Page 79 of Asher Black (The Five Syndicates)
I groan softly and hide my face in Asher’s chest. I feel his chest vibrate against me as he gives me a light chuckle. Both of his hands are still on my ass, and my entire body is still pressed against his, making it difficult to concentrate.
“You’ll have to leave now if you want to make it before the match starts,” Monica says, her voice tight and full of thinly veiled disapproval.
“Thanks, Monica. That’ll be all.” Asher pauses, and I hear the sound of her heels retreating. “And Monica? Knock next time, please.”
“Of course, Mr. Black.” She doesn’t sound sincere.
The door slams shut, louder than necessary. My face is still buried in Asher’s chest when he tips my chin back to examine me. There’s laughter in his eyes.
“I think we aced this assignment.”
I roll my eyes at his words and push off of him. When I spare a glance at the mirror, I see how disheveled I look. I try to fix myself up, but it’s a hopeless cause. So much for making Eduardo and Tommy proud.
I’m finger combing my hair when Asher grabs my hands and says, “Stop.” His eyes meet mine in the mirror, while his free hand trails down the side of my body, ending at my waist. “You look beautiful.”
Given the way he’s looking at me, I believe him. This isn’t the first time since dancing with him that I’ve had to remind myself that we aren’t actually together. This time, I’m reminding myself that the kiss was just an exercise.
It isn’t real.
It isn’t real.
It isn’t real.
I repeat this mantra until the frenzied storm inside me finally settles.
Asher keeps holding my hand, even though we’re alone. Hand in hand, we descend the stairwell and enter the elevator. He presses “G” for garage. I learned a while ago that all the cars in Asher’s private garage are his and his staff’s. The rest of the building’s tenants have to use the main garage and the elevators in the lobby, which I still have yet to step foot in.
I slide into one of the town cars with Asher entering behind me. Xavier takes the passenger seat next to the driver, one of the guards from Asher’s personal detail. I’ve seen him around a lot. I think his name is maybe Dominic, but I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been introduced to him, and other than Xavier, the guards don’t talk often. I haven’t even talked to my night guard yet.
“How was your quantum mechanics test?”
I’m staggered by his knowledge of it. I didn’t tell him I had one. My eyes narrow in suspicion. “I think I aced it.”
He takes in my look and grins. “I may be getting updates on you.”
My eyes shoot to Xavier, the accusation obvious. Xavier has been around for all of my proctored tests.
Xavier shrugs. “He’s the one paying the bills.”
I groan at his lack of loyalty—or abundance of loyalty, if you look at it from Asher’s perspective. “What is he telling you?
Asher laughs. “Nothing bad. I promise.” A crooked grin graces his lips, which are still red from our kisses. “Though you should probably start studying for quantum mechanics. You take a long time finishing those tests.”
“An A is an A—no matter how long it takes.” I take an emergency Starburst out of my clutch and throw it at Xavier’s head. When it smacks him in the ear, I mutter, “Serves you right, t
raitor.”
But I’m smiling, because Asher cares enough to check on my schoolwork.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Courage is not simply one of
the virtues, but the form of
every virtue at the testing
point.
