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I could hear the joy in Ash’s voice, his excitement to put those last few feet behind us so I could meet her.
“Nope.” Wyatt glanced between us as though waiting for us to fill him in.
Of course, Ash couldn’t contain himself. “We matched through the app, and long story short, I invited her to stay with us for a while. She watched the house while we were in Florida.”
“I didn’t see her—but I’m always pretty focused on my work.”
Maybe she came to her senses and left.
Considering Ash had told me she’d grown up poor and on a farm, I expected the woman had firmly embedded herself in our house that most would consider a mansion and had done no such thing.
Keeping my inner scowl masked didn’t come easy.
We said our goodbyes to Wyatt, and he once more offered his condolences before driving off.
I hit the button for the garage door and slowly pulled in.
Ash squirmed on his seat like a little kid, and even though I wanted to snicker at his excitement, I didn’t. Too much unease raked through my guts. We both grabbed our bags off the back seat, but he was the first through the kitchen door.
The scent of roasting chicken and coconuts set my mouth to watering—a pie cooled atop the stove. Two loaves of freshly baked bread sat on the counter.
My scowl eased.
“Sky!” Ash called, and the fast pattering of feet sounded from the other side of the house near the library.
The appearance of Skylar hit my solar plexus like a punch, ripping the air from my lungs.
Gorgeous, he’d said, but there was no single word to describe her beauty.
Her wide smile sparkled clear through her big green eyes as her gaze landed on my lover, and she let out a tiny squeal, her quick steps drawing her closer.
A river of auburn hair rippled behind her, the white tank top clutching to her perfectly-sized breasts and making my mouth water. Cutoff shorts fringed along pale thighs. Slender calves gave way to bare feet void of polish.
Grinning like a fool, Ash dropped his bag, took three steps, and they came together like two long-lost lovers denied each other’s presence for far too long. He swept her into his arms, twirling her around, both of them giggling.
I stood and stared, turned on by the gorgeous sight of the two of them intertwined—and yet hating how she fit so goddamn perfectly against him. How she seemed to light him up from the inside out.
Something I’d never been able to do.
Tension rose to my shoulders as an uncomfortable dryness owned my throat.
I stamped whatever the fuck those feelings were down, determined to see things through to their end, good or bad.
Ash set Skylar back on her feet and laced their fingers together, turning to bring her toward me since I hadn’t made a move to approach them.
I gave Skylar my attention, and that punch hit again as our gazes connected.
“Oh wow,” she whispered and blinked, swallowing hard as she and Ash came to a stop less than two feet from my personal space.
“Rhett, this is Sky. Sky, Rhett.”
I tried and failed to smile at the woman who stared at me as though starstruck. “Hi,” I said without offering my hand like I should have done.
“Hi back.” Her face lit up like my simple greeting had made her day while Ash chuckled over our brief exchange.
“Ashton said you were gorgeous, but seriously…just wow,” Skylar spewed thoughts like a scampering chipmunk, the words all flowing together fast enough I had to really focus to catch what she said. “Your eyes are dark chocolate—I bet your dick is even more delicious than he claims too.” Her eyes shot wide, her smile gone in a flash as red flushed her face. She slapped a palm over her mouth, still clutching to Ash’s with the other.
“Oh! I’m sorry!” She hastened to add around her hand that couldn’t keep the shit from spilling from her vocal cords. “Stuff just flies from my lips when I’m super nervous. Ignore me. Wait!” She uncovered her mouth and grabbed my shirt as though thinking I was about to turn away. “No. Don’t do that—I hate being ignored. Well, cut off and dismissed too. Maybe just pretend I’m not word vomiting all over you?” She legit cringed and blew out a breath. “Okay…um…it’s nice to finally meet you? And oh, shit—I’m sorry about your mom. Should have said that first…”