Page 28 of From Asher, With Love

“On one condition…”

His grin drops. “What condition?”

“My store is important to me, Asher. Don’t make me regret trusting you again.”

Suddenly, the confidence he walked in here with is gone, and I see the boy I met at seventeen standing in front of me. Maybe the old Asher still exists.

I lean forward on the counter and cross my arms on the cool, hard top. I cock my head to the side and stare up into Asher’s golden eyes. His movement is subtle, but nonetheless, I do notice him shifting closer to me, slow and deliberate. Calculated, much like the way he runs business. Asher is a bad habit I need to drop quickly.

“Do we have a deal?” I whisper, refusing to listen to the tiny voice in my head screaming for me not to do this. I’ve never listened to her, despite what the consequences were.

He spreads his arms out and grips the edge of the counter, lowering his head until it’s level with mine. “We have a deal.”

Asher’s lips part as he sucks in a sharp breath.

My heart races in my chest, and for a moment, I wonder what mess I’ve gotten myself into.

He doesn’t give me time to think on it for too long before he pulls away, snapping us out of the vacuum we’ve found ourselves in. He holds out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

“What? No,” I say quickly, knowing why he wants it. I’m already heading down a dangerous path. Giving him my phone to put his number in would be a bad idea. It opens us up to talking to each other more than during business hours.

“This is ridiculous, Charleigh.” He sighs. “You’re my client now. I kind of need to have your phone number.”

“Can’t you just email me the listings?”

His eyes narrow. “No. I check my phone more than I do my emails. This will be more convenient.”

My thighs tingle again with his heated stare, the same way they did in the elevator. I need to figure out how I’m going to work with Asher without finding myself wishing he’d satisfy the need my body clearly wants him to rectify.

“Fine.” I grab a blank paper heart tag from behind my desk and scribble my phone number down before handing it to Asher.

He eyes it for several seconds before slipping it into the front pocket of his suit. “I’ll send you a text with what time we’re meeting tomorrow.”

“Meeting?” I ask, already regretting my decision to let Asher back into my life. I should have taken baby steps, not giant-sized ones. “I thought you were just going to send me the listings.”

“Is that what Cyrus did? Just send you listings?”

“Yeah.” I point to my laptop. “He just had me look over them and go scope them out for myself.”

“See, this is another reason why you should hire me instead of Cyrus. We’re going sightseeing.”

He’s already to the door,making his way out. Three lines crease each of his cheeks when he grins. “See you tomorrow.”

I watch in stunned silence as his driver holds the car door open for him, and Asher slips inside.

Once the car pulls away, I’m questioning the deal I’ve just made with him.

Because when it comes to Asher, I’m always left playing with fire.

NINE

CHARLEIGH

October 29, 2014

I’m clutching my phone, pressing it against my chest, still buried under the covers of my queen-sized bed. My house is large enough that my parents shouldn’t hear me, but when it comes to Asher I try not to take any chances. I’ve only introduced him to them once, but that one time was all it took for me to know they didn’t and don’t approve of him. In any universe or under any circumstances.

My father looked at him with disdain, my mother with disgust. They played their parts well until Asher left, but behind closed doors they didn’t shy away from making their feelings known.

---