"Don't be silly. I have nowhere to go. I'll keep you company until they move you to a room, and I'll be here in the morning to pick you up. Don't even think of arguing," she said before I could speak again.
"I wouldn't dream of it," I said, holding up my hands in surrender.
"So, are there any other allergies I need to be aware of?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at me.
"Don't think so. Truthfully, I don't give the cashew one much thought. It's not like it's a common ingredient in anything. It was just rotten luck that the restaurant decided to use cashews for a topping. I usually carry a spare EpiPen, but I haven't had a reaction in years. You know, I could blame you," I teased.
"Me?" she asked, sounding shocked by my accusation.
"Hell yeah. If you weren't seducing me in the middle of the restaurant, I would have paid more attention to what I was putting in my mouth."
"Surely someone of your experience would know what to put in your mouth," she said saucily.
Her not-so-subtle innuendo rekindled my arousal from earlier. I had to adjust the blanket across my lap to hide the evidence. "Honey, normally it's not a problem," I said, only to choke slightly on my vocal chords that still weren't cooperating.
She laughed while I stuttered over a cough. "I think you'll have to save your flirting for another day, hot stuff," she said, gently pushing my shoulders until I was lying back against the hospital bed that was slightly inclined. Still coughing, I nodded my head in defeat. Tonight, I was barely any talk with definitely no action. I would have been highly disappointed at the way the night had gone if I didn't have the mental picture of the appetizer at her house to fall back on.
Ashton stayed with me during the few hours it took to get me into a room. We continued to skirt away from the tougher subjects and instead talked about the things we loved. It didn't surprise me in the slightest that Ashton was bright and intuitive on most subjects. Her insights into pop culture were a nice change from the boring conversations I was used to. It was refreshing to talk about our taste in music, books and movies. As luck would have it though, the medicine they were pumping through me began to take effect and my eyelids grew heavy. I only meant to close them for a second, but it was like they'd been super-glued down. I felt Ashton pulling the covers over me and I would have thanked her, but the meds and a sudden headache pulled me under. I thought I felt her hand graze the planes of my chest, then trickle down my stomach. Maybe it was just the meds, or I could have been dreaming, but either way, I liked it. One thing was clear: Ashton was nothing like I expected. How was I going to get her out of my system when everything about her seemed to pull me in?
Chapter 11: Anticipating the deed
Ashton
Despite the fact that he had fallen asleep, I stayed with Nathan as promised until they moved him to his room. Only once he was out did I allow myself to dwell on how scared I had been, thinking he was going to die. We'd known each less than four days and really knew nothing about each other, yet I was worrying about him like we had been lovers for a lifetime. It was insanity to feel anything other than lust for someone I hardly knew, but everything about him enticed me, tricking me into believing in what-ifs. We weren't supposed to have any feelings or strings attached, but here I was. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was setting myself up. The wisest thing I could do would be to catch a cab and never look back. No harm, no foul. Foolishly, I did neither.
The drive back to my cottage passed quickly as I attempted to sort through and categorize my feelings. By the time I returned home I realized my mixed-up emotions were an accumulation of stress and anxiety from his allergic reaction. Sure, I liked him, but he was still just an item on my list. I had to stick to our deal, and as long as he could keep his word, we could have our fun and then go our separate ways.
***
The chirping of a new text on my phone woke me the next morning.
I smiled when I read the text message from Tressa.
"Give me all the deets Ho." >"Do come-ons like that always work for you?" I asked, working not to blush at his innuendo.
"You tell me," he said, sitting back in his seat with a small smile.
"We'll see," I answered, laughing breathlessly.
"Ooh, good answer. Okay, dogs or cats?" he asked, switching gears again.
"I'm not really sure. I never had any pets growing up. Probably a cat though. I always had this dream that my dad would surprise me with a kitten or something for my birthday," I said, surprised at the wistful tone in my voice. "How about you?"
"I have a cat that gets taken care of by my neighbor while I'm away on my extended trips. He's a cool cat, but he holds a slight grudge when I leave him. I know not to arrive at my condo without treats and a toy," he answered in a warm voice that melted me inside. Who knew a man who loved cats would come across so hot?
"A toy?" I asked intrigued. "Do cats play with things other than strings or a paper ball?"
"He's not into the typical cat toys. He has a particular lid fetish."
"Lid fetish?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"Like off of hairspray bottles," he explained.
I looked at him blankly, not quite sure that I knew what he was talking about, although he looked quite adorable trying to explain it.
"You know, the small lids that cover the spray nozzles," he said, holding his fingers about an inch apart for emphasis. Seeing my amusement, he plunged on.
"Anyway, he likes it when you throw them across the ceramic floor. He'll run after it and bring it back like a dog. So whenever I'm gone, I make a point of getting several of the lids for him."