“Do you guys mind heading over first to make sure everything is perfect for me?” Ginger asks me, Asher, CeCe, and Nash as we mill about, chatting.
“Of course, we can head over. Whatever you need,” I answer right away.
“I really want to get out of this dress,” CeCe says to me. “You’re welcome to come with us, but I’m going to stop at home and change first.”
“You can come with me, I’m heading straight there,” Ashersays cooly from my left. My mouth falls open in surprise. It’s not like he’s asking. He’s telling me in his trademark nonchalant, commanding way. Standing beside Nash, his inked hands are casually parked in the pockets of his suit pants as his intense eyes burn through me, and with that voice directed at me for the first time in weeks, even the tips of my fingers tingle.
CeCe shoots him a glance and then her eyes find mine. “That okay?”
“Of course,” I answer way too quickly, avoiding Asher’s heady gaze. “We’ll make sure everything is hunky-dory.”
Hunky-dory? My dad says that.Why am I so awkward right now?
“All right … I guess it’s settled,” she says with a smile as I give her the best hug I can around her baby bump. “We’ll meet you two there.”
“You kids behave now.” Nash chuckles as he goes to shake Asher’s hand.
“Aye,” Asher answers at the exact same time I blurt out, “We’re just friends.”
Everyone in the vicinity stops and stares at me.All right, well, time to crawl under a rock.
“Of course,” Nash croaks out, trying not to laugh.
I can almost feel my palms sweating. The thought of being alone with Asher is making me beyond antsy, yet Iwantit.
As the others start to head out, Asher raises a perfectly suit-clad arm, gesturing for me to go first.
“Thanks for letting me tag along,” I say in an attempt to break the silence.
I can almost feel the heat of his gaze on me as we descend the chapel steps. His hand meets my lower back to guide me forward and my nipples instantly pebble at the touch.
When we reach the bottom of the steps, he stops and drops his hand to my arm. I turn to face him and find those gray eyes I’ve been avoiding for weeks searching mine.
“You don’t need to avoid me, Liv.”
“I’m not … honest.” I look up into those eyes and almost forget my own name.
“Mm-hmm. Okay then. Well, since we’re being honest, I say this in thefriendliestway possible”—his eyes move slowly, hotly—“you lookreallyfucking beautiful today.”
He tilts my chin up and I breathe him in deeper, aching to touch him. The thought sends sparks through me, straight to my core.
He may not be Mr. Right, but as he backs up slowly and heads around to his side of his truck, I drink him in. Part of me is really wishing he could be Mr. Right Now.
CHAPTER 13
Olivia
“It’s your best friend’s wedding. Her dream day and all that. So, what’s wrong?”
Asher is nothing but direct as I sit down on a thick padded leather stool across from him in Wade’s wedding barn. He unloads bottles of Kentucky Owl behind the bar I know he helped build. I look up at his question, surprised he’s starting a conversation with me. Guess there’s a first for everything, even witnessing a more human side to Asher Reed.
After just fifteen minutes, I’ve finished checking on everything I was supposed to. Place cards are set, menus are out, and all the flameless candles are lit. This is the first time we’ve really talked since we drove over here in comfortable silence with The Highwaymen playing through his old truck.
“All I’ve done is smile today. Why do you ask like you think something is wrong?”
“Smiling doesn’t mean all is well,” he observes.
“Always the listener. Even when you’re not on bartender duty, huh?” I prop my chin up onto my palm. We’re the only ones here so he’s removed his suit coat, and the way his dressshirt clings to his muscular arms, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows showcasing those veiny and rippled inked forearms just for me, feels like a reward.
