Page 75 of Embrace
Asher and I grinned at each other as he opened the door and I passed him. His nearness never failed to make me feel warm and giddy inside. When I stepped into the hallway, so did Kirk. He was coming out of Zara’s apartment.
“Kirk,” Asher said, seeming surprised to see him.
Kirk’s face was as red as a crab’s shell. “On my way to the car, boss.” He bolted to the stairwell.
Asher set his stunned expression on me. “Really? Those two?”
Pressing my lips together, I nodded.
He grunted thoughtfully and wrapped an arm around my waist as he pulled my suitcase with his other hand, and we were on our way.
* * *
The other penthousesuite was located at the Four Seasons Residences. The place was more opulent than the last. It had clean white furniture, contemporary paintings on the walls, and big windows overlooking the lake. Everything looked brand new.
Asher said the residence was one his family owned, and we would be living there until we found a more permanent situation.
“Permanent?” I asked.
We stood in front of the window, staring at the moonlight spreading across the dark water. Asher wrapped me up from behind. He was hard again.
He kissed my exposed shoulder. “I’ve been thinking. None of what occurred would’ve happened if you knew for sure we were a duo.”
I sniffed. “A duo?”
“Yes, baby. You and me. I want you, Penina. I would propose to you tonight, but I want to give us a little more time to prove to ourselves we belong together.”
Frowning, I asked, “What does that even mean?”
Asher searched my expression for several moments. “My family…” His mouth froze as if it was stuck open.
“Your family what?”
He blinked. “Not everyone has the constitution.” His hand flew up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m kind of afraid you don’t and, if not, what that means for us.”
I reached up and carefully seized his nervous hand. When I had it securely in mine, I wove our fingers together. “Try me,” I whispered.
He gulped. “Julia’s going to be dealt with on Monday.”
“What do you mean by ‘dealt with’?”
Asher released my hand to wrap his arms around me. He held me close. “My brother Jasper, he’s quite severe in the way he deals with people who oppose him… us.” With one eye narrowed, he picked apart my reaction.
I leaned back as far as I could. Asher maintained a vise grip on me, as if he were stopping me from running away. “Is he going to kill her?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head vehemently. “Money is how Julia fights. He’s going to take it all away from her and…”
I tilted my head curiously. “And?”
“Give it to another sibling.”
“Another sibling?” I mused, then when it became clear which sibling he was referring to, I jerked my head back. “Me?”
“What do you think about that?”
“What do I think about it? I don’t know. This is unbelievable stuff you’re talking about. Is this what rich people do to each other?”
Asher sniffed. “I can’t speak for other rich people, but Christmases, yes. As I said, my brother’s severe. He wouldn’t take the action if he saw a better way.”
