Page 37 of From Asher, With Love

She laughs. “Never. I was mad at you for the way you were talking to me upstairs. I didn’t intend to walk the entire way, but you followed me, so I figured we could just keep going. I honestly didn’t know it would take as long as it did.”

I run my fingers through my hair, pushing the ends up off my forehead. “You drive me fucking insane, Charleigh. Do you know that?”

“I know I do, but you have to admit, you kind of deserved it.” With her pink mouth curled into a smirk, she reaches into her purse, pulling out her phone. “Now,” she says, typing out a text. “Where are we headed for the first listing you’re showing me?”

“Wait,” I say, hesitating. “You’re still going to work with me?”

“Why not?” Charleigh’s hot-and-cold attitude is beginning to give me whiplash. Though I guess the same could be said for me. We’re driving each other insane, but the more I stare into Charleigh’s eyes, the more I realize we’re both starting to enjoy it.

I point my finger toward the top of the stairs. “Because of what you said up there. You made it sound like you might back out.”

“Like I said, I was getting back at you for the way you were acting. I told you I would give you chance.” She shrugs. “This is me keeping my word.”

The blush on her cheeks has now faded, and her expressionis stoic. It’s as if all the lighthearted conversation and energy has been sucked out of the room.

“Look, Charleigh…” My words trail off while I consider what to say. Our conversation on the fifty-two-flight descent has already been more than anything I’ve shared with anyone in the past decade—Charleigh being the last person I opened up to. Talking with her feels natural, much like riding a bike. For the first time in ages, it’s easy, but a small part of me knows the past between Charleigh and me is anything but easy. It’s complicated, messy, and tragic. “I?—”

“It’s okay, Asher,” Charleigh says, cutting me off. “You don’t need to say anything. I shouldn’t have been late in the first place. This is strictly business, and I need to keep that in mind.”

“Right.” I nod, buttoning my suit jacket, slipping back into agent mode.

“Good,” she says, the light leaving her eyes. “Now, show me the first place you have for me on your list.”

ELEVEN

CHARLEIGH

I should have taken Asher up on his offer to head back to my apartment to change my shoes. Fuck, I even regret not taking him up on his offer to buy me a new pair, because now we’re finally standing in front of the first location, and all I can think about is how badly my feet hurt.

“So, this is it.” Asher waves his arm out to the empty office space in front of us. “What do you think of the outside?”

I don’t move any closer to Asher or the building, afraid that if I do, my toes will officially go numb. In fact, that might not be a terrible idea with how much pain I’m in. I turn my head to get a better view of the surrounding area. It’s in a nice part of Manhattan, only a few blocks from Asher’s office. I’m thankful he didn’t argue when I asked him if we could take a taxi on the way over.

“I love it. How much is this one listed at?”

“It’s right at the top of your budget. There’s a bit of wiggle room for negotiating.”

“Oh, that’s great, then.” I nod, pleased to finally find a place that could be a possibility. “I’ll still need to see what it looks like on the inside, though.”

“Of course,” he says, his mouth pressed into a thin line. His eyes narrow when he looks down at my feet. I can tell he knows I’m uncomfortable, but he’s given up the fight. Instead, he walks up to the door, punching the code in to unlock it.

Once he has it open, I finally decide to move, bracing myself for the pain I know will inevitably come. Asher’s back is to me, so I take the opportunity to limp to the door, putting the least amount of pressure on my toes that I can. I nearly make it to the front door, then he turns around, catching me limping.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I tell him, pointing to the entrance. “I’m following you inside.”

“No, you’re not.” He sighs, pulling the door closed. “You can’t go inside when you’re clearly in this much pain.”

“Yes, I can.” I grit my teeth, blowing hot air through my nose. Today has been one disaster after another. It was already bad enough that I woke up late and struggled to find a cab. I figured if I bought Asher a coffee it could make up for the fact that I was nearly an hour late, but I was wrong.

Asher’s attitude threw me over the edge, and to get back at him, I tried to punish him by using the stairs. My plan backfired. Normally, I love wearing these shoes. They’re some of the most comfortable ones I own, but they aren’t exactly the best shoes to wear when deciding to walk down fifty-two flights of stairs. It wasn’t all a terrible idea. Feeling Asher’s arms on my body lit a fire inside me, sparking and electrifying pieces of myself that had been dead for so long. It was a familiar feeling, yet new in a way. He was stronger and more direct than he used to be. His muscles contracted beneath my fingers as I held on to him with every step he took. All I could do was focus on his large hands commanding my body, keeping me in place. I spent the entire trip down worried he’d discover how wet I’d become just from his touch, secretly wishing he would.

At first, I didn’t understand why he decided to carry me the rest of the way, but I’m thankful because I don’t think I would have been able to make it—especially now we’re standing in front of this office that’s for sale.

I wish I was carrying a spare pair of flats inside my purse right about now. Instead, I’m standing on the sidewalk, seriously contemplating the idea of walking barefoot.

“You’re lying to me again, Charleigh.” Asher is now standing directly in front of me.

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