Page 76 of Restrictions

I guide my cock inside her as she rides me, and we continue the vicious cycle.

A cycle I have no idea how I’m going to break, but I know one thing—when I do, it will be irreparable.

33

ASHER

“I’m an airplane!” I laugh as I hold Baz above my head and fly him around the living room. Viv walks in, toys in hand probably from other areas of the house, and she tosses them into the cloth basket where she stores toys in here.

“You know it’s bedtime?”

Baz pouts and shakes his head, still in my arms. “No. I airplane.”

Viv sighs, tilting her head with a smile, looking at me for support. I lower Baz to the ground, letting his little feet plant on the carpet. “Come on, airplane. Time to go get washed up.”

He grabs my hand. “You do it.”

I look over to Viv, asking for silent permission, and she nods. I take him upstairs and give him a bath before changing him into pajamas and tucking him in.

Viv comes upstairs, and we both put him to bed. I try like hell not to obsess about how much it feels like we’re a couple.

I feel everything getting hazy. Being an uncle to Baz, a friend to Viv, a casual fuck for Viv, a grieving brother who wants to be here for the family he left behind. It’s all getting blurred, and lines are being crossed.

And still... I don’t tell Viv I want to stop.

Because I don’t want to.

We sneak downstairs and sit on the sofa in the living room, her legsover my lap, completely comfortable with one another. “I have to talk to you.”

Shit. Fuck.

Is this the part where she wants to be a real couple? That she has feelings for me? Is this where I break her?

I lean over and nibble on her neck, trying to hide my fear. “I thought we said no more talking.”

She pushes me back, her hand staying on my chest. “Relax. We need to talk about Thanksgiving.”

Relief washes over me, and I settle back into the couch, propping my feet up on the coffee table. “Football and turkey? Okay.”

She laughs, and it’s beautiful. “Your mom called me this morning. She isn’t hosting this year.”

That’s weird. My mom loves the holidays. At least that was always the show she put on. “She isn’t?”

I turn to look at Viv, who shakes her head slowly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “No. Penelope and Lincoln are.”

Bile rises, and I feel like I’m going to be sick, but I stay still, looking at Viv’s pretty face. “Why?”

“I don’t know really.” Clearly, I’m not doing a good job appearing to be calm because she pulls her legs off of my lap and pulls them to her chest, looking at me. “She didn’t say. Just said they were having it at their house in California.”

“I’m not going.”

“Asher . . .”

I stand up and start toward the stairs, not wanting to talk about it, begging her not to follow me. But she’s a pain in the ass, so, of course, she does, stopping me before I even reach the first step, grabbing my arm and turning me toward her. “Talk to me.”

My jaw ticks and my heart races. “I’m not going all the way to California to watch Linc and Penelope act like the fucking perfect couple.”

“I don’t think that’s what they’re trying to do.”

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