"Consensus is rarely the most effective course of action," Asher says.
I glance up to fire off some sharp little comeback, but he leans in and presses a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.
His tongue flicks out, tasting the last trace of syrup from my skin. It's warm, gentle, and intimate in a way I don't expect. My body stills, breath catching as I blink at him, stunned.
No smirk, just that quiet, deliberate claim.
"Let's get a move on," Kayden calls, already heading down the hall.
I sit frozen for another beat. Then I exhale, stand, and grab my jacket.
This is going to be one hell of a ride.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sage
Outside, Kayden pulls the car out of the garage, and damn, it's something. He hops out as the tires crunch over gravel, that cocky grin already in place.
"Impressed?"
I cross my arms. "Maybe a little."
I've never been one to obsess over cars, but some things are objectively sexy. And this one—sleek, low, purring like a beast in heat? Yeah. It counts.
"Dodge Charger Hellcat," Kayden says, leaning casually against the hood like he's the advertisement. "She's a special kind of beauty."
"I'm surprised it doesn't bite," I mutter, running my fingers along the smooth, black surface.
He winks. "That's the driver's job."
I roll my eyes so hard it might count as cardio.
"You've gloated enough, brother," Asher cuts in. "Let's move, or even with your fancy car, we won't be back before midnight." Then he looks at me. "Do you want the front seat?"
I shake my head. "Back is fine."
He gives a small smile. "All right."
And then he slides in next to me in the back...
Kayden gets behind the wheel and we take off, the engine roaring to life like it's got something to prove. Judging by the way Kayden handles the acceleration, we'll make that six-hour drive feel like three.
Asher doesn't crowd me and doesn't touch. But his presence is impossible to ignore. It's a steady hum in the air, like a low-frequency current brushing against my skin. The space between us might as well be zero.
But he doesn't push. Maybe he senses my hesitation. Maybe it's just his military grade self-control. Either way, I'm grateful, because I need this stretch of road to screw my head back on.
I keep telling myself I should pull away. That I shouldn't let anything happen. That I need clear boundaries and emotional distance. And then… I go and do theexactopposite. I let them in, again and again. And what's worse—part of me wants to. Craves it more than anything.
But nothing good can come of this. Okay, maybe not nothing.
If I were smart, I'd let it be just physical. The visceral part with no emotions or attachment. But even thinking about that makes something bloom inside me. And outside. Literally. I swear, somewhere out there, a pine tree just sprouted.
I'm halfway lost in my thoughts when a sudden bang jolts the entire car. We skid hard to the right.
Asher moves lightning-fast, his arm braced across my chest, holding me steady as the car shudders to a stop.
Kayden swears, yanking the wheel, but manages to control the swerve. Thankfully, there's no one else on the road. We end up pulled to the shoulder, no damage, just a lot of adrenaline.
