Undeniably Asher (The Colloway Brothers Book 2) (19 page)

I smile. “Wow. Theatre
and
medicinal prowess? Who knew you were so talented?”

“Oh, baby. You have no idea the things I’m capable of.” His fingers tickle my sides and I giggle. “Now, the scar.”

I sigh. I hate talking about that day. I hate thinking about that day. I hate remembering that day even happened. But I figure since Livia was dating Gray at the time, he probably already knows I was in an accident, so I can at least talk about that without revealing the whole sordid story.

“I was in a car accident my senior year. They had to remove my spleen.”

“Yes, I remember. I tried to come see you and your father wouldn’t let me up. Then I had to get back to school so I couldn’t come back.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised. “I never knew that.”

“Yes, really. I would have at least thought he’d tell you.”

“He didn’t,” I mumble. He was probably too distraught that he had to sit in a hospital chair versus a poker one.

“You were in the hospital for a few days right?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t the driver die in that accident?” he asks quietly.

I stiffen and he pulls me tighter. “Yes,” I answer on a choke.

“A friend?”

“I don’t like talking about it,” I say softly. Tears prick over another man that are most unwelcome in this moment with Asher. A reminder of no matter how much I try to put that part of my life behind me, I just can’t seem to cut the cord and leave it there.

“I’m sorry, baby.” I feel his lips on the top of my head. I’m surprised at how much they comfort me.

He doesn’t ask any more questions. I don’t offer any more information. We’ve gone silent again, but it’s not uncomfortable.

“Tell me what
your
tattoo means.”

Wow, he’s really going for the jugular and he doesn’t even know it. I was grateful that we’d moved off the topic of the accident, but this one isn’t much safer. I hadn’t even realized he’d seen the small tattoo on the inside of my ankle. He hasn’t mentioned it once.

“What do you
believe
in so much that you had that word inked on your body?” he prods.

It’s so simple, but often the simplest words mean the most. It’s a reminder that my life is worth so much more than I thought it was at my lowest point. The day I got it is a day I’ll never forget
.

It’s life.

It’s hope.

It’s second chances.

It’s a future that I almost selfishly deprived myself of because I was too depressed to realize that my emotional agony would eventually become bearable.

But I don’t say any of those things. Instead, I settle for my usual MO. Being vague. It requires a lot less explaining.

“A lot of things and sometimes nothing at all.”

“That’s pretty cryptic, baby.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Alyse…I want in.”

“I know,” I whisper. “I’m trying. It may not seem like it, but I am. I’ve never shared with anyone what I just shared about my father.”

I’m back to lying in the crook of his arm, but he rolls me over so I’m now pinned underneath his heavy weight. He takes my face in his strong hands, eyes searching mine, thumb stroking my bottom lip.

“I want every single part of you.”

Breathing becomes difficult and not because he’s heavy, but because the conversation now is. I know exactly what he’s asking. I want to give it, but I’m terrified that he’ll look at me differently once he knows my dirty, dark secrets. I can’t expose myself like that without knowing where this is headed.

Those damn tears return. “What if you don’t like them?”

“Alyse, there’s nothing you could tell me that would scare me away. I’ll love every part of you.”

Doubtful
. “I don’t want to be just a fling,” I respond instead. I won’t survive it. I’m already too invested in him.

His eyes soften. “This is so much more than just sex to me, Alyse. I was kind of hoping this would turn into forever.”

The pathways from my brain to my lungs are singed by those romantic words, rendering me breathless. “I—I don’t want to get hurt, Asher.”

“Neither do I, baby. And with the way I’m feeling about you, if you don’t feel the same, I… Jesus, I like you, Alyse. A helluva lot.
More
than a lot.”

“Me too.” I confess through the lump in my throat. I’m falling so hard and fast for him, I’m freaking out. My insides are quaking so much that all thoughts about why this was ever a bad idea are crushed to dust under the heavy weight of the emotional avalanche.

“Alyse,” he whispers reverently before taking my mouth in a soft, slow kiss. I expect him to deepen it, I expect him to ravage me, but he doesn’t. He worships my mouth, my body, and my soul.

Slowly.

Passionately.

Thoroughly.

He makes unmistakable love to me, telling me with unsaid words what we both feel, but what is probably too early to voice.

I am undeniably in love with Asher Colloway. If I hadn’t admitted it to myself before tonight, there’s no refuting it now, just like there’s no refuting the love pouring from Asher into me with each reverent touch or each slow thrust of his hips.

I’ve given him my body.

I can’t keep him out of my heart.

But I have to wonder…once I let him into my mind and he sees the real me, will he want to stay?

Chapter 19

Alyse

“I’m glad you said yes,” Cooper says before taking another bite of his bison burger.

“Me too,” I reply, looking longingly at his burger as I stuff some bland lettuce into my mouth. With Livia’s wedding just a few short weeks away, I have the requisite five pounds to lose. Or…at least not gain.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to bring the contract I need signed.”

“Really? Are you sure you didn’t just want an excuse to see me again?” I tease.

His smile is contagious. “Caught me. I’ll check my calendar and see when I’ll be back in the city and give you a call.”

“You can just email it, you know.”

“But this is a lot more fun.” He winks. “So how long have you lived in Chicago?”

“Oh, I don’t live here. I’m just on assignment for a few months.”

That piques his interest. “Doing?”

“An audit. I’m a forensic auditor.”

“Really? A woman with beauty
and
intellect. I like it.”

I smile at his compliment. When Cooper called earlier this week asking me to join him for lunch, I almost declined, but there’s something about him that I really do like, so I agreed. Now I’m glad I did. It would be nice to have another friend.

“So, where do you hail from if not Chicago?”

“Detroit.”

“Ah…Motor City. Nice. My cousin spent some time there a few years back. What firm do you work for?” He pops a fry in his mouth and with a smirk hands me one off his plate. I look at it only a couple of seconds before I snag it and devour it before he changes his mind. He winks and I cock a brow, giggling.

“I work for me. I opened my own company last year. ARK Consulting.”

“Wow. That’s great, Alyse.”

“Thanks. What about you? How did you come up with the name of your studio, CB29? I love it. Coming up with a name was probably one of the hardest things when I opened my business.”

His face lights up.

“I actually co-own the studio with my cousin. We had a dream of opening our own photography studio when we were younger, so it’s named after our first two initials and we were both twenty-nine when we opened it.”

“I like it. Very creative.”

Half an hour later, after talking about the challenges of being small business owners, Cooper and I part ways, agreeing to meet for lunch again sometime soon.

Wrapping my scarf around me in a lame attempt to protect against the bitter winter winds and swirling snow that started coming down five minutes into lunch, I walk faster, wishing the four blocks back to CFC weren’t so damn long and definitely wishing I’d worn anything other than a skirt and heels today.

Once inside the building, I’m shaking the snow that’s collected on my hair when I hear my name.

“Alyse, hi.”

I look up to see the head of CFC security, whom I met in the cafeteria earlier this week, talking to a guard at the front desk. What’s his name again? Casey? No. Craig? No. Conner? Hell, I don’t know, so I settle for a generic, “Hi.”

I make polite chitchat with someone whose name starts with a “C” for a couple minutes before I beg my leave. He’s a nice enough man, but I’m a little uncomfortable around him.

It’s after one before I finally reach my temporary office on the thirty-fourth floor. I sit behind my desk with a sigh, still chilled from my short walk but glad I took the much-needed break.

I’ve spent the last two weeks looking at ledgers and balance sheets and bank statements until my eyes are crossed. With a little over a thousand employees, CFC isn’t that big of a company, but big enough this audit could take me well until January or even February.

So far, I’ve not uncovered anything that looks suspicious, but I have yet to really dig into the accounting system or start validating vendors against invoices, which is my next project. With the hundreds of third parties that CFC works with, that alone could take me weeks.

Because of the nature of CFC’s business, I will also need to look at each client account and review billing practices. I may need to pull in Al to help with this after he’s done with his current audit or I could be here for months. Not that I would mind. The more time I spend with Asher, the more I can’t fathom not being able to see him every day.

I’ve spent every night at his apartment this week. Regardless of my own emotional reservations, I can’t deny that’s where I want to be too. I’ve been trying to keep a little bit of distance, trying to protect my heart, but Asher sees right through me and he’s very convincing. I can see why he’s been so successful in his career. He’s tenacious, like a bulldog.

Pushing aside thoughts of Asher from my head, so I can get some actual work done, I turn to my laptop and log onto the SAP accounting system that CFC uses. Last week when I met with Aaron Hinton, the director of finance, and one of his analysts, Amanda, they gave me a cheat sheet to understand the vendor and banking codes within the system. As I search my desk for it, though, I’m unable to put my hands on it.

After ten minutes of hunting, I decide I must have accidentally thrown it away. Picking up the phone, I ring Amanda’s extension first. For one, she’s a little lower level and I don’t want to bother Aaron if I don’t need to for something so inconsequential. For another, I want to limit my time with Aaron. I’ve seen him a couple of times these past two weeks. Both times he’s asked me out for drinks, regardless of the fact that I told him I’m seeing someone.

Of course, I haven’t told him it’s his boss’s boss’s boss, because, well, that’s just not good for either Asher or me. I need to at least give the appearance that I’m being professional, although Asher makes that as difficult as possible at every turn. Yesterday he found me in the copy room and shoved me against the wall, kissing me passionately for a full minute. Thank God there aren’t that many people on this floor, although I’m quite sure his assistant knows something is up by now. He may not care, but I certainly do.

Unfortunately, Amanda doesn’t answer and this is the next thing on my list. Because I like to obsessively follow my lists, I’m kind of at a standstill. So reluctantly, I dial the extension Aaron gave me.
Lucky
me, he answers.

“Aaron, sorry to bother you. It’s Alyse Kingsley.”

“Alyse, well it’s no bother at all.” He’s smooth. I’ll give him that. And handsome. On the hot-o-meter, Aaron is about an eight. He meets my tall, dark, and handsome requirements, but he just doesn’t make any of my bells ring. I think Asher’s permanently silenced those for any other man.

“I apologize, but I seem to have misplaced the legend you gave me for the accounting system. Could you email me another copy?”

“I’ll just run it up to you.”

“No need to trouble yourself. Email is fine.”

“Nonsense. I need to get out of my office for a bit anyway. See you in a few minutes.”

“Sure,” I mumble before hanging up.

A couple minutes later a light knock comes at my door before it opens. Aaron peaks his head in. “Knock, knock. Okay to come in?”

Why wouldn’t it be?
“Yes,” I reply as I stand.

“Hi. Wow, you look great today, Alyse.”

I’m wearing a simple white silk blouse tucked into my black pencil skirt. A clear-and-black silver-beaded necklace complements my very simple outfit. I wouldn’t say I look great, but I don’t look too shabby either.

His eyes slowly rake down my body and when they finally reach mine again, they are full of appreciation. He gives me a panty-dropping smile. I have to admit it’s charming. I find myself smiling back.

“Thank you. Sorry to trouble you.”

He walks all the way in, leaving the door open, for which I’m grateful. “No trouble at all. I’m happy to be of help
however
you need.”