“I don’t know.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you think our parents will be fine with us…” Crap. Why had I said that? What if Asher hadn’t even thought about dating me?
“Dating?” he asked, easing the knot of worry. “No. I’m pretty sure neither of them would be okay with it. I don’t care, but I’ll understand if you do.”
I caught my bottom lip between my teeth. Life would be so much easier if they’d just accept us. We weren’t doing anything wrong, but Dad cared too much about appearances. To him, me dating his girlfriend’s son would only ever be inappropriate.
“I don’t.” I brushed the back of my hand over Asher’s nape. “I’m an adult, and so are you. Once I’m in college, he won’t be able to do anything. Meanwhile, we’ll just have to be careful.”
“You deserve better.” He combed his fingers through my hair. “But after lunch with my mother today, I don’t think we have a choice. Sh— “
I leaned in and caught his mouth with mine. A groan rumbled in his chest as my tongue traced his bottom lip. He tugged my hair, deepening the kiss like he couldn’t get enough.
Our tongues tangled, our hands exploring—cautious still, a little wary, but desperate.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” Ash whispered, voice rough. His lips glistened from our kiss, which only made me crave him more. It wasn’t fair, how every cell in my body ached for him, but tonight left no doubt—he felt the same.
DECEMBER 10TH
“First kisses are supposed to feel like the best kind of wrong.”
That’s what Mom always said. I even wrote it down somewhere—her exact words were, “It’ll feel wrong, but the best kind of wrong, because it will be right for you. And that’s what really matters.”
Kissing Asher is exactly that—the best kind of wrong.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Asher
At five in the afternoon, the arrivals terminal at Stetbourg International swarmed with travelers. Nerves tied my stomach in knots as I scanned the crowd for Javi. It hadn’t been long since we’d seen each other, but I missed him—and I needed someone to talk to. He always helped me sort things out without being pushy.
I unzipped my leather jacket and pulled out my phone to check messages when a familiar voice rang through the hall.
“Asher!” Javi paused by the sliding doors, then cut straight toward me, grin plastered across his face. The only change since Spain a few months ago was his haircut.
“Hola, tío.” He locked me in a tight hug. “¡Cuánto tiempo!”Long time no see.
“Demasiado,” I said with a smile I couldn’t hold back. “You’re traveling light.” I nodded at his backpack and duffel.
“I don’t need much for less than a week. I’ll just rent something for that gala you mentioned.”
I laughed. “They’d probably give you clothes for free if they knew you were here.”
“Yeah, right.” Javi rolled his eyes, heading for the exit. “Nobody outside Spain knows who I am yet—but that might change soon, so let me enjoy my privacy.”
A seven-figure deal could change anyone, but I knew Javi wouldn’t. “Losing privacy must suck,” I said, following him out. “I’d hate it.”
“Same,” he admitted, frowning. “But I’ll try to focus on what matters. The team. And money. Unreal to know I’ll never have to worry again. Where’s your bike?”
I pointed to Ale’s black Lexus and unlocked it. “I borrowed Ale’s SUV. Didn’t know how much you’d bring.”
I needed my own car. My own place. Especially now that Kaia and I were together. Stolen moments were all we had—Russell and my mother had been around too much these past weeks.
I slid behind the wheel as Javi settled into the passenger seat, half-turned toward me. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
I let out a tight breath, trying to shape everything I needed to say. “Remember I mentioned Kaia?”
“Russell’s daughter?”
“Yeah.”
