“He was upset when he got back last night,” Honor admitted, her chest tightening with the memory of his anger and confusion. “He didn’t want to talk about it much, though I don’t think he knows a lot of details yet, either. Then again, even if he did tell me anything, it’s not my place to repeat it.”
The other woman looked up from her plate, a glimmer of respect in her brown eyes. “Right. Of course. Thanks. I’m glad you were here for him.”
There was no resentment in her words, only genuine gratitude that Honor had helped her best friend.
Okay. So maybe she could be friends with the psychic, too.
She nodded to Roxanna and selected a slice of French toast as Asher rejoined them. The smile he gave her warmed his eyes before he headed for the coffee pot to pour a cup. Breakfast forgotten, her mouth watered as she raked her gaze from the top of his damp hair to his bare feet, appreciating his snug, black T-shirt, and a pair of faded jeans worn and ripped in all the right places.
She was glad she’d been here for him, too. Glad he’d wanted her here.
But how long will that last?
The question hit hard, undermining her happiness after the night they’d shared. The warning thoughts were coming more often now. And with Roxanna’s comment about how big this whole situation was for Asher and his family, she needed to seriously consider…how long before she became an afterthought for him?
Relationships didn’t last. She was well aware of that fact, and letting herself even hope for anything different was opening herself up for heartache.
She snuck a glance at Asher from beneath her lashes and caught him watching her over the rim of his coffee cup, his expression pensive. Was she the reason for that serious look? Did he still want more than sex, or was he realizing that this could get too complicated? Was she reading too much into his somber expression, or did he sense her inner turmoil?
Maybe the brooding had nothing to do with her at all. Could be he was thinking of his family.
Of course he’s thinking about his family! And she was being a complete idiot obsessing over something so little.
Stop over-thinking things!
Tossing him a quick smile, she ducked her head to concentrate on her plate. But then, while cutting up the slice of French toast into bite size pieces, she realized her problem.
She was looking at him different than any other man she’d dated. What she needed to do was simply let go of her uncertainty and enjoy each moment solely for the moment. Enjoy him solely for him.
Forget the future, because they didn’t have one.
No qualms about hoping for more when she already knew it wasn’t going to happen.
When it was over, it would be over, and as long as she kept that front and center in her mind, she’d have nothing to worry about.
Other than the fact her silent little pep talk made her want to cry.
CHAPTER 25
A sher couldn’t shake
the feeling something wasn’t right. Rox’s arrival may have provided Honor with a convenient cover, but he’d felt her pull away before the knock. And while he’d been thrilled by her eager perusal when he returned to the kitchen, he still sensed her pulling away.
Maybe it was the family bomb that dropped last night. He didn’t even want to have to deal with it, so was it fair to expect her to? Probably not. But he didn’t like the idea of her putting distance between them after last night. Especially not after he’d had to convince her to stay.
One night down, a lifetime to go.
He carried his coffee over to the island to dish up a couple slices of the delicious smelling French toast and caught Roxanna’s smirk from where she sat on an island stool next to Honor.
“That was a quick shower, Ace.”
“Cold ones always are,” he shot back.
The moment the words were out of his mouth, he felt like his face slammed into the mountain all over again. Was Honor creating distance between them because of his friendship with Roxanna? Did their closeness bother her? He wasn’t used to filtering their exchanges.
No, hold up. She’d pulled away before they knew it was Rox at the door. And, right now, her humor-filled gaze transferred from him to his best friend.
She certainly didn’t seem upset as she leaned forward to ask, “He won’t tell me why you call him Ace.”