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“You’re an amazing dancer,” Asher said, his blue eyes traveling yet again down the length of her body. It made her a little uncomfortable, but she supposed she’d asked to be looked at when she took the plunge and wore the overtly sexy outfit.
“Not so bad yourself,” she said, her breath growing labored as she twisted and turned with the sexy beat of the song.
After several minutes, the song wound down and Asher jerked his head toward the nearby bar. “Let’s grab a drink. I’m not used to getting down New Orleans–style anymore.”
She nodded because she really needed water. It wasn’t warm, but her skin was coated with a light sheen of perspiration anyway. She’d let her exercise routine lapse with the busyness of the Spirit of Christmas campaign and her whirlwind romance with Brennan, and it was evident.
Asher ordered a whiskey while she sucked down a glass of water. Wiping her brow, she smiled. “Whew, I need to get my butt back in the gym. I’m out of shape.”
“Not from where I’m standing,” Asher said, his voice like silk.
What the hell? He was starting to set her teeth on edge with the flirting. Hadn’t she made it clear she was “with” Brennan when she’d jabbed her arm through the crook of his and beamed at him like some starstruck teenager? Despite what seemed a very obvious staking of claim, Asher acted like he was seducing her. Maybe it was the way he treated all women…after all, hewasmarried.
She never cared for men who hid their intentions behind honeyed words. Probably why she liked Brennan so well. He said what was on his mind whether she liked what that was or not. “Actually, I am. That wore me out.”
“Then you should sit down. Come with me.” He took her elbow and steered her toward a door behind a vignette of funky ’70s dresses and a tinsel tree with peace signs attached. She tried to pull back, but he tightened his hold, and since she didn’t want an all-out struggle, she went with him. HewasMalcolm’s nephew and Brennan’s cousin so surely there was no harm in getting to know him better, even if something in her brain shot out a warning.
“Let’s go to one of the tables over there.” She pointed and made another attempt to wrench her elbow from his grasp.
“But it’s so loud in here, and I need to talk to you about Brennan,” he said, his smile suddenly harmless.
“Brennan?”
“Just some insight about him and his past relationships you might want to hear.”
Something inside her gut twisted. What could he tell her about Brennan she didn’t already know? That he’d never get serious about her? That he had some stunted heart that wouldn’t allow for love? That he used his charm to get what he wanted then left a gal to pick up the pieces, smelling the gasoline vapors on the side of the road as he took off for greener pastures.
Asher didn’t wait for a response. He opened the door and pressed her inside, hitting the light to reveal a small office with a desk covered with papers and several coffee mugs. A calendar with scantily clad women hung on the wall beneath a huge clock.
“You should sit,” Asher said, gesturing toward the chair.
“Wait, what’s going on?” She should leave. Her gut told her so, but Asher had dangled a carrot she found hard to resist.
He shoved a hand through his light brown hair, the highlights catching in the fluorescent light, making her wonder if he highlighted his hair or if it was natural.
“Look, I can see Brennan has you under his spell. He’s very good at that, Mary Paige. I know firsthand because he did the same to my wife.”
“Your wife? Brennan dated your wife?” Her heart sped up as she sank onto the proffered chair.
Asher stared out the window at the glittering night sky, his face a study of contemplation and concern. “Yes, and he toyed with Elsa the same way. Poor girl thought he was serious about her, but he wasn’t. Brennan never is.”
“Why are you telling me this? This is—”
“Because you’re like Elsa. A nice girl who doesn’t deserve to pin her hopes on a man who doesn’t have the wordcommitin his vocabulary. Every woman thinks she can heal Brennan, and he plays on that, strings her along but it never works. Elsa’s heart was broken, and it was a long time before she could trust again. I feel so fortunate I was there to help her pick up the pieces. I merely thought you should know.”
Mary Paige shook her head, wondering why she was listening to Asher. It wasn’t his place to tell her of Brennan’s past, but still she sat glued to the chair. “No, I can’t believe that. Brennan wouldn’t treat a woman so callously.”
“Wouldn’t he?”
Creighton’s face bloomed into view in Mary Paige’s mind, and something twisted hard in her stomach. From what she could tell, Brennan had toyed with Creighton then dropped her the moment she started expecting something from him.
“Look, I love my cousin. He and I were so close…before he broke Elsa’s heart, before he threw himself so fully into the family business. I wish Brennan and I could be close again, but he guards himself. Holds himself apart from everyone. I know you’ve seen this in him.”
She stared at the little flecks in the tile at her feet. “Brennan has endured loss in his life, so it’s only natural he protects himself. And, besides, I think your concerns are premature. We’ve only been hanging out.”
“But you should ask yourself who stands to gain. I heard my sister commend him for allowing the entire city to think you’re falling in love. To him this is a game played to help the only thing he really cares about—the company.” Asher approached, taking one of the hands that hung at her side. He cradled it between both of his, and she felt nothing. It was as if she were having an out-of-body experience. “And it’s very obvious you’ve fallen for him in spite of it all.”
He said it in a how-very-sad voice that felt like a razor slicing across her heart, making her overlook the fact this man hadn’t been around Brennan in years, permitting her fears regarding the man she’d tumbled into love with so quickly to surface.
