Page 122 of For Your Consideration

She made a squealing sound, threw down the block she was holding, and crawled over to me. I grabbed her and placed her in my lap. She let out a sigh and rested her head on my chest. Her hand reached for my scruff.

“Are you tired?” I asked as I pressed a kiss to her head as she grumbled back. I laughed softly. “I hope you aren’t learning my grumpy ways.” Her hand continued to rub my face. “You can’t do that because you need to keep being my sunshine.” Another kiss to her head. “I promise that I’ll hurt anyone who tries to take that from you. I’ll always be in your corner.”

“I love you.” Sutton’s soft voice floated to me, breaking the quiet moment.

I quickly stood up with Sophie cradled against my chest. She was standing in the doorway to the laundry room, a hand on her heart and a softness in her face. I had no idea when she’d come in; I was too wrapped up in Sophie to hear her. I blinked a few times, hoping I didn’t mishear her or that she wasn’t talking to Soph.

“Say that again, sweetheart,” I demanded, holding my breath as I waited.

“I love you,” she said with a smile on her lips. I took a step toward her and opened my mouth but she held up a hand to stop me. She took a breath, and I knew that I would want to hear what came next. “I love how you are with my daughter. I love how you treat me. I love your work ethic. I love that you have this quiet, sullen nature and everything makes you scowl, but you would do anything for the people in your life. I love the family you chose for yourself and how they’ve taken us both in. I love every single thing about you, Asher, and I’m sorry I’ve waited so long to tell you.”

This whole time I’d been going slow, letting her take things at her own pace because she had a lot more on her plate. I’d been in love with her for a while and I knew I would tell her eventually but I never thought she would say it first.

I fell in love with her in the quiet moments, in the nights of low conversation on her couch. In watching her take a job she had no idea how to do and excel at it. In the peaceful moments, holding her precious daughter and watching her grow and experience the world.

I shifted Sophie to my hip as I made my way toward her. I used my free hand to tangle it in her hair and pull her mouth to mine. She wrapped an arm around my waist as I deepened the kiss, our tongues tangling, both of us trying to convey our emotions in a way words never could.

She finally pulled back, panting. I rested my forehead on hers, both of us breathing each other in.

“Thank fuck,” I muttered and it got a bright smile from her. “I’ve loved you for a long time. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”

“You were so confident?”

I shrugged. “It didn’t matter. Whether it took a year or ten, I was willing to wait until you were ready for me, Sutton. When I first saw you, something about you caught my attention and I figured once I solved the puzzle I would feel better. But you’ve weaved yourself into every fiber of my being. Every second with you and Sophie in my life has brought me so much good, a type of good I didn’t know I deserved or even expected to experience. You showed me something I didn’t even know I needed.

“Loving you and Sophie is like walking around with parts of my heart outside of my body and while that’s fucking terrifying, I never want it to be any other way. I want to grow old with you by my side.”

“Damn it, Grizzly. I’m so thankful you waited for me to catch up.” She pressed another quick kiss to my lips, tears in her eyes. “You say the sweetest things.”

“Don’t tell anyone.” When I said it this time I couldn’t help but smirk. Sophie squeaked and waved at her mum, making no move to leave me.

“How was she?” Sutton moved in closer against my chest and kissed her daughter’s nose. I had both of my girls safe in my arms and I’d never felt more content.

“Perfect, just like always.” I looked down at both of them.

Over the next hour we did Sophie’s bedtime routine. We gave her a bath, got her a bottle, read her books, and Sutton rocked her until she was mostly asleep. I watched from the doorway as Sutton got her down, grabbed the monitor, and tiptoed out of the room, shooing me out of the hallway and back into the kitchen.

“I can clean this up.” Sutton looked at the toys on the floor. I shot her a look, moving toward her and putting my hands on her hips. “Ash…you—”

I cut off her reply with a kiss, deepening it as I pulled her in closer. I set the pace, not allowing her access until I was ready, moving so her legs met the back of the couch. Once she had some support I opened my mouth, her tongue moving in greedily, sliding against mine, her hands grabbing fistfuls of my shirt at the back.

“I’m fucking aching for you, baby,” I pulled away long enough to say as I moved to her ear, giving her a little nip before moving down to her neck. I felt her responsive hum down to my fucking core.

“I’ve been turned on since we last fucked.”

I smirked against her neck. She hardly swore, but it seemed she saved it for the bedroom. We’d had a quick fuck just yesterday while Iris took Sophie to the park but it seemed like she couldn’t get enough of me either.

I pulled back. “I was waiting to eat with you. How hungry are you?”

“I can wait.” Her cheeks were flushed.

My lips twitched as I pulled my shirt over my head before doing the same with hers.

Another fucking pink bra.

“Well, I’m starving.” I dropped to my knees in front of her, pulling her pants down to see a wet spot on her pink underwear.

Fuck, I love this woman.