Page 81 of Embrace

He cautiously let go of me. “You can just rest, Penina. You were hit with a lot at once. I should’ve stayed closer to you.”

I wanted to smile at him, just to prove that I was fine, but the corners of my mouth were too heavy to lift.

Falling back against the seat, I sighed as my eyes flitted closed. “You couldn’t have prevented my mom showing up or Julia trapping me in the ladies’ room.” I massaged my temples. “What a crazy two days I’ve had.” Actually, the craziness had been more than two days. It had all started about a month ago when Rich and Courtney strolled into Bellies to inform me that they were a couple. Shortly thereafter, I ran into Jake Sparrow.

“Is this how it’s supposed to feel?”

He rubbed my thigh comfortingly. “How what is supposed to feel?”

“Deep, meaningful change.”

“Hmm. How does it feel?”

“Like I’m being run over by a freight—”

Suddenly, I knew what I needed—the cure.

“What is it, babe?” Asher asked.

I stopped massaging my temples. My eyelids were lighter as I looked at him. “There’s somewhere I need to go.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Penina Ross

We walked into Bellies, and I felt like I was home again. The eatery was crowded for a Sunday afternoon, but just as if fate were welcoming me back to the place where it all started, a couple got up from the bar, and the two seats where Rich and Courtney had ambushed me opened up. Asher also saw the vacancies and took my hand. We made a beeline to them.

My smile felt as luminous as the moon when my butt hit the cushion, and so was his.

“Why are you so happy all of a sudden?” he asked, still grinning.

“Because you’re here with me, and I’ve come full circle.”

I could see by the slight way that his eyes narrowed that he had no idea what I was talking about. Heck, he probably thought I had gone crazy. I didn’t want him to think that, so I guided my lips toward his and initiated a gentle kiss.

Yes, his mouth tasted delicious. Yes, his tongue felt good brushing against mine. Yes, my head floated away from my body. Then I guided my mouth next to his ear so he could hear me above the ambient noise.

“I left this place the morning I ran into you in front of my building, smoking a cigarette.” I kissed his cheek. “And now I’m in love with you.”

Asher captured my face in his hands and once again pressed his lips against mine.

“I love you, too, babe. And about your mother—”

I pressed a finger on his lips. “She’s not my mother, not anymore—and I don’t ever want to talk about her.”

We stared into each other’s eyes. He seemed conflicted. I was not.

“Pen? Are you back?”

I leaned to the side to see around Asher. It was Corey, a cool blond bartender with shaggy hair.

Asher twisted his body around to get a look at him.

“Yes, I’m back,” I sang as I leaned forward, putting one hand on Asher’s solid thigh and holding up two fingers with the other. “Can I have two orders of bourbon wings with hot buttery biscuits for me and my man here?”

Corey’s eyes shifted to Asher as though he’d just noticed he was sitting next to me.

“Oh, okay. Got it. Sparkling water with lemon?” he asked.