Chapter 10
Roxanne
Working for Asher again is a terrible idea. I realize that approximately forty-three minutes into the next morning, when he calls my telephone from his office, my entire body reacts crazily to the sound of my name in his voice.
“Roxanne.”
The way he says my name should not affect me this much.
And yet every single time, something low in my stomach tightens anyway. Maybe because Asher never says it casually.
My name always sounds deliberate coming from him and intimate in ways he probably doesn’t even realize.
Or maybe he does and is just doing it intentionally, which is worse.
I grab the tablet from my desk and head toward his office while mentally reminding myself that this man literally accused me of sleeping with Hudson for financial help less than twenty-four hours ago.
That should kill attraction instantly. Unfortunately, my body apparently lacks self-respect.
Asher barely glances up when I enter. He’s standing near the glass wall overlooking Manhattan, suit jacket discarded across the couch while he loosens the cuffs of his white dress shirt.
It’s a beautiful sight for my sore eyes.
Everything about this man feels unfairly attractive. His broad shoulders and sharp jawline make my mouth water just from looking at him.
The controlled arrogance that somehow becomes even worse now that I know exactly what his hands feel like against my skin.
“This needs to be revised before the Pierce meeting,” he says, handing over a folder.
I step forward to take it. Our fingers brush briefly. The contact lasts less than a second, but still, heat flashes up my arm immediately.
Asher notices. I know he does because his gaze flicks toward my mouth afterward for the briefest moment. Then his expression hardens again, like he’s angry about it too.
“Anything else?” I ask coolly.
His eyes settle on me fully now. The intensity makes my stomach knot up. The sexual tension between us has become unbearable since the hotel.
And somehow it feels worse knowing he’s aware of my financial disaster, too. I hate that he knows something vulnerable about me.
Of all the people to find out, it had to be him. The one man who thinks the worst of me.
“I’ll need you at the Pierce meeting in an hour,” he says finally.
I nod and turn toward the door quickly before this strange, suffocating atmosphere gets any worse.
“Roxanne.”
I pause. “What?”
A beat of silence passes behind me, then quietly he asks, “Did you figure things out?”
The question catches me off guard. I glance back finally, wondering if the concern I perceived in his voice is real. Asher’s expression remains unreadable, but there’s something restrained beneath it now.
His concern, whether feigned or real, unsettles me more than the suspicion ever did.
“I’m handling it,” I say carefully.
His jaw tightens slightly, as if he doesn’t like that answer. However, he lets me leave.
Pierce Enterprises somehow feels warmer than Sterling Group despite being equally expensive. Maybe because Alexander Pierce actually smiles occasionally.
Or maybe because Maya Peterson exists.
The woman greets me so brightly when we arrive that I momentarily forget how emotionally exhausted I am.
I’ve only ever met her a couple of times before, but she was just Alexander Pierce’s assistant then. Now that she’s his fiancée, I don’t know how to handle myself around her.
“Roxanne, right?” she says warmly while shaking my hand. “I’ve heard good things about you.”
I blink. That surprises me enough that I glance briefly toward Asher. His expression remains perfectly neutral, which means absolutely nothing.
“You too,” I reply politely.
Maya beams. “Come with me before the testosterone in this building becomes unbearable.”
Alexander snorts from beside Asher. “You say that like you weren’t just threatening my CFO twenty minutes ago.”
“I stand by my actions.”
I smile. Maya gently hooks her arm through mine and leads me away while the men head toward the conference room.
“She’s terrifying,” I hear Alexander murmur behind us.
“Mm,” Asher replies dryly. “You like terrifying.”
That earns him a laugh from Alex. The sound follows us down the hallway. Maya glances sideways at me once we’re alone.
“I’m sorry for stealing you away that way,” she murmurs, rubbing her slightly protruding baby bump as she sits down. “I just didn’t want to stay any longer in any meeting.”
I chuckle. “I understand. I needed an excuse to get away, too.”
Maya laughs softly. The two of us ease into a comfortable conversation. Maya turns out to be just as sweet as I remember.
“So?” She suddenly asks about fifteen minutes into our conversation, brows wiggling excitedly.
“So?” I repeat cautiously.
“You and Asher.”
I choke on my coffee. Maya laughs and pats my back. Her smile still remains permanently perched on her face.
“There is no me and Asher,” I finally say once my coughing fit has subsided.
“Really?” She smiles knowingly. “That wasn’t technically my question.”
Heat crawls instantly up my neck.
Good lord! Is it that obvious?
“Relax. I’m not interrogating you.”
“That’s reassuring considering you sound exactly like you are.”
She laughs softly. Damn, I like her. Which feels inconvenient because I wasn’t planning on emotionally bonding with anyone connected to Asher Sterling.
“You just both have that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where it’s clear you two have got the hots for each other,” she says.
I stare at her and let out an awkward laugh.
Maya points triumphantly. “See? That’s exactly how I used to react whenever people mentioned Alexander.”
It's only natural that Maya sees romance in everything around her now that she’s in love herself. While I’m happy for her, I can’t help but be reminded of my own situation.
Love is far from me.
“There’s nothing happening.”
“Mmhm.”
“I’m serious.”
“And I’m sure you believe that.” She chuckles.
I exhale slowly and lean back against the chair. “It’s complicated.”
“There it is.”
I nibble on my lower lip. Maya’s expression softens slightly then.
“For what it’s worth,” she says more gently. “Asher’s impossible to read sometimes, but he’s not indifferent.”
That catches me off guard immediately.
I laugh softly. “You sound very confident about that.”
“Because I’ve watched that man stare at you during meetings like he’s trying to solve a personal crisis.”
He does stare at me that way, but I didn’t think Maya would notice. My pulse betrays me instantly.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Probably,” Maya agrees easily. “Still true though.”
Before I can respond, the office door opens. Alexander steps inside first and makes a beeline for Maya.
“Meeting’s over,” Alex says. He places a hand on Maya’s shoulder and massages it softly. “How do you feel?”
“Tired,” Maya murmurs, snuggling into Alex’s arms.
I frown, stepping away from them. Asher walks in then. His eyes immediately find me. The eye contact lasts barely two seconds. Yet the atmosphere changes instantly.
I feel Maya’s gaze on us and glare at her. She smiles brightly. I shoot her a warning look, but her smile widens.
Asher’s gaze flicks between us slowly. “Should I be concerned?”
“Yes,” Maya answers immediately.
“No,” I say at the exact same time.
Alexander laughs openly, while Asher still watches me. That same heavy tension is settling between us again.
Shit!
I need this tension to stop before I lose my mind completely.
The drive back to Sterling Group is painfully quiet. I find myself still replaying Maya’s words in my head. I find it oddly believable.
I glance sideways briefly from the passenger seat. Asher’s focused on the road, one hand loose against the steering wheel while late afternoon sunlight cuts sharply across his face.
Even in silence, his presence feels overwhelming. The memory of the time we spent together flashes through my mind again.
I immediately look back out the window.
This is becoming a real problem.
My phone rings through the quiet car, and I pull it out. A strange sense of unease settles in my stomach immediately when I see that it's actually Principal Phillips office from Felix’s school.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Sinclair?” a woman’s voice says.
I sit up straighter instantly. “Yes?”
“This is St. Virginia Academy calling regarding your brother.”
Fear crashes through me immediately. “What happened?”
“There was an altercation involving another student.”
“Is he hurt?”
“He’s fine, but we need someone to pick him up.”
“I’m coming now.”
I end the call quickly while already reaching for my bag. “I need to go.”
Asher glances toward me briefly. “What happened?”
“An emergency.
I reach for the door handle the second the car stops at a red light, but it's locked. I frown immediately and try again, but it doesn’t budge.
“What are you doing?” Asher asks calmly.
“Opening the door.”
“You’re not getting out in traffic.”
Damn it! I can’t deal with his stubbornness right now. It has never yielded good results before. I need to leave now and get to Felix.
“I need to leave.”
“So I’ll drive you,” he says casually.
“I can get a cab.”
His gaze finally shifts toward me fully. The distinct look of determination tells me he’s not going to change his mind easily.
“Asher—”
“You’re already upset.” He turns back toward the road as the light changes. “I’m not letting you stand on a Manhattan sidewalk trying to flag down a cab.”
The concern in the statement catches me completely off guard.
“So instead you’re kidnapping me?”
One corner of his mouth lifts faintly. “You’re dramatic.”
“You locked the doors.”
“You panic badly.”
I study the fine lines between his brows, trying to understand what’s going through his heart. Asher’s grip tightens slightly around the steering wheel.
“Just tell me where you’re going,” he says.
I sigh, leaning back in my seat as I accept my fate.