“Maya is technically my sister, so she doesn’t count as a best friend anymore. Lucky Declan here now gets to claim the third spot.”
“That’s me, lucky number three,” Declan says from behind, but also above me, since my head is somewhere under his chin.
Asher lets out a long, slow, annoyed breath. “My brother is not one of your besties.” He spits the last word like it’s poisonous.
“He is so, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“I can when he goes against my orders and puts you in jeopardy.”
I cluck my tongue. “No one is in jeopardy. We’re just having a nice little tour with the news outlet, and we have plenty of security with us. You can join us on the tour if you’d like.”
He gives me an unamused look. “How thoughtful of you to invite me along.”
I step forward and snake my arms around his waist. “I know, right? And just think, when we get home, we can do whatever you’d like to alleviate your stress.”
“Ew, I did not need to hear that,” Declan says.
Asher shoots a glare at him over my head, but I take his chin in my hand and turn his focus back down to me. “Consider this an IOU. Although technically, I am a free person to go where I want when I want, so I don’t actually owe you anything. But I’m willing to owe you because I like you.”
He snorts. “Youlikeme?”
“Definitely. And I’ll like you an extra amount tonight after we do this tour.”
A low growl escapes his throat. “Fine, you win. But only because I don’t want to make a scene, which is undoubtedly why you and this asshole planned it this way.”
“Glad you’re on board.”
Asher leans down to whisper in my ear. “But you’d better be prepared for me, Ms. Hale, because I am far from happy right now. And I plan to repay you for this little stunt.”
I swallow hard as lust burns through me. Asher and I have never had angry sex before, and I find I’m highly anticipating it. My panties are already damp just thinking about it.
“Let’s go,” Asher says, waving his hand in the direction of the camera crew and journalists waiting down the hallway from us. “This is your show. Let’s get it over with.”
“Well done,”Matthew mouths to me behind Asher’s back with a wink and a thumbs up.
Declan notices and laughs, and Asher turns back around to glare at the three of us.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” I say with a sweet smile. I link my arm with his and raise on my toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I’m glad you’re here. I missed you this morning.”
It’s not a lie. Asher left early and didn’t wake me, so this is the first time I’ve seen him today. My words seem to calm him some, and he slaps on a fake smile as we head toward the news crew.
Matthew hangs back slightly as Asher, Declan, and I take the news team on a guided tour through Greenspan’s facility along with Akio Kobayashi, the head researcher, who now uses a wheelchair after his horrible accident. No one divulges that the accident in question happened here at the facility, and the sabotage and “accidents” are kept quiet as well. The point of this tour is to simply introduce Greenspan to the world and let it be known that Greenspan is on the brink of some major green energy solutions for the future.
While we tour, I take to social media, documenting the experience to get word out sooner. The story won’t air for two weeks, so building buzz ahead of time is crucial. Asher stays near me the entire time, and I manage to get a few pictures andvideos with him, which I include in my post. Like always, he fakes it for the camera, but I know he’s still fuming inside. And he lets me know that as well, with the nipping kisses he sneaks in and the angry, dirty words he whispers in my ear.
After two hours, the tour ends, and Asher and Declan answer questions involving Greenspan, but the questions eventually turn away from Greenspan and toward Asher and me and our relationship.
“Mr. Langford, does the fact that you presented Ms. Hale with a famous Langford pendant mean there is to be a formal engagement in the near future?” a female reporter asks.
“That is typically the case in my family. The world will know whenever it is official.”
“So, you plan to marry Ms. Hale?”
Asher lets out a long quiet breath. Only Declan and I can sense the unease beneath his façade, but it’s there. Admitting to something like this publicly is a risk. He pulls me into his side, practically pinning me to him.
“Yes.”
