Chapter 21
Mother’s face lit up at seeing me. She raised a delicate hand, then checked both ways before crossing the street.
“Luke,” she called as she waved. “Luke, my goodness. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Mother,” I said as I clamored for what to say, how to explain why I was on a date with a man. Fear. Huge, debilitating fear threatened to send me into shock.
Mother glanced at Asher, then leaned in for me to greet her with a kiss to her cheek, which I automatically gave, though all higher brain function had ceased.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Mary’s soon-to-be sister-in-law had an exhibit at the art gallery across the street.” Mother gestured behind her. “I was just leaving and saw …” Mother shifted her gaze to Asher, and on reflex, I did the same, then startled. I’d completely forgotten he was here as Ashley.
Mother crinkled her eyes and kept a well-rehearsed smile on her face. “Sorry, dear, but have we met before?”
“I …” Asher trailed off.
Obviously, she only saw a woman, or this would be progressing very differently.
“Yes, you have, Mother.” I curled my arm around Asher’s back and tucked him to my side. “You met at one of the events this season. This is Ashley.”
Mother’s armor wilted as if she might break the laws of decorum and call me out for my indecency. Either for the public display or going against her wishes. She scanned the length of Asher, then hummed softly.
“Ashley, my mother, Elizabeth Dorset.”
“Hello.” Asher nodded.
“Ashley?” she echoed, and her eyes narrowed.
We were so fucked.
“I remember you from the Halloween event, yes?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Asher said.
“Hmm.” Mother sniffed once, lifted her nose slightly, and turned to me. “Explain, please.”
“I think you get the idea. We met at the event and have been dating since.”
“Darling, is this the reason you’ve been so adamantly refusing Georgina’s attentions?”
“Georgina …” That jolted me into gear, a topic to move away from the man in disguise beside me. “Attentions? That’s reaching a bit, Mother. Georgina is no more interested in me than I am in her.”
“Pfft. You two hit it off so well. The poor girl asks about you all the time.”
“She’s hardly a girl, and no, we didn’t.”
“It’s unfair to lead her on.”
I squared my shoulders and held Asher tighter. “Mother, I’m dating Ashley, and this conversation is best left for another time.”
What I thought might shut her up—Mother was never one to cause a scene—only made a foreboding glint flicker in her eyes.
“Is that so? Then you must bring her with you to our New Year’s Eve dinner party.” Mother turned to Asher. “You’ll come, won’t you, dear? After all, we’d love a chance to get to know the woman Luke is dating.”
“Um, sure,” Asher said.
“Great. Oh, what’s your family name, dear?” she asked.
“Mother. That’ll do. We’ll see you tomorrow.” I grabbed Asher’s hand and stalked off.
“Un-fucking-believable,” I muttered once we were far enough she wouldn’t hear. “Of all the people to run into, it had to be her.”
“C-can we slow down?” Asher asked, stumbling after me.
“Ah, dammit.” I stopped abruptly and pulled him into my arms, crushing him. I meant to reassure him but found myself clinging to his thin frame to find my own comfort. “I’m sorry,” I said at his temple. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Are you okay? I forgot about the heels.”
Asher kissed my cheek, then snickered. “It’s okay. I mean, easy to do, right?”
I stared into the smile shining out of him, just all of him, and finally released the tension in my shoulders. “Well, at least she was convinced you were female.”
“Sounds as if you had doubts.”
“I only now realize how strongly I had them.”
Asher’s expression softened slowly until he worried his bottom lip. “I’m sorry for pushin’ my stupid story on you.”
“It wasn’t stupid. I was.” I kissed his forehead, then tapped mine to it. “I’m sorry it took me a minute to understand why you told me about Shelley. I’m sorry for dismissing all the stories you’ve told me as nothing but entertainment.”
“They’re fun sometimes.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “They are. But they’re more than that.
They’re part of the reason you’re such an amazing person.
You’ve got all these great tales, but they’re also lessons you’ve learned from.
Not everyone would do that. You’re really astonishing, Asher.
I’ve thought so since the moment we met. ”
His grin returned before he kissed me gently. “I like that you can admit to being wrong.”
“I would’ve done so at the table, but someone needed a minute.”
“Glad you only gave me one.”
I sighed, letting out a puff of warm air into the night. “Of all the people to run into.”
“Your momma is a lovely person.”
I snorted. “I won’t ask you to go to that dinner. It’s ridiculous.”
“What will you tell her?”
“I’ll figure something out. Maybe I could say we broke up so you won’t have to formally meet them ever.”
Asher jerked. “And have her trying to stud you out again? Oh, hell no. No way.” He yanked me closer. “You’re mine, Luke Dorset, and if anyone is going to be at your side at a dinner with your family full of assholes, charmin’ their pants off, it’s gonna be me.”
As a man who’d always considered himself having the right words for nearly every situation, Asher often left me speechless.
He curved his mouth into a devilish grin. “The best part is they won’t even realize it’s a queer man they smile at like snakes all night. We’ll have the last laugh, though.”
“Jesus, you’re so fucking hot when you get all possessive.”
“I mean it,” he snapped, and I believed him.
I brushed my fingers through his hair, then down his cheek and across his lips. Such fire and conviction in a fucking nineteen-year-old. He put me to shame in ways and strengthened me in others.
Asher blinked rapidly, then swallowed hard. “Luke, I’m … wow, I didn’t think I’d be sayin’ this, especially after that surprise, but I’m in deep here.”
I cocked my head and lowered my brows. “What do you mean?”
He licked his lips as his chin shivered. “I-I think about you constantly, not even all sex, but like, what you’re doin’ or your opinions on stuff. I want to be with you in every way, like, you know, you’re my person. And I hope you think the same about me. Um, like I’m your person too.”
One corner of my mouth lifted and then the other. Then I knocked my chin high, staring at the heavens, and laughed. Asher had his bottom lip between his teeth when I faced him again, concern etched in his eyes.
“God …” I scanned his beautiful face. “Where did you come from? How do you exist in this world?”
“I’m not sure …”
I cupped his jaw. “You’re intoxicating, Asher. Every moment with you gets me that much more addicted.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes. Yes, you’re my person. I …” Swallowing hard, I held in a different set of words I wasn’t sure he was ready for and repeated his instead. “I’m in deep here too.”