Chapter 23
Asher
I stood outside her cabin door feeling more nervous than I ever had before a fight, which was ridiculous.
I’d stepped into cages in front of screaming crowds and taken hits that rattled my bones.
None of that compared to standing here with my heart beating too fast because I was about to take Claire on a real date.
I adjusted the cuffs of my white linen shirt.
The top buttons were open, the fabric light against my skin.
Dress pants instead of jeans. Hair slicked back instead of messy from work. I felt… exposed.
The door to her cabin opened. Everything inside me went quiet. Claire stood there in a yellow dress scattered with small flowers, her hair loose around her shoulders, cheeks flushed like she’d been rushing. For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
“You’re stunning,” I said, breathless.
Her smile softened. “You look… wow.”
That made me grin. “Wow good?”
“Very wow,” she laughed.
I held out my hand without thinking. She slipped hers into mine like it belonged there.
The walk to the brewery felt different tonight. The air was warm, the sky painted in soft evening colors, and I caught myself glancing at her every few steps just to make sure she was beside me. When we reached the private entrance, I paused.
“You ready?” I asked.
She nodded, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
I opened the door. Her breath caught as she took in the softly lit room.
Flowers sat in simple arrangements across the space, thanks to Sandy, who insisted on helping when she found out I was finally taking Claire on a date.
A candlelit table for two waited in the center, plates already set, wine glasses catching the light. Claire turned slowly, taking it all in.
“Asher…” she whispered.
I rubbed the back of my neck, suddenly unsure of myself. “I wanted it to feel special.”
Her eyes found mine again, shining. “It’s perfect.”
Relief loosened something in my chest. We sat down, and I handed her the special wine menu Cooper had put together for us. She scanned it, smiling.
“You remembered,” she said softly.
The plate in front of her held lemon-herb roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots and asparagus.
“You told me once it was your favorite,” I said. “Something your mom makes when you go home.”
Her expression warmed, and that look alone made all the planning worth it.
Wine replaced beer tonight. The atmosphere felt quieter, more intimate.
Conversation came easy, laughter slipping between stories about the orchard, about her childhood swim meets, about my brothers and the chaos that came with them.
At one point she laughed so hard she reached for my hand across the table without thinking.
Neither of us let go. Watching her relaxed, happy, and glowing made something settle inside me.
I wasn’t thinking about the fight in Toronto.
I wasn’t thinking about family drama or the weight of everything happening around us. It was just her and me.
“You’re staring,” she teased softly.
“Can’t help it,” I admitted.
A faint blush touched her cheeks.
Dinner stretched longer than either of us expected. The candles burned lower. Wine glasses emptied and refilled. The world outside the room faded until it felt like only the two of us existed. A soft knock came at the door before it opened slightly. Cooper peeked his head in with an easy grin.
“You two alive in here?” he joked.
Claire laughed softly, glancing at me. “Barely.”
Cooper nodded toward the table. “Kitchen’s still open if you want dessert before they shut things down.”
I looked at Claire. “You want something sweet?”
She leaned back in her chair, smiling contentedly. “I’m honestly full.”
“Same,” I said.
Cooper gave me a look that said he knew exactly what was going on and disappeared again. I pulled my phone out and checked the time. A knot of guilt tugged at me, remembering where Phoenix was.
“Hold on a second,” I said, standing. “I’m just going to check in with Phoenix.”
Claire nodded while I made the call. He picked up on the second ring, background noise loud behind him.
“How’s Elyna?” I asked quietly.
“Tired,” he said, voice strained but happy. “This is gonna take a while. They said probably all night.”
“You holding up okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he breathed. “Just… nervous. Go enjoy your night, Ash. I’ll update everyone.”
I smiled. “Text me when the baby comes.”
“Will do.”
“Everything okay?” Claire asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. He said it’ll probably be all night.”
We lingered a little longer, finishing the last of the wine. Neither of us seemed ready to break the quiet bubble we’d been living in all evening. Eventually I stood and held out my hand.
“Come on,” I said softly.
Outside, the air had cooled, the sky dark and clear. Stars stretched overhead as we walked back toward the cabins. Our shoulders brushed occasionally, and when her hand slipped into mine it felt natural.
“Thank you for dinner. It was very special and delicious,” she said quietly.
I chuckled. “I was worried you’d hate it.”
She stopped walking, turning toward me. “Asher… no one has ever done something like that for me.” That hit me harder than it should have.
I squeezed her hand gently. “You deserve it.”
We kept walking, the sounds of the brewery fading behind us until only crickets and distant laughter remained. When my cabin came into view, nerves flickered low in my stomach.
I opened the door and let her step inside first. Soft light filled the space. Flowers sat on the table. A plate of fruit waited beside a small pot of chocolate fondue. She turned slowly, eyes widening.
“I can’t believe you did all this,” she said.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Thought maybe you’d want dessert later.”
Her smile warmed something deep inside me. I set my keys down and turned toward her, suddenly serious.
“Claire,” I said quietly.
She looked up. “I need to say something.” The air shifted between us. “You don’t have to do anything tonight,” I said carefully. “If you’re tired. If you changed your mind. If you want to stop at any point… you can. We can just sit and talk or I can walk you back. No pressure.”
Her expression softened, something vulnerable flashing in her eyes.
She stepped closer. “There isn’t anything I want more,” she whispered, “than to be with you.”
My breath caught as my finger traced the shape of her bare shoulder. “You’d think it was my first time,” I laughed nervously, unable to look her in the eyes.
“Were you close to the girl you lost your virginity to?” she asked.
I chuckled nervously. “Not at all. It was high school. We had been dating, but we were kids. What did we know? That’s kind of been my MO since.”
“I get it,” she said.
“You do?” I asked with surprise.
“Yes, pushing feelings aside is something I’ve become good at,” she said.
“What changed now?” I asked.
“Coming here, doing something different, working in nature, meeting you,” she said, and at her last words our gazes locked, and the air shifted.
My breathing changed as I looked deep into her blue eyes.
My mouth found her neck, and she rolled it to the side, giving me access.
I spread kisses down her neck as I unzipped the back of her dress.
She let it pool to the floor around her ankles as she exposed the yellow lace bra and panties she was wearing.
“When I said you’d be the death of me, I wasn’t joking,” I hissed.
She spun around to show me the G-string of her panties.
I pulled her into me and kissed her deeply, our tongues moving together as she unbuttoned my linen shirt.
She pushed it off my shoulders. Then she worked my pants down along with my boxers.
As we kissed, she gripped my cock and stroked me.
I unclasped her bra and swept her off her feet, lowering her against my pillow at the top of my bed.
“Are you nervous?” I asked. “And before you answer, I need you to say yes.”
She laughed. “Asher, that’s ridiculous. There’s no way you can be nervous.”
I placed her palm over my heart. “Then why is my heart racing?”
“Because you’re turned on,” she countered.
I growled. She was so frustrating. I dipped my head and trailed kisses down her neck to her left breast. Then to her right.
We were both a little tipsy from the wine.
Her fingers tangled in my hair as I trailed kisses down her abdomen.
I pushed back on my knees and removed her panties.
I spread her legs and used my thumb to draw circles on her clit.
Looking into her eyes made me feel like I was drowning in them like I saw deep inside her.
They filled with heat and her breathing quickened.
I dipped my head between her thighs and sucked slowly on her clit.
She moaned. I knew what she needed. Every night I had been divided between wanting to be inside her and thinking, do I even deserve her?
Tonight, I did my best to spoil her, to show her I cared, to show her she was meaning more to me every day.
Her hips moved against my tongue. I reached up and tweaked her nipple.
That made her cry out more, but it was when I put two fingers inside her and began to pump that she fell over the edge.
She cried out as it took all my will power not to grab my cock and come all over her stomach. To mark her.
She came down from her high but I didn’t give her time to recover. Instead I reached for the condom box on my bedside and sheathed my cock.
“I want you inside me so badly,” she purred, and just the thought elicited a groan out of me.
“Your wish is my command, princess,” I said as I hovered above her. I slid inside her slowly. “Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Talk to me, beautiful,” I said to her as I slid in deeper. I groaned. “You’re so tight.”
“That wasn’t so bad,” she said as I seated myself fully.
I laughed at her comment. She gripped my ass and made me move. I claimed her lips, and we got lost in each other. Sliding inside her and pulling back as our tongues entwined. I didn’t know where I ended and she began. It all felt so intense in the best way.
“I’m getting close,” I warned.
“Come,” she urged.
“What about you?” I asked.
Something softened in her gaze. “I wasn’t expecting an orgasm the first time.”
“Okay,” I said. I picked up speed, trying to rub her clit as I pulled back and slid into her.
She moaned. “Oh, that feels so good, Asher.”
She sounded surprised by the burst of pleasure she was feeling. That encouraged me more, so I kept it up, almost holding my breath so I wouldn’t come. She began clenching around my cock, and that’s when I lost it.
“I’m coming,” I warned. I came hard as her pussy clamped down on my cock. A small orgasm racked through her body. We unraveled together in a flame of lust and need. When we both came down I rolled off her and held her in my arms.
“That was way better than I expected,” she confessed. “I had an orgasm.”
“I know,” I grinned. “It’s my magic cock.”
“It is magic,” she agreed.
“Are you sore?” I asked.
“A little.”
“Let me run you a bath,” I offered.
“Thanks,” she smiled. Her cheeks flushed. Something inside me shifted. There was a feeling inside my chest I couldn’t name, but it wasn’t something I had felt before.
In the bathroom I got rid of the condom and washed my hands, then I filled the bath and added some bath foam I had lying around. It said lavender on the bottle, so I figured it was good for Claire.
When the bath was ready, I went to get her. She shivered against me. I walked her to the tub.
“Are you going to get in with me?” she asked.
“If you want me to,” I answered.
“I want you,” she said. Three words that did me in.
We took a bath together. Claire sat between my legs and leaned on my chest. We just enjoyed each other quietly.
“Do you have to train tonight?” she asked.
“Nope, I’m taking the night off,” I said.
“Are you looking forward to this fight?” she asked.
“Not as much as I used to. This fight is different. There’s going to be a larger crowd, more money.”
“And probably the stakes are higher,” she added. “As in you could get hurt.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “There’s risk involved. That isn’t new.”
“But this guy is more advanced. Dangerous,” she said.
“You read about the fight online, didn’t you?” I accused.
“I couldn’t help myself,” she admitted. “I’m worried.”
Her words hit hard. When I was younger, I was a loose cannon.
The fighting was my avenue, but with time I lost my steam.
I lost that fire that made me want to react before my mind caught up.
These days I was the complete opposite. I was thinking about all my actions.
Since taking over the orchard I’d been planning for the future, and since meeting Claire I felt like my purpose had changed.
“Don’t be worried. I’ll be prepared,” I assured.
“I know,” she said. “But that won’t stop me from worrying,” she said, looking up at me with doe blue eyes. I cared about her. I knew what it felt like to worry when she took off to meet with Nico, when she was involving herself with dangerous things.
“I’ll be careful.”
“We both know that isn’t enough,” she said.
That was the truth. “I think this is going to be my last fight, Claire. I’ve been saving the money from fights to invest in the orchard.”
I kissed the top of her head, and she sighed as she curled into me.
The truth was, I worried too. I’d fought all kinds of guys and won, but this guy was different.
He had a record of making illegal plays and had seriously injured someone at the international Asian competition.
I had always felt like a lone soldier. I never had anyone else to worry about.
I wandered from place to place. Now I felt like I had something to lose.
Or more like someone, and I didn’t want to risk the feeling I had now because with Claire in my arms everything felt right.
My life was shifting, and I would either need to embrace it or let this beautiful woman down.