Page 49 of Even if It Hurts

“Different.” Before I could ask what he meant, he exhaled quickly and said, “Compared to when she was first brought here, she’s calmer. Happier. That isn’t because of me.”

My eyebrows rose and a smile slowly stole across my face.

Is Asher Briggs complimenting me?

“But stop buying things for her.”

My eyes rolled.

And there he is.

“I thought those would help her sleep,” I said on a sigh.

“That isn’t what I meant. It’s that you’ve bought all this stuff for her and my apartment, and that isn’t your job.”

“She’s my job,” I argued.

“Wasting your money isn’t.”

“It isn’t?—”

“Receipts, Lainey,” he said over me, his tone holding no room for argument. “I want them. And if there’s something else you think she needs, tell me. I’ll get it. Or I’ll just leave you one of my cards.”

“You would trust me with your money?” I asked, voice low and teasing.

Silence settled between us before he mumbled, “Tell me, and I’ll get it.”

A soft laugh left me, leaving me feeling lighter than I had in hours. “I’m sorry she woke up.”

“She’s already asleep,” he said, brushing off my apology.

“Yeah?”

An unexpectedly attractive grunt sounded. “I was sure she was up for the morning. But after I changed her diaper and put her back in that stupid pufferfish?—”

A fuller laugh left me, and I hurried to cover my mouth. “Starfish...she looks like astarfish.”

“Starfish,” he amended, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Asher Briggs was smiling. “Once she was back in that, I picked her up, and she snuggled up against me and crashed.”

I would’ve given anything to witness that moment. And I knew in the way my heart tripped up and threatened to escape the confines of my chest that I wouldn’t survive this job or this man.

I swallowed past my suddenly dry throat and whispered, “I’m glad. Then I guess you should get back to sleep.”

Another one of those infuriating grunts left him. “Have you slept at all?”

“I’ll get there,” I said on an exhale before hurrying to add, “I would’ve missed this conversation if I had.”

Asher was silent for so long, but the hesitation creeping through the phone let me know he was still there, still awake. I almost started telling him to forget what I’d said when he uttered, “Ada called me about fifteen minutes after you left.”

My eyelids fluttered shut and I let my head fall back against the headboard. “Right,” I whispered, shocked and a little disappointed that she’d listened to my parents. “Whatever she told you, that isn’t?—”

“Lainey, if working for me is causing this much of a problem for you, I’ll support your decision to stop.”

My eyelids popped back open when Asher’s voice had surprise weaving through the storm of emotions I’d been trapped in all night. His tone held the same gruffness I was slowly becoming accustomed to, but there was also a reluctance I never would’ve expected.

As if he didn’twantme to quit.

I tried telling my traitorous heart it was only because he was struggling so much with Kaia and clearly needed help with her. That his reluctance had nothing to do withme.

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