Page 43 of Restrictions

“Why was she on him?”

Good question. Not one a three-year-old should have to ask. “I guess she just really likes him.”

He giggles again, “I had fun today.”

I smile and kiss his head. “I did too. Will you please do Mommy a favor and go to sleep easily tonight?”

“I easy.” He looks offended, and I laugh.

“I know, honey.”

He giggles, “I not honey.”

Yeah, he’s wound up. I grab a book and read it to him and then another until he finally passes out, and I quietly sneak out of his room.

I barely make it to my room when I see Asher coming up the stairs. “Oh no.” I hold up a finger, directing him away from me and keeping my voice low.”

“Viv, let me explain.”

I shake my head and shush him, pointing to Sebastian’s room as I whisper angrily at him, “Don’t bother. Baz is asleep. I’m going to bed.”

I turn away from him and go into my room, surprised when he follows me and closes the door behind him.

“Excuse me, what the hell are you doing?”

“We’re going to talk about this. We live together, Viv. I’m not letting you walk around here pissed-off at me for days until you finally let me explain.”

I roll my eyes and kick off my shoes as I sit on my bed, crossing my legs at the ankles and gesture in front of my body for him to go on. “Please, explain.” Before he speaks, my anger gets the best of me and I climb off the bed and walk closer to him. “Explain to me why a half-naked girl was on your lap in the living room and not in your bedroom?”

“Please, if anything she was only a quarter-naked.”

“You think you’re funny?” I fold my arms, pissed-off beyond belief. “I have what, two rules? That’s it. And you can’t follow that one?’

“It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Jesus, Asher I haven’t had sex for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what it looks like, and that’s exactly where you were headed.”

His eyes darken, and his jawline hardens as he takes a step closer to me, his head dipping down so I have to look him in the eyes. “Is that why you’re so fucking mad, Viv? Huh?”

I drop my arms to my sides and tip my chin up, not looking away. “What are you talking about?”

His pouty lips are way too close to mine, his cologne invading my senses as he studies me intensely. “I think you’re pissed that some random girl was on my lap tonight because you wanted it to be you.”

I scoff, but the heat rising to my cheeks is inevitable. “You have some balls.”

“I do.” His gaze does wild things to my body, and I don’t like it. I can feel my nipples pebbling under my bra, standing at full attention. “Admit it. You’re just pissed-off because I won’t fuck you.”

He’s changed in the mere weeks we’ve lived together. I can’t place it. I don’t know how to describe it really, but that dark edge Nora told me about is creeping its way to the surface. “I’m pissed, because I had two rules, Asher. Two. No parties and no girls out in the open where my son can get an eyeful. I never wanted to know about the first time my son saw his first pair of unrelated breasts, but I certainly didn’t think he would only be three.”

“She had her fucking bra on. Relax.”

“No.”

He laughs, but it’s not his normal laugh, it’s angry and cold. “Of course. I forgot who I was talking to.”

“What the hell is your problem?”

He walks past me, and the asshole actually takes a seat on my bed. I watch him as he smooths his hand over the stubble on his cheek andchin, then drops his hand. “I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t bring her here to sleep with her.”

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