Page 10 of The Wish List
She bit her lip, staring at me. I pulled her teeth from the plump flesh.
“I won’t hurt you. Or your son. Please.”
“Yes.”
That was all I needed to hear.
CHAPTERTHREE
ASHER
She was shocked yet again when I appeared at her door the next morning, my hands filled with bags. We had talked, kissed more, and I had left, regretting the fact that I had to, but I knew she was tired. I had hoped once I was gone, she would go to bed, but I had a feeling she would log some hours on her second job. I had to push down my instinct to tell her to stop. I didn’t have that right.
Yet.
During our talk last night, I was shocked when she admitted she had only been on two dates since Asher was born. When I expressed my disbelief, she only shrugged at my statement.
“Single mothers are a lot for most men to take on, Asher. We’re too much work.”
“I disagree. The best things in life are worth the effort.”
“I think you’re a different breed altogether.”
I planned on showing her how different I was—in the best ways. She fascinated me, and I thought AJ was an incredible kid. I looked forward to getting to know both of them more.
I admitted to her I didn’t date much. “My business has always come first,” I explained. I met her worried gaze, running my knuckles over her soft cheek. “I think that might have changed.”
I liked the fact that my words made her smile.
She opened the door looking so sexy and sweet, it took all I could not to drop the bag and pull her into my arms and kiss her until she was breathless. Her hair was everywhere. Lines from her pillowcase were etched into her cheek. Her beautiful green eyes were wide and blinking, hardly awake enough to comprehend my presence.
“Asher?” she asked. “How do you keep getting into the building?”
I grinned. “Magic.” I lifted the bags in my hands. “I brought breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” she repeated. “Or a whole grocery store?”
I breezed past her, stopping to drop a fast kiss to her mouth. “I didn’t know what you had, so I brought everything to make my specialty.”
AJ came running out of the bedroom, clutching a well-worn teddy. “Asher! Hi!”
“Hey, bud. I came to have breakfast with you and your mom. I’m going to make it.”
“Can I help? Momma says I’m a great helper!”
“Great. I need an assistant.”
“I’ll go get ready!” he announced before running to his room.
I set down the bags, shrugged off my coat, and toed off my boots. Rosie stared dumbfounded at me.
“You’re very, ah, goal-oriented, aren’t you?” she asked.
I laughed and cupped her face, her skin warm under my cold hands. “If you mean making you smile is the goal, then yes.” I kissed her again. “We’ll make breakfast. You go have a nice leisurely shower. I don’t imagine you get many of those.”
“No,” she admitted ruefully.
“Go,” I encouraged.
