As long as she’s touching me, I don’t want to move.
“Damn,” he chuckles. “A gold digger makeover. That’s what they’re calling Ash’s look,” he says, laughing even harder. “Frizz to Fab. Dust to Ash… hey, that’s pretty good.”
She rolls her eyes, and I wrap my arms around her waist while lifting her up.
“Tag, please, please, please don’t look.”
“Why can Bity see but I can’t?” I pout.
“Because he went to school with me. He knows what I looked like. I’d prefer it you never did.”
“You’ve seen all the pictures they’ve put in there of me,” I counter playfully.
“Yeah, and it’s not fair that you’ve always looked good.”
“You think I’ve always looked good?” I ask with my cockiest tone while staring her in the eyes.
“Yes, and I haven’t always looked good.”
I smile bigger as I start toward Bity again, and she jumps up to wrap her legs around my waist while covering my eyes with her hand and giggling wildly.
Shit.
I’m worried everyone in the room will see my erection in these loose jogging shorts, so I flop down on the couch in forced surrender while she stays attached to me.
“We’re going out for lunch. You guys joining?” Shannon asks with a smile.
“I’ve got some emails to send out,” I sigh as the unfinished mounds of work I have to do cloud my brain.
Ash’s body still straddling mine is very fucking distracting, and she turns to face the others, finally sliding out of my lap. I lean forward to hide my erection now that her body isn’t covering it up.
“No. Trip just went down for a nap, and to be honest, I could use some more sleep.”
“Okay, well, we’ll see you later,” Shannon chirps as they all start filtering out.
Wren throws a shirt on and offers me a devious wink before escaping through the door.
“Wow. It’s so quiet in here now,” she murmurs with an adorable giggle.
I can’t help myself. I brush her hair free from her face as I stare into her eyes.
“How do you feel today?”
“Well, my side barely hurts.”
I rein in a groan as I stare at her chest for a second too long.
“I want you to know I’m not like my dad. I’m going to be a good father to Trip. You won’t regret putting my name on the birth certificate.”
She lets an endearing grin free while staring down at her hands.
“That’s the first time you’ve mentioned it.”
“The birth certificate?” I ask in surprise. “Ash, I’m so sorry. That meant the world to me.”
She looks up, smiling bigger, making me dissolve, and then she leans over to me.
“You’re already a better father to Trip than Damon was to you. Don’t ever, ever put yourself in the same low league as him. Trip’s a lucky little boy.”