He doesn’t miss it either. I’m getting the distinct feeling he doesn’t miss any of my bodily reactions to his inebriating presence. When he finally speaks, his voice drops several octaves to panty-melting sexy. “Good. Because I’m looking forward to fucking you instead.”
Holy balls. His blistering stare and egotistical words light a blaze deep within my belly. If I was wet before, I’m positively drenched now. And mute. Very, very mute. On account of the fact that my mouth is now bone dry and all thought has fled my desire-clouded brain.
His next words pull me out of the sexual haze he has trapped us in. It’s a place I could imagine myself staying. Forever. “I need you at headquarters during the audit. In Chicago.”
I blink a few times to clear my mental fog, letting his words register. Being onsite during an audit is pretty standard, as least part of the time, but this will be a big audit and could take months. I bill for lodging and meal expenses, but the thought of spending months in a hotel and shuttling back and forth on the weekends to Detroit is less than appealing. On the other hand, it gets me closer to Livia. Hell, who am I kidding? I’d shuttle back and forth to San Francisco if there were a paying client there.
“You have offices here in Detroit, right?”
“Yes, but I need to keep this as quiet as possible. CFC is not all that big, so the fewer people who know about you, the better. I need you in Chicago. There’s a secluded office available on my floor.”
The thought of being near Asher daily does funny things to my insides. More than it should. More than I want. “That’s going to be pretty costly for you,” I murmur. And me, I think, in more ways than one.
He leans back slightly and I’m able to take a deep breath for the first time in long minutes without inhaling him. His unique fragrance is clouding my mind, my judgment.
“I have another proposal.”
I roll my eyes, leaning back in my chair. His magnetic pull makes it hard to do even that.
I am in so much trouble.
“I’m not staying with you, either.”
“Now, Alyse, why do you insist on ruining all my fun?” he quips, winking.
I smile, but remain quiet. Even if he would be so bold to suggest it, he would have to know I’d never accept.
“Okay. If you won’t stay with me, then we have an executive apartment that’s not being used. It’s fully furnished and close to the office. The building has a nice gym and a couple of restaurants. It’s not terribly fancy, but it’s better than a hotel.”
“I—I don’t know, Asher.” I’m hedging, but the second his proposal left his mouth I already made up my mind. If I had a place that felt like my own, I could stay there most weekends instead of driving back to Detroit, where there was really nothing left for me except bad memories and ghosts from my past that won’t seem to let me out of their unyielding grip.
He gets comfortable again before continuing his sales pitch. “It’s in the same building as Livia and Gray, so you’ll also be close to your sister. I know you’re helping with their shotgun wedding and wouldn’t it be convenient to be able to hop in the elevator and pop in on her? Of course, I would probably call ahead first, because…”
He leaves his insinuation hanging and we both laugh, lightening the mood.
As I pretend to think about it for a couple of minutes, his intense gaze never leaves mine. I can feel him willing me into acquiescence. I almost break a smile, but that would be giving him too much and right now I need to hold parts of me back, because I can already tell Asher will demand everything from me. And then some. Certain girlie parts are already begging me to submit, submit, submit.
Seeing Asher again a couple of months ago triggered something inside me. Made me remember my girlish dreams when I was eighteen and in love with Beck. Dreams that have been too painful to remember, but now that I do, I want them desperately. To be honest, it made me remember what I felt when I almost gave myself to a young Asher Colloway.
I want bone-deep love, a family, happiness, and a man that will worship me. I thought Beck was the man who would give me everything, but he’s dead and apparently wasn’t the man I thought he was at all.
Finn certainly wasn’t that man.
And I don’t think Asher Colloway can give me any of those things either. I’m not sure he can give any woman that.
Pleasure? No doubt.
A future? Not likely.
He’s nearly thirty, never been married, and is clearly a player. I want more than that now. God knows I deserve more than that. As much as I’m attracted to him, sleeping with him is probably the dumbest idea to ever cross my mind, yet my conviction not to needs a lot of reinforcement.