When I got home, I found Astrid on the patio in the hot tub with her Kindle, Scout taking a nap in the shade but keeping her company. When I opened the back door, he lifted his head long enough to make sure it was me, and then the asshole just went back to sleep. Apparently, I’ve been disowned and replaced.
But I can’t even blame him.
She smiles at me from her spot and sets her Kindle down on the side, tilting her head. “You hungry? I made dinner. It’s in the oven and will be done in about ten minutes,” she informs, and I shake my head at her but smile all the same.
“You don’t have to—”
“—cook dinner every night, goddess,” she mocks. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Can’t a girl show her man she appreciates all the hard work he does to put such a lovely roof over her head?” She lifts her hand, palm up.
My heart squeezes. “Her man, hm? I like the sound of that. Much better than feeling like you need to earn your keep.”
She nods then glides through the water toward me, standing up slowly and giving me a look that instantly makes my dick hard. “Oh you like that?” she asks, bending forward and placing her folded arms on the side of the spa and squeezing her tits together.
I literally gulp.
Taking the one stride that separates us, I reach out and stoke the knuckle of my pointer finger down her cheekbone, remembering the last time she was at this height below me, taking my cock down her throat.
I hold in a groan, taking a step back to hide my stuttering breath. Fuck.
Besides kissing and some groping over our clothes, we haven’t furthered our sexual relationship. I’m trying my best to take things slow, after everything else happened so quickly—or so it seemed. I wanted her to get to know me better, to truly know she could trust me before adding sex to the mix, since sex never fails to skew one’s emotions. I wanted her to be able to tell what I felt for her was more than just lust. And I also wanted her emotions for me to grow without the confusion of sex as well, because she hadn’t responded with the sentiment whenever I told her I was in love with her. Which was completely fine and didn’t hurt my feelings or worry me at all. I understand what Astrid is going through. I know she has fears that will take time and lots of work to overcome. And that’s why I’ve only held her in my arms to fall asleep at night. I’ve only petted her hair while we watch TV. I’ve only massaged her sore muscles as a reward for getting out of the house and going to the gym each day. It was all to strengthen the bond and trust between us.
I waited a year for Astrid, with her living under my roof. I’d wait a hundred more if that’s what it took to build something between us that would last forever.
But fuck my life is she making it hard… literally.
I growl, spinning around to head back into the house, calling over my shoulder, “Gonna change into my swim trunks. Want to eat dinner outside?”
When she doesn’t answer by the time I hit the door, I glance back at her, seeing the hurt in her eyes for only a second before it’s gone. She blinks then looks up and me, giving me a small smile. “Yeah, that sounds fun,” she replies, but her smile doesn’t reach those beautiful blue eyes, and I know in that moment I’d do anything to take away all her pain, including do something against my better therapist judgment.
By the time I changed and got back downstairs, Astrid was pulling the baked chicken out of the oven and already had our plates set out on the island. I helped her divvy up the sautéed veggies and rice, and then we ate dinner at the patio set in the back before sinking into the bubbling water. We didn’t converse much, but she did read me the rest of the chapter she was on in the book on her Kindle while I massaged her legs beneath the water, her voice catching when I hit a particularly sore or good spot. And then we went upstairs, showered, and got into bed, Astrid with her