Page 129 of April

“Just lie down.” Linden laughed lightly.

Asher hesitated but did so, and Linden climbed on top of her and smiled softly, hovering above her.

“I’m saying no right now because I think it’s the smart thing to do. I believe in your business. I know you’ll kick ass.”

“We’d be competitors. You know that, right?”

“That can be pretty hot, though,” Linden replied. “Let’s say there’s a wealthy couple on the prowl for a planner, and we both pitch them… Think of the hot sex we’ll have when they choose one of us over the other.”

Asher smiled up at her and said, “We have pretty hot sex without competing for clients.”

“Then, we won’t compete for clients.”

“You can’t say that. You can’t help when someone wants you as their planner or if Carolyn assigns you someone.”

“Ash, I love you. I can promise you this: anything that could possibly get in the way of us, whatever that thing is, it loses. I guess I need to know if you starting your own company and me staying where I am for now is one of those things.”

“What? No,” Asher replied, finally wrapping her arms around Linden’s neck. “I thought you’d want to join me, but if you want to stay where you are, I want that for you, Linden. And if you told me that you wanted to take the Dallas job, after all, we would make it work, too.”

“I don’t,” she said. “I want to be able to take on a little more at work, but with you leaving, my guess is that I’ll get more anyway, and I’d like to test my own limitations. I feel like, in one way or another, I’ve always been second best.” Linden watched as Asher’s expression changed, so she added, “No, that’s not anything you need to own, worry about, or ever apologize for, Ash. You’ve challenged me every single minute since I joined the company, and you’ve always been there with tips and advice. I’ve relied on you since the beginning, and I kind of like the idea of having to be on my own a little, I think.”

“You want to do this on your own for a while.” Asher nodded, understanding now.

“Not too long,” Linden said. “And whatever I learn, I think I’ll be able to apply if you still want me to join you later. I want to be the best I can for you if and when that happens.”

Asher’s hands were on the back of her neck, moving into her hair now.

“You can’t tell Carolyn we’re together, then.”

“What? Why not?”

“She’ll always be worried that you’re going to leave with me. She trusts you now. She might not then.”

“She knows how close you and I are already. She’ll worry anyway. I just need to sit down and talk to her.”

“You think that’ll work?”

“I know she can’t afford to losebothof us right now and find someone to run the other office. I’ve got a long runway.”

Asher smiled up at her and said, “Okay.”

“When areyougoing to tell her?” Linden asked.

“I need a little time to get everything together. I’ll meet with Monica and make some calls. Then, we’ll see.”

“Well, I can keep your secret,” she said as she moved to settle herself between Asher’s legs.

“Oh, you can?” Asher smiled up at her.

Linden nodded emphatically and said, “I’m a very good secret keeper. I never told you thatIwas the one who kept stealing your yogurts from the fridge at work.”

“What?!” Asher laughed.

“You always bought the good stuff, and I always forgot a snack,” she said.

“Well, I’d say you’ve more than made it up to me by now, I guess.”

“Oh, you guess?” she asked, rolling her hips down into Asher.

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