“Let’s just say Asher has a bit of a jealous side.”
Now Emily smirks.
What I can’t tell her or Heather is what happened after Asher discovered the flowers and the bracelet Blake sent me. The memory of Asher possessively sliding piece after piece of his family’s jewelry onto me and then fucking me senseless makes the heat rise in my cheeks. Thankfully Blake hadn’t sent me jewelry this time, but I don’t doubt that if Asher knew he’d sent me flowers again that it would hit a nerve. If Asher and I were in a better place I might let him see the flowers, just to see what sort of repeat performance he might stoop to at the office—just the thought of it has my mouth watering. But Asher and I are taking a step back, so that’s probably not the best idea.
“I think you’re too late,” Heather says through a half smile, nodding toward the entrance of the conference room.
I follow her line of sight and grimace. Asher stands in the doorway with his eyes narrowed on me and the flowers.
“I’ll just, uh, take these out to the lobby,” I stammer before picking up the large arrangement. “There’s probably a table I can set them on.”
“Good luck with that,” Emily says, holding back a laugh.
“What have you got there?” Asher asks as I try to brush past him.
“Just some condolence flowers.”
“That’s nice. Who are they from?”
I pretend not to hear him and pick up my pace, but seconds later, his footsteps sound behind me. He follows me all the way to the lobby, and as soon as I set the flower arrangement down on an empty table, he snatches the card from my hand before I can toss it into the trash. His jaw flexes as his eyes roam over it.
“Persistent mother fucker seems to think a little too highly of himself.”
“Are you talking about you or Blake Covington?” I tease.
“Careful, Ms. Hale. I might be in a mood to punish those who defy me.”
I swallow hard.
Asher notices and smirks, then looks down at the card again. “With everything that’s happened since we got home from London, I forgot to send Mr. Covington athank youfor his gifts. It looks like I need to remedy that.”
“What does yourthank youentail?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Don’t burn bridges over something silly like this.”
Asher scoffs. “I don’t need whatever rickety rope bridge Blake Covington is offering, but I do need him to understand that he isn’t welcome to continue sniffing around what’s mine.”
Asher tosses the card into the trash and grabs me by thehand. He pulls me after him toward his office, and I have no choice but to follow. I may have pushed for some distance between us, but in the office, we still need to look the part. My mouth dries when Asher ushers me into his office and locks the door behind us. He flips a switch, and the glass windows that face the hallway turn a dark gray opaque.
“You know I have no control over who sends me flowers,” I say, my voice a little breathless.
“Oh, I’m aware,” he says, leaning down and brushing a ghost of a kiss along my neck. I shiver at the sensation and press my chest against his. Then my brain kicks in, and I pull back.
“What are you doing, Asher?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he nibbles on my earlobe and runs his hands down over my ass, squeezing it in his large palms.
“There is nothing for you to worry about with Blake.”
“Blake, is it?” he growls. “On a first name basis, are we?”
“No. I mean he told me to call him Blake at the launch, but I haven’t spoken to him since, and I don’t plan to.”
“You’ve got that right.”
“What is it about him that sets you off so badly?”
