Page 112 of For Your Consideration

He went toward a large SUV that I hadn’t seen before. It was black with tinted windows and looked like it cost more than my yearly rent. His truck was parked in the spot next to it.

“Sophie’s car seat is in my car. Do you want to follow me?” I asked as I watched him go to the back passenger door and pull it open.

“I had a professional choose one and install it. It has the best safety rating there is and they assured me it’s in right, but can you check?”

I blinked a few times and then looked over at him. Should I be surprised? I mean this was the same man who had set up a perfect nursery for Sophie upstairs. But still I was struggling to wrap my head around everything he was doing. “You bought Sophie a car seat?”

“Of course.” He looked over at me with a frown.

“But you didn’t even know that I was going to come around until last night.” I looked over at him as he smiled softly at me.

“You were already mine, sweetheart, and so was Sophie. I was just waiting for you to figure it out. Even as a friend you were mine and I never intended to let you out of my life.”

I walked up to him and hugged him tightly around the middle. He returned the hug and rested his chin on my head.

“You are incredibly sweet, Grizzly,” I muttered, looking at the car seat that was for sure nicer than mine.

“Don’t tell anyone.” He pulled back before I wanted him to. “Can you check it so we can get going?”

I laughed but he looked so serious I did as he said and checked that it was installed right. But knowing Asher there was no need; a very skilled and qualified person would have put it in. When I gave it the all clear he held my door open so I could climb in and we started the drive. He handed me the aux cord without comment and didn’t even flinch as Noah Kahan’s newest album started playing. The storm had cleared up and the roads were a lot better than when I’d driven last night.

“Is that a baby on board sign hanging in the back window?” I asked, turning around in my seat. I’d noticed it when I was checking the car seat but decided to wait until he’d calmed down about it being in right to ask.

“Yes.”

I liked watching him drive; he had one hand on the wheel and the other was holding my hand. He had total confidence and it was hot.

“I don’t even have one of those.” I looked over at him to see him frown.

“I’d thought that they must serve a purpose with so many people having them on their cars. So I did some research and called our contact with the police.”

“Contact?” I asked, knowing he was probably underselling it. He was quiet for a moment as we stopped at a red light, then he looked at me.

“Chief of Police,” he muttered.

“You called the Chief of Police to ask about baby on board stickers?” He smirked and then looked back out the window. “Wasn’t your research enough?”

“Wanted to be sure. I'd read that first responders use it to ensure they get to the baby first in case of an accident.”

“I didn’t know that.”

He rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand absently. “Well, he said it's a myth but I got one for your car too just to be safe.” He said it like it was a given. “Just make sure you take it down when she isn’t in the car so they don’t waste time getting to you if she isn’t there.” He brought my hand to his mouth and gave me a kiss as we lapsed into a comfortable silence. Well, except for my belting out the song playing which only made him smile.

This man was intoxicating, and I wasn’t sure he was even aware how much.

I rested my head on the headrest with a little smile on my face. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing Maya, mostly because I was nervous about what she was going to say, but it felt less daunting having Asher to lean on.

Plus, pretty sure I was still riding the high from last night’s orgasms. I would even say I was glowing. I’d been with a man before who had struggled to get me to even climax. But Asher gave me four last night. The man could read my body like he’d been studying it for years. I’d never been so turned on or wet in my life.

I’d never really considered myself a horny person before. I had a vibrator but hadn’t been using it much over the last while, especially in a one-bedroom apartment. But maybe I’d just never had good sex to lust after before.

When we got to my apartment the elevator wasn’t working, which was normal, but Asher was not impressed and grumbled the whole way up the stairs. When I let us into my apartment it was only eight in the morning. Iris had Sophie on the floor and they were playing with some of her toys.

“You’re home much too early, dear.” She didn’t look at me, instead shaking one of Sophie’s toys in front of her face. “Did he have a small dick? It’s workable if you know how to use it.”

“Iris,” I hissed, a blush overtaking my cheeks while Asher choked.

“Ahhh!” Sophie caught sight of me then and threw down the toy she had in her hand. She started crawling quickly toward us, her little legs shuffling fast. I moved to her and scooped her up in my arms as she squealed.