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“Including you?” He steps in closer. I don’t move. He keeps moving, slowly and steadily, until we’re inches apart.
In a move that stuns both of us, I set my hands on his shoulders. “What if I do?”
Asher’s eyes darken. His breathing gets heavier, matching mine, as he closes the distance between us even more. I close my eyes and savor the way his body’s pressing up against mine. My lips part as he reaches up slowly, touching my face with the tips of his fingers. The heat of his hand radiates through my entire body.
For a wild moment I think he’s about to kiss me. Instead he moves so his mouth is right by my ear, so near that I can feel his breath on my skin.
“Then there’s something we need to talk about.”
Chapter 17
Elena
After the waiter whisks our plates away, Asher runs his thumb over my knuckles. A shiver of anticipation rushes over me.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about, Elena,” he says.
My pulse quickens. “What’s that?”
“I’m glad you agreed to go out with me again. I didn’t want to wait this long to ask you, but I was torn. The fact is that I’m not in a place to be starting something up,” he says in a low voice. “I’m extremely busy with work and frankly, it’s my main priority. It’s what drives me. Work-life balance doesn’t exist for CEOs. Being in charge of a company like Vivojen means that my work is my life. I don’t have time for much of anything else.”
His gaze softens and he glances away for a moment before turning back to me. “I still couldn’t help myself. I want to be with you, Elena.” His eyes glow with determination as he slides his fingertips down my cheek. “I can’t get you off my mind. I don’t want to.”
A jumble of emotions clouds my thoughts. I shouldn’t be dating him either. We could both walk away and everything would be simpler for both of us.
“I want to be with you too,” I say. “I was hoping you’d ask me out again.”
“My job is the reason that my other relationships ended. It’s easy to think that it’ll all work out, but it never has before.” He shakes his head slightly.
My stomach tightens. “So are you saying we can’t go out again?”
“No. I don’t want that. There’s no way I can let go of you.” Asher’s penetrating eyes burn into mine. “I have another idea.”
Nerves and desire are stirring up a storm in me. I wasn’t really nervous the first time Asher and I slept together. Just a little bit, the way you get when you’re about to be with someone new for the first time. Most of that was just the newness and not knowing exactly what it’s going to be like.
As Asher’s driver pulls up in front of our building, I’m full on shaking with anticipation of what might happen.
Neither one of us says a word as we cross the lobby. Once the elevator doors close behind us, his lips go to mine.
We head straight to his place. He told me we won’t be alone when we get there.
Once the door closes behind us, Asher’s embrace tightens around me and I’m engulfed in his strength. I want this kiss to last with everything in me. It does. Time falls away and I’m still lost in overpowering mixed up feelings when Asher guides me over to the sofa.
We’re deep into a heavy makeout session when someone comes into the room. Logan. He stops short, his eyes locked onto us.
Asher takes my hands in his. “What do you think, Elena?” His voice lowers, deep with hunger. “I’ve seen the way you look at my friend.”
Asher’s solution to him not having much time for a relationship was to let me know that he’d be fine with me beinginvolved with other men. I nearly spit out my wine when he suggested Logan.
“You’d be okay with me seeing your friend? Who you’re living with?” I asked him in disbelief. Just in case I was hallucinating the entire conversation. “Are you serious?”
“Very.” Asher paused, squeezing my fingers lightly. “I spoke with Logan last night. You’d have both of us so you wouldn’t be lacking in male attention.”
“Logan wouldn’t want to go out with me,” I scoffed.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Elena. He’s upset that I went out with you first, because he’s very interested in you.”
“Logan.” I shook my head vigorously. “There’s no way.”
