Page 95 of Asher Black (The Five Syndicates)
The one I bought in Morocco. The one I wore to Rogue. The one I thought Tommy donated.
Asher saved it for me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Efforts and courage are
not enough without
purpose and direction.
John F. Kennedy
“I still can’t believe you like me,” I say, cringing as soon as the words escape my lips.
Asher studies me, a hint of a smirk gracing his features. “Why else do you think I asked you to be my fiancée?”
“You had no other choice!”
“I always have a choice.”
“Well, you chose to ask Nicole, too.”
“She asked me.”
“Oh.”
“Oh,” he mocks, but it’s playful.
I kick him under the table, but he traps my leg in between his and reaches down to pull it onto his lap. I’m glad we’re home and not at a public restaurant, though I don’t think that would stop Asher from touching me like this.
“Dance with me,” Asher commands softly, releasing my leg.
“There’s no music.”
“Music!” Asher commands to the room, and a soft melody begins to play.
I let him pull me into his arms, a few feet away from the dining room, where we just had dinner. I’m still able to move lithely, though I’m stuffed from his lomo saltado, which was delicious and perfectly cooked. After a few minutes of swaying loosely in his arms, Asher pulls me dangerously closer. I tilt my head up, so my face won’t be smashed against his collarbone.
He’s quiet, but I hear him say, “You’re clean.”
I’m confused. “Sexually?” I blurt out, mortified by my lack of tact.
He laughs, and I feel it vibrate across his chest. And what a chest it is. I find myself pressing closer to him, so I can count how many ab packs he has across his stomach. I’ve done this before, but I will never get enough of it
“Your background, Lucy. Your background is clean. You intrigued me, and you had a clean background, so I picked you. I won’t lie and tell you I wanted to be with you back then, but I did like what I saw.”
“Oh.” I breathe out sharply and back up slightly.
I’m teetering on the edge of uncertainty, not knowing whether or not I should feel guilty about my past. He thinks I have a clean background, but he doesn’t know about Steve. It’s not like I did anything wrong, but it is a lot of baggage. Baggage that I haven’t mentioned once.
What happens if he asks me to go to Los Angeles for his hotel’s grand opening, and I say no? Because no way will I be able to be in the same state as Steve. Not happening. The thought causes my legs to tremble, and Asher picks up on it.
“Are you thinking of running right now? Am I moving too fast?” he asks.
I know it’s wrong to deceive him, but I still nod. I can’t tell him about Steve now. Too much time has passed, and I’m trapped by my decision.
He looks me straight in the eyes as he says, “I’ll slow down. But whenever you think about running, please, remember that you didn’t run from me when I was the big bad wolf. You’re braver than you think you are.”
