grinned proudly.
“Okay, enough already.” Ashleigh covered her ears. I reached out to pull her into a weird double hug behind Haven. The three of us stood together like the unit we’d been for so long.
It felt good.
“Come on, guys, break it up. I’m starting to feel left out,” Jake said.
The three of us dispersed and gathered round the kitchen island.
“So we need to celebrate. I should have brought champagne.” Ashleigh clasped her hands together. She was excited, her eyes sparkling. Our earlier awkwardness had dissipated.
“I’ve got some. We’ve got lots to celebrate. Ash sat her entrance exam to business school. And you won your whats-a-mathing case,” Haven said. “I’ve not seen you properly since.”
“You won the Nigelson case?” Ashleigh asked, her eyes wide.
I nodded and stuffed my hands in my pockets. “Well, it settled, in our favor.”
“Oh my God, Luke, this is huge. Congratulations.” She wrapped her arms around my neck. Shocked, I slid my hands around her waist, leaned down and pulled her close. “You should have told me,” she mumbled against my skin. Her familiar scent wound itself around me, all sweetness and summer. I had to work hard not to smooth my hands over that perfect ass of hers. She moved her body against mine. Like flint on stone, sparks went off across my skin. Jesus, it was torture holding her like this, but being unable to peel off her clothes, lay her down, spread her out and enjoy her. My dick began to harden. I tensed and pulled back.
“I know.” I would have normally told her, but I’d forgotten how to be normal with her. “How was the exam?”
“Good, I think. I won’t know for a few weeks whether I got in.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes as we parted. She headed toward the refrigerator as if we’d just had a friendly hug. “Rule number one of your pregnancy is that you can’t judge me for drinking. It’s going to be bad enough knowing that I’m the only one out of you, Beth and me that’s still on the booze, I don’t need to feel your judgment.”
“Deal. And shoot me if I become one of those women who start telling you that I didn’t know what love meant until I had a baby. I mean, I might think it, but if I let those words out, feel free to stuff them back in. I also promise to put the kid up for adoption if all I start to talk about is nappies and breastfeeding.”
“No one is being put up for adoption. Jesus.” Jake looked ashen. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I told you I’m going to be a terrible mother,” Haven said, shrugging as if he should know better than to expect anything else from her.
Jake grabbed her by the waist and held her against him. I looked away, their moment too private. I caught Ashleigh’s eye. She gave me a small smile. I missed her so much.
Things settled between us after that and entire minutes went by where I forgot the awkwardness between Ashleigh and me. It descended again when I had to resist smoothing my hand over her back as we sat at the table, and again when I was tempted to press my lips to her cheek as I passed her. I was forced to remember that we weren’t together.
“So seriously, we should celebrate, properly,” Jake said as he handed me a dish of vegetables. “Let’s go out. Next weekend, maybe.”
“I really want to go to Chiltern Firehouse,” Ashleigh said.
“It’s good.” I said at the same time Jake did.
The girls snapped their heads toward us. Jake and I exchanged a glance.
“Have you two been dating each other when we weren’t looking?” Haven asked.
“I went there ages ago, before us,” Jake said pointedly to Haven.
Haven transferred her glare from her husband to me.
“I went last weekend. It was nice,” I said.
I shouldn’t have said anything. The implication hung in the air like a dreary fog. No question, Chiltern Firehouse was a date restaurant. Ashleigh focused on her glass. I wanted to shout, “But you told me to date.” I didn’t. If she still
“Okay, enough already.” Ashleigh covered her ears. I reached out to pull her into a weird double hug behind Haven. The three of us stood together like the unit we’d been for so long.
It felt good.
“Come on, guys, break it up. I’m starting to feel left out,” Jake said.
The three of us dispersed and gathered round the kitchen island.
“So we need to celebrate. I should have brought champagne.” Ashleigh clasped her hands together. She was excited, her eyes sparkling. Our earlier awkwardness had dissipated.
“I’ve got some. We’ve got lots to celebrate. Ash sat her entrance exam to business school. And you won your whats-a-mathing case,” Haven said. “I’ve not seen you properly since.”
“You won the Nigelson case?” Ashleigh asked, her eyes wide.
I nodded and stuffed my hands in my pockets. “Well, it settled, in our favor.”
“Oh my God, Luke, this is huge. Congratulations.” She wrapped her arms around my neck. Shocked, I slid my hands around her waist, leaned down and pulled her close. “You should have told me,” she mumbled against my skin. Her familiar scent wound itself around me, all sweetness and summer. I had to work hard not to smooth my hands over that perfect ass of hers. She moved her body against mine. Like flint on stone, sparks went off across my skin. Jesus, it was torture holding her like this, but being unable to peel off her clothes, lay her down, spread her out and enjoy her. My dick began to harden. I tensed and pulled back.
“I know.” I would have normally told her, but I’d forgotten how to be normal with her. “How was the exam?”
“Good, I think. I won’t know for a few weeks whether I got in.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes as we parted. She headed toward the refrigerator as if we’d just had a friendly hug. “Rule number one of your pregnancy is that you can’t judge me for drinking. It’s going to be bad enough knowing that I’m the only one out of you, Beth and me that’s still on the booze, I don’t need to feel your judgment.”
“Deal. And shoot me if I become one of those women who start telling you that I didn’t know what love meant until I had a baby. I mean, I might think it, but if I let those words out, feel free to stuff them back in. I also promise to put the kid up for adoption if all I start to talk about is nappies and breastfeeding.”
“No one is being put up for adoption. Jesus.” Jake looked ashen. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I told you I’m going to be a terrible mother,” Haven said, shrugging as if he should know better than to expect anything else from her.
Jake grabbed her by the waist and held her against him. I looked away, their moment too private. I caught Ashleigh’s eye. She gave me a small smile. I missed her so much.
Things settled between us after that and entire minutes went by where I forgot the awkwardness between Ashleigh and me. It descended again when I had to resist smoothing my hand over her back as we sat at the table, and again when I was tempted to press my lips to her cheek as I passed her. I was forced to remember that we weren’t together.
“So seriously, we should celebrate, properly,” Jake said as he handed me a dish of vegetables. “Let’s go out. Next weekend, maybe.”
“I really want to go to Chiltern Firehouse,” Ashleigh said.
“It’s good.” I said at the same time Jake did.
The girls snapped their heads toward us. Jake and I exchanged a glance.
“Have you two been dating each other when we weren’t looking?” Haven asked.
“I went there ages ago, before us,” Jake said pointedly to Haven.
Haven transferred her glare from her husband to me.
“I went last weekend. It was nice,” I said.
I shouldn’t have said anything. The implication hung in the air like a dreary fog. No question, Chiltern Firehouse was a date restaurant. Ashleigh focused on her glass. I wanted to shout, “But you told me to date.” I didn’t. If she still
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