Page 17 of From Asher, With Love

“Have a nice day, Travis. It was nice meeting you.” Herheels click across the marble floor, the sound growing louder as she approaches the elevators.

I keep my back turned to her and look up to see the indicator for the elevator light switch on.

“Asher?”

I twist my head to the side, finding her wide, hazel eyes staring back at me. The expression on her face is almost an exact copy of the one she had the other night at the bar, filled with surprise. Only this time, Charleigh’s dressed a bit more modestly. Her skirt isn’t as short as the one she wore the night we were supposed to meet. This time, she’s wearing a dress, minus the coat. Every inch of her silhouette is on full display, showcasing the curves I haven’t been able to kick from my mind. Although the hem of her dress stops just above her knees, the dark purple fabric clings to her body. My gaze travels down to her feet. The image that remained in my mind after I left Connecticut was of the younger version of Charleigh. This Charleigh is full woman. Her hair is a little longer now, her brown waves cascading down below her shoulders. Charleigh’s always had curves in her hips and all the places that drive me wild, but somehow, in the past ten years, they’ve become even more accentuated.

She catches me staring at her and crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up. Her cleavage is exaggerated, pressing out of the V-cut neckline of her dress.

“Asher,” she says again, straightening her back.

“What are you doing here?” I find her eyes.

“I could ask you the same.”

I give her an amused grin. “I asked first.”

Her left shoulder drops. “You’ve always liked to play games.”

Okay. Not sure what that’s supposed to mean.

Her comment adds salt to the wound of possibly losing Allen to Cyrus.

“I guess I’ll play your little game,” she mutters. My eyes fall to her tongue slipping between her lips to sweep across her pink-glossed mouth. She tosses me a smug grin. “I’m hiring Cyrus to help me find a new location for my business.”

The elevator doors slide open, and she glides inside, leaving me to follow and stand beside her before watching the doors close us in. I don’t press the button for my floor. Instead, I let Charleigh select the first floor. I clench my hands inside my pockets, and I’m not sure why. It’s as if every nerve in my body is on alert around her, every feeling heightened. She knows how to get under my skin, but the sensation it gives me has me wanting to feel it a little longer. Back when we were teenagers, she was the addiction I couldn’t break. Seeing her now, I’m realizing she can make that a possibility once again. I already feel it seeping its way into my bones. It’s a dangerous feeling—one I’ve fought to keep away for nearly a decade.

Now I’m stuck inside this small ass elevator with her. My dick twitches, and heat pools in my lower belly from watching the fabric of her skirt stretch and strain around her full, round ass. Her floral scent surrounds me, and her body heat seems to radiate off the metal walls. It’s suffocating.

I lean against the wall, putting as much distance as possible between us.

“You’re really hiring him?” I choke out.

“Is that so hard to believe?” She arches an eyebrow, mimicking my stance on the opposite wall. “I needed a realtor for my business, and I found Cyrus. He has a great track record of helping business owners like me. He’s been around for decades, and he actually wants to help me, unlike other real estate executives I’ve previously met.”

Her usual gorgeous, round eyes narrow into two thin slits.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her small dig at me. Cyrus has already sunk his money-hungry claws into her. Just like Allen. Fuck.

I shrug. “It isn’t hard to believe. I just hope Cyrus doesn’t try to rip you off.” I stare up at the ceiling and rock back on my heels. Teasing her used to be a part of who we were. Now, I wonder if I’m just coming off as an arrogant asshole.

By the expression on Charleigh’s face, she isn’t surprised.

“Why did you lie?” she asks.

“Lie about what?” I ask, confused.

She clenches one hand into a fist and tightens the other on the handle of the purse by her side. “I’m talking about knowing Holt. You said you didn’t know him, but you were lying.”

“What makes you so sure I was lying? What would I gain from that?” I bite the inside of my cheek. The air inside the elevator swells as Charleigh’s shoulders rise. The ends of her dark hair lift with the motion.

“Holt’s sister, Julianna, happens to be my best friend. Plus, you’re a terrible liar.” She shifts her gaze back to the doors, refusing to face me now as she mutters under her breath, “You always have been.”

Ouch. Why did that last jab hurt more than it should?

“Fine. I lied. Holt and I have been friends since college.”

She scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. “I knew it. What are the odds?” She looks over her shoulder. “What are the odds of both our best friends being siblings, yet they never mentioned us to each other?”

---