Surrounded

Chapter Nine

"Sad Cowboys and Rock and Roll" - Van Andrew

     The sound of cicadas filled the air and Laura stretched out on the front porch, a blanket around her shoulders. The small cabin faced the west just a few feet from the drop-off with an incredible view of the valley and the mountains beyond it. She heard the door click behind her as Asher walked out and sat on the step next to her. He held a Corona out toward her and she stuck her hand out of her blanket cocoon. She pressed the bottle to her lips and tipped it up, the cool tangy taste on her tongue simultaneously waking her up and soothing her still frayed nerves. Asher glanced at her as she let out a shaky breath, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. He kissed her head and she felt his chest rumble, "I'm sorry that happened earlier, but I'm so fucking glad you're safe. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something had happened to you." She felt herself smile as she tipped her head up to look at his face. She never could resist admiring his strong features, his chiseled jaw, striking cheekbones, and breathtaking blue eyes. Those eyes that could melt her with one mischievous glance, they were the same shade as a clear sky at midday and he'd always made her feel the same way as summer: free.

     Before she could think too much, she set her bottle down and leaned into him, brushing his lips with hers. His chest hitched as his hand moved to the back of her head, tipping it back further and deepening their kiss. The blanket around her shoulders fell to the porch as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her onto her knees. She slung her leg across his lap and situated herself so they were chest to chest. With a low growl, he gripped her hips, pulling her down to fully sit and she couldn't fight the instinct to grind against his obvious excitement. She pushed her chest against him, throwing him off balance and tipping them both onto the cool wood slats of the porch. Reaching an arm out to break their fall, she giggled when a slight gasp escaped his lips, then used the other hand to run her fingers through his hair. His hands made quick work of exploring her, one going down to massage one cheek and the other to wrap around her waist, holding her close as if she might vanish. She relished in the feeling of him beneath her, his silky mop of hair between her fingers, the bite of the old wood beneath her other hand, and the warm air on her exposed skin where Asher was trailing fingers up her back, dragging her shirt up as he went.

     She'd always known Asher was one of the good ones, but when he was the one that pulled away first to gauge her reaction, it was confirmed in her mind. She knew that she wanted him in her life, the same as he'd always been, but now she wanted him to look at her with that same gentleness, she wanted to always have this softer side of him. She finally answered his unspoken question with a gentle kiss on his chin and pushed herself off of him. He accepted the hand she'd extended in offering and stood next to her, gathering their things from the porch and leading her into the cabin. They'd known one another so long that they didn't have to communicate verbally. He knew that she wasn't ready to cross that line with him yet, but he also knew that she had wanted to. She knew that he was being so kind and patient with her that her heart almost ached from it. They slid into the queen-sized bed together; Asher laying on his back with a bare chest and a pair of sleep shorts, Laura in a tank top and shorts cuddled up beside him. It didn't take her long to fall asleep with the steady rise and fall of his chest and his heartbeat playing as her lullaby.