Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“Yes! He’s the best.”
“Hey now. I wouldn’t go that far,” I teased, and Kenny laughed.
“You’re always the best-best, Beau.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far either, Kenny, but thanks.”
We spoke for a little while longer before getting off the phone. When I arrived at Ash’s, I knocked, which was quickly followed by, “Getcha’ ass in here, Campbell.”
Chuckling, I walked inside. It was midmorning, and Ash stood by the coffeepot in a pair of jeans and nothing else. They hugged his ass just right, while still riding low enough on his hips that when he turned to me and grinned, I saw his hip bones, and that sexy-ass V-shape I liked to trail my tongue over.
I walked to him, paused, then traced a finger down the valley I’d just been admiring. It was still fucking crazy to me that I could touch Ash that way, but I damn sure planned to enjoy it. “Your cum gutters are sexy.”
“Excuse me, my what?”
I chuckled. “Cum gutters. I’ll have to jerk off in them next time we fuck around.”
“Jesus, Campbell. Everything you say gets me fired up…get it? Fired up…you’re a firefighter…”
I shook my head and smiled. “I don’t get it. Can you explain it to me?”
“Asshole.” He looked away, toward the coffeepot.
“Wanna go to dinner at Mom’s tonight?”
Ash’s eyes darted to mine. “No shit?”
His response landed in my chest. Was it really that surprising that I’d ask him to eat dinner at my mom’s house? I wondered how often people had ever done things like that for Ash, and if they did, if there was always some ulterior motive. He was always too shocked that I just wanted to spend time with him. “Yeah, of course. Kenny’s cooking. He’s pretty good. It won’t be anything fancy.”
“I don’t want anything fancy.”
“I guess it works, then.” I went to step away, but Ash reached out. This time it was his hands on my hips, holding me in place. He rubbed his thumbs against my skin, beneath my shirt.
“I like it when you’re nice to me.”
My lips pulled into a frown. “Was I really not nice to you? I know I was…irritable, but did I ever hurt you?” I would hate myself for it if I did. I knew I hadn’t always been fair to Ash, and yeah, I gave him shit, but…
“No, you didn’t hurt me. You always made me feel confused, which means I tried harder, which means you pulled away more…and it was a mess. I would have run if you’d been anything different than you were. I did run after graduation, but…you’re extra nice to me now. You suck my dick and eat my come. You let me coach with you and invite me to your mom’s house for a non-fancy dinner.”
Leaning in, I chuckled against his lips, pressing a quick kiss there. “I like being nice to you, Ash.”
“Ooh! I love chocolate cake. Can I help you make it?” Ash asked Kenny, basically bouncing on the balls of his feet like a child. He held the same excitement about the smallest things, similar to how Kenny did. I envied people like them, people who looked for the joy in every life situation. Ash had been blessed in his life. Not everyone got to do what they loved. But he’d suffered too—losing football, his parents, and denying who he was. He didn’t let those things get him down, though. Was there ever a time in my life that I just looked forward to baking a cake? I couldn’t say there was.
Kenny’s glee at Ash’s question took over, and he began rambling too quickly for anyone to understand him.
“Slow down, Kenny. Take a couple deep breaths, and then reply again,” Mom told him.
He did as she asked, then said, “Yes, please. I’d love for you to help.”
“Let’s do it,” Ash replied.
The two of them then forgot Mom and I were around as they got busy.
“You’re the captain, and I’m your wingman. Lemme know what you want me to do,” Ash told Kenny, and I swear to Christ, my damn heart swelled.
Kenny directed as they got busy on their cake. I leaned against the opposite counter, watching them, with Mom beside me. Every so often Ash would look over his shoulder at me and wink or grin. I returned each gesture with a playful smile, when really my throat was too fucking tight to breathe.
Ashton Carmichael was in my mom’s kitchen, making a cake with my brother…my brother who clearly loved the hell out of him. Afterward, I’d go home with him, spend the night in his bed. And it was…it was everything.
“You look happy,” Mom whispered in my ear as they mixed the cake.
There wasn’t a question in my mind that Mom would know, that she’d see something was going on. I’d had to prepare myself for that before bringing Ash over today. Still, I knew what this was. I knew Ash was experimenting, being honest with who he was, and that it likely wouldn’t go anywhere other than that.