Page 92 of Asher

Haley

Just to be clear space does not mean a break. We are not on a break. You cannot sleep with the girl from the copy place.

She must not hate me too much if she was referencingFriends.It was one of her favorites.

She wouldn’t taint it in that way.

“You know what you have to do?” I asked Nix and she jumped excitedly. Was it a bad idea to give her the ring? Probably. But did it matter? No. Because by the end of this conversation, I’d have hopefully convinced the love of my life to stay my wife and I wanted Nix to be a part of this because she is the most important person in both of our lives.

“Good. Here you go.” I slipped the little black velvet box into her hand. “Go with Aunt Rylie.” Luckily for me I’d grabbed the ring I bought last week before I left the house this morning. I wasn’t planning on proposing to Haley today.

I was actually going to give the ring to Mason for safe keeping until I could plan something perfect for her, but after everything Stella pulled?

I just wanted to make sure Haley truly knew how much I meant what I said.

I was serious about staying married. About her having our babies.

Abouteverything.

“Okay.” I puffed out my cheeks and shook out my arms suddenly more nervous.

“You got this?” Mason asked as Rylie disappeared around the side of the house with Phoenix and Knox. “Cause you look like you’re gearing up for a boxing match.”

I knew deep in my gut Haley was meant for me. I wouldn’t stop fighting for her. For us. Even if she changed her mind after today’s shitstorm, I wouldn’t stop trying to convince her that we belonged together. “Yeah. I got this.” I slapped Mason on the back before he disappeared to the side of the house after his wife.

Jogging up to the porch, I typed the code into the keyless entry and slowly walked into the house. It was quiet. Haley nowhere to be seen. My chest tightened.What if she ran?

The bathroom door opened. “Rylie?” she asked. The rawness of her voice was a punch to the gut.

She’d been crying.

Haley stepped out, wiping her hands on her shirt. She stumbled a step and froze when she spotted me standing in the middle of the room.

“Not Rylie.” I gave her a hesitant smile and shrugged. Those beautiful blue eyes bounced around the room, and I instantly hated that she seemed uncomfortable with me. I stuck my hands in my pockets, rocking my weight from foot to foot. “They’re not here. They offered to give us a minute alone. Will you give me a chance to explain everything?”

Haley’s eyes welled with tears before she rushed me, her arms and legs wrapping tightly around my body, knocking me back a step. My hands caught her perfect ass as she clung to me. Her face buried in the crook of my neck. The sweetest smell surrounded me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

A wave of relief almost knocked me over.

I wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her tightly, as the other hand squeezed her ass. She wiggled against my hardening length. “Are you hard right now?” Pulling back, she kept her arms draped over my shoulder as she looked down at me with a raised brow.

“Of course, I’m fucking hard. My hot as hell wife just jumped me,” I said making her laugh before a hiccup broke free from her lips. My stomach clenched at the sound. “I’m so sorry, baby. Don’t cry. Please. It guts me.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to stop.” Her lower lashes were red-rimmed and filled with unshed tears.

I carried her over to the giant couch and I sat with her still wrapped around me like a spider monkey. Not that Haley seemed to care. She just held on tighter. I released her body to cup her face, rubbing the pads of my thumbs along her cheeks to wipe the tears away.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, resting my forehead against hers. My chest ached at the sight of her tears.

She shook her head against mine. “Don’t be. I know you didn’t kiss her back.”

“You do?” I couldn’t keep the relief out of my words.

“Of course, I do.” A brilliant watery smile lit up her face. Soft hands moved up and down my chest, stopping right above my pounding heart. “You’re not that kind of man.”

“Fuck, I love you.” I crushed her body to mine, my mouth devouring hers in a hard kiss as I wrapped her braid around my fist.

“I love you,” she sighed against my lips.