Page 38 of Asher's Assignment
Liv hustled into the room, her rounded pregnant belly preceding her. Edie’s face flashed through Esther’s mind, and she was hit with another pang of jealousy. An image of Asher’s smile and the remembered feel of his silky hair clutched in her fingers swiftly followed.
Whoa, girl. Slow down.
Even if the kiss meant something and a relationship bloomed between them, they were still a long way off from adorable, squishy, brown-eyed babies.
Not that she believed she and Asher would ever have a relationship or that their kiss meant anything. Sure, it had been pleasant—okay, more like earth-shattering and mind-blowing—but it was just a kiss. They were alone, and they’d been stuck together for days. And they’d shared a moment. That’s all it was.
“Girlfriend, who’s the hunk subbing for Tamara?” Liv stopped in front of Esther’s desk and pointed a finger at her. “And don’t pretend you don’t know. I saw you two get out of the same car this morning.”
Crap! Of course she did. “Um, he’s an old friend of my sister’s.”
Liv arched an eyebrow. “That man is a friend of Edie’s? How?”
“Military. They met through that. He wasn’t military, but did some… other… stuff.” She didn’t want to divulge Asher’s real backstory. Not all of it. It didn’t make much sense for a genius hacker with his own version of a supercomputer for a brain to be subbing in a kindergarten classroom. “He decided he liked the area up here, so while he looks for a job, he’s staying with me and subbing for the district to stay busy in between interviews.” Esther resisted the urge to pat herself on the back. That was a pretty plausible backstory. Especially for something she came up with on the fly.
“Oh. He’s staying with you, you say?” A wicked gleam entered Liv’s eyes. “What’s that like? Is he sleeping in your guest room or with you?”
“Liv!” Esther’s face heated. “He’s staying in the guest room.”
Liv cackled. “I bet that won’t last long.”
“Why not? He’s just a friend.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Liv winked, not even trying to fight the smile that blossomed on her face. “One who’s put a pretty shade of pink on your face. You can’t sit there and tell me you don’t find him attractive.”
“Of course I do. Have you looked at him? But that doesn’t mean anything else can happen.” Esther pressed her lips together as soon as the words left her mouth, realizing what she’d said. She sent up a silent prayer Liv wouldn’t notice.
“Anything else?”
Esther bit back a groan.
Liv grabbed a chair from a nearby table and lowered herself onto it, holding her belly. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Not nothing. You’re red now. Spill.”
With a huff, Esther set her sandwich down and ran her hands over her face, then stared at her friend for a moment before she answered. “We shared a few… nice kisses last night. That’s it. And that’s all it can be.”
Liv hummed. “Honey, if I were you, I’d jump all over that man. I don’t know how your sister didn’t, but you need to count your blessings.”
“Yes, well, your pregnancy has made you extra horny, so you’d jump on any man who offered, I’d think.”
Liv pressed a hand to her heart. Mouth rounded and brows dipped, she gave Esther a horrified look. “I would not. My Neal is enough for me.”
Esther grinned. “Neal and your nightstand friend.”
A quick laugh burst from Liv’s chest. “This is true. It never runs out of stamina. Just batteries.”
They shared a laugh.
“The books tell me my libido will calm down in the third trimester. I’m almost there, so we’ll see. Neal can’t wait. He told me the other day he never thought he’d ever think he could have too much sex.”
Esther’s face heated for another reason. She waved her hands. “TMI, Liv. TMI.”
Laughing again, a quick knock on the open door had them both turning. Esther’s chuckle died in her throat at the sight of Asher standing there. Her body heated and her brain whispered, “He’d never get tired of sex. Look at him. The man runs marathons.”
She bit back another groan. If she survived his presence in her life, it would be a miracle.
