“The best kind.”
“You’re just going to walk around as Ashley one night? Not giving a single fuck who sees you?”
He shrugged. “Done it before. And I’ll do it as many times as I can if it makes you more comfortable.”
“Nothing about this would make me more comfortable.”
“Come on. Work with me.” He grinned, and I couldn’t help my own spreading. He knew he had me. “I’ll meet you like before. You pick the place, date, and time, then show up for a date with Ashley. Leave all the other details to me.”
“Savannah will help you again?”
“Probably, since I want to do it right. She won’t care. She loves dressing me up. She’s done it in one capacity or another for years. It’s her calling.”
I licked my dry lips and sighed. “One fucking date.”
He cheered, doing some sort of happy dance.
“You’re ridiculous.” I rolled my eyes.
“Very much, but I won.”
With his infectious excitement and confidence bleeding in to warm the cold spots of my soul, I grabbed his hand and lifted it to my mouth, kissing it there on the path where anyone could witness. “No, I did.”
Whatahorribleidea.I’d nearly canceled ten times, but here I was, waiting outside the restaurant of my choosing forAshleyto arrive. I hated that I’d agreed to meeting here instead of picking him up. I hated that I was letting this happen at all. Just because Asher made a convincing enough woman did not mean he should be forced to do so to be seen with me.
Selfishly, I had acquiesced to this hair-brained idea because more than anything, I wanted to flaunt him as he deserved. This wasn’t the way to do it, but dammit, he had me so fucking whipped and even more confused when he begged to do this for me.
For me.
And what was I doing for him? Nothing that I could see.
I checked my phone. He should be here any minute. The night was cold, but I didn’t feel the breeze against my cheeks for the roll of nerves in my gut. I hadn’t been this nervous the last time I was out with Ashley, but this was all different.
And all wrong.
I spun around at the clip of heels, then stumbled a step. “Ash…”
No matter how much I hated it, there was no denying Asher made a beautiful woman.
The red of the dress was stunning against his naturally tan skin. The gathers hid the lack of curves, and the heavy material swished around his knees—if anyone got far enough to see the bottom without getting sidetracked by the sexy slit up the front of one thigh. His hair was fluffy and a little windblown, and his makeup was classy, with dark lips and thick shadows at his eyes.
“God, you’re so beautiful.”
Asher dropped his chin as he patted the satin choker masking his Adam’s apple. “Thank you. You’re looking pretty hunky yourself.”
I absentmindedly smoothed over the buttons of my suit jacket, then offered him my arm. “Shall we?”
He curled his hand around my elbow and pulled me closer. “Is this okay?” he asked in a whisper. “We can walk away right now if you’d rather.”
I tucked short strands of hair behind his ear. “You know my thoughts on this. And none of my hesitation is because you aren’t gorgeous and very convincingly female. Areyouokay with continuing?”
Asher quirked his lips into a teasing grin. “You’ve already touched me more in public as Ashley than you have as Asher. I don’t care what anyone thinks of us tonight. You and I will know the truth.”
And to prove his words even truer, I tipped his chin high with my fingertips and kissed him softly. Right there in front of a crowded restaurant, I kissed a man. Only he and I knew, like he said, but that didn’t make it any less amazing.
“Come. Let me spoil you a little.”
“Only a little?” My playboy winked.
