Undeniably Asher (The Colloway Brothers Book 2) (29 page)

“Alyse, Alyse, Alyse,” he pants repeatedly while we’re floating down from our sex-induced high. His forehead is pressed against mine, our ragged breaths mingling. My limbs feel warm and liquidy, my heart full and happy.

“I concur,” I chuckle.

“I’ll never get enough of you.”

“You may change your mind.”

“Never. You’re all I think about. I’m obsessed with you.”

“I like your form of obsession.”

Chuckling, he presses a soft, lingering kiss to my lips before withdrawing and tucking his still-impressive, semi-stiff arousal back into his jeans. Then he helps me up with mine. I would definitely need to make a bathroom stop.

“Why aren’t you guys at the strip club?” I tease, pushing his hands out of the way so I can finish putting myself back together. I had no idea what they were doing tonight and didn’t ask because I didn’t want to seem like the clingy, jealous girlfriend already. Deep inside I hoped it wasn’t that. No woman wants to know her man is getting an intimate lap dance by another beautiful naked woman, although they will almost certainly tell you she was a dog. Oh, and that she wasn’t
completely
naked.

Laughing, he grips my waist, pulling me to him. “Jealous?”

No need to deny it.

“No.”

But, no need to feed his big ego either.

“Yes, you are. Your eyes are a little green, right around the iris.”

I smirk, plucking at an imaginary fuzz ball on his fitted navy sweater. “Don’t transfer your jealously issues to me. I couldn’t care less if you have some classless whore rubbing her disease-ridden crotch on your lap.”

His entire body shakes with laughter. “Oh, Alyse. That mouth of yours.”

“You love it.”

His smoldering eyes hold mine as he leans down, a hairsbreadth from my kiss-swollen lips. “Yes. It’s very talented.”

I close the scant distance, showing him just how right he is.

______________

After cleaning up, I splash water on my face and skate over my disheveled appearance in the mirror, willing the just-fucked look away before I have to go back to join the group, who, no doubt knows what we slunk off to do.

I hear the door open. A look in the reflective glass shows me that Addy just walked in, or more like wobbled in, her high heels now becoming a dangerous weapon in her drunkenness. When she spots me, she winks and a shit-eating grin takes up the space where her beautiful mouth usually is.

Sauntering on unsteady legs, she meets me at the sink. I notice her eyes are unfocused. I wonder if she’s managed to get her hands on more liquor in the short time I’ve been gone or if it’s just the half-dozen shots that have finally caught up to her.

“So, you look…satisfied.”

I think I could deny it and she’d never remember, but what the hell. I am. Why deny it? “Very,” I retort. We both dissolve into a fit of giggles, reminiscent of my high school days.

“I like you, Alyse,” Addy slurs a bit.

“Feeling’s mutual, Addy. You all right?”

“I’m good.”

“Feeling no pain?”

Sadness briefly flashes across Addy’s face before she pastes on her happy one again. “Almost.” She turns and heads to a stall before I can say anything else. I decide to wait for her to make sure she’s okay.

Stepping outside the crowded ladies room, I walk a few steps back toward the club and lean against the wall, closing my eyes. Between the drinks and the sex, I’m suddenly feeling very tired and ready for bed, even though it can’t be even eleven yet.

A male voice calls my name and I open my eyes to see Cooper standing in front of me.

“Hi,” I say, surprised to see him here, hoping I don’t look like I just had a quickie. Damn he looks good in his khakis and blue flannel that’s rolled at the sleeves, hanging open over a fitted grey T-shirt. Every time I lay eyes on him, I travel back to almost eight years ago and it takes me a minute to catch my bearings.

“Hi yourself. What are you doing here?” He takes up position next to me, but keeps a respectable distance.

“I could ask you the same thing. Stalking me?”

He laughs. “If you weren’t already taken, I would most definitely be stalking.”

“Good to know you’re a criminal in training. Maybe I should cut ties with you right now.”

Hand over his heart, he says, “I promise I’m harmless. So, you here with your boyfriend?”

“Um, sort of. Bachelorette party for my sister, but the guys showed up a bit ago. I’m waiting on a friend in the bathroom who’s a little drunk. You?”

“Just another Saturday night on the prowl.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Lucky her.”

“I hope so,” he chuckles and winks. “You free for lunch Monday? I can bring the contract. Promise I won’t forget this time.”

I think about my schedule and chance it. I can always cancel if Heather has meetings scheduled. “Yeah, that should work. Same time and place?”

“You got it. Say, I’m here with my cousin. The one I own the studio with. I’m sure he’d love to meet you. Do you have a couple of minutes?”

“Uh…” I’m saved from answering when two things happen simultaneously. I look up to see Asher striding at a clipped pace down the hallway toward me and when his eyes flick to Cooper standing beside me, he does not look happy.

I shake my head and grin, which appears to piss him off further.

At the same time Addy stumbles out of the bathroom, nearly falling when her heel catches and she loses her footing. Luckily Cooper is there to catch her before she face plants.

“Thank you,” Addy mumbles against Cooper’s chest.

Asher stops beside me as this whole scene unfolds, placing a possessive palm on my neck, yanking me close. “What’s taking you so long? I was worried about you,” he breathes against my cheek, eyeing Cooper the entire time.

“I was worried about Addy. She’s pretty drunk, so I waited for her to finish in the bathroom.”

“You smell good,” Addy tells Cooper loudly, her head hanging back as she loops her arms around his neck.

Cooper looks at me with a smirk, his eyes skipping to Asher briefly before landing back on mine. “Your friend?”

“I’m more than her friend, asshole,” Asher corrects gruffly, his grip tightening.

“For the love of Christ, he’s talking about Addy. Behave,” I hiss. “Yes,” I answer Cooper, while elbowing Asher. “Cooper, this is my
boyfriend
, Asher Colloway. Asher this is Cooper Jensen. He’s the photographer I hired for Gray and Livia’s wedding next weekend.”

“Nice to meet you, man. I’d shake your hand, but…they’re kind of full.”

“Yes, I see that. Nice to meet you, too.” Asher actually sounds sincere and I breathe a sigh of relief that this won’t turn into some knock-out brawl instigated by my irrationally jealous lover.

“You have beautiful lips,” Addy slurs, pressing hers against the curve of Cooper’s neck. “Kiss me,” I hear her mumble before Cooper laughs.

“Um, where should we take her?” Cooper asks, readjusting his grip on a slumping Addy. He looks amused and not one bit uncomfortable. But who would be with a stunningly beautiful woman in his arms, even if she doesn’t have all of her faculties about her at the moment.

“Kamryn’s driver bring you?” Asher asks me, kissing the tip of my nose.

“Yes.”

“Can you walk, Addy?” Asher leaves me, going to Addy’s side. He tries pulling her from Cooper’s arms, but even in her drunken state, or maybe because of it, she’s strong and clings to Cooper like she’d float away into space without him.

Cooper chuckles. “It’s okay, I’ve got her. Just show me the way.”

Asher nods, snaking an arm around my waist. Cooper and I exchange a knowing glance and wink before he follows us to our booth. About five feet away Luke notices what’s going on and jumps up to meet us. The look on his face is reminiscent of a jealous and possessive Asher.

“What the fuck,” he practically yells accusingly, taking Addy from Cooper’s arms. Cooper’s eyes shift between Addy and Luke, his jaw ticking furiously.

Uh oh. I smell testosterone.

“Just helping out. Maybe you shouldn’t let your girlfriend get falling-down drunk next time and go off to the bathroom by herself,” Cooper spits, his eyes flaring.

Uh oh. I smell a fight.

“He’s not my fucking boyfriend,” Addy tries saying, but it comes out more like, “Heeessss no me fuckn boooyfrn.” Addy then tries pushing out of Luke’s hold, reaching again for Cooper, but Luke hooks one hand under her knees and scoops her into his arms.

“Where’s her coat? I’m taking her home.” Luke’s hard glare never deviates from Cooper, just daring him to say another word. Cooper looks to me, calming slightly when I mouth,
It’s okay.

Next thing I know Luke’s walking through the crowd, coat draped over Addy, who’s now snuggled into his chest, eyes shut.

“Well that was…interesting,” Cooper mumbles, his eyes following Luke’s back until he disappears around the corner.

Uh oh. I smell competition.

“So, Alyse, nice to see you. I need to get back to my cousin.” Cooper doesn’t wait for my reply before leaving. Nor does he wait for an introduction to the happy couple he’s going to be photographing for an entire day a week from now. And I’m secretly glad he doesn’t say anything about lunch before he makes his exit. There’s been enough drama tonight without adding to it by causing Asher to pound his chest, forbidding me to be alone in the presence of another man without a chaperone.

I take a seat in the booth, squeezing beside Libs and Asher. I casually watch Cooper retreat, stopping at a high-top table across the room, all the while thinking about the rightness of being with this wonderful man flush to me, arm slung around my shoulder, and how lucky I am to have found him again.

Watching Cooper talk to the man whose back is to me, but who I assume must be his cousin, I feel giddiness bubble inside at the thought that for the first time in years I’m hopeful to have a future that I didn’t think was ever possible.

I notice their heads close together and imagine Cooper’s probably giving him a play-by-play of the last ten minutes. I decide it’s finally time to come completely clean with Asher, shedding my armor, letting the ugly secrets of my past spill. While Asher’s managed to jackhammer much of my fortress, I want to demolish the rest myself. I’ll brace for the worst, but the truth is, I believe in Asher, so I’ll hope for the best.

As I absently watch Cooper, while I plan the right time to find all those damn keys so I can lay my soul bare to the man I’ve fallen in love with, I observe his cousin’s head slowly turn my way.

Our gaze violently collides.

My eyes narrow. My breath catches.

My entire world comes crashing to a screeching halt.

Everything I thought I knew to be true blows up like a nuclear bomb in my face, the fallout just as toxic and deadly.

Across a dark, crowded bar in Chicago, Illinois, almost eight years to the day, I lock eyes with the first man I loved, the man I gave my virginity to, the man I created life with.

The man I thought was dead.

Gears click soundly into place, the noise loud and deafening.

Doppelganger.

Cousins.

CB29 Studios.

Cooper. Beck.

Beck
.

Time rewinds.

I hear the horrific sounds of metal crunching.

I feel the pain of broken bones and glass slicing open my fragile skin.

I sense warm blood running in rivulets down my face, into my eyes.

I hear screaming.
Mine
.

I hear silence.
Beck’s
.

Tightly woven memories blanket me until there is nothing but darkness.

Chapter 30

Asher

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay, baby?” I ask, running fingers through her silky hair as she lies with her head on my lap. We have the TV on, watching some old western, but I don’t think either of us could tell you what’s going on. My dad was a huge western fan. Out of the four brothers, I’m the only one who inherited his love of them.

“I’m fine, Asher. Really.” Her voice is flat and monotone.

If I hear another goddamn “fine” I may just lose it. She’s not
fine
. Ever since she passed out cold last night at the bar, she’s been the furthest fucking thing from
fine
.

She claims to have no idea why she blacked out for a few seconds, blaming it on the mixture of tequila and wine. I’m skeptical. She’s been distant and quiet and I’ve barely been able to pull a word out of her since. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Something happened, and for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is.

Everything was perfectly fine until Addy was hauled off in Luke’s arms and that photographer left. Then shortly after, she’s slumped over on my shoulder, dead to the damn world. I’ve never been so fucking scared than in those few seconds I couldn’t rouse her. When she finally came to, she was pale and shivering. The look in her eyes was like nothing I’ve ever seen.