17
“Two more hours to go!”
The DJ’s announcement came over the speakers and disappointment flooded through Ava. Time was going too fast. She didn’t want this night to end. Unlike her sister who looked like she was ready to leave six hours ago.
Viv, who was dancing with the cop that had been at the front desk when they’d gone to the police station, was over this dance. She was yawning and barely moving back and forth. The only time her sister came to life was when she’d catch Ava’s eyes and wag her eyebrows or make another gesture suggesting there was more going on between Ava and Asher than just dancing. Which, from Ava’s perspective, there definitely was.
For the first four hours, there’d been at least a few inches between their bodies and they mostly did variations of the waltz box step. He had spun her quite a few times when the music swelled and there’d been three dips, which she was still swooning over but there hadn’t been full body contact. But after the break, things had gotten a little more up close and personal. It had gone from Dancing with the Stars to a middle school dance and she was not complaining.
As they swayed back and forth, she rested her head on his broad, muscular chest. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her body was pressed against his. She’d thought, more than once, that she’d felt something pressing against her belly, and she’d been tempted to ask Mae West style, “Is that a pistol in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me.” But she’d managed to refrain because she didn’t want to do anything to ruin this time she was sharing with him.
If he was glad to see her, he wouldn’t be the only one. Asher’s large hands were resting on the bare skin of her lower back and his thumbs were making lazy circles that had her lady parts fluttering like a butterfly on speed.
After being awake for nearly twenty-four hours since she’d worked at the coffee shop this morning she expected to be exhausted by this time. But the opposite was true. She was wide awake; her entire body was buzzing with alertness. It was more than just that, she felt tuned in to Asher in a way that she’d never been attuned to another human being in her life.
Dancing with Asher for the past six hours had been the longest, most torturous form of foreplay imaginable. Mainly because she knew that there wasn’t going to be any play to follow up the fore.
Ava had done her best to mentally, emotionally, and physically prepare herself for what it would feel like to be in Asher’s arms but nothing could have readied her for the reality of the situation. Asher’s large, work-roughened hands on her lower back made her feel things that she’d never felt before. His touch felt safe and dangerous. She felt protected and vulnerable. Calmed and aroused. Add to that the titillating sparks that flew between them when she was pressed against his muscular frame as they swayed to the music and she was about to explode. Literally.
“Are you getting tired?” Asher’s deep voice vibrated through Ava, sending a thrill skittering down her spine.
“No.” She shook her head and lifted her eyes to his. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that the look in his deep brown gaze mirrored what she was feeling. But the clinician in her brain promptly informed her that there was a good chance she was projecting. “Are you?” she breathed.
“No.” His thumb grazed the dip of her lower back as his fingertips dug into her skin and bursts of bliss erupted low in her belly.
Was it actually possible to climax from slow dancing? She had no idea but she was concerned that she was going to find out. Her body was primed and on the cusp of exploding with pleasure. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing considering she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had an orgasm with anyone else in the room, but having one with a hundred people surrounding her was a little bit much.
Trying to distract herself from the release that was building up like a pressure cooker in her body, she made an executive decision to steer the conversation to a place that she hoped would serve as a cold bucket of water.
Throughout the night, they’d talked about everything under the sun from whether they were dog or cat people, early risers or night owls, to their childhoods and families, movies, TV, and music they liked. But one thing they’d avoided was the incident. The one that Asher seemed uncomfortable talking about and wanted to keep private, but Ava felt bonded them in a way that was indescribable. There’d been something she’d wanted to tell him for a while, but she’d hadn’t felt like there was a good time.
So, she figured it was now or never.
She glanced around to make sure there was no one that would overhear her. It was so easy to feel like she was in a bubble with this man, but the truth was they were in a very crowded room. Thankfully, none of the other couples were in earshot, but she spoke quietly for good measure. “Um, I think I mentioned before that I tried to find out who you were after the shooting.”
Asher’s body tensed and her first instinct was to drop the subject. She’d thought that she wanted to kill the mood but even this slightest turn in his demeanor was making her wish she’d kept her mouth shut.
She grinned and shook her head. “Never mind.”
“No. What were you going to say?” Tension was rolling off of him in waves, but the look in his whiskey gaze was kind and soft, encouraging her to continue.
Taking a deep breath, she did just that. “I went down to the precinct every week for months. But after realizing they were never going to give me any information, the last time I went I left something for you. Nothing big, just a little something to show my gratitude—”
Before she could finish explaining Asher moved one of his arms from her back and for a split second she thought he was going to step away and stop dancing with her altogether. But that fear was quickly put to rest when he reached into his collar and pulled out a familiar looking white gold chain.
She gasped when she saw what was hanging on it. Her heart skipped a beat as she moved her hand and grasped the medallion in her hand. Tears filled her eyes as she whispered, “You’re wearing it?”
“I haven’t taken it off since the day I got it.”
“You haven’t?” she asked as she moved her hand back to his shoulder and looked up at him.
“No.” His eyes were brimming with emotion that Ava couldn’t quite name as he gathered it back up and put it back under his collar. “It means a lot to me. Thank you.”
“I’m so happy you got it.” They maintained eye contact and Ava couldn’t be sure if it was the sleep-deprivation or not, but it seemed like a significant moment just passed between them.
He’d worn the pendant she’d got him and said that it meant a lot to him. That had to mean something…didn’t it? Sure, he might not have thought about her as much as she’d thought about him over the years, but if he’d worn the pendant she’d bought him then she must have crossed his mind.
Ava was still processing that discovery when she heard voices behind her. She turned her head and saw that Amanda was saying her goodbyes. Ava was actually surprised that she’d lasted this long at her late stage of pregnancy. Justin had been trying to get her to go home for the past few hours, and it finally looked like she was heeding his request.
