Page 8 of Midnight Moon
Most people would have looked away at that point, but I wasn’t most people.
“Uh… no,” Chase finally answered my question, stepping into my periphery as Asher and I continued our stare down. “Well, I guess he might be. Sort of. It’s complicated.”
His confusing response drew my attention away from his surly friend.
Chase offered a tense smile, his eyes darting back and forth between me and Asher. Realizing his friend was no longer making an exit, he took the opportunity to try and break the tension. “How about that drink?”
I considered denying the offer and excusing myself from the awkward situation I’d found myself in, but, for some reason, the thought of distancing myself from the gruff, stunning man made my chest tighten uncomfortably.
That was all the reason I needed to realize I definitely needed to put some distance between me and the stranger.
“Sure.” I told Chase, planning to grab Stephanie and slip away before he could actually order me a drink. I took a single step towards the bar when Asher’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Chase, you go. I’ll wait here with Blair.”
I whirled around and stumbled back two steps, shocked to see Asher had closed the space between us so quickly. He stood less than two feet away.
As a shifter, I’d seen countless attractive men, but there was something…moreabout this guy. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
And I didn’t like that.
Not one bit.
Chase looked ready to insist I join him at the bar, but whatever he saw in his friend’s expression had him biting his tongue. With a terse nod, he said, “I’ll be right back.” He spared me an apologetic glance before making his way to the bar to order our drinks.
The space around me felt stifling, and the glass of warm beer in my hand suddenly grew slick. I placed it on the empty table behind me, pointedly ignoring the pair of probing eyes I could feel scanning my face.
I stared back at the crowd of drunk adults wandering down the street, plotting the best way to get myself out of this awkward situation. Asher might’ve been the most attractive man I’d ever met, but he was far from friendly. I did not want to spend one more moment of my evening around him.
With any luck, Stephanie would deign to grace me with her presence and act as a buffer between us. Then, I could make up an excuse and get out of there in no time.
A quick glance confirmed Stephanie still flirted with the guy at the bar.
I sighed. Sometimes, it sucked to have such a social best friend.
The air shifted.
I felt Asher take a step closer. His proximity made goosebumps pop up on my skin. I fought the urge to shiver.
“Are you from Denver?”
I debated ignoring him, but then I reminded myself I wasn’t a petulant teenager.
“No,” I answered, keeping my attention on a trio of girls giggling flirtatiously at a group of guys as they waited to enter the bar across the street.
Music from the bar’s speakers filled the lull of conversation between us. I was more than happy to keep it that way, but Asher had other ideas.
“Are you from somewhere close by?”
I frowned.
Was he really trying to make small talk?
“No,” I lied. No way was I going to tell a stranger where I lived. I’d seen enough true crime documentaries to know that was a bad idea.
“Hmm.” Seconds passed before he added, “Are you always so friendly?”
“Me?” I whipped my head around and met his gaze. “You’re the one who couldn’t even be bothered to look at me when Chase introduced us.”
