Chapter 17
Claire
Annoyed didn’t even begin to cover it. Asher walking into the Frosted Mug like he had authority over my choices rubbed me the wrong way.
I understood why he did it. That was what made it worse.
He wasn’t being arrogant. He was being protective.
There was a difference, and I hated that I knew it.
Kammy texting him felt like a betrayal, even though she’d admitted she liked me.
Apparently liking me meant not letting me get myself killed.
I blew out a breath as I drove toward the community center.
My head felt crowded. Part of me couldn’t stop thinking about Asher.
The other part was furious he kept stepping in when I was trying to do what I came here to do: find out what happened to my best friend with no distractions.
Instead, what did I do? I fall into bed with my boss, who I can’t stop thinking about or watching without my heart picking up speed.
Asher’s meddling made me infuriated. I was grateful he introduced me to Becket.
But that didn’t mean I wanted him hovering every time I made strides in cracking Sophie’s case.
The parking lot at the community center was empty when I arrived.
Swimming had always been my reset button.
When my mind got loud, water quieted it.
Sophie and I had been on the competitive swim team together in high school.
We had traveled to tournaments. She was a much stronger swimmer than I was.
For me it was more about fun. For Sophie it was about becoming the best.
I changed into one of my old competitive suits.
Navy blue. High-cut. I tucked my hair under a cap and adjusted my goggles.
The water hit cold against my skin when I dove in.
The first few laps felt mechanical. Breath.
Pull. Kick. Turn. After ten minutes my shoulders began to ache.
After twenty my lungs burned. By thirty I felt something loosen in my chest.
Every stroke gave me something to focus on other than the mess in my head.
The fact that I had barely any experience with men.
And Asher was a lot to handle. The way he could be so domineering and somehow still gentle.
The way I kept replaying how he touched me and how he stepped in at Kammy’s without asking me if I wanted him to.
Even though I knew he did it because he was watching out for me, which I appreciated.
I flipped onto my back and started a back crawl, staring at the ceiling lights blurring above me. There was something about moving backward that felt symbolic. Trying to undo things. Trying to rewind the last twenty-four hours. I slammed straight into something solid.
“What the hell? Watch where you’re swimming!” I snapped.
The person in the lane beside me straightened. Water dripped down broad shoulders and over a chest I knew too well. He squinted at me like he couldn’t quite place me. For a second, relief flickered. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize me beneath the cap and goggles. Then his expression shifted.
“Claire?”
Great.
Heat rushed to my face, even though I was half submerged in chlorinated water.
“You were in my lane,” I said defensively.
“You drifted,” he countered.
Typical.
He pushed wet hair back from his forehead, studying me more closely now.
“You swim?” he asked, sounding almost impressed.
“I used to compete,” I replied.
That surprised him. His eyebrows lifted slightly.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, needing to redirect.
“I taught an MMA class. I like to come for a swim after. It’s a good release for my muscles,” he said.
Of course it was. The universe clearly had a sense of humor. Silence settled between us. The pool echoed faintly with the hum of the filter system.
“You always seem to have a way of barreling into my life,” he suddenly said, and that ticked me off.
“You always seem to be getting in my way,” I countered and ripped off the goggles.
He held my gaze. I was still breathing hard from the laps. Then it felt like the air shifted between us.
“Is that such a bad thing?” he asked, the fight leaving his tone.
That did something to me and I softened inside. “I don’t know. I came here with a plan to get answers, and you keep getting me off track.”
“I’m not much of a planner,” he countered.
“What does that feel like?” I asked, genuinely wanting to know. I had never been someone who drifted. Not even before Sophie disappeared.
“Liberating,” he said. “I used to come and go as I pleased.”
“What changed?” I asked curiously.
“Eric getting married. My family needed me to step in.”
“Right,” I said. He had mentioned something about that before.
“And being a wanderer can get kind of lonely,” he admitted.
He licked his lips. My gaze dropped to his mouth. I thought of his glorious tongue and the way he ate me with such hunger. Something in my lower belly clenched, and I took a deep breath. I licked my lips and swallowed the excess saliva in my mouth.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Claire, so if you don’t want me to, say something. Push me away. Do anything. Because right now I need my lips on you,” he said, swimming toward me slowly.
I had time to back away. To protest. But that’s not what I wanted.
What I wanted was him kissing me breathless.
When he reached me, he moved us toward the wall and then his lips landed on mine.
Wet. Warm. A heated current buzzed through me, burning every inch of my body.
My arms wrapped around his shoulders. He pinned me to the wall.
The kiss was fast, wet, and filled with lust. I moaned into his mouth.
“I’m going to touch you, Claire,” he said, breaking the kiss for a moment.
“Yes,” I breathed.
He moved in closer giving me leverage to wrap my legs around his waist. He slid a finger into my swimsuit and started rubbing my clit. My breathing picked up, and then he slid what felt like two fingers inside me.
“So tight, Claire. You have the sweetest pussy,” he said, breaking the kiss again.
My breaths were ragged. I was coming apart. His dark eyes looked molten as I reached into his swimsuit and grasped his cock in my hand. I began to pump him, watching his breathing quicken.
“Asher, I’m going to come,” I warned.
“Even in the water I can feel you dripping for me,” he responded.
“Asher… I…”
His fingers picked up pace. He placed pressure on my clit with what felt like his thumb. He was rubbing tight circles as my head fell back.
“I’ll scream, Asher. I can’t be quiet.”
“So scream,” he said. “Just not too loud. It’s late and the place is empty. We don’t want to alert security.”
I ran my hand around the tip of his cock and back down. He groaned.
“You’re so beautiful, Claire. Watching you come undone like this, I feel your pussy squeezing my fingers.”
That’s all it took for me to fall over the edge.
I cried out holding onto his shoulders. His cock stiffened in my hand as I stroked.
He came hard, grunting. We both held on to each other, breathing fast. We stayed that way until our breaths regulated.
Then he pulled his fingers out of me and put them straight into his mouth.
Holy crap, that was hot.
“I can’t believe we just did that in here,” I said.
“Me neither. You’re going to get me fired,” he said. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you.”
“It’s becoming a problem,” I agreed with a lazy smirk.
“Is it a problem?” he asked, like the idea offended him.
“No,” I deflated.
“We should get out of here,” he said next.
“You’re probably right,” I replied.
“I can wait for you and walk you to your car,” he offered.
“I’m okay,” I said.
He sighed. “I know you’re okay, but the way you’re going about your research concerns me.”
He wasn’t wrong. I was taking risks I had never taken before.
“I do appreciate you watching out for me,” I said, and I meant it too. “I really do, but if I don’t take risks, I won’t get answers.”
“I’m a protector, Claire, and you’re out here trying to swim with sharks. I’d like to say I’ll back down and let you do your thing, but I can’t promise something that goes against my nature,” he explained.
“It’s just been so long since she died, and I haven’t been able to put it behind me. There’s this overwhelming need to get answers, but I’m grateful I have you in my corner. You’ve been very unexpected, Asher Thorne.”
“Right back at you, Claire Segal,” he chuckled.
I laughed too. “I’m happy I came to Maple Valley.”
“Me too,” he said with a warm smile that melted me.
“We should get out of here,” he said.
“Okay, I’ll see you out front in twenty,” I replied.
We both got out of the water.
Asher whistled playfully. “Hot get-up, Claire.”
I didn’t know what to make of him, even if I still felt the need to rip his clothes off.
I laughed. “This is the least hot outfit I could find.”
My hair was tucked away. I looked like an alien with goggles, and even though the swimsuit was high-cut it was one piece and crushed my boobs, making them look flat.
I shook my head and giggled. His eyes danced with humor, and we watched each other disappear into the changerooms.
Asher was leaning against the counter like he’d been waiting longer than he wanted to admit. A hoodie covered his torso now, gym bag over one shoulder. He straightened when he saw me.
“You good?” he asked.
There was something softer in his voice.
“I’m fine,” I said, adjusting the strap of my bag.
His eyes moved over me briefly, not in a way that felt possessive, just aware.
“I’ll walk you,” he said.
“I told you I’m fine.”
“I know,” he replied evenly. “I still want to.”
We stepped outside together. The air had cooled since earlier, the sky deepening into evening blue. The parking lot was mostly empty. My car came into view. That’s when I saw it. A folded piece of paper tucked beneath my windshield wiper. My steps slowed. Asher noticed immediately.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I replied.