I shrug, not loving all their eyes on me. “I’m staying with them until I find something more permanent, that’s all.” I try to brush it off.
“You lucky bitch. Does Asher live there as well? I would let that man do anything he wanted to me,” Becky chimes in, all wide eyes and flushed cheeks.
I glance back at her, and I know my own cheeks are glowing red. That man did do anything he wanted to me, last night with his brother. But I’m not telling her that. She clearly has a crush, and I’m not going to be the one to destroy her dreams. “No, he doesn’t, sorry to disappoint.”
Her expression changes, a stupid grin fluttering onto her face as she glances behind me.
I feel the brush of my hair over my shoulder and then lips pressing to my cheek. “There you are. I thought you’d taken off before I could give you a lift home,” comes Asher’s sexy-as-all-hell voice.
All eyes on the table land on me, and my skin pulses with heat. I don’t mind being the center of attention up on the stage, but here like this, I can’t stand it, and now I know why Becky got so excited; she was watching him walk across the room to me. “Ash. Have you met the girls?” I say, trying to get the attention off me and onto him, motioning to the others.
“Evening, girls.” He slides in beside me.
With flirtatious smiles, they all welcome him, not at all bothered he’s crashing our conversation.
“What are we drinking, little princess?” He picks up my shot glass and gives it a sniff. “I’m impressed. I would like to think this is my influence.”
“It’s not,” I snip back with a half-smile. I just can’t not smile at him when he’s grinning at me with those damn dimples. I throw the shot back, my shoulders shivering as the burn gets me once more.
“What’s going on, girls? We having a big one?” He motions to the girl behind the bar to come and take our order like he’s included in this we.
I lock eyes with him. “It’s a quiet drink after work, Ash, I’ll come get you when I’m ready to go home,” I tell him, not wanting him to hang around and cramp my style. I’m trying to make friends, something I desperately need since the only people I really know in this town have the last name Stryker.
“I’m done for the night, so you’re stuck with me, baby.” He looks at the other girls, who all seem to have their mouths wide open and their eyes glued to us. “You girls don’t mind if I stay?” he asks, all cheeky.
Bea smiles all sexy-like. “Of course not, Asher,” she purrs in a way that makes my hackles rise.
“You’re always welcome, you know that.” Danielle giggles playfully, touching his arm, and I feel the tension rise throughout my body.
Something in their reaction, in the way they all look at him and openly flirt with him, makes me think they know him intimately. Has he really screwed every girl in this place? The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me he has. And last night I was just the next girl on his list. I shouldn’t be disappointed or even really care, but I do.
He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in closer. “See, the girls love it when I hang out with them.”
The girl I met my first day here, Myriah, arrives at our table with a tablet to take our orders. She sees Ash’s arm draped over my shoulders, and I’m not sure if she knows it or not, but her face pales. She glares at him and then at me.
I smile back, not sure what to do. Fuck, he has without a doubt slept with her. All the times I knew Valentine was sleeping around and I couldn’t care less, I was relieved. But knowing Ash has slept with some girl before I was even in the picture makes me jealous as can be. “What can I get for you all?” she asks, the strain in her voice obvious.
“I’ll have a whiskey neat, and my girl will have another fireball shot, thanks, Myriah.” Ash talks for me, hugging me a little closer under his arm protectively. It’s the strangest thing and not what I was expecting at all.
My girl.Did he really just call me that in front of all of them? But from the looks of amazement I get from every member of the table, as well as Myriah, I know he did.
“No worries,” Myriah cuts, smiling tightly.
The other girls order their cocktails, and Myriah strides off toward the bar. She couldn’t get out of here fast enough. I feel bad because she’s clearly upset.
The girls’ light and playful conversation continues on around us.
Asher lowers his lips to my neck and sucks lightly.
“What are you doing?” I whisper so that only he can hear.
“Making sure they know I’m with you now.” His voice is a low grumble.
His words and his proximity send goosebumps over my skin. Okay, that was crystal clear, but what is his game? “Why?” I ask tentatively.
One of the front doors swings open and crashes into the wall, loud enough that we all turn to see who’s making the commotion. As soon as I do, I wish I didn’t. Because I lock eyes with a furious-looking Jagger. “Shit,” I mutter under my breath, knowing I’m the reason for his anger.
“What did you do, little princess?” Asher chuckles playfully.
