Undeniably Asher (The Colloway Brothers Book 2)(25)

“Come.”

Oh God, I could come. If I just rub my thighs together a little bit, I could be moaning his name so loud the whole house would hear it, but then I realize that’s not what he meant. I somehow find my voice. It’s squeaky when I force it out.

“Why, so you have someone to beat? I suck at bowling and I’ve never played laser tag.”

He takes a step back, finally letting the oxygen that was sucked out by our sexual vortex circulate back in. I gasp for the breath I don’t feel I’ve taken in long minutes.

“You can be on my team.”

I think about it for a moment, but I’m really trying to push every second of the last ten minutes into my memory bank so I can pull it out later when I’m alone. Ultimately, I give in, as I knew I would the second his lips met mine, begging. Deciding to play with him a bit, however, since he’s coerced me into embarrassing myself even further today, I finally respond.

“Okay, but I think I want to be on Conn’s team.”

“Like hell,” Asher practically yells.

“I’ll take her.”

Well, that question’s answered. Conn has apparently been intently watching our little carnal interlude. I wonder if he could hear me panting all the way across the room. God. Kill me now.

“Well Conn is the five-time reigning champ,” I tease. My breathing is finally starting to calm slightly, but I’m sure my face is as red as a beet. Asher is still blocking my view of Conn. For that, I’m grateful.

“Alyse.” His voice is rough and growly and while I’ve kept a straight face until now, I can’t any longer. I start laughing.

“Fine, you big baby. I’ll go. I’ll be on your team. I’ll do whatever you want.”

The fierce look of lust on Asher’s face at my last comment makes the laughter die in my throat. “I’ll remember you said that.”

“Can we get going now or are you guys going to eye-fuck each other some more.” Oh. My. God.

“Connelly James Colloway! Watch your language!” I hear Barb Colloway yell.

Unnngh. This is seriously worse than death.

Minutes later as we all funnel out the front door, I ask myself for the hundredth time in the last twenty-four hours: Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing, Alyse? And each time I come up with the same answer.

I don’t have a goddamn clue.





Chapter 8





Alyse





It’s Sunday night and I walk into the quiet restaurant asking for Livia at the hostess desk. I’m the first one to arrive so she takes me back to a table for four, leaving menus, along with a wine list, around the square glazed oak top.

Finally deciding on a glass of house Zinfandel, I’ve just placed my order when I see Livia walking toward me, being directed by the cute young blonde working the front. My sister has an armful of magazines and folders along with an iPad.

“Hi,” she says, setting everything down just to my right.

“Hi. That’s a lot of stuff,” I reply, eyeing the three-inch thick stack she’s trying to keep from spilling all over the floor.

She laughs. “Well, we have a lot of stuff to get done. The wedding is in four weeks now.” The waitress comes over to take Livia’s order and she sticks with water.

“How are you feeling?” I ask. She looks good. Really good. Deliriously happy. I haven’t seen or talked to her since Thursday night—the same night Asher took me home directly from the bowling alley and kissed me senseless on my front porch before he drove away, leaving us both aching.

I can still feel his lips imprinted on mine, and his hard, sinewy body pressing me against the wood siding. I didn’t ask him to come in this time and he didn’t push for it either. Though the racy texts he sent me later, and all weekend long for that matter, left no doubt we both want to be in each other’s pants. Big time.

“I feel really good today. I was only nauseous this morning and I’ve actually had an appetite.”

“I’m glad.”

After she gets organized, she turns her piercing gaze to me. If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed about Livia and me, it’s that she can read me like a damn good book. I wish I didn’t have these feelings of lingering bitterness toward her. I so want to let them go, but I just…can’t. I want to let her in, but I don’t know how.

I’ve spent so much of my life keeping people out, I’m not sure I know how to let them in. I’m hoping that spending some quality time with her over these next couple months will allow me to finally forgive her. Maybe she’ll even tell me the truth about what actually happened.

A little hypocritical, aren’t you, Alyse? There’s so much about your own past you haven’t even told your own sister.