Page 89 of Charm and Conquer

I sink into a seat at the kitchen table, because my legs feel like spaghetti noodles. I want to argue that I can make my appointments today, but I'm too relieved that I won't have to. "You and Max can go to the Children's Museum. I promise I'll stay in bed."

Max looks at Goldy, his eyes bright and filled with hope.

"Asher has appointments he can't cancel today," Goldy says. "And you shouldn't be alone."

"I just have a cold. Please, Goldy. I'll be fine here alone."

She doesn't look convinced.

I sigh heavily. "It's possible that maybe I've been too aggressive in training for the trail race and pushed myself too hard. I promise I won't try to go outside or exercise in any form today. I've already accepted I probably won't be able to race next week." Not that I'm ready to give up completely, but Noah and Asher are right. My body is sending me a message I have to heed.

Goldy looks at Max and back to me. "Okay, we'll go to the museum. But we're only staying two hours and I'm leaving Brontë here to keep an eye on you."

I look down at the brown haired mutt, sleeping soundly at her feet. "Good. Brontë will be excellent company."

Goldy stands. "Can I get you anything before we go?"

"I'll get her set up," Asher says. "You two go ahead."

With a hand on the small of my back, Asher walks me to the back of the house and up the stairs to my bedroom.

All my sleepiness dissolves when Asher pulls back my bedspread and gestures for me to get into bed. For the first time, I fully take him in, his thigh muscles carved lines beneath his shorts, his biceps stretching the short sleeves of his shirt. Even his big beard looks sexy to me. I am a full convert to bigmuscular men named Asher. And I am suddenly wide awake and energetic enough for some between the sheets aerobics.

"I should probably get a shower first," I say, trying to look seductive and sexy. "Want to join me?"

Asher freezes and his eyes meet mine. "We can't do that." His voice is gruff.

I pull my shirt over my head. "Truce, right?" I drop it to the floor.

Asher steps into me and grips my waist, his callouses deliciously rough against my bare flesh. "The next time I'm inside you, it's not going to be for a temporary truce. It's going to be for keeps."

He lets me go and I'm so shocked, and, okay fine, a little dizzy, I stumble forward.

He catches me, his hands on me again to hold me up. "You need to take it easy, sweetheart. Maybe a shower isn't such a good idea."

"I stink. I can't climb into bed sweaty and gross."

Asher doesn't sigh or push. "Okay, Empress. How about a bath?"

I usually hate baths. What's the point of just sitting around in warm water doing nothing much? Right now though… "That sounds really good."

"You sit here." He pushes me gently down to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'll run the water."

I watch him walk away and my throat gets oddly tight. He's got a really great ass, and he's also just so incredibly sweet to me. Especially when he has every good reason not to be.

I swipe at a stupid tear that rolls down my cheek. Being sick always makes me weirdly emotional.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Asher

"Okay," I say as I walk back into the bedroom. "The bath is all set."

Clover is still sitting on the edge of her bed where I left her, staring off into space. She focuses on me slowly and sniffles, looking incredibly weary. "Thank you, Asher."

Her words sound like a dismissal, but I'm not going anywhere. No way am I leaving her to take a bath alone when she might fall asleep and slip beneath the water. I shiver at the thought and hold out a hand to her. "I'm helping you. Come on."

She snorts, but she takes my hand and lets me pull her up. "I can take a bath on my own." She raises her brows. "Unless you're suggesting joining me?"