"I'm glad he did." Ash reaches across the table to touch my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone. "No one's ever tried that hard to make me happy before."
"Get used to it. I plan to keep trying."
His expression shifts—soft, almost wondering. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
We eat and talk, and it gets easier. He tells me about growing up with Robin, about their parents' messy marriage and revolving-door relationships, about learning to be the stable one because someone had to be. I tell him about growing up in a pride full of serious, practical people, about the first time I cooked a meal for my family and realized food was how I showed love, about finding Knox's pride and finally feeling like I belonged.
"I'd like to see that someday," he says during a lull. "You shifted."
"Really?"
"You've seen all my sides. The scary ones, the awkward ones." He shrugs. "Seems fair I should see yours."
"My lion isn't exactly impressive. I'm on the smaller side for a male."
"I don't care about impressive. I care about you."
The words land somewhere in my chest and stay there. Simple, direct, the way Ash says everything. No games, no subtext. Just truth.
"Okay," I say. "Sometime. When you're ready."
"I'm ready whenever you are."
The check comes and Ash grabs it before I can reach. "I said I'd get the next one—"
"You can get the one after." He's already putting his card down. "Let me do this."
I let him. Watch him sign the receipt with his neat, precise handwriting. Watch him slide out of the booth and hold his hand out to help me up.
"Come back to my place?" he asks. "We don't have to do anything. I just... I want more time with you."
"Okay."
His face lights up—surprised and pleased, like he wasn't sure I'd say yes. Like anyone would say no to more time with him.
"Okay," he repeats. "Good. Let's go."
We ride our bikes back to his house, my Harley following his Kawasaki through the residential streets. The afternoon sun is warm on my back, and I'm so happy I feel like I might burst with it.
This is really happening.
We're really doing this.
When we pull into his driveway, he's off his bike before I even have my helmet off. He pulls me close, kisses me hard, and I melt into him.
"I'm glad you came today," he says against my mouth.
"Me too."
"I'm glad I said the boyfriend thing. Even if it came out weird."
"It didn't come out weird. It came out perfect."
He pulls back to look at me, searching my face. "You really mean that."
"I really do."
