Chapter 38 Asher
ASHER
“Gentleman, may I present my beautiful girlfriend, Ella Hale,” I say, placing my hand on Ella’s lower back as I introduce her to the executives of Lennox Rose Group.
They murmur their greetings and shake her hand while raking appreciative eyes over her.
I grit my teeth in annoyance but bite my tongue.
Sterling claps me a little too hard on the back, and I school my features.
I must not be hiding my annoyance as well as I thought.
Sterling gives me a hard look, and I know what he’s thinking without him saying it—what he’s trying to remind me of.
It’s good these men find her attractive and alluring, that is the type of woman to sell their brands.
Also, you need to keep your annoyance at their blatant stares under fucking control.
I shoot him a, I fucking know, look. I know what’s at stake. He doesn’t have to remind me.
“We have several representatives of our brands here, Ms. Hale,” Warren says, shaking her hand last. “We would like to fit you with some clothing and accessories to wear as you tour London this week, and we’ll see how things go.”
Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday.
Our trip to London has been extended another week, and it must go off without a hitch.
We have until Friday to convince Lennox Rose Group that Langford Holdings is the right choice to take their brands to the next level, and Ella is now a major part of that.
We have six days to ensure their clothes and accessories are photographed all over London.
Six days to be doubly sure we close this deal.
“I have a final itinerary,” Matthew says, sidling up to me as Ella goes into a second room with the stylists. “Today is the fittings, and tonight you’re having a family dinner with Ella and Sterling. Your aunt Bethany that lives in Edinburgh is coming down, and Ella’s sister is joining as well.”
“I must have missed all this in the background on Ella; I don’t remember seeing a sister. She was listed as an only child.”
“The sister was adopted as a teenager.”
“And she’s studying for a postgraduate degree at Oxford?”
Matthew nods.
“Impressive.”
“Tomorrow is the gardens tours and flower festivals. Monday evening is the theater, Tuesday is some very touristy things like the changing of the guard and the Tower of London, Wednesday is a cricket match.”
I groan. There’s no more boring, ridiculous, pretentious, pointless sport than cricket.
“Polo on Thursday.”
That’s at least better.
“And then I got you tickets to a gala Thursday evening. The organizers were practically tripping over themselves when they realized you were going to be in town for it, so that should definitely get some press. I have a hair and makeup team scheduled each morning for Ella, and they will come again to touch her up for the evening events. The gala organizers put out in their email that you will be there, so I’m hoping that bit of information will trickle its way to the paparazzi.
I don’t think they know Ella is here yet, which is why I arranged the family dinner for tonight, so that it can be private before the barrage of press. ”
“Good. That all sounds perfect as usual, Matthew.”
My phone rings, and I look down at it. My heart stutters in my chest. I haven’t had a call from this number in over a year.
“Langford,” I say in answer.
“I hear you’re on my side of the pond,” Oliver says.
“I am. I’m here for another week.”
“What fortuitous timing. I just cracked open a lead. A real lead this time. It’s best if we meet in person.”
“I’m available Saturday morning. Our flight doesn’t leave until the afternoon.”
“Good. Same spot, ten a.m.”
“Done.”
Ella is practically bouncing in her seat on the way to dinner. “I haven’t seen Maya since last summer,” she says, watching out the window as we drive to the restaurant.
“How long has she been at Oxford?”
“She’s just about to finish up her third year. I can’t wait till she’s done next year and comes home. We’ll finally live together again if I can convince her to move back to New York.”
A sting of rejection burns inside me at the thought of Ella being so excited to live with someone else when right now she lives with me.
Our living arrangement does have an end date; I have to remind myself of that.
But for the first time since she moved in, I imagine the penthouse as it was before—quiet, empty—and it twists my gut.
Ella’s only lived with me a short while, but I’ve already grown used to sharing meals with her, driving to and from work with her, and my penthouse is just more vibrant and full of life with her around.
I’ve missed that while I’ve been here in London, and I don’t know if I want to go back to the quiet of before.
I would know acutely, intimately, what I was missing.
I rub my hand along my jaw. This is not what I should be thinking about or feeling. Fuck.
“You okay?” Ella asks, setting her hand on my knee. She gives it a light squeeze. The warmth of her small hand is comforting, as is the lilt of her voice and the concern in her eyes.
I nod. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I’m okay. And I don’t know what to fucking do with that.
Ella narrows her eyes slightly. She unbuckles her seatbelt and slides closer to me.
“What are you doing? Put your seatbelt back on,” I bite out, half in a panic.
One thing I cannot abide is riding in a car without being buckled in.
A seatbelt literally saved my life as a child.
I wasn’t supposed to survive the crash. And yet, somehow, by being buckled in and by some grace of the universe, I did.
Ella rolls her eyes and buckles the middle seatbelt around her. “All buckled, Asher,” she says. She leans into me and grabs my hand in hers. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I deflate a little. God, what this woman can do to me. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Don’t you want to push all that away for a bit and just enjoy dinner with your brother and your aunt? I know you’re close with your brothers; it must be hard having him live so far away. ”
I let out a laugh. As if it’s that easy.
“I see Sterling plenty, even if he lives in London,” I say, deflecting. “He’s practically a barnacle on my ass.”
She tucks herself even farther into my side and rests her head on my shoulder. I can’t say I hate it. Her warmth is a comfort, plus I have a perfect view of her tits down her dress. I swear I could spend all day looking at them and it still wouldn’t be enough.
I lift our intertwined fingers and kiss the back of her hand, then pull mine away so I can wrap my arm around her and pull her even closer.
She smells so fucking good, like vanilla and amber, and just uniquely Ella.
My cock twitches thinking about the two of us in the shower this morning.
I could spend all my mornings showering like that and not tire of it.
Everything is starting to get so complicated.
The more I’m around Ella, the more I want to be around her.
She’s like a fucking drug I want to take a hit from constantly.
And yet, I’m supposed to let her go at some point.
After I’ve pulled her into my life, after I’ve given her my family’s pendant, and after we’ve shared space and our lives with one another.
My stomach drops with the realization that I don’t want to let her go . . .
But I’m terrified to keep her.
And I don’t know how to reconcile both of those things.
If only my life were simpler—I wouldn’t have to think twice.
I would let go and let myself fall in love because I’m all too aware of how easy it would be to love Ella.
But I don’t have that luxury. The consequences that come with me demand their price, and it’s a fucking big price to pay year in, year out.
How can I ask that of someone? How can I expect Ella to pay that price for the long term?
I can’t. And I won’t.
But I can give her much more of myself until our time is up.
Just as we enter the restaurant, Ella spots her sister in the waiting area and darts toward her, letting out a high-pitched squeal as she goes.
The two women crash into each other, and then start into some sort of swaying, full-body hug that I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed the likes of before.
Sterling and I take a step back, a bit afraid of whatever the fuck this is, and wait for it to be over.
After at least thirty seconds, when it’s still not over, Sterling leans toward me. “If you ever greet me like that, I’ll punch you in the balls.”
“Obviously. Same.”
Finally, Ella and Maya disentangle from one another, and I’m equal parts fascinated, amused, and horrified when I notice they’ve both been crying. They wipe at their eyes and straighten their hair as they turn toward Sterling and me.
“Asher, this is my sister, Maya.”
“It’s lovely to meet you,” I say, holding out my hand. Maya brushes past it and comes forward for a hug. I stiffen, and pat her awkwardly on the back as she wraps her arms around my ribcage. Sterling looks at me with wide, amused eyes.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Asher,” she says. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Good things, I hope.”
She pulls away and gives me a mischievous look. “Mostly.”
I lift my brows and look at Ella. “Mostly?”
She shrugs, smiling.
“And you must be Asher’s brother,” Maya says, turning toward him. She freezes slightly and looks suddenly nervous.
“Sterling,” he says in his deep, flat voice.