazing human. He was my best friend and the best husband a girl could dream of having. He was always the first person to volunteer when a friend needed help. And when he loved, he loved so hard. It was a beautiful thing.

Some people loved with their hearts or their heads, but Asher loved with his whole soul.

And I was grateful every day that I was the lucky girl who got to be on the receiving end of that love.

“I’m glad you still think I’m hot.” He rubbed my arm. “But in all seriousness, when do you think we should tell everyone the news?”

“That you’ll be playing the Beast and I’ll be playing Belle on Broadway later this fall?”

He nodded, his brown eyes full of the same excitement I’d been feeling since we got the news last night.

I was going to be on Broadway.

And I didn’t just get to have that dream come true, but I got to have it come true with Asher.

When we’d auditioned together, we thought it would be amazing if they just cast one of us. Even getting a minor role would have been a dream come true.

We never expected in a million years tobothhave the life-changing opportunity to be the leads in one of the greatest fairytales of all time, on one of the most popular stages in the world.

I still wasn’t quite sure I believed it was real. Probably wouldn’t believe it was until I was in costume and actually on stage in front of the crowd with Asher.

“Well…” I smoothed my hand up his chest and behind his neck so I could comb my fingers into his hair. “I was thinking we should probably wait until after the wedding. Let Cambrielle and Mack have their big day today, and then maybe tomorrow at breakfast we can tell everyone the good news.”

“Sounds good.” Asher kissed me gently on the forehead. I was about to direct his lips to mine when the alarm on my phone went off again.

I sighed. “Guess I better get up for real.”

“Yes, you should.” He laughed and reached across me to turn off the alarm for good.

I climbed out of the bed and put on a comfy tank top and shorts, trying not to get too distracted by Asher’s amazing abs and biceps when he climbed out of bed and pulled a shirt on over his head.

Yeah…seeing those every day was also a nice perk of being married to him.

“You guys doing anything fun before the wedding?” I asked as I slipped my feet into my sandals.

“I think Carter, Hunter, and Nash wanted to take Mack on a hike to Eden Falls to say goodbye to his bachelor days,” Asher said with a laugh. We both knew what that waterfall had been to Mack before he and Cambrielle got together. “But I’m pretty sure we’ll end up playing video games until it’s time to get dressed in our suits.”

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