“Thanks.” I wrap my arm around her in a hug. She pats my back awkwardly, and I know she’s not the hugging type, but I am, so that’s what she gets when she helps me.
When I get out of her office, Asher is waiting for me and falls into step beside me quickly. “What did you talk about?” he asks, sounding surprisingly anxious.
I glance over at him. “None of your business, Asher.”
He moves in closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, playfully pulling me into him. “Did you tell her how adorable her big brother is, so adorable you fell asleep holding his hand last night?”
I pull out of his grip on me, needing space. Even with that bruise on his face he’s so gorgeous, but it’s not only that he smells so damn good this morning, actually he smells like the body wash from my shower. “Did you use my shower this morning?”
“Sure did. What I can’t work out is where you keep all your toys.”
My mouth pops open, and my eyes go wide. I force it closed, trying to find words. Did this asshole go through my stuff? “What?”
“Got a reaction out of you, and now you’re looking at me.” He smiles all cheesy, his damn dimples showing.
“You’d better not have gone through my stuff, Asher.”
“It’s Ash. We’re friends, remember.”
I gape back at him, not impressed he’s trying to be cute. “Did you go through my stuff?”
“Wasn’t much to go through. We need to fix that. You can’t be a princess with just one small duffle bag of belongings.”
“Oh, my God.” I throw my hands up in the air and storm off. I’m going around in circles with him and getting nowhere. “Last time I let you stay in my room.”
He runs to catch up with me, throwing his arm around my shoulder again. That earns me a stare from the girl behind the bar. I try toshrug him off, but this time he’s not budging, pulling me in tight by his side. He drops his head so he’s whispering in my ear. “I didn’t go through your stuff, but I do want to take you shopping if you will let me.”
I glance at him. Why do they all want to buy me stuff and give me money? It’s weird. “I don’t need your charity, Ash. Especially if you’re offering to buy me toys.”
“Every girl needs at least one, for the nights I’m not there by your side, anyway.”
I shove him off me this time. “You’re such a flirt. Don’t you have some other poor girl to bother?”
His lips twist. “Got you smiling again.”
“Ash.” I roll my eyes.
“Little princess, what’s your preference? Do you like a rabbit? Or are you more of a wand kind of girl?” He clicks his fingers. “I’ve got it. I’ll get you one of those clit stimulators; every girl needs one of those.”
I can’t even look at him, my cheeks are roasting, and he just won’t stop. “I don’t need any toys, Ash.”
“Because you have me now?”
I slap my face. He’s like a dog with a bone. I stop just before the dressing rooms. “Go and do some work.”
“Okay, but only if you tell me what your little girly meeting was about with my sister?”
“If you really have to know, I told her you are all massive pains in my ass, and I want to find someplace else to live.”
His eyes flash with worry. “Ha-ha, real funny,” he says nervously. “You didn’t really, though, did you?”
I glance at the dressing rooms and then back at him. “I’m already running late for make-up. Can we talk about this later?” I say, my voice filled with exhaustion.
“Okay. Knock ‘em dead up there tonight.” He smiles all sexy, and it melts my heart and my anger toward him more than it should. He’s just so adorable, even now trying to get a rise out of me, teasing me with the idea that he’s going to buy me a sex toy.
“I’ll do my best.” I offer a half smile back as I slink around the corner, leaning into the wall for a second as I try to catch my breath. I’m not really running late, I just needed to get away from him and the way he was looking at me. The way he makes me feel when he’s around. It’s becoming overwhelming.
“We have a problem. She’s talking to Sloane about moving out,” I overhear him say to someone, and I assume he’s picked up his phone to call Jagger as soon as I was out of sight. The way he says it, though, that’s what makes my heart kick up a beat. Why do they care so much?
