“My dad’s teaching me on his next day off,” I said, smiling sweetly.
“Baby, I'm telling you right now, if you think that I'm going to let you ride, you’re crazy.”
“And, baby,” I said sarcastically. “I'm telling you that I don’t need your permission to do anything.”
“We’ll see.” He growled then pulled me into his chest and kissed me hard—with tongue—while everyone watched. When he broke the kiss, I was in such a fog that I didn’t even yell at him for kissing me in front of his parents. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. I looked around and everyone was smiling. I was wondering what the hell just happened. We were arguing then we weren’t…is that normal?
“Alright, kiddos. Let’s go eat,” Asher’s mom called loudly. I started giggling and Asher just looked down on me, smiling.
“What?” I shrugged my shoulders. “She makes me feel like I'm five years old.”
Asher’s mom made amazing BBQ pulled pork in her crockpot then toasted giant potatoes buns and loaded them with meat. She even made sweet potatoes fries and homemade coleslaw. It was delicious.
We sat around a large fire pit, drinking and eating, then she brought out marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars so we could make s’mores. It was perfect.
I was tucked close to Asher with my belly full and my favorite hard apple cider in my hand. Life couldn’t get any better than that. The guys started telling stories about tricks they played on each other when they were younger and other stupid things they did.
“So Asher and me used to skateboard when we were in high school,” Sven said starting his story. “One time we were out riding around when Asher fell while trying to do a trick off a set of stairs near the library. Well, he missed his landing and ended up doing the splits down the stairs, hurting his groin muscle. We went back to my house so he could put some ice on it. I was in the kitchen getting ice out for him when I heard him screaming from the bathroom like a damn girl. I ran towards the bathroom to figure out what happened. I bang on the door and he didn’t answer. All I could hear was moaning and crying. So, I say f**k it and walk in to a scene that, to this day, is still burned into the back of my eyelids. Your man,” he said, looking at me and laughing, “was laying on the floor in the bathroom with a jar of icy/hot. He decided to put that shit on his groin, thinking that would help. He got that shit on his balls and almost passed out from the pain.”
I was laughing so hard, I fell backwards off the log that we were sitting on. I hadn’t had this much fun ever and I was dirtier than I had ever been in my life. I had mud in my hair, on my face and all over my clothes. I'm sure I looked like a homeless person but everyone else was just as dirty. Even Asher’s mom was covered in dirt. I loved all of them and I loved Tennessee. The laid back lifestyle and the friendly people were so different from New Yorkers. I realized, lying on the ground in the dirt, that I was happy. Really, really happy for the first time in my life. Asher leaned over and helped me back up on the log. He put me back under his arm and kissed my nose, smiling.
“I'm stealing your girl,” Sven said deadpan.
“Fuck, no,” Asher said, smiling at him. The guys went back to talking about the job site and things they had to get done before the next inspection. Me and Susan were talking about our trip to Nashville tomorrow.
“So I’ll pick you up around nine,” she told me.
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Twelve, Mom. No earlier,” Asher said, breaking into our conversation.
“Nine,” his mom said, looking at him, daring him to disagree.
“Twelve. Tomorrow is Sunday and we’re sleeping in.”
“Ni—“
“Susan,” Mr. James said in a warning tone to his wife then he pulled her into his lap and whispered in her ear. She melted against him then looked over at me.
“I’ll be there at twelve.” I nodded my head in agreement then giggled when she laughed. Apparently, Asher took after his dad.
I crawled into Asher’s lap and cuddled into him while everyone sat around talking. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was being put into the front seat of Asher’s jeep.
“We’ll be home soon, baby,” he whispered and I felt his lips at my forehead. I was back asleep before he shut my door.
I felt the car come to a stop and I lifted my head from Asher’s shoulder where it had fallen.
“Hey, sleepy head,” he said, looking over at me.
“This was the best day ever,” I said, smiling. I grabbed his face and kissed him hard.
“Yeah,” he said with his eyes running over my face. He kissed my nose and opened his door and let Beast out on his side. I met him in front of the jeep and we walked into the house with me leaning into his side. I didn’t pull away until we were in the living room.
“I'm going to shower,” I told him and stumbled my way to the bathroom. I was standing in my clothes. I had already taken off my dirty shoes and socks and was waiting for the water to get hot before I undressed.
I turned on the shower and felt warmth hit my back and Asher’s hand slide along my belly. I turned my head to ask what he was doing when I caught the look in his eyes. He used his hands to turn me by my waist, his fingers at the edge of my shirt as a shiver ran down my spine and heat flooded my center. He lifted the edge of my shirt and pulled it up over my head. His eyes were on my red lace bra and his finger traced the edge of it. I put my hands up the front of his shirt, feeling his smooth skin. He took his hands away from me and put them on the wall behind his head. Dragging his shirt up and over, his hands then came to the button of my jeans. My stomach muscles contracted at his touch. My breaths were becoming erratic from having him this close to me, touching him. Asher touching me. I prayed that no one interrupted us this time and quickly moved my hands to the front of his jeans.