I end the call and approach the wrought iron railing that the girls are sitting next to, their heads together, talking and nibbling on beignets.

Lila licks her lips and my dick immediately stirs to life.

I want to feel that tongue on me.

“Good morning, ladies.”

They both look up in surprise. Kate smiles, and Lila’s mouth drops open as her eyes roam up and down my naked torso, making me chuckle.

She likes what she sees.

Which is damn convenient because she’s about to see a lot of me.

Chapter Three

~Lila~

“These should be illegal,” Kate says and takes a bite of her piping-hot, powdered sugar-covered nugget of deliciousness. I simply nod in agreement because my mouth is too full of my own nugget of deliciousness to speak.

When I finally swallow and take a drink of my coffee, I lick my lips and smile at my friend. “Thanks for tearing yourself away from sexy Eli to have breakfast with me.”

“I don’t have to be with him 24/7,” she says with a roll of the eyes. “Besides, he had to leave early for a morning meeting.”

“So things are still going well?” I ask before taking another bite.

“Yep,” she replies. “We have our moments when we want to strangle each other, which I assume is normal when you live with someone¸ but then we just have crazy awesome sex and all is better.”

I laugh. “Well, here’s to crazy hot sex.” I salute her and take a sip of coffee. “Not that I remember.”

“That’s your own fault,” Kate says. “You could so get laid.”

“I’m not exactly the one-night stand type, and I don’t have time to date.”

“Bullshit and bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

“You had a one-night stand with Asher, and you do have time to date, you just choose not to.”

“My job takes up a lot of my time,” I insist and glance over at a man as he starts to play his saxophone not too far away. “And I don’t usually do the one-night stand thing. I’m way too responsible for that.”

“Everyone’s job takes up a lot of time,” Kate says and waves me off as if I’m being ridiculous. “It’s all about priorities. If seeing someone is important, you’ll make room for him.” She tosses me her sly Cheshire cat grin and pulls another beignet apart before popping part of it in her mouth. “And now that Asher is back, you can make room for him.”

“I knew you were going to start with this.”

“What’s wrong with Asher?”

“Nothing.” Not even one thing. I stop talking and can’t help the smile that slips on my lips. “God, nothing is wrong with him. You saw him.”

“I rest my case.”

“But just because we had one hot night together doesn’t mean I should start dating him. I don’t even know that he’s still single.” And if he’s taken, he should be ashamed of himself for the way he looked at me yesterday.

“We don’t know that he’s not,” she reminds me. “God, you’re cynical when it comes to men.”

“Hello, pot.”

“I’m not cynical. I had reasons for my trust issues.”

I cover Kate’s hand with mine, already sorry for my remark. “I know. And I have my reasons for being cynical.”

“A deadbeat dad and an absent mom are not the best reasons to be cynical.”

I bust out laughing at the ridiculousness of that statement. “I think those are two very good reasons, actually.”

“You aren’t your parents.”

“You’re right. I’m not an alcoholic pothead or an irresponsible woman without a maternal bone in her body.”

“No, you’re neither of those things. You’re so much better than that.” She takes another bite. “Look, you can’t stay celibate your whole life.”

I frown at that thought.

“It’s been so long since I had sex, I don’t even know if my vagina still works,” I admit in a whisper, making Kate laugh.

“Trust me, it works.”

“How do you know?”

She simply continues to laugh.

“Good morning, ladies.”

Our heads both whip up at the deep, sexy voice, and I’m suddenly staring at a very sweaty, very half-naked, Asher.

Oh Jesus.

“Good morning,” Kate says beside me, but I’m not paying attention to the words they’re saying. My mouth goes dry at the sight of Asher’s naked torso. He’s wearing running shorts, with his shirt tucked into the waist at his hip. He has earbuds in his ears, leading to his phone in his pocket.

He’s panting from his run, and sweat is running down his forehead, his cheek.

His fucking amazing chest.

One drop of sweat slowly makes its way down his sternum to his chiseled abs, and it takes everything in me to not lean over and lick it off.

Down, girl.

“Lila?”

“What?”

Asher’s eyes are laughing as he props his hands on his hips, watching me. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

Kate snickers beside me, earning a kick to the shin from me.

“You look amazing,” he replies and offers me that half-smile. The one that promises all kinds of amazing naughtiness and has kept me up many a night over the past nine months.

“Thank you,” I murmur. Why am I so shy with him now? That night at the bar, I was confident. I knew exactly what I wanted, and that was him. I wasn’t shy. I didn’t hesitate.