Page 10 of Flirt
“Such as?”
His expression held just the right balance of sincerity and curiosity, but Asher bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. He didn’t think Cameron would mock him, but he’d never told anyone, and he couldn’t start now with a virtual stranger.
“That’s okay.” Cameron nodded, his smile never wavering. “I get it. Your writing is deeply personal. I shouldn’t have pried.” He twisted his cup around on the table, the pads of his fingers glistening wetly from the condensation. “You know, people say that the movies are never as good as the books, but I think the studio has done a pretty damn good job with your series.”
Asher exhaled in relief, his world upright once more with the ground solidly beneath his feet.
“The first two movies had some issues,” he admitted, and he cringed when he remembered some of the dialogue from those films.
Cameron winced, the expression so subtle Asher almost missed it. “They weren’t terrible, but I see your point. Some of those lines…”
He trailed off, but Asher bobbed his head, knowing exactly what he meant. “I felt better once my agent was able to negotiate a little more creative control.”
“Ash?”
The voice came from his right, somewhere near the door, and Asher lifted his head automatically, turningtoward the summons. He immediately regretted it. It had been a long fucking time, but he didn’t think he’d ever forget that face or those haunted gray eyes.
His world tilted again, and the ground crumbled away completely.
“Hello, Kyle.”
~
Brow furrowed, lips pursed,Cameron watched as Asher shut down right in front of him. He held himself rigidly in his seat, his hands clenched on top of the table, and the vein that snaked down the side of his throat throbbed frantically in time with his pulse. His smile was so strange and forced it made him look a little deranged, but his eyes worried Cameron the most.
Asher probably didn’t realize it, but those expressive, amber eyes gave away everything. They darkened and flared with arousal. They gleamed when he teased and sparkled when he laughed. His pupils turned to tiny pinpricks when he concentrated or was lost in thought, but his eyes grew wide and his pupils dilated when nerves got the better of him.
He was likely terrible at poker.
Now, his eyes showed…nothing. His vacant stare lingered on the stranger who had interrupted them, but his expression was empty, devoid of any emotion.
It broke Cameron’s fucking heart.
Feeling more protective than he had any right to, he leaned across the table, his arm outstretched toward the newcomer. “Cameron Stone. You are?”
The man didn’t smile, but he did take Cameron’s proffered hand, squeezing it more firmly than politeness dictated. “Kyle Anders.”
Beyond his initial greeting, spoken in a tone as flat as his gaze, Asher hadn’t said a word. He didn’t move. Cameron’s worry intensified.
Normally, he would have asked how Kyle and Asher knew each other. He may have even suggested the guy join them. Not this time. Kyle Anders made his fucking skin crawl.
He looked harmless enough, if a little intense. He had the same muscular build as Asher, though his shoulders looked a little broader beneath his rumpled, navy V-neck. From his seated position, Cameron had a hard time gauging Kyle’s height, but he guessed him to be around an inch or so shorter than Asher.
His face appeared relatively unlined from age, but he looked haggard, his skin pallid with dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. Dark stubble the same color as his unkempt hair covered his jaw. His clothes were wrinkled, as if he’d slept in them, but the rest of him screamed that he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“I was wondering if I could have a word with you.” Kyle’s intense, steel gaze flickered toward Cameron, then back. “In private, if you don’t mind.”
When Asher didn’t respond, Cameron reached across the table, covering his clenched hand with his own. “Well, I do mind.”
“This doesn’t concern you.”
“I beg to differ. You just walked in here and interrupted our date.”
Kyle scoffed. “He doesn’t date.” His eyes narrowed, and a nasty smirk crooked one side of his mouth. “Isn’t that right, Ash?”
Someone’s bitter.
“Look, I understand,” Cameron said when Asher still didn’t speak. “You wanted more. He didn’t. You were hurt, and you’re feeling a little entitled right now.”
