Page 3 of October

She looks over at Casey swimming around the pool then looks back to me. “Yeah, I really am comfortable here.”

“Good.” I stare at her for a long moment, taking in the way the sun makes her eyes twinkle. Then I clear my throat, averting my gaze from her before she thinks I’m outright gawking at her. “I’m home for the evening, if you’d like to go ahead and take off.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. That would be okay.” She almost sounds disappointed. “There is a lasagna in the fridge. I went ahead and pre-made it all, so you only have to pop it in the oven.”

“You really are too good to us, you know that?” I say, watching her stand and begin to gather her things.

“Nah, I just like taking care of people I care about.” She gives me a sweet smile then walks over to say goodbye to Casey.

Goddamn. This woman…. She’s going to be the death of me.

Chapter 2

Wren

I’ve always loved earlymorning drives to get my day started.

Whether I was driving to school when I was younger or driving into work now, getting a jump on the day just as the sun is beginning to rise is exhilarating.

I hadn’t intended on getting to Ash and Casey’s so early today, but I desperately wanted a very large cup of iced coffee. Could I have made it myself at home? Of course, but let's be fair, it’s always better when a barista hands it to you.

With my sweet, sweet cup of caffeine in hand, I use my key to let myself into the front door, doing my best to remain as quiet as possible because they are, without a doubt, still asleep.

Those two are the heaviest sleepers I’ve ever encountered in my life, but I still don’t want to wake them.

Normally, I’d come around nine or ten on the days Ash is home from the station, but it’s his first morning home after a three-day shift. I want to make him a nice, big breakfast to share with Casey.

The house is silent, with only the stove light in the kitchen providing any illumination outside of the sunlight starting to pour through the windows. I deposit my bag, phone, and coffee, after another life-affirming slurp of course, on the counter.

I peek around in the cabinets and fridge to make sure I have everything I need here to make eggs, pancakes, and bacon.

Check.

Check.

And check.

I’ll just take a quick trip to the restroom then I’ll get started.

Their house is beautiful and one of the main features is the master bedroom is on the main floor with two bedrooms upstairs. One being Casey’s, the other being the guest room I sleep in when Ash is on shift at the station.

The bummer is the only bathroom on the main floor is down the hall right by the main bedroom, which means tiptoeing like Pink Panther is a necessity this morning.

I don’t flip on any lights. I don’t even need to. I could walk around this house with my eyes closed without bumping into a single thing.

I walk with tunnel vision down the hallway, as quietly as possible. I wish I could tell you what possessed me to turn my gaze into Ash’s bedroom when I walked by, but I can’t. It’s like a curious demon took hold of my neck and turned my head to take a peek inside the cracked open door.

I know what I’m seeing within milliseconds of my eyes landing on the bed, so I step back quickly, making sure he didn’t notice me in the doorway.

Ash was in bed, naked from the waist up, with his dark blue sheets covering everything below that… and it’s incredibly clear his hand is below, stroking himself slowly.

Oh God,I say to myself. My heart is racing, not just at the embarrassment of seeing my boss in such a private moment, but because all I want to do is to keep watching him.

I’ve been attracted to Ash since the moment I met him. Anyone with eyes could see he was a very attractive man, but my attraction to him is more than that.

He’s physically beautiful with his dark, perfectly tousled hair, killer fucking body that makes my skin tingle… but he’s also a wonderful father. He’s a good human. He’s funny and kind. God, he’s the entire package… and he’s stroking his cock not even ten feet from me right now.

I shouldn’t look. I should just turn around and go back to the kitchen and pretend this never happened.

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