“Just curious.” He cracked a small smile. “Anyway, I didn’t come all this way just to yell at you about Clive-though this conversation would be a lot longer if you really were dating him.”
I figured as much. Vincent was as capable of yelling over the phone as he was in person. “Do you have another PR thing in the city?”
“No. Coach wanted to check in with me since I, ah, backed out of the training sessions with you and Donovan. Dad’s doing fine with the nurse now, so I’m actually returning to London earlier than expected. I’m staying through the weekend, then I’ll go back to Paris to wrap up loose ends. But I’ll be training with you again starting the Monday after next.”
I suspected there was more to the story than he was sharing, but I was too stuck on his last sentence to delve deeper. I’ll be training with you again starting the Monday after next.
That meant Asher and I had even less time together than anticipated.
“Oh. How nice.” My words squeaked with surprise. “I mean, yay! Can’t wait.”
If Vincent noticed my pitiable attempt to feign enthusiasm, he didn’t mention it. “The upside is, I can keep an eye on Donovan. I can’t stand that guy.” His mouth twisted into a grimace. “At least you’re not sleeping with him. I’m sorry, Lettie. I know it’s your love life, but if he was the one in your bathroom right now, I’d smash his face into the wall.”
My high-pitched laugh sounded like it was supercharged with helium. “Me and Asher? Haha. That would be something.
Anyway.” I pushed him toward the exit. “Let’s catch up later. I don’t want my colleague to see you when he gets out of the shower, and-oh!”
The pizza delivery guy beamed at us when I yanked open the door. “Sorry I’m late,” he said with the kind of pep only a uni student desperate for extra cash could scrounge up. “There was an accident, so traffic was a nightmare.
But never fear! Pete’s Pizza’s state-of-the-art warming bag ensures your food will taste as fresh as when it left the oven.”
“Great.” I pushed my brother into the hall and reached for the pizza. “Thanks?-“
The delivery guy cut me off with the remainder of his spiel. “Can you please confirm that you ordered one large pepperoni pizza with a side of garlic breadsticks for Ash?-“”Yes!” I shouted. Asher had placed the order under a pseudonym, but he’d stupidly used his real first name. “Thanks so much. Have a great day. Vince, I’ll call you later. Bye!”
I grabbed the pie, waved, and slammed the door in two stunned faces.
I stood there, pulse pumping, until I heard their footsteps fade. To be safe, I peered out the window and waited until Vincent’s car disappeared down the street before I turned and set the pizza on the coffee table.
“Smooth.”
I jumped at the unexpected voice and whirled around, my poor heart rate spiking to the top of the roller coaster before plummeting with relief.
I placed a hand over my chest. “God, don’t scare me like that.”
Asher stood in my bedroom doorway, dressed and scowling. Logically, I knew he was the only other person in the flat, but my nerves were shot from dealing with my brother. Every little thing set me on edge.
“Smash my face into the wall?” Asher had obviously overheard Vincent’s threat. “I’d like to see him bloody try.”
“Tone down the testosterone for a moment and focus,” I admonished. “Do you know how close of a call that was? If our timing had been just a little off…”
“He’d beat me up? Please. I’d wipe the floor with him.” Asher snorted, but his frown released with a sigh at my warning glare. “Fine. I’ll behave.”
“I can’t believe someone took a photo of me and Clive.”
Did Clive know about the picture? I hadn’t spoken to him since I thanked him for our date but politely insinuated that I wasn’t open to a second one. He’d taken my rejection in stride. I didn’t think he was that into me either.
“Yeah, he’s a C-list celebrity at best. The public doesn’t care who he dates.” Asher shrugged when I made an exasperated noise. “Sorry, but it’s true. I Googled it when you were talking to Vincent. The photo’s on a few gossip forums, but the only news outlet that ran it is some shitty online tabloid no one reads. I’m surprised your brother even saw it.”
Relief unwound the knots in my gut. “Thank God the photographer didn’t see you, or this would be a different story.” I tried to sort through our next steps. “Okay, so Vincent thinks I’m dating my colleague, and he’ll be training with us again soon. What do we do?”
“We make sure he’s not around sharp objects when we break the news to him.”
“Can you be serious?”
“I am serious.” But his confident smirk didn’t fully reach his eyes. “I’m not looking forward to the conversation either, but despite our differences, your brother and I have one thing in common. We both care about you. That counts for something, right?”
A warm drop of pleasure dripped into my pool of anxiety. “Right. You’re right,” I repeated. “Maybe it won’t turn out as bad as we’re making it out to be. He cares enough about what your coach thinks to return to London early and continue training with you, which is good. He doesn’t want a repeat of last season either.”
Last season had been a disaster because Asher and Vincent butted heads, but now Asher said he was willing to let bygones be bygones. If he extended an olive branch, Vincent would have to take it. He was the team captain. His job included boosting team morale and cohesion.
He was overprotective at times, but he had my best interests at heart. If I was happy with Asher, he wouldn’t begrudge me that.
“We’ll discuss exactly how to tell him over pizza.” Asher gave me a crooked smile. “Don’t want Pete’s Pizza’s state-of-the-art warming bag’s hard work to go to waste.”
I returned his smile with a small one of my own. “Best idea you’ve had all day.”
“Even better than the bath?””Second best idea you’ve had all day,” I amended.
His laugh settled over me like a warm blanket on a winter night. It was so rich, so strong and comforting, that it made it easy to believe everything would turn out all right.
“I’m sorry we didn’t finish our…activities earlier.” I glanced down at his sweats. The past half hour had killed our moment in the bathroom.
I felt bad since he’d given me an incredible orgasm (I’ll never look at my tub the same again) while I’d left him with blue balls.
“It’s fine. I’m used to Vincent fucking shit up for me,” Asher said sardonically. “And don’t worry, darling. I have ideas for how you can make it up to me later.”
Heat curled low at the velvety dip of his voice. “Do you now?”
“Mmhmm.” He broke off half a breadstick and handed it to me. “Later, once your brother’s stench is fully gone. It’s a mood killer.””Asher.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t help it.” He didn’t sound sorry at all.
I swear, men acted like boys half the time.
“How’re you feeling about the charity match this weekend?” I asked, switching subjects. “It’s at three on Saturday, right?”
Asher was participating in Sport for Hope, a football fundraiser organized by a nonprofit foundation of the same name. It provided mentoring and sports opportunities for kids in high-need communities.
I’d never heard of them until he mentioned the match last week, but I was excited to see him play in person. Football matches were usually too rowdy for me, so I hadn’t attended a Blackcastle match since he transferred.
“Yep. It’s always a fun time.” Asher hesitated. “I know Vincent is staying through the weekend, so you don’t have to come if it makes things dicey.”
“No way,” I said stubbornly. “I’ll bring the girls, and we’ll make a day out of it. But I’m not missing the match.”
A small smile graced his lips. The moment swirled around us for a gentle second before he cleared his throat and averted his eyes. “Speaking of the girls, are you excited for tomorrow?”
Carina, Brooklyn, and I were scheduled to have our poker-and-drinks get-together tomorrow night.
“Mmhmm. I can’t wait. I need more estrogen in my life.” I finished my pizza and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “Between you and my brother, I’ve been around way too much testosterone. I need better company before I go absolutely bat-” I cut off with a squeal when Asher tackled me to the floor.
He swallowed my laugh with a kiss, and soon, I wasn’t thinking about my brother, my friends, or anything at all besides his touch.
ASHER
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.