15. Brooke
Chapter 15
Brooke
I’ve been avoiding Asher ! I was an adult, but I decided to avoid him because I was embarrassed that I ran away after we slept together, as if we didn’t sleep on my couch. I ran to Marie’s apartment because I was really ashamed that I had slept with Asher . It happened out of nowhere, and I had loved it so much.
Just looking at my living room, I was reminded of the way he held me close to him that entire night, and kissed me like I was his, and I could still feel his thrust—what had I become?
Secondly , I couldn’t believe that I had given myself to my sworn enemy that easily. Oh , he was so seductive, and his words were so dirty that I got shivers right now just thinking of his husky voice and moans in my ear.
Damn you, Asher !
I finished touching up my make-up because I had received an invitation from Anne , and I had to honor her sweet invitation. She knocked on my door two days after my one-night stand, when I had run away from Asher in my apartment. Her hands held up a pink card filled with glitter. I took it from her hands, and she bobbed a curtsy before she ran back to her apartment.
She had invited me to her school’s recital, and I couldn’t even tolerate the thought of rejecting the invitation; it made me sick! I would show up at whatever event that Anne invited me to, even if her father was there; I was that loyal to Anne .
I wonder if he will find me hot today. Ugh ! Go away, dirty thoughts! I could still hear his voice clearly in my ear; it had been taunting me, and I had to fight the temptation to go visit his apartment and give in.
I had to be strong.
Honestly , what we did was risky because Anne could’ve woken up at any time, but she didn’t. If she had caught us, how traumatizing would that be for her? Eew .
Today I had decided to wear jeans and a crop corset shirt instead of a dress because, let’s face it, I was a hot girl, and it was summer. I had to show off my youth and potentially attract another man instead of Asher .
That would definitely help me forget about Asher .
I grabbed my jacket and purse. It was a bit windy outside, and it was such a shame that I had to cover up my cleavage. However , if Asher was good today, maybe I could give him a glimpse. Oh , shoot, there I go again!
Asher was that one annoying song that I couldn’t get out of my mind! Probably because he hadn’t talked to me since our adult engagement, nor had he texted me. Was he disappointed? I was pretty sure he climaxed more than once, too, while he dedicated his skills to making me orgasm more than twice. He was damn skilled.
I left my apartment after vowing to myself not to think of Asher for the remainder of the day. Even though I knew I was going to see him at the recital, I wanted to keep my distance from him, and after giving Anne her flowers, I would run out of there.
I went to the lobby and bought Anne some flowers from a vendor close to our apartment.
“ Hello , can I please get a small bouquet of dahlias?”
“ Alright , let me gather them for you!” she said brightly. I nodded as I took my phone out of my pocket and saw messages from Marie .
Marie : Are you still avoiding the man?
Me : Of course I am. But I’m going to Anne’s recital today.
Marie : Oooh , the drama! You should tell me all about it.
Me : Don’t you have a man to be entertaining?
Marie and Matthew were officially a couple, and she was so worried to tell me when I visited her apartment. She thought I would be against their relationship, but I was pretty happy for both of them.
If someone could love Marie how she deserved to be loved, it would be Matthew ; if someone would be a perfect match for Matthew , it definitely would be Marie .
Marie : Don’t be worried about me and my man, but be concerned about what that brute of a man is going to do to you once he finally sees you today.
Me : Don’t be worried about me, either, and mind your own.
Marie : Huh ? Since when have I ever minded my own business?
Me : Bye , Marie .
“ Brooke ?” I lifted my head from the phone, and the guy from my building who had found my keys stood before me.
“ Hey ,” I greeted as I closed my phone, which vibrated several times in my pocket. Marie was probably cussing me out for suddenly leaving our chat.
“ I’m Drew , remember?” he pointed to his chest, and I hoped he didn’t notice that I had forgotten his name. I didn’t bother to remember it because I doubted we would engage with each other again.
Honestly , I got some kind of a weird vibe from Drew , but perhaps I had been around the likes of mean, grumpy men for far too long to know how normal human beings acted.
“ Yes , yes, sorry. I didn’t get you a thank you gift for bringing my keys back to me...are you okay with flowers?” I offered, and he waved his hand.
“ You don’t have to worry about paying me back,” he smiled, and I flipped my hair over my shoulder and noticed how his eyes stared at my shoulders for a while.
Well , that was normal.
“ You sure? I feel terrible for not thanking you properly,” I insisted, and he shook his head.
“ Your relief was more than enough for me,” he said, and I nodded slowly. “ Are you going somewhere?” he asked after the vendor passed me my flowers, and I handed her a twenty, informing her to keep the change as her tip.
“ Uhm , yes, I was invited somewhere. I can’t show up without a gift.” I laughed softly, and his smile didn’t reach his eyes; it seemed forced.
“ Is it with Asher ?” I tilted my head to the side, wondering what had given him that idea. “ I just noticed that you’ve been with his daughter lately, and I know that he had that petition circulating in the building. Is everything okay between you guys now?”
“ Uhm , I think so,” I nodded, suddenly wanting to get far away from this man. “ Well , I don’t want to be late for my appointment. I’ll see you around, Drew .”
“ I could give you a lift?” He pointed to his Toyota , and I smiled kindly, shaking my head.
“ It’s alright. The location is just a few blocks away. I can walk.”
“ So , I was right, huh? It is Asher ?” He clicked his fingers, laughing heartily as if we had been playing “guess Brooke’s appointment” together.
“ Ha , ha, ha, I have to leave now.” I waved as I started taking a few steps away from him. He nodded, waving his hands before he got into his car.
“ You sure you don’t want me to drop you off? I could come as your date,” he joked, and I forced my smile as I shook my head.
“ No , I’ll be fine. Thank you!” I picked up the pace when he turned away from me and stared straight ahead.
What was that?
His Toyota passed me, he gave me a honk, and I waved out of politeness.
After a few minutes, I finally made it to Anne’s day care, which would close today so the children could enjoy their vacation. She had asked to spend some days of her vacation with me instead of Elise , and I made a mental note to get rid of that couch and get it cleaned thoroughly before selling it.
Nobody could ever sit on that couch again!
I walked into the building, a little out of breath because, fuck, the sun was hot! And someone’s son was hotter when his dark eyes met mine. Oh , no, my heart leaped out of my chest as I watched him approach me.
Dressed in a semi-formal outfit that consisted of black slacks and a black button-up shirt that was stretched over his yummy chest and sneakers, Asher held my gaze strongly, his face not hinting what he was thinking of.
I stood there struck by his strong presence, suddenly wishing I hadn’t run away that day. He stopped before me, quiet as he took my outfit in while I did the same with him. Asher was so hot he had to be delirious. He had a clean five o’clock shadow, and it took all in me not to moan as I thought of how it would feel against my skin.
“ Brooke ,” he greeted, his voice deep as he brought his fingers to my hair, moving a few locks away from my face.
“ Asher ,” I breathed out; why would he touch me so softly? It left me flustered; honestly, just from that small action, I would do anything for the man before me!
“ Our seats are this way,” he said, and I looked at him, shocked. I had a million questions running through my head and many more scenarios than the seats. What game was he playing?
I followed him closely, noticing how people moved out of the way for him because of his big presence, dominating the room with his black outfit. Did he not have a white dress shirt, at least?
He looked like he was in the mafia with his domineering presence and dark looks; of course, everyone would be afraid of the grumpy man in the room. It was kind of ironic for me to say that because most of the men here were dads, as well, but there was a difference between them and Asher .
He was a dilf, and they were fathers.
He stepped aside and motioned for me to get in. I squeezed myself between the tightly packed chairs and sat down, placing the flowers and bag on a chair beside me, hoping Asher would get the hint, but he picked up my bag and flowers and sat them on his lap as he settled beside me.
Come on!
I swallowed as I sat up straight, pretending to be focused on the empty stage as some people filtered into the hall, all here to watch their children do a recital, while I tried my hardest to ignore his heated gaze against the side of my face.
Why was he looking at me?
I turned slightly, looking at him through my lashes, and he raised one eyebrow as if he was saying, “ Explain yourself,” but he wasn’t; he just stared at me silently, and I couldn’t take it.
“ What ?” I surrendered to his stare, and for the first time, Asher lifted his lips to a crooked smile because of me.
It was beautiful.
“ Why did you run away from your apartment?” he spoke softly, and I looked away. “ You could’ve asked me to leave instead of running away.”
Who was this Asher ?
“ I just needed some air,” I whispered, and he tilted his head to the side.
“ Was it that bad?” I knew he was teasing me because he knew he had ruined any other man for me, ever! I had never experienced sex the way I did with Asher , and it was mind-blowing.
“ You know it wasn’t,” I gritted as I turned to face him. He had a stupid grin on his face as he looked at my lips for a second before he lazily but intensely looked into my eyes.
“ It was. You did come on my tongue more than once.” My cheeks burned. Why was he doing this? “ Would you let me do the same to you?”
Oh , I would love to!
“ Stop it; there are people around,” I said, and he smirked as he leaned in close.
“ I didn’t mean here, but if that’s what you’re into.” My eyes widened, and I pushed his face away from mine. He grabbed my hand and pressed a soft kiss onto my wrist. Oh no, why did that feel so sensual?
He kept my hand in his as the teacher came on stage and welcomed everyone. His thumb gently rubbed my skin, and I crossed my legs as I sat up, trying to find a comfortable position because this man was literally seducing me in a room full of people.
The recitals finally began, and I could forget all about Asher’s soft teases. Recitals were kind of boring, especially when you were watching people you didn’t come to see. After about three classes, it was finally time for Anne to sing with her class, according to the program.
Asher’s hand squeezed mine gently, and I saw just how beautiful his real smile was when Anne walked onto the stage; her ballgown was so cute, and I smiled widely as I saw her searching for her father in the crowd.
The moment her blue eyes found him, her grin widened, and she stood in the middle of the group, and they began singing their song. Harmony always made everything sound and look beautiful.
Once they were done, Asher got up from his chair and cheered for his daughter proudly. I joined him because she had done so well with all the singing and dancing.
She was beautiful, and Asher loved her so much. It almost made me cry; it was just the two of them in each other’s lives. They reminded me so much of my brother and me.
Oh , I missed him so much!
After the recital, Asher went to fetch his child from backstage rather than waiting for her to find us. He instructed me to wait in the hallway and not wander off alone, as if I were a kid.
They soon turned up, and she was in his arms, smiling brightly as he complimented her.
“ Well done, Anne ! You were amazing, sweetie,” I gushed as I passed her the flowers. She looked embarrassed as she accepted them.
“ Thank you, Brooke ,” she mumbled, trying to hide her smile.
“ You should tell me where you bought that dress; I need to get one for myself, as well,” I said as I touched the skirt of her dress, and she nodded, probably thinking of matching, since that was all we talked about.
“ Oh , you guys are such a beautiful family. Let me take a picture of you,” one of the photographers said, and Asher nodded instead of correcting him. He pulled me close to him by my waist while Anne argued to be put down so that her dress could be seen in the picture.
“ Got it, thank you!” the photographer said, and we thanked him as he walked away to ask another real family if he could take pictures of them.
“ Let’s go out for dinner to celebrate,” Asher said as he took ahold of Anne’s hand, and she grabbed mine as well.
“ Oh , I’m included?” I asked, surprised, and Anne giggled as she rolled her eyes.
“ Yes , silly, you’re family!”