Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Emma
I took a bite of my salad, thinking about what Asher said.
I couldn’t see being so far away from home at eighteen.
Heck, even going to Berkeley at twenty had been a stretch for me.
Not that it lasted long. With my parents always busy, and my sisters enjoying their life without parents, I started to grow away from them, not that we were that close.
Actually, my separation from my family had been happening for years. I just didn’t realize it until after my first year in Berkeley. I made a few friends, and at the end of the year, I moved into an apartment with them.
That had been the best thing for me. Being away from my family taught me a lot about myself and how resilient I was. By the time I graduated and got the job up here, I had no qualms about moving away. I was better off on my own.
“What drew you into computers?” he asked.
I contemplated his question. “I’m not sure. Maybe the logic behind programming. I understood how it worked without much thought. I like things to be in order” I took a drink of my tea. “How about you?”
“Computers were a challenge for me.”
Interesting, a challenge but IT became his career. “So, how was your first year a challenge?” I asked again.
Asher glanced up as the waiter brought our food. My mouth watered at the smells. The waiter removed the salads, then set plates in front of us and arranged the main dishes in the center of the table.
“Enjoy your dinner.”
“This all looks so good.” It did. My stomach growled. Even though I’d eaten a breakfast sandwich this morning, lunch had been light, and now I was hungry.
“Let’s dig in.”
I filled my plate and watched Asher fill his.
“Are you going to tell me about your first year in college?” I asked after a few minutes. Did he not want to answer me?
“I never realized how much my mother did to keep our household running.”
I bit my lip. “Cooking, laundry, cleaning.”
“All that. Luckily, I didn’t have to cook much. I had a meal plan and went to the dining hall for most of my meals. Plus they had food trucks.”
“You didn’t get bored with the food? I sure did.”
He shook his head. “There was a good enough variety, and if we wanted something not available, we just ordered delivery.”
“That must have been nice.” While my parents paid for everything, I spent as little as I could of their money. Instead, I took a part-time job to pay for all the little extras I wanted. My father hadn’t been happy about it, but my mother convinced him it would help me in the real world.
The thing was, I took a job in the library, and while I did have to interact with students, it was mostly quiet, and I loved it.
“I’m sure Berkeley had dining services.”
“They did, but I preferred to cook at the apartment I shared with my friends.”
“How did you learn to cook?”
“I hung out in the kitchen with our chef from the time I turned fourteen. She taught me a lot of basics. I also learned how to do laundry.”
“No pink underwear for you,” he said with humor in his voice.
“Nope.” I couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “Did you really turn your underwear pink?”
“Not pink, but bright red.”
I laughed; I really couldn’t help myself. We continued to chat as we ate, and I found myself relaxing around Asher more and more. Maybe he wasn’t the chauvinistic Neanderthal after all.
“Dessert?” Asher asked.
I glanced at the dishes on the table. Most were still close to half full. “No, thank you. I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
“They have a killer tiramisu.”
I shook my head. “Please, have some if you want.”
The waiter arrived. “If you would box up what is left, please. I’ll have the tiramisu and…” Asher looked at me.
“Black tea, if you have it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The waiter rushed off to box up the food.
“No coffee?” Asher asked.
“I don’t like to drink coffee at night.” Tea would help my food settle a bit; I didn’t normally eat as much as I had tonight.
The waiter brought Asher’s dessert and my tea and set the leftovers at the empty place across from me.
I stirred my tea then lifted the cup and blew across the tea to cool it enough to take a sip. I glanced at Asher just as he took a bite of the tiramisu. Almost simultaneously he closed his eyes with an expression of what looked like pure bliss, licked his lips, and moaned.
The sound went straight to my soul.
“Have a bite?” He scooped up a piece on the fork and held it out to me.
I started to shake my head, then changed my mind. Leaning forward, I put my hand over his and guided the fork into my mouth. The sweet of the ladyfingers, the sweet Marsala, the bitter of the espresso and unsweetened cocoa, and the perfect mascarpone nearly melted on my tongue. Such a contrast.
I held the fork in my mouth a bit longer than normal before I allowed Asher to pull it back. The heat in his gaze shot through my body. I sat back. “That is delicious.”
Asher cleared his throat. “Yes, it is.”
Okay, I was playing with fire, but for once in my life, I wanted to get burned. Asher might act like a caveman, at times, but he was also funny and a hard worker.
We finished our dinner, and after what my mother would have called a ‘spirited’ discussion regarding the check, Asher walked me to my car. He waited for me to unlock it, then he opened the back door and set the leftovers inside.
“Shouldn’t you take them home?” I had surrendered about the check but made it crystal clear I didn’t think it was fair for him to pay the whole thing.
Just as I thought I’d made my point, his whole demeanor changed.
Determination, power, I didn’t know what to call it, but the vibe, even as subtle as it was, definitely shut down any argument.
There wasn’t anything scary about it. In fact, it was the hottest experience I could ever remember.
Then, as soon as we stepped out of the restaurant, he gently took hold of my arm and whispered in my ear, “You’ll behave yourself or I will spank you. ”
The heat that flowed through my veins when he said he’d spank me was molten level. Was Asher kinky? It was possible. After all, he worked for a company that screamed kink.
“I want you to have them.” He shut the door and then turned to me.
His body was close, almost too close. “Thank you,” I whispered.
I watched as he lifted his hand and followed the movement until I felt his fingers on my chin, and he gently lifted my face ever so slightly so that his gaze captured mine. “I’m going to kiss you now, Emma. If you don’t want this, say no.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
He looked from my eyes to my lips and back to my eyes, tilted his head, and his lips touched mine.
It was a soft, barely there kiss, and I wanted more. I entwined my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Instantly, his lips parted, and our tongues tangled. His fingers dropped from my chin as his arms slid around my waist, pulling me even tighter against his body.
Oh yes. The kiss deepened. My body caught fire, and nothing was going to put it out—short of a week in bed.
A wolf whistle interrupted the kiss, and Asher lifted his head. I moaned and tried to follow his lips.
“We’re in a parking lot,” he whispered.
Yep, the mental bucket of cold water put the fire out. Damn, what was I thinking? One amazing kiss from Asher and I was putty in his arms. This wasn’t like me at all.
“Yes.” I unwound my arms from his neck and tried to step back, but he kept his arms around my waist. I glanced up at him.
“This isn’t the time or place to continue this, but later…” He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine before he whispered in my ear. “The gloves come off.”