He moved to block her exit from the kitchen. “Damn it, can it really be that much of a shock to you? Especially after the other night.”
Knocking sounded from the front entrance. “Asher, there’s someone at the door.”
He threw his hands up and backed out of the way. He paced the small kitchen until Ariadne came back with Ted and Erika trailing her. He scowled at their friends. Their timing could certainly use some work. Hadn’t they just seen them a couple of weeks ago? He knew they lived in the neighborhood, but, hell, couldn’t they give him some space?#p#分页标题#e#
“Ash,” Ted inclined his bald head. Erika gave him a quick hug. “Sorry to bother you guys so early on a Sunday morning.”
“It’s my fault,” Erika said, all smiles. “I couldn’t wait to hear the details about the reunion . How was it? Did you make Janice and Daniel green with envy?”
Ted groaned. “Fascinating as that all sounds, Ash, how about you come out and look at my truck? I want to show you something.”
Asher wasn’t in the mood for a rehashing of the weekend either. He followed Ted out. Outside he resumed pacing and Ted remained silent, letting him work it out. Asher appreciated that about his friend. He knew when to keep quiet. “I’m so close, Ted. She’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I know.”
He shot his friend a look. “I never said anything.”
He smiled. “You didn’t have to. What’s going on with you two?”
Asher ran his fingers through his hair. He was sure Ariadne wouldn’t want him revealing the intimate details of their relationship so he said, “I’m upping the stakes a little at the time. I was laying some ground work and I’m hoping that your interruption didn’t just screw me over.”
***
Ariadne waited until she heard the door close behind the men before she turned on her friend. “Why didn’t you tell me that Asher wanted me?”
Erika blinked. “Excuse me? I suggested that he may have had ulterior motives for the marriage.”
“Emphasis on the ‘may.’ Here I was thinking that he was indifferent to me.”
“What difference does it make? You said that nothing would happen between the two of you….” Erika’s gaze grew sharp and Ariadne looked away. “Oh, my God, you guys haven’t been married a minute and you already gave in to him?” She made a sound of disgust. “I can’t believe you. You all but promised me that this wouldn’t happen.”
Ariadne took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“Do my feelings mean nothing to you?”
“Of course they do. You know I love you. It…” She struggled to find words to explain how and why she’d ended up having sex with Asher. “Erika, I’m sorry. The moment got the better of me. We’d been together all day. And we were getting along, pretending to care about each other. He was just so great and I forgot myself. You know I’ve never approved of the way he lived, but lately, he’s been completely different. We haven’t even been arguing.”
“Are you in love with him?”
“That’s crazy!”
“Ari, you don’t just sleep with a guy because of attraction. You can tell me if you are.”
Ariadne swallowed. She could not have possibly been so stupid as to fall for Asher, could she? The man was an unrepentant slut.
At her continued silence, Erika sighed and leaned back against the counter. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, it seems that he’s got a new member of his fan club.”
She glared at her friend, irritated by the unfounded accusation. She was a grown woman, not some teen lusting after a boyband member. “I’m not a fan. Erika, I love you, but you really should have gotten over this crap with Asher a long time ago. I’m really sorry that I slept with your high school crush, but high school was a really long time ago. I ignored him and made an enemy of him all for you.”
“What? Are you saying you no longer want to push him away?”
“I’m saying you’re married. Let it go. He’s going to settle down one day with someone and that someone won’t be you because you’re married to Ted.”#p#分页标题#e#
Erika’s face suffused with red. “And you think that someone will be you?”
Ariadne threw her hands up in the air. “It doesn’t matter. It won’t be you.”
The two of them glared at each other. When the men came back inside, Ted said, “Honey, I was thinking that we could-”
“Come on, Ted,” Erika snapped. “We’re going home.”