Page 58 of Hearty

“Then let Warren pay it off. Let him sell it, don’t even get involved. Sign whatever papers they want you to and be done with it.”

“You make it sound so easy.” She harrumphs.

“Because you have a millionaire mentor who treats you like his pseudo-sister, and it is, in fact, that easy,” I point out. “It’s just the emotions and self-talk that aren’t easy. You’ve never asked for help like this, and a lot of people wouldn’t grant a favor or wish this big. But he has the ability to; he’s begging you to let him, and you need to get over those feelings and allow him to. Sometimes, life just works out. Sometimes it’s fucking unfair, like the first eighteen years of your life. Take the wins, August.”

She’s had so much bad luck and misfortune that it’s hard for her to take a good thing when it comes. But I need to support her into doing it.

“Say I do that … there are more things left on my plate.” Even the fact that she’s weighing the option of letting Warren help eases my panic a bit.

“The police have your statement now, and the security footage. They’ll get this guy. That gambling debt is a debt, but it isn’t yours. Don’t even consider it on your plate. The illegal dealings your mother was involved in are not your problem.”

“Even if the debt isn’t, it doesn’t mean someone isn’t after me.” The thought makes her tremble.

“And they’ll have to get through me to get to you.” I puff out my chest, half-joking, to make her laugh.

“The whole white knight act looks kind of good on you, Ashton.” She finally cracks a small smile.

“Let Warren help. Let me help. And then …”

I leave it open-ended, even though I want to tell her how much she should stay. The whole point of her paying off these debts is to put her mother behind her. To put this town behind her. What will she do once she’s free and clear of her past?

“And then I’ll finally be done with her.” She looks into my eyes.

I can hear it on the tip of her tongue that she’ll be done with Hope Crest. If she wants to be. I want to ask her to stay, but that’s so selfish of me. After she gets through these hurdles, she’s free to take any number of those top-tier hospitality jobs, and didn’t I always know this might come to an end?

But … what if she decides she wants to stay?

The possibilities of us run rampant through my mind, but tonight isn’t the time to discuss them. Instead, I lock my tongue down, not voicing what I actually want to.

August leans over to lay her lips on mine. The kiss is soft, a comfort, a healing balm. It starts slow, and I wind my arms around her to pull her into me. It feels so good to kiss her after this long day, to know that she’s safe for now with me and is choosing to let me help and support her.

The moment her tongue breaches the seam of my mouth, the make out turns spicier. Her hands fist in my hair as I pull her onto my lap, my fingers shoving at the threadbare tee she has on.

“Thank you for being everything I needed today.” She breaks our kiss long enough to choke out those words as I pull her shirt off, and she does the same to me.

My bare chest brushes against the lace of her bra as I smooth my hands over her cheeks. “I’ll be wherever you need me, whenever you need me. You just have to ask.”

Hooded eyes blink at me, and then we’re kissing again as I lay her back on the couch. Coming down over her, our hips align, and the friction when I press into her nearly makes my eyes roll back into my head.

We both need this physical reassurance that she and I are okay. What she lived through today is terrifying, and there is no better way to feel alive than to be worshipped. And I will fucking worship her.

Our clothes come off, bodies heated and needy as hands roam and moans match one another. At some point, the couch restricts our movements, and we roll to the floor, giggling as we make contact with the carpet.

“You’re more than I could have asked for.” August wraps her arms around my neck as I line up at her entrance.

“And you’re more than I ever knew I’d be worthy of.” It’s the closest I can get to telling her how deeply I’ve fallen for her without scaring her off.

She holds my gaze as my cock slowly sinks into her, and I delight in observing her hips buck up at the entry. She bites her lower lip, the sting and satisfaction of our connection spurring a sigh from her throat.

It’s as if, when I finally opened my eyes to this incredible woman right in front of me, all the pieces in my brain just clicked into place. Of course, it’s August for me.

They say if you love something, you should set it free. But how am I supposed to let her go when all is said and done? When I know that she has a rightful place, right here in this house, right here next to me?

The feelings war within me as I thrust into her again and again, our bodies pressed tightly together like we don’t want anything to keep us apart.

“Evan,” she whispers huskily.

God, how I could hear that for the rest of my days.

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