chapter EIGHT #2
I make my way toward the stone steps Leah and I walked up on the first day we got here, carrying our suitcases to the hotel.
The stairs lead to the marina and is most likely the way he’s gone.
Taking two at a time, I skip down the steps until I see his six-foot frame, walking down the path in a slow and purposeful manner.
“Where are you going?” My feet stop at the step I’m on when I see him. He’s about twenty steps below me.
Asher stops his descent and slowly turns around. The sun has already set, so it’s hard to make out his expression in the evening light. From his posture, it looks like he’s mad.
“Who’s Adam?” His voice is thick with inquisition.
Okay. That is the last thing I expected out of his mouth. “Why do you care about Adam?”
Asher doesn’t move and neither do I. We have a stand off on the steps while I try to figure out how he even knows about Adam.
“I gave your name to the man at the hotel. He said you were staying in Adam Reingold’s room.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Are you married?”
My brows lower over my eyes lids while I try to figure out this guy. “If I were, do you think I’d be all dressed up, ready for you to take me to dinner?”
He doesn’t miss a beat before answering. “Yes.”
I’m speechless but only for a second. “No. I’m not married.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Nope.”
“Kids?”
“No. But would it matter?”
“Only if you lied about having them.”
I feel like I’m on trial. I guess it’s normal to ask someone you’re about to go to dinner with if they’re already taken. Maybe I should reciprocate. I cross my arms over my chest. “What about you?”
Asher cocks his head to the side. “What about me?”
“Married?”
He balks as if the idea is ludicrous. “No.”
“Kids?”
“No.”
“Boyfriend?” I ask in attempt to lighten the mood.
At this, he lets out a laugh and releases his arms. “Never.”
I walk down the stairs until I am two steps above him, making me slightly taller.
The perfect height to appraise. Leah says he’s hot but that’s not the word.
Asher is the most perfectly created person I’ve even seen.
His smooth skin is evident even in the darkness of the night, and the perfect structure of his face is outlined in the moonlight.
“You confuse the hell out of me.” It’s true. I thought he was mean but then he was nice. I thought he wanted to take me out and now he’s running away.
Asher looks into my eyes and I stand here, awaiting his response. Usually I’m not so brazen with men. I’m not shy. I just don’t have the time for games. I should go back to the room and take Leah out to dinner. But first, I need answers.
“What is it you want from me?”
“I’m trying to figure out if I can trust you.” His words are light, like a whisper.
“Trust me?” I let out a slight laugh. “You don’t even know me. And I don’t know you. How am I supposed to trust you?”
Asher lets out a deep breath. “That’s why you intrigue me.”
If I had a nickel for every time this guy baffled me I’d have . . . a quarter. Yeah, not so dramatic when I put it that way.
I take a step back and up, away from him.
“Here’s the deal. I had a crap year. Like, a total crap year, so I don’t have any room for games.
I got all dressed up, and I’m going out to dinner tonight, with or without you.
And since I’m never going to see you again it really doesn’t matter to me either way. ”
Asher places his hands in his pockets and leans back on his heels. His mouth widens in a smile. “Since you put it that way, it looks like I’m taking you out to dinner.”
“Now that we have that straightened out, where are we going?” I take my three steps down and walk past him on the staircase. Asher follows.
I spin my head around; he’s glancing at his watch. “Are you starving or do you want to walk a little?”
Leah and I did eat and drink a lot today on our escapade. We also did a lot of walking, but I’m not that hungry, yet. “I can stand to walk.”
Asher and I reach the bottom of the stairs and are at a street. If we keep going, we’ll land at the Marina. Instead, we make a right and start strolling through the streets.
The light down here is brighter than on the stairs.
I look over at Asher and see he’s wearing khaki pants, a black-button down with the sleeves rolled up, and loafers.
His blond hair is glistening in the lamplight and his honey eyes look dark.
He’s about a half foot taller than me, and his posture is perfect, more so than any guy I ever met.
The fit frame of his body combined with the way he walks, as if with purpose, makes his stature intimidating.
If it wasn’t for that smile I would be a nervous wreck.
But then he spreads those gorgeous full lips and I’m at ease.
“Are you going to tell me who Adam is?” he asks.
I glance up at him as we walk side by side. “Adam is Leah’s fiancé. They were supposed to be here on their honeymoon but the wedding was called off. That’s why the room is in his name. I came in his place.”
“He must have done something deplorable for her to call off the wedding.”
“Adam is the world’s kindest man. He would never do anything deplorable or whatever fancy word you want to use.”
“Then it must have been Leah. She cheated.” His jaw tightens with the word.
I stop walking and it takes a few steps for Asher to realize I’m behind him. When he turns around, I am standing with my hands on my hips and a scowl on my face. “Why do you assume one of them did something awful. Do you always assume the worst in people?”
He blinks a few times and tilts his head slightly, his eyes darting out to the side as he thinks. “Yes. I do.” His eyes stop roaming and settle on mine. “Why else would they call off a wedding?”
I should have just let him believe one of them cheated. Now I have to answer him. Ugh. “Something tragic happened in our family. It isn’t the best time to host a wedding.” I just took a cue from Leah’s school of “Lies while only telling the truth.”
“Is this one of those things you don’t talk about?” His question surprises me. He was really listening to me yesterday.
“Yes.”
With a slight nod of his head, Asher shows me he understands and then lifts his chin in the direction we were originally going. He turns around and continues moving. My Sperrys move on the pavement and find my spot next to him.
We walk for a few minutes in surprisingly comfortable silence. I follow him around a bend.
There was something he said to me yesterday I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. “How did you know about the way I play the piano? I mean, was that just a line you use on girls or did you really see something?”
“I play too.” He puts his hand on my back and leads me up a narrow staircase going back up the hill. “My mother taught out of our home.”
“You must be pretty good.”
He winks. “I’m very good.”
“Was that back in Pittsburgh?” My question causes him to stop this time. I turn around on the stair and face him. “If that’s an off-limits topic, I understand.”
He lets out a breath, his eyes skimming my face, working something out in his head.
“I’ll tell you what. For every thing I tell you that’s off limits, you have to tell me something.
” Even as he says the words I see the hesitation in his eyes.
They must match my own. Yes, he’s a stranger.
I’ll never see him again after this trip.
But there are some things I’m not ready to talk about.
Leah says I should let someone in. I just can’t go all the way with my feelings. Who knows where my emotions will land. I don’t need to have a meltdown in front of my European hookup.
Oh, dear God, am I really thinking about him that way? He hasn’t even kissed me. Will he kiss me? This is a date. Oh, crap, I didn’t think any of this through.
Suddenly, my other issues don’t seem so big compared to the six-foot golden god in front of me.
Maybe if I open up a little I’ll scare him away. This way I won’t have to worry about the “what ifs” and “maybes” of tonight.
“Why do you want to know so much about me?”
“I honestly have no idea.” His tone is deep and smooth.
“I need something.” I match his tone, soft and pleading.
Asher takes a step closer to me; he is a step lower, and we’re eye to eye. From this distance, I may just fall into his gaze the way Alice fell into the rabbit hole.
“When I saw you in the music room”—he swallows, the tone turns serious—“I was moved for the first time in so long. I don’t know why. I wish I did. There is something about you, and I’m waiting for you to do something to make me realize you’re just like everyone else.”
This time it my turn to swallow . . . hard. “But I am like everyone else.”
“Not in my world.” He grabs my waist and I gasp.
“Why were you so mean to me yesterday? When I left the boat?” I barely get the words out because my mind is too focused on his hand on my rib.
“Why did you tell me to take you back to your sister after I said how intrigued I am by you? I think we’re both trying to work through our issues.” His mouth is dangerously close to mine.
Asher’s other hand snakes up around my torso, and I think I might faint. My breathing starts to pick up.
“Why are you nervous?” he asks, his lips barely brushing mine.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
His mouth moves past my lips and kisses my jaw. I let out a large breath I didn’t know I was holding. His lips graze the skin on my neck, just under my ear, before pulling back and releasing my waist.
He walks passed me. I take the moment to collect myself, placing a hand to my lips. My mouth is wet from anticipation. My jaw tingles where his lips just touched the skin. I wasn’t ready for a kiss, but that was more intoxicating than any type of kiss I have ever experienced.
When I turn around to follow him I see he’s standing on the stairs, holding out a hand. I grab it and am surprised by the smoothness of it.