CEO Daddy (Crescent Cove 6.50)

She made a frustrated noise in her throat and fisted her hand around my tie, choking me when she dragged me closer. I laughed and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her against me while the kiss went on and on.

Dimly, I heard the sound of tires rolling over the pavement. Didn’t care. I nibbled Hannah’s lower lip and debated just carrying her inside to finish this on that sturdy bench in the front hall. Or I could just back into the car—

“Asher.” Hannah pulled her mouth from mine with a ragged hiss of breath that made me swear. “Open your eyes.”

I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay in this capsule of pure bliss. No worries, no thoughts, no pressure. Just this smart, beautiful, challenging woman in my arms and her warm mouth pressed to mine.

“Asher.” Hannah’s voice edged with nerves as she shoved at my shoulder.

“Dammit.” No matter how I tried to ignore reality, it always came back and knocked me on my ass.

Or dug half-moons into my shoulder.

Reluctantly, I dropped Hannah back to her feet and forced myself to turn toward the source of our disruption. They better have a damn good explanation—

And found my grandmother hanging out of her driver’s side window, positively cackling with glee.

“Too late, I saw you. I saw you! About time too.” She whipped around my parked car and zoomed up the drive, nearly clipping the potted petunia I’d seen Hannah fussing with the other morning.

“I think I better move that planter. It’s too close to the driveway for certain motorists.”

“Asher,” Hannah hissed. “She saw us. She knows.”

“That I can’t stay away from your mouth?” I shrugged and wiped my hand over my lips, already craving her cinnamon taste again.

My preoccupation could be why I wasn’t flipping out my grandmother had witnessed a private moment I had not been ready for her to see.

Better answer was that I was fucking glad she’d seen it. That at least one of the things I was holding back was now out in the open.

No more pretending.

No more denying.

I glanced back at Hannah and noted that she was peering at me strangely again. “You swear you haven’t been drinking?”

I moved closer to her and caressed her cheek with the tip of my finger. “Did you taste it on me?”

Hannah flushed to the roots of her hair.

I chuckled as I turned toward my grandmother as she hustled up the driveway with a large tote bag overflowing with packages. “Need some help?”

She waved me off before dropping the bag at my feet to wrap me in a giant hug. When I hugged her back, she whispered, “You did good, Snug.”

I started to argue that I hadn’t done anything—God knows Hannah and I were dancing around each other enough to wear out the carpet—but she’d already moved on to embrace Hannah. Hannah hugged her back and they spoke softly to each other for long enough that I frowned.

Were they talking about me?

I dipped my hands in my pockets and fisted them. Of course, they were.

“I have to say that I’m relieved.” Gran stepped back and reached for her tote bag, frowning as I snatched it before she could.

I grimaced. Jesus, this thing was heavy.

“Glad to be home again?” Hannah asked. “How was your trip?”

“Oh, it was lovely. Met a fine young man. We’re moving in together.”

“Excuse me?” A sharp breeze moved through the trees and it suddenly occurred to me that we were having this discussion in the driveway. I motioned toward the house. “Can we take this inside?”