Unfriended(Love in New Highland Book 1)(19)

If he was trying to incite me to slug him, he couldn't have done it  better. "I will fucking kill you if you hurt her in any way."                       
       
           



       

The taunting glint in his eyes softened. "I have no intention of hurting your friend. Who could hurt a sweetheart like Charis?"

"Anyone who doesn't care about her enough. And that would be you."

He looked curious. "And how would you know how much I care about her?"  Suddenly his face lit up. "Tell you what, let's ask her. Hey, C.S!"

I whipped around. She was walking briskly toward us from the street and looked from Karl to me with astonishment.

"What are you doing here?" It was me she was asking. I was the third wheel here.

"You're here for him?" I jerked my thumb at the man who'd taught me much of what I know about navigating the world of females.

Who'd tipped me off about clit before I ever saw a picture.

Who'd showed me how to shave with a straight razor.

Who'd taught me to whistle.

Traitor.

And now my Charis was going to him.

Karl put his beefy arm around her shoulders, bent down, and while I  watched disbelievingly, kissed her slowly on the lips. She jerked back  as if startled.

"Oh, you're cold," she said, then pulled off her glove and reached up to rub his face with her hand, all tender and shit.

"The fuck," I said, staring from one to the other. "You've got to be  kidding me. The both of you. Get your fucking hands off of her."

They turned as one and stared at me as if I'd gone crazy.

And I had. I had.

Seeing Karl holding Charis, touching her, was more than I could tolerate. It confused the hell out of me.

See, here's what you have to understand. I'd never been jealous over a woman.

That's right. Not even with Aura.

When a babe tries to make me jealous, at best it amuses me, at worst I  get impatient. Aura used to like to flirt, but when it got annoying I  told her to choose whether she wanted a committed or an open  relationship. I wasn't bluffing. I strongly preferred a committed  relationship but I wouldn't have minded fucking other women at that  point, as things had already gone south in our relationship.

To my way of thinking, there's no point to possessiveness. Either  someone wants to be with you or they don't. If they don't, wave them  goodbye and find yourself another one.

But in Charis's case … Karl had no fucking right to fucking touch her with his filthy paws. It was that simple.

"Asher doesn't believe we're really doing this," he remarked.

"We're doing it." She nodded.

I swallowed back my retort to attempt a semblance of friendliness. "You care about him?"

She looked up at Karl, then back at me. "Sure I do. Why wouldn't I? I love all your family. Oh, how did your exam go?"

Was everybody mad as a hatter today? Or was I the mad one?

"Fine," I said. "Do you honestly think he cares about you, Sloane?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to insult me?"

"Tell me. Do. You. Think. He. Gives a shit. About you."

Again, she surveyed him. "I'm not sure Karl gives a shit about anything."

Karl pulled her in closer and he dropped another kiss on her, this time on her forehead.

"No." I stepped forward. "No. This ends here. Stop touching her. If you don't-"

Now, I wasn't thinking of actually separating them. It tore at me to see  my brother embracing Sloane as if he had every right to touch her, but I  hadn't been pushed quite that far yet.

Instead, I would invade their space. One thing you learn growing up with  a lot of siblings-territory is crucial. It's everything in fact.  (Citation: In 99% of all Brady Bunch episodes, their spats are over  territory. I wrote a paper on it and everything.)

It boils down to this: You honor their territory or suffer the  consequences. I intended to foul my brother's space. To violate it until  he voluntarily relinquished it.

But when the siren voice called my name, I halted as though I'd been jerked back on reins.

Great. Just great.

I saw Charis's eyes widen as they focused past my shoulder.

"Ash, oh, Asher, baby, love," came a crooning voice.

I didn't turn around. A familiar softness plastered itself to my back.

Even through layers of my wool coat and her down parka, I'd recognize those soft, lush breasts anywhere.

Luckily, my cock didn't recognize a thing. The cold, thank fuck, kept my  usual response to Aura Renaldi from stirring. A rambunctious cock was  all I needed right now to make this whole scene ludicrous.

"What are you doing here." I made it a statement rather than a question. I didn't turn around.

"I was passing by and saw your car. We have to talk."

"No, you weren't," I said, pissed. "You were following me."

She'd probably followed me from home. Which meant she'd been watching us  from her car like a stalker. I finally turned around to face her.

She looked up at me. Her eyes were wide and green and glistening with  tears, her skin translucent, her cheeks red with cold. She looked like a  beautiful, chastised child.                       
       
           



       

And I was thankfully immune. My dick didn't even stir.

In the background, I could hear Karl and Charis talking together. I turned my head to watch.

Charis's arms were around Karl's neck and she was beaming up at him. He had his palms cupped over her ears, the bastard.

"Aura, get off." I unwrapped her hands from around me and set her away. As I did, my cock suddenly hardened.

Just like that, from out of the blue, I was suddenly desperate to bend down and kiss Aura.

And then it hit me why.

It wasn't because I wanted her. I didn't.

It was my frustration with Char. My savage fury at my brother. I craved satisfaction. Purely reflexive, the urge to fuck.

So yes, I was tempted to take Aura home. I didn't doubt she'd let me use  her for angry, cathartic sex. We excelled at that. I could fuck her and  calm down.

Then I'd sit down with Charis and talk to her calmly instead of like  some randy hothead. I'd use irrefutable logic to steer her out of her  doomed path.

Yep. Sounded good.

Except for the part about its being creepville to deliberately use Aura that way.

And I was getting a sick feeling from her perfume. There was no  forgetting the baggage between us. Mine eyes had seen my ex's true light  and my own not-so-noble motivations.

To go back to using Aura would sully our past and our present.

She deserved better.

The relationship was over, and it was going to stay over.

As Winnow says, I might be the darling of the family, but I'm also the  most stubborn and ruthless. You have to be, to get your way with five  bossy siblings. I can be impulsive, but once I arrive at a decision,  it's gold.

I willed my hard-on down. Focusing on her petulant mouth, it was easy.

Stage Three, achieved.

"No," I said.

She shook her head wildly, refusing to accept my rejection. "We're not  done, Asher. You know it as well as I do. What's between us is too  powerful."

I sighed. Glancing over at Charis, I caught her rolling her eyes. I  tried to hold her gaze for some meaningful eye bonding, but she averted  her eyes quickly and said something to my brother.

"I've got to get back in there anyway," Karl was telling Charis. "See you later."

"I'm crashing the rest of the day," I heard her reply. "Then I have  papers to grade all week. Hey, why don't we hook up Friday for pizza."

"Sounds good. Pepperoni?"

"Make it a double and add jalapeños, and you're on."

"No way, jalapeños and pizza do not mix."

"You think vegetables and pizza don't mix."

The easy back-and-forth between them made me gag. I'm her pizza buddy. Hey, what about me?

"Asher!" Aura's tone was urgent and she pulled on my sleeve.

"Ah … actually it's not. That powerful." I dragged my gaze back to Aura, down to her pleading eyes.

I knew we'd broken up. In her reality, it wasn't penetrating. There was  no convincing her I wasn't budging, not when she felt free to reach up  and touch my mouth with her forefinger.

"Asher … oh, love … we'll work through this, I promise. You need me. You know you need me."

I took a deep breath, gathering momentum for what I was about to do.

Then I skipped back, extended my arm till it found Charis's coat,  clutched it, and hooked an arm around her, yanking her away from Karl.

"What the hell?" Charis squeaked.

"Can't hide it any longer," I declared, and then I hauled her up against me and slammed my mouth down on hers.

Yeah. I know.

It must have been icicles in my brain.

Or pollution in the air.

I didn't care. I wasn't going to let myself regret this yet.

Her lips were freezing. Her mouth was hanging open in stunned amazement,  creating the perfect opportunity. I took her with my tongue, swirling  around in exploration.