LOGINNever in my wildest imagination did I think Asher would take me to my bed. Okay, that’s an obvious lie, I’ve had imagined it loads of times, wilder than just taking me by the hand, up the stairs. I pinch myself to make sure this isn’t some Carson directed movie, playing in my head, where I’m both the actor and audience.It’s not.Now that Asher is the director, I wonder what would happen next, would my straight-randomly likes to kiss my boss- secretary lay on the same bed with me–? My thoughts come to a scrambling halt when Asher does in fact, get into bed with me.I can’t believe this.This can’t possibly be happening.He’s straight. Yes, we’ve kissed three times, but getting into bed with me? Maybe this is Carson directed.Pinching my eyes together for a few seconds, and when I open them, my secretary would be on the other side of the room. Gah!His body heat rolling off him, his smell messing with my head, all of it– is still here! No part of his body is touching mine, but he
My phone dings in succession. I keep my eyes on Asher, throat tight. I’m afraid if I say anything I’d just end up screaming.“Not you.”What the hell does that mean?He takes advantage of the few seconds I’m left stunned, gently pushing me back and sliding out of the sofa. He’s avoiding me again. Not a fucking chance.I push myself up, rushing up from behind him.Where are alone here all night, he has nowhere to run. This is my one chance. “What does that mean? ‘not you’, what the fuck is that?”“Carson–”“You kissed me, twice. Twice!” My voice raises, and so does my anger. The nerve of this guy. I’ve waited for months, and he just gets to do whatever?!Not if I can help it. Stepping in front of him, Asher takes a step back.“And when I ask for an explanation, it’s ‘not you’? Why? Because I’m your boss’s son?” Then I bark a laugh, something feels tight and hot in my chest, I realize it’s frustration. This is the most frustrating situation I’ve found myself in years. “That sure as
Asher clears his throat noisily, heading back to the makeshift office we’ve been using for the past few days.Is he shy right now?Following behind him with a grin and sneaking underneath his arm, coming up in front of him. “Were you shy just now? Did I make you shy? Did I see right? Warden Hall shy?”“I’m not.” he grumbles, side stepping me, like he could get rid of me that easily.Stepping in front of him and blinking up at him,“Is that an actual blush?”“I don’t blush.”“I don’t blush.” I echo with a fake deep voice that’s nowhere the masterpiece that is his. He gives me a look at that and I roll my eyes.Blushing might have been a stretch, but he definitely was shy.“I was able to find out a few things from the party, Cyril is not as easy to meet as Harry, but there’s a possibility he’s not our guy.” he says, already swinging back to work mode, I don’t stifle my groan of displeasure.“I had my doubts.” I agree, what I don’t offer is that, while Cyril might not be the guy we’re l
“I had Tim slip something in her pockets.” Robin says by means of explanation, chuckling at his own brilliance. A small hum of approval slips through my lips, his red stress ball bouncing off the wall with a thud and straight into my open waiting hand. Sending it back into the wall, eyes staring unblinkingly at the path the ball takes, it jumps back to my open hand, and I send it right back. Robin sighs, his seat rolling to me, catching the ball effortlessly, his eyes meet mine. I try to look past them, searching for my ball, he doesn’t let me have it so easily. “Alright, Eva said to offer you chocolate milk when you get like this, she never said what to do if it doesn’t work.” His eyes fall on the empty juice boxes, mine trail after him, blinking at the number, no idea when I burned through all of that. “What’s going on?”With a groan, my head falls forward, and I blink at my feet.The only thing I can see is Asher’s expression printed into my eyelids. I can’t shake it off, no m
“You heard the man, give the girl a jacket.” Asher’s voice says steely, coming up from behind me. Patricia visibly relaxes but she’s still trembling, her eyes look haunted, like she was taken abruptly and ended up here somehow. “There’s no extra jacket.” Someone says,I let my head hang behind me with a huff.“This is Asher’s jacket and I really don’t want to give it out.” I whine, then my hands drop from her shoulders, shrugging out of the jacket. “Leave it on.” Asher tells me, draping a blue jacket over her shoulders, but he’s still in his.The man he’d twisted his arm is freezing by the door, and I point at him, laughing loudly. “This is supposed to be the Bitters lawyer?”The speaker snorts condescendingly. Picking him out of the men is easy, all of them look eager now, like they have permission to whoop my ass. “The courtroom ghost, pleasure to meet you.” I meet his eyes,Harry Burns share the same shape of nose as his sister, but his has been broken so much that it’s hard t
Asher walks out of the door, the door silently shutting behind him.I want to take it back, swallow my words and pretend they were never out there.How could he walk away so easily? What if he believes me? What if he never comes back? My fingers drag through my hair, there’s a tightness in my chest. No matter how much I inhale, it isn’t working, I breathe through my mouth instead. On the bed, the clip is still playing.Why did he kiss me like that if he was only going to walk away? Tears sting the back of my eyes.I’m not going to break down damnit. It doesn’t matter to him, it shouldn’t matter to me. My phone rings, Robin. He prefers calls, this has to be important.“Patricia’s location is showing the same as Harry’s, something is happening, and there are zero cameras around.” Shit.Shit.“Send me the location.” I say, snatching a jacket from the rack, unknowingly grabbing the jacket he had draped over my shoulders last night, without stopping to question if it was really an ac







