AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She looked down over the red fabric, trying to pretend she didn’t feel like a movie star on the red carpet. It was the most beautiful piece of clothing she’d ever worn. “You like it?” she asked, not meeting his eye.
He cleared his throat. “It’s…um…it’s—”
“I can try on something else,” she said quickly.
“It’s perfect,” he told her, reaching down to take her hand. “You look beautiful.”
She looked up at him then, her heart racing. In the middle of the store, surrounded by random onlookers, he leaned toward her, unaware of or simply unfazed by the people that would see them. His lips met hers, one hand cupping her scalp as she melted into his kiss. He was warm and familiar, a kiss she hadn’t known she could miss so much in the half hour since she’d last experienced it.
When he pulled away, he looked at the saleswoman over Blythe’s shoulder. Blythe ran a finger over her lips as she heard him speak. “We’ll take it.”
* * *
That evening,Blythe opened the bedroom door and walked out to the living room where Asher was waiting. He stood immediately upon seeing her. “You look…incredible,” he told her. She’d chosen to wear her hair clipped to one side with curls throughout, a style she’d seen in some of her favorite magazines but never attempted herself. So, she was glad when he seemed to like it. He twirled his finger through the tendril of hair she’d left out near her ear. “Red is definitely your color.”
“Thank you,” she said, thankful he felt that way as she knew her cheeks must be growing redder by the minute. “Everything seems to be your color.”
He smiled, letting out a soft laugh as he buttoned the black suit jacket he was wearing. Underneath, he’d chosen a simple black tie and white shirt. He was breathtaking no matter what he wore, but seeing him in a tux made it hard to take her eyes off of him.
He ran a quick hand over his messy-on-purpose blond hair and bent his arm at his waist, waiting for her to run her arm through the opening. “You ready?”
She slid her arm through his, walking out the door with a racing heart. She couldn’t stop smiling, and it was starting to hurt her cheeks.
When they climbed into the cab, he rubbed a finger over his jaw. “So, are you glad you skipped work tonight?”
“This is definitely more fun,” she agreed. “Thank you…for inviting me.”
“I’m glad you could come,” he told her, pressing his lips into her head. “They’re going to love you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I’ve never been to a fancy New York party. I’m not sure I’ll fit in.”
“Trust me, you’ll do fine. I’ll be right here the whole time. Just stick with me, and I’ll have you turned into the life of the party in no time.” She shook her head, not sure she believed him but thankful for the encouragement. “Besides,” he told her, “it’ll be nice to have some fresh blood at these parties. It’s usually the same old boring wives and girlfriends of my coworkers. A new face will liven things up.” He traced a finger over her shoulder. “The guys are going to be so jealous I’m going home with the most beautiful girl at the party.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes, but she couldn’t deny that he knew all the right things to say. She leaned in as he did, feeling their lips collide again.
“I’m so glad I met you,” she said when they separated.
“At least something good came from that terrible party,” he agreed.
“I mean it,” she told him. “I know we just met, but…you make me really happy.”
He squeezed her hand, looking out the window as they rounded the corner. “We’re here,” he told her. “Come on, beautiful.” Asher stepped from the cab, handing over a stack of bills to the driver with a quick thanks, and holding out his hand to help Blythe.
She stepped out, looking up at the tall skyscraper that was in front of them. “This is where you work?” she asked.
He nodded, pointing up toward the building. “Sixteenth floor.”
“I’m afraid of heights,” she admitted. “I couldn’t get anything done if I were up that high.”
He sucked in a breath. “Well, that might be a problem. The party is on the roof.”
“What?” she asked as he pulled her inside past two doormen and into an elevator. “I don’t know if I can be up that high.”
“I’ll protect you,” he said. “I promise you’ll be fine. The ledges are taller than we are. Short of you planning to jump, there’s no chance you’ll fall.”
She nodded, feeling only slightly better as they rode to the top. When the elevator doors opened, she gasped. It was a party like she’d only seen in the movies. Everyone was dressed up, waiters swarmed with cocktails and appetizers, and the partygoers looked incredibly happy. And why shouldn’t they be? They were gorgeous. Each and every one of them looked as though they could’ve stepped straight out of the pages of a magazine.
“Breathe,” Asher warned, and she realized she’d been holding her breath. She let it out.
