Page 55 of The Last Time

We stand in silence for a moment. I watch her lick her bottom lip as her eyes land on my biceps.

Fuck this.

I reach for her hand and pull her body into mine, then kiss her pouty lips. My hands glide along her jaw as I take my time slowly working our lips together in unison. It’s not rushed like our other kisses have been.

I know this can’t lead to more right now since the guys are just inside. So, I just take the time to memorize the softness of her lips, the way they feel against mine, and the feeling of her body pressed against mine.

“I have a confession,” I say in between gentle kisses.

“Yes?”

“I didn’t actually need to come here today,” I admit.

She pulls back and looks up at me. “What do you mean?”

I realize I don’t want to dance around this with her. I’m sick of finding excuses to come over here.

“I just wanted to see you, but I didn’t know how to say it,” I admit, feeling slightly embarrassed.

She smiles coyly. “Really?”

“Yes, but I’m done pretending like I should be holding back. Clearly, I suck at it anyway and will eventually find a reason to see you.”

“You don’t need a reason.” She wraps her arms around my waist. “You could justwantto see me.”

I rub my hands up and down her arms, loving the feeling of her smooth, silky skin.

“I want to see you, and this doesn’t count. I have to head out and stop by another work site. One that I actually should be at right now if I wasn’t so desperate to see you.”

“When are you free next?” she asks.

I scratch the back of my head. “I’ve utilized my parents a lot lately for watching Brie. I don’t know.” Then I just blurt it out. “What if you come over tonight after she’s in bed?”

It feels like a huge step. I’ve never had a woman over at my place before. That’s my happy place, where I’m focused on being the best father that I can be. It’s mine and Brie’s sanctuary.

“I can come over tonight. Just text me the address and when I should head over.”

I lean down for another kiss, drawing it out as long as possible. “Good. I look forward to seeing you.”

I begin to walk backward to go around the deck back to my truck.

She smiles. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

“It’s not so bad being honest.” I wink at her. “See you tonight.”

Chapter Sixteen

Charlotte

Ireachformyperfume and squirt it on my neck. If there’s one thing I make sure I carry with me everywhere, it’s my perfume. The fastest way to kill the mood, in my opinion, is giving off an unfavorable scent.

I open my car door and make sure to close it slowly. I don’t know how light of a sleeper Brie is, but the last thing I want to do is wake her up.

His house is smaller than I expected, but it’s cute. As soon as I get to the door, it opens quietly.

Asher is standing there in gray sweatpants and a black shirt, barefoot and looking too sexy than any man has the right to.

I walk in past him into his private little world. He closes the door behind me while I look around. It suddenly dawns on me that this was probably a big step for him to invite me to his home.

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