I wasn’t sure what I was going to walk into when I arrived home, but two girls singing Baby Got Back with our new Emmys as the microphones wasn’t it.

At first, they didn’t hear me come in, so I stood just inside the door, leaning against the doorjamb with my arms crossed over my chest and a huge fucking smile on my face.

“Ooh, Rumpelstiltskin, you say you want to roll in my Benz? Well, use me, use me. ‘Cause my booty says I’m juicy.” Ashtyn turned around and shook her ass, the words Juicy spread across her backside.

I chuckled silently as Abby laughed. “That’s not the words!” They moved their hips to the beat, and Abby turned, her mouth opened as though she was about to start to sing, but then stopped as her gaze met mine. She nudged Ashtyn, but Ashtyn continued to dance. I still had a huge smirk on my face because watching her finally laugh again was the best fucking feeling in the world. I knew without a doubt that I loved her. I just didn’t want to tell her and scare her off because we’d just started dating. I would, though, once the time was right.

Ashtyn finally looked over at me and stopped dancing. When it registered that it was me standing with the door still opened behind me, she rushed over and threw her arms around my neck. “Tiger!”

“Tiger?” I grinned.

Ashtyn pulled her head back, her arms still around my neck. “Yeah. Rawrrrrr.” She nipped at my ear as though she was the tiger and not me.

I chuckled. “All right, Cupcake. I take it you had a good night?”

Ashtyn broke free and started to sway her hips to the rest of the song. I closed the door as she motioned to Abby the best she could. “Abs and I played a game.”

“What kind of game?” I started to unbutton my coat as I looked over to see Abby walking toward my stereo to turn off the music.

“When we got home, it was in the second period. We turned on the TV and watched your show like I told you I would,” she slurred every word.

“Yeah?”

I hung up my coat and then watched Ashtyn’s ass as she continued to shake it to no music. “We decided to play a drinking game where every time you or Jett said shot, we had to take a shot of Fireball.”

“How many times was that?” I assumed a lot since I broadcasted hockey and that was what players did to try and make goals.

Ashtyn shrugged. “We lost track, but it was a lot.”

“I can tell.” I grinned.

“I better get going.” Abby grabbed her purse.

“You can’t drive home,” I protested.

“I only had a couple of shots during the intermission a few hours ago. I faked the rest and let Ash have a good time.” She opened the door.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t go, Abs!” Ashtyn reached out as if to grab Abby, but she had already walked through the threshold.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ash. Eat some dinner, okay?” She closed the door and was gone.

“You didn’t eat dinner?” I asked. It was a little after one in the morning.

“I ate a cup of raw men.”

I laughed, doubling over. “A cup of raw men?”

“Yee-P. Chicken flavored.”

“Well, I’m hungry.” I really wasn’t, but I needed her to eat and soak up the booze. I’d never seen her as drunk as she was. “How does breakfast sound?”

“What time is it?”

“Don’t you know it’s exciting to have breakfast for dinner, Cupcake?” I started to make my way to the kitchen.

“Will you make pancakes?” she slurred behind me.

“And bacon.”

“You’re the best boyfriend ever. You even send me cupcakes that look like flowers.”

I smiled as I opened the fridge to pull out the raw bacon. “I’m glad you liked them.”

I wanted to be the one to send her flowers now. I wanted to be her everything. I remembered the time Romi had made Mom a cupcake bouquet for her fiftieth birthday, so I’d called a local place and texted Abby to ask if she could get them on her way to work. Obviously, she had, and then she’d taken care of my girl all night. I needed to pay her back. Was she single? I could set her up with Kenny or Clark. I’d think about it.

Ashtyn slid onto the barstool at the breakfast bar. “I loved them. They were red velvet.”

I took the bacon out and turned to the oven. “You going to show me how you licked the icing?”

She giggled. “Yes, I practiced on two of them.”

As the bacon cooked in the oven, I took a quick shower hoping Ashtyn wouldn’t join me—for once. Even though I wanted her to suck and lick my dick as though I was icing on a cupcake, I also feared she’d somehow mistake it for a real one and bite into me in her drunken state.

“Whatcha doin’ down there?” I asked, a towel wrapped around my waist as I walked into the bedroom. Ashtyn was sitting on the floor, her T-shirt, bra, and one pant leg removed.

“I was coming to join you.”

“It’s almost time for breakfast.”

“What time is it?”

I chuckled. “It’s time for breakfast, and then we’re going to bed. When we wake up, you’re going to show me how you lick icing.”

“Are you making pancakes?”

“Yep.” I reached out with my hand for her to stand. I helped her out of her sweatpants and put her T-shirt back on. If she were topless as I cooked, I’d definitely burn the bacon. “Come on. The bacon should almost be ready.”

We walked hand in hand down the hall, and when we got to the kitchen, I directed her to sit on a stool. I kissed the side of her head then moved to the oven to check the bacon.

“Do you always cook naked?”

I looked down at my bare chest and the towel wrapped around my hips. “I’m not much of a chef actually.”

“But you’re cooking now.”

“It’s not hard to screw up bacon in the oven as long as you set a timer. And pancakes are easy when the batter is already made and you just need to add water.”

“You’re the best,” she gushed again. This time she rested her head on the cool granite.

“No sleeping, baby. You need to soak up some of that whiskey.”

“But I’m tired.”

“Tell me about your day.”

She rested her head in her hand while I hurried and made the pancake batter. “So, I got promoted today.”

I stopped shaking the bottle of the pre-made batter. “You did?”

Ashtyn smiled. “I’m gonna be on the five o’clock news starting next year.”

“Holy shit, Cupcake.” I pulled her up to hug me, and then I kissed her hard with a smack of my lips. She tasted faintly of whiskey. “I’m so proud of you.”

“It’s always been my hope to be in that time slot.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

She shrugged. “I forgot. Fireball helps you forget.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, it does.”

The timer on the oven went off, and I checked the bacon. It needed a few more minutes, so I turned my attention back to the pancakes.

“You think I’ll get a new stalker once I’m on that broadcast?”

I stopped pouring the batter onto the buttered griddle. “I hope not. You better tell me if you start getting flowers from a secret admirer again or some guy hits on you. The position is filled.”

“You’re my boss now?”

I smiled as I looked over my shoulder at her. “Yeah, baby, I am.” I wasn’t going to be controlling and shit, but she needed to know I wasn’t going anywhere. If I had to make her bacon and pancakes every night at one in the morning, I would. I like what we had going now. Sure it started with sex and using each other to forget our exes, but now I couldn’t imagine a night without falling asleep with her in my arms.

Things seemed to return back to normal. Or what Ashtyn and I thought normal was. She still didn’t want to stay at her place, but I didn’t mind. We’d gone to her condo and gotten more of her things.

When I was with Bridgette, I’d given her a key, but then instantly regretted it because her shit was all over my place. But having Ashtyn’s stuff around felt completely different. I didn’t mind seeing her toothbrush next to mine or seeing her bra lying on the empty chair in the corner of my room. In fact, I was giving it a month before I propositioned that we find a new place together. A home far away from the one Ashtyn hated to step foot in.

Ashtyn was at work, and I was setting up the poker table waiting for the guys to arrive when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Kenny holding up a six pack of Blue Moon.

“I’m early.”

I nodded and chuckled. “Yeah, man. Help me set this shit up.”

Kenny closed the door and followed me into my place. “So Ashtyn moved in officially yet?”

“Since you asked me yesterday at work?”

He laughed and gave a slight shrug after setting the beer on the kitchen island. “Yeah.”

I opened the poker chip case and started to sort stacks. “Not gonna lie. I don’t mind at all how things have turned out.”

“She’s not crazy like Bridgette, right?” Kenny popped the cap on a bottle of beer and handed it to me.

“I don’t think anyone is as crazy as she is. Fuck, dude …” I trailed off not believing what was about to come from my mouth. “I think I love her.”

“Ashtyn?”

“Yes, Ashtyn.”

“Well, shit, man.” Kenny clapped me on the shoulder with his free hand. “When are you going to tell her?”

I took a pull of the beer as I thought about his question. I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know how she felt, and I’d never truly been in love before. Sure, I’d told Bridgette, but that was in my lust-haze when I knew she wasn’t wearing any panties under her dress, and I’d never uttered it again. When Bridgette would tell me that she loved me, I’d just nod and change the subject. She didn’t seem to mind since she was living off my dime. But if Ashtyn were to tell me goodbye, I’d want to jump in front of the Blue Line as the train pulled into the station.

“When I know for sure she won’t crush my heart.”

“Well, I can’t wait to go to Vegas for your bachelor party.”

“Whoa!” I laughed. “Who the hell said anything about marriage?”

“I don’t know, but you’re all pussy whipped now.”

“Don’t be jealous I’m getting laid on a regular basis.”

A knock sounded on my door, and Kenny turned to answer it. “I’m happy with the variety of pussy I’m getting thank you very much.”

“Whatever. Just get the door.”

I wasn’t going to continue to argue with Kenny. He could have a different woman every night if he wanted. I wanted to crawl into my bed every night with Ashtyn and only Ashtyn.

The weekend after Ashtyn returned to work, we bought a Christmas tree. Since we spent all of our time at my place, we’d brought the tree there and decorated it. I had no fireplace for Santa to slide down, so I bought an electric one, and we hung our stockings on it. Plus, it was nice to curl up together and watch a movie with the illusion of flames dancing from a 3D effect. So many times it was on the tip of my tongue to tell Ashtyn how I felt about her. I wanted many more Christmas together. But if she didn’t feel the same way, I feared she’d find someone better, so I needed to come up with a plan.