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“Is that distinction something the therapist taught you?” he asked, his voice teasing as he withdrew then lowered her legs.
“My dad, actually,” she replied, straightening her hips and stretching. “Why don’t I pop back to my room and hop in the shower? You can tell them you were working out or something.”
The second the words left her mouth, she knew they were the wrong ones. She hadn’t intended to suggest they hide the fact of what they’d done. But she thought he might want to talk about it—whatever “it” might be—before making it public with his family. The Warwicks were a tight bunch and if one of them knew, they’d all know by the end of the day. And she hadn’t been sure he wanted that.
But judging by the way his gaze shuttered and he shifted off the bed, he’d misunderstood her intent. “Sure,” he said, walking to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
“That didn’t come out right,” she said, reaching for her shirt.
“Here,” Asher said, handing her a robe. “It will be quicker than looking for all your clothes. Whoever is waiting on the porch won’t think to come in here, so you don’t have to worry about them being found in my room.”
“Asher.”
He grabbed a pair of athletic pants from his dresser. “Don’t worry about it, Ellie. We can talk later.”
She wanted to talk now. It wasn’t the right time, though, so she nodded and headed toward the door. But she paused there, not wanting him to go on thinking what she knew he was thinking. “My intention wasn’t to hide this, Asher. You’re one of the best men I know. I know it didn’t come out that way, but I was trying to protect you.”
He paused, his shirt halfway on. He didn’t look convinced, but he also didn’t look as distant as he had moments ago. “We’ll talk later,” he said. “You should go.”
There was nothing more she could say. Not in that moment, and so she nodded again, then slipped down the hall to her own little studio.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Sorry,” Asher said as he opened the door to Chad and Sabina. “I was just getting in theshower,” he added. Because the best defense was a good offense.
Chad eyed him, but Sabina stepped inside and handed him a box he recognized. He took it in one hand then shut the door.
“You’re bringing Bun Times doughnuts over at seven in the morning on a workday. What’s wrong?” he asked, leading them into the kitchen.
“Where’s Ellie?” Chad asked, leaning against the counter.
Asher shrugged. “Upstairs, I imagine. If that gurgling of the water heater is anything to go by, I’d guess she’s in the shower.” He turned away from his cousin and started making a pot of coffee. He couldn’t think of a better way to start the day than Bun Time doughnuts and coffee. Except for the way hehadstarted his day. That was much better. Until it wasn’t.
“Everything okay?” Chad asked.
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t, but he had no intention of getting into that. “I assume you both want coffee?”
Sabina nodded eagerly. Chad cut her a look. “You already had one cup this morning,” he said. “Don’t let her trick you,” he added, directing the comment to Asher.
Asher’s gaze dropped to Sabina’s belly. At five and a half months pregnant, she was barely showing. But some women were like that.
“Decaf?” he asked.
“Spoilsport.” She tossed a scowl at her husband before giving Asher a nod.
“If you want to talk to Ellie, you should probably text her and let her know you’re here. I usually see her in the mornings, but not always,” Asher said. He turned and leaned against the opposite counter from Chad.
Again, Chad studied him. After a beat, he shifted his gaze to Sabina. “Want to text her?”
In response, Sabina pulled her phone out and started typing. A few seconds later, the device pinged with a message. “She’ll be down in a few minutes,” Sabina said.
“I’m going to make some eggs while we wait to balance out the doughnuts. Anyone want any?” he asked. Both Chad and Sabina shook their heads. After looking in his fridge, he was glad they’d declined. He only had four. Just enough for him and Ellie.
The couple moved to the table as he scrambled the eggs in a bowl while a pan heated on the stove. They chatted about little things—how Gramps was feeling, how the season was looking for the lodge, and the gathering Cody and Tia had planned at their place that evening. A gathering he’d forgotten about until Sabina mentioned it.
By the time Ellie came down, he was plating their breakfast. Her dark eyes cast him a wary look, and he held the pan up. “I just made eggs. Thought you might want some since they also brought doughnuts.”
“Doughnuts?” she repeated, her attention flying to the white box on the table. He couldn’t help but smile. Yes, she worked out in his garage gym every day, but she didn’t eat the way he’d assumed a movie star would eat. Not that he’d given it much thought, but he’d always heard they watched every calorie.
