“You ever think about what would’ve changed if we just hadn’t come out here that day?” he asked. “Our lives might’ve turned out completely different. Hell, you might not even be here with me now.”
The mere idea of not having had this man by my side my whole life—as well as this past month—pierced my chest. SOS signal or not, we stood by each other. And no amount of rewriting history would change that.
“You know even without that promise, I’d be here for you. It’s just a word, Ash. And our friendship is held together by a hell of a lot more than that.”
He was quiet for long moments, staring at me in the silence, his gaze tracking all of my features as if he were trying to commit them to memory. “Friendship, huh?”
I cracked a grin. “Still feels weird to call it a marriage.”
“And how about last night? Did it feel weird then?”
Last night, when he’d snuck up on me while I was putting laundry in, bent me over the washing machine, and fucked me right then and there.
“Are you gettin’ fresh with me?”
He hummed low in his throat, his fingers squeezing mine. “Thinkin’ about it.”
“Yeah? What else are you thinkin’ about?”
He tipped his head toward the water. “In the mood to get in a little trouble with me?”
“Always,” I answered without hesitation.
I wondered if the exhilaration of surviving that day here in the flash storm had sparked something in me that caused me to seek the life I’d lived, full of thrilling adventures. I’d rappelled in the Sierras de Tejeda Natural Park. Had skydived a dozen times, gone whitewater rafting, and BASE jumped a couple times, all to feel a little bit more alive.
But the funny thing was, I’d felt more alive these past few weeks with Asher and the kids than I ever had getting an adrenaline rush halfway around the world. And just what the hell did that say about my life choices?
I opened my door, not yet making a move to step out. “You didn’t think this through much ’cause I certainly don’t have a suit with me.”
Asher leaned back against the headrest, his posture lazy and relaxed. He eyed me up and down, and then a small smile curved just one side of his lips. “Who says we need swimsuits?”
I gasped, feigning shock, and rested my elbow on the center console, leaning closer to him. “Asher McCoy. Are you suggesting goin’ skinny-dippin’ with me? Don’t you think that’s a little forward?”
He mirrored my position, his arm brushing against mine, his breath a whisper across my lips. “I’m suggesting my wife get her cute, naked ass in the swimmin’ hole so we can have some fun. Unless you’re chicken.”
I nipped his bottom lip. “You’ve known me a long time, so you know the one surefire way to get me to do anything is to dare me to or call me a chicken. And I don’t think that’s a very fair use of your knowledge.”
“Who said I’m interested in fair? My main goal today is for you to have an adventure. And hopefully, that includes a little bit of naked time.”
“Well, I’ve only got one thing to say about that…”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
I licked a path along his lower lip, smiling as he let out a soft groan and closed his eyes. Perfect. Exactly where I wanted him.
“Beat you up there,” I said before flying out of the car and straight toward the path I remembered.
One minute, it was quiet, the area around me silent except for the thud of my feet on the dirt and my steady breaths in and out. And then, suddenly, Asher was there, directly behind me, his stride catching up far too quickly. But before I could react, before I could speed up or dodge him, I was airborne, hefted over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold as he smacked my ass hard.
“Nice try,” he said, trekking up the hill with me flopping over his shoulder. “Don’t you know your short little legs have no chance of beatin’ me in a race, wifey?”
“I hate you.”
Damn if that shortness he taunted me about wasn’t my downfall now, because all I wanted to do was bite his ass hard for that comment. Since I couldn’t reach, I did the next best thing and smacked it instead. And when he still didn’t respond to that, I pinched both cheeks.
“You mind flappin’ your hands around a little bit back there? Feels like there might be a fly swarmin’ around or something. The little nuisance is buggin’ me.”
I huffed out an incredulous breath. “I know where you sleep, Ash. You really wanna go there with me?”
