And, perhaps, about to get a bit luckier.
As the song wound down and the singer began another ballad, Sera drifted back to earth, glancing up at Asher. He didn’t seem inclined to end their dance just yet. In fact, if she had to guess, he seemed to be enjoying it more than a little himself. His face had relaxed, his shoulders loose but his arms strong around her. While the song segued, he tucked her a bit tighter to him and turned them gracefully, leading them to a spot on the edge of the crowd where they had a bit more room to move. Almost as one, they took a breath of the fiesta-scented autumn air. Again, his eyes took her in from head to toe. His focus had sharpened.
“That is a lovely color on you, Bliss,” he complimented. His voice seemed a notch deeper than normal.
“This old thing?” Sera blushed, glancing down at the azure tunic she wore. She was suddenly glad she’d made an effort to dress up a little tonight. She spent so much time in chef’s pants and flour-coated clogs, it was hard to remember the rest of the world tended to put in a bit more effort. Plus, after Blake, she’d had zero interest in attracting attention from the opposite sex, so her out-of-kitchen uniform of shapeless tees and battered jeans had suited her just fine. But tonight…
“Thanks, Asher,” she said, just above a whisper. His regard was suddenly so overwhelming, she could barely remember to keep her feet shuffling along to the music. The air in the small space between them felt hot as one of her ovens, in contrast to the cool September breeze teasing her hair and fanning her flushed cheeks.
“I noticed you are wearing my earrings,” he went on. His hand left the middle of her back to brush her lobe with exquisite gentleness, eliciting a shiver Sera prayed he wouldn’t notice. “I hope it’s not arrogant to say they suit you very well.” His palm reclaimed its place at her waist… then slid just a touch lower, heating the small of her back through the silky fabric.
“N-No, not arrogant at all,” she stuttered. Her breath didn’t know whether it was coming or going, but her earlier serenity had definitely taken a hike. “You’re very kind. I love them. I’m so glad I had an occasion to wear them tonight.” Was it her imagination, or was her sexy landlord flirting with her? Just a little bit?
For the first time since they’d met, Asher’s attention felt fully engaged, the distance he usually reserved for himself somehow breached. And the expression she read in his eyes as she dared another glance up… wow. It was as though he’d turned the light on behind those eyes, withdrawn the curtain veiling them. In that gaze, she read so much—almost too much. A soul that could contain great mischief, but also deep, deep sorrow. Intelligence, perception, and kindness; an acceptance of others’ foibles even as he strove for perfection in himself. And a wound that had shattered him, utterly shattered him, somewhere at the heart of it.
It was like looking into the essence of a great symphony, all the elements of passion, playfulness, and exultation commingling. Sera stumbled to a halt, her feet no longer obeying the music, drowned out by what she saw in Asher’s expression.
He came to a stop with her, but his arms kept their clasp about her body.
“I think…” A look not unlike consternation crossed Asher’s face. He stared down at her, unwontedly solemn. “I think I would like to kiss you, Bliss. Would you… also like that?”
Would I like that? Would I like that?
“There’s only one way to find out,” she found herself saying with far, far more sassiness than she’d expected to be able to muster in a moment like this.
But Asher didn’t smile. As momentous as this occasion felt to Sera—she hadn’t kissed or wanted to kiss anyone since Blake had shattered her confidence (she had, in fact, never had more than a casual coffee date since getting sober)—it appeared to be even more fraught for Ash. His hand gently cupped her face. Sera registered its rough texture, its control and exquisite sensitivity. Its… trembling? His thumb traced her bottom lip, and Sera found herself trembling as well, her lips parting in anticipation. When is it going to happen? Is it going to happen? Oh, my God, it’s about to happen…
And then his lips took hers, and her wits took off.
Chapter Twelve
Well, everything looks perfectly normal down here,” said the voice between Sera’s thighs.
Paper rustled, metal instruments blessedly retracted, and Dr. Flores, Sera’s brand-new gynecologist, wheeled herself back on her stool and into visual range. “You can sit up now,” she instructed briskly.
Sera did as bade. (There was nothing like a speculum to make a girl feel subdued.) She sat cross-legged on the exam table, disposable paper gown gapping in all sorts of unflattering ways, trying to tuck everything tuckable back into place. I can’t believe Pauline did this to me, she thought for what had to be the hundredth time. And I can’t believe I let her. Hell, my last pap smear was less than a year ago. This so wasn’t necessary. But Pauline Wilde would not be denied. She’d spent the entire weekend peppering her niece with probing questions, poking her and eyeballing her like she was some sort of exotic specimen, then tut-tutting and exclaiming, “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” at least once an hour. And come Monday morning, she’d been on the horn first thing, getting Sera an appointment with her personal gynecologist, whether Sera liked it or not.
“I don’t see what the emergency was, frankly,” said the doctor. She was a steel gray woman from top to bottom, neat but not militarily so from her wiry, short-cropped hair to her starched doctor’s coat and gunmetal pantsuit. “The way your aunt made it sound, I thought we’d be admitting you to the ER. I don’t usually offer appointments in this big of a rush. It normally takes weeks to get in to see me,” she said with a hint of pride.
“I’m very sorry, Dr. Flores. I don’t mean to waste your time,” Sera said. “It’s just that Aunt Pauline was very concerned, and I…”
Thought this would shut her up.
“Fine, fine,” said Dr. Flores. “You’re here now, and of all my patients, Pauline is probably the one I’m happiest to let call in a favor. So let’s get to your symptoms, shall we?” She didn’t wait for Sera to continue. “Are you having any burning sensations when you urinate?”
Sera shook her head.
“Pain during sexual activity?”
How to answer that? “Um, not exactly…”
The doctor pinned her with a slightly impatient look. “What, exactly?”
“Well, no, no pain, but also… no sexual activity.”
The doctor’s expression didn’t change. “For how long?”
“Over a year,” Sera whispered.
The doc made a note in her chart. “And over a year ago, when you were sexually active, did you experience pain during sexual activity?” she asked impassively.
“No… ah, not exactly.” Sera looked wistfully over at her clothes.