Chapter Twenty-Six
Ashland
“Fanny?” her sister yelled, and my naked gypsy rose’s cheeks flamed brighter than her hair. I bent, snagged her robe and threw it at her. “Fanny?” Hollie yelled again, her footsteps coming closer. “I’m hungry. “Where are…oh.” She stuttered to a stop inside the doorframe to my bedroom. Fanny had her robe on, and I had yanked her backward to cover myself. Hey don’t judge. The towel might have been the more obvious choice, but I preferred warm, soft, squirming-her-sexy-ass-in-my-lap, embarrassed Fanny.
“It’s about damn time.” Hollie grinned at us.
Fanny dropped her chin.
“I know, right?” I grinned back at Hollie and kissed Fanny’s bent head. “But can you give us a minute? We just…”
“Hey, don’t TMI me. I get it.” She started to walk backward. “Called it, though. Told you he’s a good guy. Thumbs up, sis.”
“Out, Hols!”
“See you in in the kitchen.” Hollie ducked out of sight.
“Gah.” Fanny swiveled and ducked her face into my shoulder. “I’m sorry. That was so humiliating.”
“Hardly.” I had been on countless world tours with a bunch of rowdy guys. And I had the proclivities I had. I definitely wasn’t embarrassed. I ran my hand over the red fuzz on her head. Her hair was coming back in. Such a beautiful ruby color and silky soft like the rest of her. “But it’s adorable as hell that you’re embarrassed, Fanny Bay.” I moved my hand under her chin and gently lifted it. Searching her eyes, I saw what I needed to see in them. She was with me after the scene which was good because I was so into her. “Can we do something like that again later?”
She smiled, blushed some more and nodded her head.
“You were awesome by the way.”
“Ditto to you.”
“Oh my Ash awesome?”
“Stop fishing for compliments. You saw what you did to me without even really touching me except at the beginning,” she huffed with mock indignation. “Do you have to work today? You said something about a meeting before you went to take a shower.”
“Oh, yeah. Fuck.” I lifted her from my lap, set her on the bed beside me, grabbed the towel and fastened it back around me.
“Do you have time for breakfast?” She tried not to show it, but I could tell she hoped I did.
“You cooking?”
“Yeah. The eggs have been sitting too long for the omelet to be fluffy, but I can probably do French toast instead.”
“I usually just do a protein shake for breakfast, but that sounds awesome. Get it started, little rose. I’ll redo my shower, and we’ll eat together. But can you do something for me later?”
“Sure. What?”
“Consider popping downstairs to the studio? I might have some news to share, and I’d like to show you around.”
“I’d love that, Ash.”
“Good.” I stood, started for the door, then stopped and turned back to her. “Everything that happened here. Every minute I have spent with you, whether here inside the apartment, eating dinner on the roof with my friends, talking on the pier, joking around on a walk through OB with you by my side. Those moments rank as some of the best ones I’ve ever had.”
~ ~ ~
Fanny
“Mine, too.” Happy tears filled my eyes as I watched him go. And yes, the backside view of Ashland Keys in only a towel was as damn fine as the front view.
“Fanny?” my sister called. Obviously she had seen him cross the apartment. He had moved his shampoo and shaving stuff over to the guest bathroom. He had welcomed Hollie and me into his home. He had given up his own bed and master bath. He had not just unlocked the door to his bedroom when he had thought I was hurt on the other side of it. He had completely busted it off its hinges like he had broken down the few remaining paltry defenses I had to resist falling for him. I hadn’t even slept with him properly. He had a first love that might always leave me in second place, but I was done resisting the inevitable with him. After those parting remarks I knew I was already completely and irrevocably there.
“Give me a minute, Hols.” My tone was roughened like I had swallowed a bunch of seawater. It’s only love, Fanny. The beginning stages. But I needed to get used to it. I had a feeling more of me was going underneath the waves Ashland Keys left behind in his wake. “I need to get some clothes on. And then I’ll be right out.”
“Don’t dress up on my account. Ash apparently likes you in next to nothing, and I certainly don’t care one way or another. Besides, I heard you say French toast is on the menu.” She peeked her head out into the hall from the kitchen. “I just checked. He’s woefully low on spices. No nutmeg at all, but there’s some cinnamon. So get your rear out here, naked or not.” She beckoned with her hand. “I’m hungry.”
“You sound like, Linc,” I returned, belting the robe tighter and shuffling toward her.
“‘Appetite is a universal wolf’ our favorite bard says.” She grinned. “He wasn’t really talking about food, but I think he would approve.” She yielded to me when I entered the kitchen. A quick scan revealed that she had everything laid out, including a bowl with the milk-egg wash already whisked together and the skillet on the burner with butter melting in it. “Good job sous chef.”
“You’re welcome.” From her new position on the barstool, she gave me a hat-tip salute.
“So you and Ash.” She put her elbows on the bar and her chin on the platform she made of her hands. “On a scale of one to ten, how hot was it?”
“Well, you know those guys who came up with the scale?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, they never met a guy like Ashland Keys.”
“Translation. You’re not gonna tell me anything. Are you?”
“Not about that, Hols.”
“Fair enough. Tell me what you can.”
“Well, he’s generous. He’s tender. He’s romantic. He’s protective.” I nodded, remembering everything he had said, and everything we had done. “He’s opening up to me, and I’m doing the same with him.” I dipped a slice of bread into the egg-bath then set it in the sizzling pan. “I honestly don’t know how it can get better.”