“Asher? Where’d you go?”
Blinking out of his memories, he realized she was talking to him. “Sorry, my mind jumped to something from work.”
She smiled in understanding and said, “That’s okay. I just wondered if you were ready to go in.”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to show off my girl.”
A few minutes later, he wondered if this was such a good idea. Friday nights at Zander’s were definitely crowded, and Penny was being jostled as they tried to move toward their table.
Feeling her get bumped to the side one more time, he was about to punch his way through when Zeke belted out, “Outta the way!”
The people directly in front of them immediately jumped to the side, giving him and Penny a chance to slip through. Laughing, he shook Zeke’s hand and said, “Thanks, man.”
Laughing, Zeke bent to kiss Penny’s cheek and said, “Miss Ethel always said I didn’t have an indoor voice, so I figure I might as well make the best of it.”
Two long tables had been pushed together to make a large square, and the friends already there scooted their chairs to the side to make room for the newcomers.
Penny smiled toward Zander and said, “I’ve never been here before, but I really like your place.”
Zander bestowed a smile on her and nodded his appreciation.
Rosalie leaned forward and said, “Believe me, he likes the business, but it’s the crowds he can’t stand.”
“I can understand that,” Penny admitted. “Crowds aren’t my thing either.”
“Finally,” Zander said. “Someone with a voice of reason. Crowds can sometimes just make things too difficult.”
Everyone laughed, and seeing that Penny appeared relaxed with his family, Asher turned to Cas sitting next to him, beginning a discussion on some of the new wooden cabinets he wanted to put in a house remodel.
He kept looking over, checking on Penny as he heard her mention her injuries to Morgan, who was commiserating when she talked about the car accident that almost crushed her arm. Penny was speaking with a clear voice, a look of concern on her face for Morgan, and yet not upset.
Hearing Cas laugh next to him, Asher turned his attention back to him. “Sorry, man.”
Waving him away, Cas said, “No worries. I can tell you’re nervous about her being around everyone, but she’s doing great.”
Nodding, he leaned over, keeping his voice low, and said, “She usually has to trust someone before she can let them know about the reason for her limp. I was just surprised that she began talking to Morgan and the other women so easily.”
“That’s on you, Asher.”
Not understanding what he meant, he tilted his head to the side in question.
Cas continued, “Her being comfortable is on you. You’ve made her see that it’s okay. The love you’ve got for her has given her the freedom to be comfortable in her own skin.”
Before he had a chance to respond, Cas’ attention was diverted by the conversation at the other end of the table. Cas had used the word love. Love. Shifting around in his seat, he watched as Penny smiled at the others, chatted easily, and empathized when one of them shared a story about their own troubles. He did love her. And now that he had that revelation, he wanted to tell her. Watching her continue to enjoy everyone’s company, it hit him that he had been in love with her since he was five years old. Lifting his hand, he rubbed the ache in his chest, wanting to be able to tell her that also, not knowing how that conversation would take place.
* * *
“I had so much fun,” Penny gushed as they walked back into her apartment at the end of the evening. Shrugging out of her leather jacket, she hung it in the closet near the front door before turning back to see Asher smiling at her as he leaned against the door.
“The women are all so inspiring, and their stories are inspiring. I can’t imagine how much agony in rehab Eleanor had to go through when she was burned during her military service. And Regina! A cancer survivor!” She walked to the table, holding onto a chair while she slipped off her shoes, still chattering about the evening.
“I was stunned to find out that Rosalie was the woman from several years ago who was attacked and left for dead, spending a long time in the hospital. And I can’t believe I got to meet Morgan after having read about her in the paper. Her story is amazing, and she has such a good attitude after losing out on the Olympics when she had her accident.”
She padded in her socked feet over to where he stood and placed her hands on his waist, her fingers squeezing slightly. Looking up, she said, “They’re so strong.”
He reached out and cupped her cheeks, pulling her close while holding her gaze. “Babe, what I can’t understand is how you don’t realize you have every bit the strength that they do.”
She bit her lip, pondering his words, but he dipped down until his face was directly in front of hers. “You’re right, they’re wonderful women. But you fit right in there, sweetheart. You’re a survivor. A survivor with a good heart, and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to call you mine.”
His words moved through her, the air growing heavy about them. “Am I?” she whispered, her fingers tightening against his waist.
“Are you what, babe?”
“Yours?”
A smile spread across his face, and he said, “As far as I’m concerned, we belong to each other. I guess the only question that remains is do you feel the same?”
Nodding, she said, “I love you, Asher. I began to fall in love with you the first time you sat down and talked about Pride and Prejudice with me.”
He bent and picked her up by the waist, giving her a twirl as she threw her arms around his neck and held on tightly, giggling. “I love you, too,” he said, sealing his vow with a kiss.
She pulled back, her lips curving, and said, “Take me to bed and show me what you’ve got. I’m ready.” She watched as his eyes narrowed in question, and she continued, “I’m ready to share all of me with you. And I’m ready for you to make me feel more things than I’ve ever felt before.”
His eyes jerked open in surprise, and she laughed again as his stride lengthened, and they made it into the bedroom in record time.
22
Asher held Penny reverently as they stood in her bedroom. His shirt was on the floor, as were her shirt and bra. He knew he needed to move slowly but could not wait to have her completely naked with the lamp on so that he could show her how much every inch of her body was beautiful.
Her hands shook as she began sliding her pants over her hips, but he brushed them away gently. “Let me. You’re like the present that I’ve wanted to unwrap, so let me have the honor.” He watched her carefully, and she nodded slowly.
Kneeling on the floor placed his head at the level of her stomach, and he carefully slid her pants and panties over her hips and down her legs. She placed her hands on his shoulders and lifted her right leg so that he could move the material away from her foot. With one hand, he steadied her as she lifted her left leg and he was able to completely undress her. He placed a kiss right on her tummy, eliciting a giggle. Wanting to keep her relaxed, he then blew a raspberry against her bellybutton.
Her head fell back, her silky hair dangling behind, her laughter ringing out. He began kissing again, this time moving his lips from her right hip, across her pelvis, to her left hip. Standing, he scooped her into his arms and laid her gently on the bed.
He had slept with her every night for the past week and had certainly felt her scars, but this was the first time she was gloriously spread out for him, every inch visible. Recognizing the beautiful gift she was giving him, he stripped off the rest of his clothing and joined her on the bed.
His hands skimmed lightly over her left leg, a series of long scars running up and down from her hip to her calf. The smoothness of her leg was interrupted by dips and hollows where some muscle had been removed. Wanting to make sure he was not hurting her, he looked up, but he only saw nervousness, not pain on her face.
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“Your scars don’t bother me, sweetheart,” he said. “They’re part of you. Tragic badges of what you went through, but badges of honor of what you survived.”
She held his gaze and asked, “Who’s quote did you just repeat?”
Shaking his head slowly, he replied, “No one. That’s straight from my heart to yours.”
He watched as a tear slid from the corner of her eye down to the sheet below. Knowing no words would make her feel better at the moment, he simply showed her the depth of his love. He kissed the entire length of her leg, not missing any of the scars before moving over to her unblemished right leg. By the time he finished nuzzling her thighs, he could smell her arousal.
He lifted her right leg to the side, burying his face into her slick folds. She tasted even better than he imagined, and he had a vivid imagination. Knowing she had never done this before, he wanted to make sure it was good for her.
Taking it slow, he licked and nipped before tonguing her sex, then shifting slightly to suck on her clit. Her hips bucked, and he halted for a second, waiting to see if that action caused her pain.
Her only reaction was to dig her fingers into his hair and moan, “Don’t stop.”
He would have stopped if she wanted him to, but giving him the green light, he continued to suckle as he used his fingers in tandem with his mouth. Her hips bucked upward again, and he felt her juices flow as she cried out his name, her fingernails lightly scraping across his scalp.
As her body slowly settled, he kissed his way from her mound over her hips, up her tummy to each breast, continuing his path until he latched onto her lips with his. She clung to him with abandon, thrusting her tongue in his mouth, and he knew she could taste her essence on him.
He moved his hips over her, his aching cock ready to play. Having forgotten a condom, he silently cursed as he started to climb off the bed. Her fingers halted his process, and she said, “Check the nightstand. I looked to see what brand you used and bought the same kind.”
He grinned and snagged one out of the nightstand, easily rolling it on. As he resettled over her, she looked up, her eyes bright and said, “I’ve never been on birth control. I’ve never needed to, but I’d like to with you.”
“I get tested every year, but we can get tested together whenever you say. But baby, everything we do, I want it done at your pace.”
She held his gaze, reaching up and tracing the line of his jaw with her forefinger. “Asher, I love you, and you love me. I think we’re ready for this. I’ll make a doctor’s appointment for as soon as I can.”
With that, he felt the pressure of her fingers on his back, and taking the silent direction, he pushed inside her slick sex. With their love declared and the soft glow of the bedside lamp across their bodies, their lovemaking took on an even deeper meaning.
He thrusted then dragged his cock slowly back out before thrusting again, the tightness of her channel creating the friction they both craved. It did not take long for her to shudder again, moaning at the same time he roared his orgasm into her.
That night as he held her sleeping in his arms, the thought struck him that she had given herself completely to him, but he still had not been completely honest with her. He knew he needed to rectify that. Soon, when the time is right.
* * *
Miss Ethel’s house, generally a place of peace, was alive with the sound of hammers and saws. The men took turns doing some of the general maintenance on her house, but since Cael had discovered some water damage to the front corner of her porch, they had all gathered to make sure the structure was sound.
Zeke skipped a morning at the homeless shelter, and Jayden and Cas took the morning off from working in Jayden’s mechanics shop. Zander, Cael, and Asher could set their own hours, so it was easy to take a day to work on her house. Jaxon, as a paramedic, was the only one who had a set schedule, so they made sure it was on one of his days off.
They did not want to take a chance on Miss Ethel deciding to bring them lemonade and therefore possibly stepping onto a loose board so they made sure her front door was bolted. Asher looked up, seeing her walking around from the back of the house, a tray full of glasses in her hand.
Shaking his head while laughing, he jogged over and took the tray from her. As the men drank their lemonade, she clapped her hands at the work they had gotten done.
Deciding that they did not want to just do a partial repair, they were replacing most of the porch. With eight men working and the weather cooperating, it would soon be finished.
After asking about the other women, being sure they were all well, she turned to Asher. “And how is Penny?”
“She’s good, Miss Ethel. She is settled into her new apartment, and we’ve settled into our relationship.”
She smiled, patted his leg with her thin hand and said, “I’m glad.” Looking at Zeke and Cas, she said, “Now if I can just get you two to settle down.”
They all laughed, and she smiled indulgently. Standing, she was about to pick up the tray of empty glasses when she turned to Asher. “Would you mind carrying these for me, dear?”
They walked slowly around the house, hearing the hammers and saws from the front starting up again. Moving into the kitchen from the back patio, he set the tray on the counter. Together they took the glasses, rinsed them out, and placed them into the dishwasher. As she dried her hands on the dishtowel, she peered up at him and said, “I know it’s none of my business, but I was wondering if Penny knew of your childhood relationship yet?”
He sighed and shook his head, unable to hold her gaze, instead dropping his chin to stare at his feet. “I know I need to, I really do. I didn’t want to at first because I was afraid it was going to be a stumbling block to what we were building. I’m terrified that she’ll have such painful memories, and maybe blame me for her injuries. And now that we’re in love, I don’t want to do anything to mess that up.”
He waited to see if she would chastise him, or maybe offer a quote that was going to give him exactly the answer he needed. When she remained silent, he could take the suspense no longer and lifted his gaze to her. Her face was soft, her smile warm, her eyes radiating her love.
“I feel your fear, Asher. I think you and Penny still suffer from the agonies of childhood. Being taunted. Being rejected. But your love is stronger than your fear. I have no doubt that when she finally learns the truth, it may interrupt what you have, but your love will still bring you back together.”
She patted his arm, then said, “I think I’ll go knit for a while.” Nodding toward the front, she said, “You need to go on out and finish helping your brothers.” She turned and started down the hall then called over her shoulder, “Maybe your brothers can help you.”
He stood with his hands on his hips and watched her continue down the hallway before walking out of the kitchen and around the house. When he arrived at the front, he found all eyes on him. Rearing back slightly, he asked, “What are y’all looking at?”
“Just figured Miss Ethel had something she wanted to talk to you about, so we all wondered what you were screwing up,” Zander said, drawing chuckles from the others.
Rolling his eyes, he said, “Don’t y’all think I’m a little old to be getting a lecture?” He moved over to the paint supplies and grabbed a brush, hoping that the rest of his brothers would continue with their work.
“Is everything okay?” Rafe asked.
Shaking his head, he mumbled under his breath, “Should’ve known everyone would want to be up in my business.”
“No one’s up in your business if you don’t want us there,” Cael replied, “but we’re here if you need us.”
His mind was no longer on the work, but firmly on Penny. He climbed the steps of the nearly-finished porch and sat down, resting his forearms on his knees. Without saying a word, the other men made themselves comfortable all around as well.
“When I was little, before I came here to live, I didn’t have any friends. Home life was shit. Thought schoo
l would be better when I started kindergarten but discovered kids can be just as shitty as adults.” Sucking in a deep breath, he let it out slowly, his eyes fixed on his clasped hands.
“Met a little girl in kindergarten who became my best friend. We were both loners. Outcasts. But we became friends in a way that only little kids can be. The kind where you give your whole heart because they become your lifeline to something good when nothing else is. Turned out she didn’t live too far from me, so we’d see each other all the time, both wanting to escape our homes. We ended up in first grade together, and I thought the fates were shining down on me. Then it all went to shit.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face, always hating the image of what took place in front of his house that fateful day. “My mom had a drunken boyfriend who was a real asshole to me. Hell, he was an asshole to everyone. But one day, the little girl was over, he was driving down the street drunk, and I was afraid of what he might do if he found her there. So, I told her to run back home. He was weaving all over the road, and another car swerved to miss him and ended up hitting my friend.”
“Jesus.” “Fuckin’ hell.” “Oh, shit, Asher.”
He looked up just long enough to see the expressions of horror and anguish on his brothers’ faces. Every one of them had their own childhood stories to tell, their reasons for ending up with Miss Ethel. He figured his was right up there with the worst of them.
“I saw her body being carried off. When Mom’s boyfriend was being investigated and arrested for drunk driving, it was shortly after that it came to light that he been abusive to me. I was taken out of the home, ended up here, and my life took a turn for the better.”
Asher: Heroes at Heart Page 16
