Undeniably Asher (The Colloway Brothers Book 2) (6 page)

I get right in my brother’s angry face, mine a perfect mirror. My voice comes out low and threatening, which is exactly how I feel. My older brother may be bigger and can likely to beat me in a fight, but I’ll get in a few good hits before I go down. If he’s lucky, his face will be healed before his wedding day. “You’d better watch how you talk about her.”

Surprise quickly flashes in his eyes. He takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I don’t want Alyse to get hurt.”

While I somewhat deserve that jab, it stings nonetheless. I admit that since Natalie, I haven’t been willing to give a woman more than one or two dates—
fucks, whatever
—but Alyse is different. I know that already. Trust me, I’ve been struggling with it for two long months, warring with myself on how, or if, I pursue this intense attraction I have for her.

But no matter what I do, I
cannot
get her out of my head. She’s like a fucking magnet and I’m inexplicably drawn to her, exactly as I was so many years ago. I like her. I don’t want to hurt her. And for the first time since Natalie, I find myself wanting someone to like me back. That’s some scary shit.

“And what about me?” I ask quietly.

“What about you?”

“What about
me
getting hurt? Do you care about that?” I sit heavily on the couch behind me and drop my gaze from Gray’s. I have no idea how Alyse feels about me. After today, there’s no doubt she’s attracted to me, but does it go beyond physical? After two months of doing nothing but thinking about her, now that I’ve seen her again today, I know it’s more than physical for me.

So me getting hurt is a very real possibility here. I’m scared shitless to make myself any more emotionally vulnerable than I already have been. Even
thinking
that Alyse could be something long-term makes my lungs seize up. But not enough to want to stop.

“Wow. I had no idea,” he says, taking a seat beside me.

I don’t respond, because there’s nothing really to say.

“Of course I don’t want to see you hurt, Ash. Do you…do you think Alyse could?” What he’s actually asking is, do I like her enough to open myself up to even getting hurt?

I fucking hate feeling this exposed. “Yes,” I answer quietly. “I’ve always had a thing for her.”

“I remember. I thought I was going to have take you down on the Fourth that one year.”

I laugh sardonically. I didn’t think I did a very good job of hiding my unholy attraction to her back then. “I didn’t know you knew about that.”

“Yeah, well, it was hard not to notice how you two disappeared for a while. Then you all showed back up, you and Conn pissed and Alyse embarrassed. Didn’t take a genius to put it all together. I never missed the way you looked at her that summer. You’re lucky I downplayed it with Livvy or I would have been required to beat the shit out of you.”

“Nothing happened,” I say quietly.
But it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying.

“Nothing?”

“Connelly and his big fucking mouth,” I mumble.

Gray chuckles lightly and we fall into silence, allowing that day’s events from long ago to roll through my mind.

“Jesus, asshole, put your tongue back in your mouth before someone catches you.”

“Fuck off,” I tell my twin, unable to tear my eyes away from the ethereal vision in a white-string, barely there bikini currently floating on top of the pool. Her eyes are squeezed shut against the sun’s bright rays. Her hands are stretched out, gently pushing the pool water back and forth. Her nipples poke against the thin fabric of her suit, making my mouth hurt with the need to taste them.

“She’s jailbait, brother.”

That she may be, but it doesn’t stop me from liking her more than I should or wanting her anyway. Alyse and I have been apparently not so subtly dancing around each other for the last two months now, ever since I came home from college for the summer.

I’d met Alyse a couple of times last summer, but dismissed her because of her age. She may now only be seventeen, almost eighteen, but. Hot. Damn. What a difference a year makes. There’s not one red-blooded male who wouldn’t be attracted to her. I’ve had the fortune to be able to spend quite a bit of time with her these past two months since she and Livia have frequented our new in-ground pool. In addition to being stunning, she’s also smart and funny and more mature than girls my age, let alone hers. I look forward to spending time with her more than any other girl I’ve ever known.

“Thanks, but I don’t need your two fucking cents.” I slam my beer and throw the empty in the trash before jumping in the pool close to her, enjoying her screams as my splash drenches her.

“Hey!” she laughs, splashing me back once she gets her footing.

I circle her like prey and she pivots with me, following my every move, smiling flirtatiously.

“You look fucking hot, Alyse,” I whisper, edging closer to her, but not close enough to touch. My hands itch to pull her into me so she can feel just how hard she’s making me. When she was here last weekend, we had a few stolen minutes where I made it to second base and the only thing I’ve been able to think about all week is getting my hands and mouth back on her. That, and the possibility of rounding home plate.

“Actually, the pool cooled me off,” she responds flippantly.

“Yes, I can tell.” My gaze drops to her dark, beaded nipples. When I finally look back at her face, she’s bright red, but lust swims in her golden eyes.

“Oh,” is all she says.

“I want to kiss you, Alyse,” I growl lowly. I flick my eyes over to Conn who is watching my every action intently. Fucker. Quickly glancing around, I see that Gray and Livia must have gone inside, so at least they’re not witness to my lack of restraint.

“You do, huh?” She’s acting coy, but there’s no mistaking how her breaths have picked up.

“Fuck yes.”

She starts swimming around me, teasing, “Is that all you want to do?”

Fuck Conn. I couldn’t care less about his disapproval. I firmly plant my feet on the pool floor, reach out, and grab her waist, yanking her flush to me, our bodies now touching from knee to chest. There’s no way she can miss my desire for her. “No. Not even close.”

She swallows hard and doesn’t speak, but she doesn’t need to. I can see the longing mirrored in her innocent eyes. Jesus, she’s still in high school and I’m a bastard of epic proportions for wanting her like I do, but I can’t make myself stop. There is just something about this girl that I’m unable to resist, no matter how hard I’ve been trying.

“Wanna get out of here for a while?” She’s young, she’s innocent, and I have no doubt she’s a virgin. Plus I’m going back to college next month, so I know what I’m proposing may send me straight to hell, but a stampede of wild animals couldn’t make me take it back.

Yep. Asshole-of-the-year award winner, right here.

“And do what?” she asks nervously, chewing her bottom lip adoringly.

My hand drifts down to cup her firm ass, tugging her lower half closer. I let my fingers slide underneath her teeny bottoms. Her slight moan and hand tightly gripping my hip only make my cock throb harder, causing the palm sitting on her ass to start kneading unconsciously. “Whatever you want, Alyse. No pressure here, but you have to know if it were up to me, I’d be sliding my dick inside you within the next five minutes, tops.”

Her eyes never leave mine, searching for what, I don’t know. But she must find it, because when she finally responds, I can honestly say I haven’t been more excited at the prospect of being with a woman. Ever. And even at the young age of twenty-one, my portfolio is broad.

“Okay.”

“Everything all right in here?” a female voice cuts in, causing the vision of Alyse coming all over my fingers not five minutes later to dissolve.

Fuck. I’ve never forgotten a single minute of that summer with her.

Not one.

I look up to see Alyse’s older sister standing in the doorway, looking back and forth between Gray and me, brows creased. Even in the dark, I see her belly is starting to swell. Of course, Livia’s pretty slight and with twins it probably doesn’t take long to show.

Once again, I have to tamp down that little green monster.

Jesus, I’m acting like a pussy instead of the confident, successful businessman that could have any woman he wants.

Except now you don’t just want
any
woman. You want
one
. Alyse.

“Fine.” Rising from my seat, I give her a quick hug on my way out. “See you all later.”

When my mom asks where I’m going as I pass by, I simply say, “Out.” I’m sure one of my brothers will fill her in that I won’t be home for the rest of the evening, but I know neither will say I’m with Alyse.

As I get in my car and back out of the driveway for my short drive to pick Alyse up, I try to snap that cocky, confident mask I wear firmly back into place. Gray’s and my discussion has shaken me up more than I want to admit. I could fall hard and deep for this woman, but I have to know where she stands first. Because it’s not too late to rein my feelings back in and just move on to the next warm body.

Right, Ash. You just keep telling yourself that.

Chapter 5

Alyse

Even though I have no intention of inviting Asher in, I run around my tiny house making sure it’s tidy.

Looking at the clock, I see it’s still only twenty to seven, so I pull a Coors Light from the fridge to calm my nerves while I wait. I don’t know where we are going to dinner, so I’ve decided to go with a navy-and-cream-striped sweater dress, paired with tights and dark brown knee-high boots. It’s dressy enough for a nice restaurant, but casual enough to get by at a bar if that’s where we’re headed. I could see Ash fitting in easily in either place. He may be somewhat cocky and arrogant, but he’s not pretentious in the least. I think that’s one of the things that draws me to him.

His dominance excites me.

His passion ignites me.

His magnetism simply captivates me.

Pacing the small floor of the kitchen, I mentally tick off the reasons why this dinner slash date is a very bad idea. Because despite what Asher tried to lead me into believing, this is absolutely a date. One that I agreed to without much arm-twisting, hussy that I am.

One: He’s a playboy. He can’t commit. I’ve heard stories about him for years from Livia.

Two: He’ll be like family soon. God, I will see him
all
the time.

Three: You’re going to be employed by this man. For months!

Four: I can’t think of a fourth, but I’m sure it’s there. Oh yes…the most important one.
He’ll break your heart, Alyse, because of reason number one.

I tip the brown bottle to my mouth. It’s empty and I still have ten minutes left. I head to the fridge to grab another, trying to think of the reasons why this may
not
be such a bad idea.

One: Your whole body lights up like the Fourth of July around him.

Two: You’ve been half in love with him for eight years.

Three: You feel alive for the first time since Beck.

Four: It’s time. It’s time to let yourself be vulnerable again. And why not with him?

Shit
.

I’m a very big list person. Always have been as long as I can remember. I make lists for everything. Groceries, to-dos, books I own, books I want, short- and long-term goals I want to accomplish. You name it, I have a list for it. And before I make any big decision, I make a very comprehensive pros and cons list, even before dating a man. I don’t even realize I’m doing it half the time.

So before I started my business, of course I made a list. The cons far outweighed the pros, but I went for my dreams anyway, because if you don’t go for your dreams you’re just left with regret. And I’ve lived with enough regret to fill up my small house two times over. But even if my business fails, at least I can say I gave it my all. My blood, sweat, and tears will be soaked into the matted, dirty carpet before I close the doors. I think that’s why I stayed with Finn so long. When I go for something, I’m all in and I don’t like to admit failure. Who does?

As I think about my pros and cons list for Asher Colloway, I know there are so many more things I can add to the cons column if I give it some thought. That little number three on the pros list is what has me hesitating, though.
You feel alive for the first time since Beck.
Asher sets my very blood on fire and no one, not even Beck, has done that.

When Asher had me cornered in the kitchen of his mom’s house, I’d forgotten what it was to genuinely be turned on by a man from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I realize now that I’ve only been going through the motions all these years in my pathetic attempt to move forward, not look back.

His eyes and words challenge me. A man hasn’t challenged me in, well, ever. Even Beck didn’t challenge me. Until that December night so many years ago when he did a one-eighty, he was warm, compassionate, and loving. But never challenging.

How odd. I didn’t know what I was missing until I had a taste of it.