Break of Day (10 page)

But that wasn't fair.
I
was Asher's mess. At least for the moment. And he was definitely cleaning up after me. I wondered if he regretted asking me out now. How my little performance tonight would affect our working relationship the next day.
This is exactly why I shouldn't be out here in the first place
, I scolded myself. It only made things more complicated. And I really didn't need complicated right now.

We reached the front of the restaurant and Asher handed
my ticket to the valet. Then he led me back over to the bench we'd sat on earlier. Like a strange déjà vu. Back then I'd been in full-on panic mode. Now, I just felt sad.

“I'm sorry,” I said. “I didn't mean to ruin tonight.”

Asher shook his head, looking at me with fond eyes. “You didn't ruin anything. I had a great time.”

“Liar.”

He laughed. “Fine. I would have had a much better time if I thought you were enjoying yourself, too. But that's my fault. I dragged you out here without ever asking if it was a place you wanted to be. And I'm sorry for that. The next time I take you out, I'll let you choose.”

I looked up, surprised. Next time? After all I'd put him through, he still wanted a next time? My heart thudded in my chest.

“I'll make you a deal,” he declared. “You agree to a do-over tomorrow night. And I will show up to work on time. Maybe even a little early, for extra credit.” He winked at me and I couldn't help but laugh.

“That's not even fair,” I protested.

His eyes zeroed in on mine. “Who said I played fair?” Then, as if to prove his point, he leaned in, pressing his mouth against my own.

Holy crap.

For a moment I couldn't even react—just sat there like a freaking stone statue as his lips moved against mine, the slight hint of stubble on his chin lightly scraping my face. I could hear my heart hammering in my ears, blood pulsing at my temples as his hand curled into my own, squeezing it gently as his tongue coaxed my mouth open and slipped inside.

Sweet baby Jesus. Talk about unfair.

The kiss was soft. Almost hesitant at first, as if asking my permission before increasing in intensity. Not that my body, at that moment, had any capability left to say no. My toes were curling in my shoes, chills were running up and down my spine, and when he licked the seam of my lower lip, a soft moan escaped my throat. I could feel his mouth stretch into a pleased smile at that.

Permission granted.

His hands dropped to my sides, clamping down on my hips, pulling me closer to him, until I was practically sitting in his lap. Locked secure against him. I didn't try to pull away. I don't know if I could have, even if I'd wanted to.

Feeling suddenly brave, I reached up, digging my fingers into his hair, which turned out to be so much softer than I'd imagined. He groaned in response, clearly seeing my boldness as an invitation to push his mouth harder against mine, the kiss becoming deeper and hungrier and more urgent by the second. I kissed him back, trying to match his intensity, and all the while my stomach spun into a tailspin of crazy and my body melted like Jell-O in the heat. I dropped my hands to his shoulders to steady myself, rejoicing in the feel of corded muscle flexing under the thin fabric of his shirt. In fact, in that moment it was all I could do not to reach down under that shirt and run my hands up his chest. Exploring the hard steel inlaid under soft skin.

I knew that was wrong of course. Hell, I knew all of this was wrong. I shouldn't have been kissing Asher Anderson. My coworker, my boss, the holder of my future. But somehow I couldn't bring myself to pull away. The night had been such a flurry of ups and downs, highs and lows, joys and sorrows. I needed something like this now. Something where I didn't have to think. I could just be. And feel.

And oh God, did he feel good.

“Ahem. Um, your car, ma'am?”

I jerked at the sound of the valet's voice, breaking through the fantasy. I pulled away, my heart thudding in my chest. My whole body vibrating with need. I glanced over at Asher, who was looking just as dazed, blinking a few times before turning to the valet. As if he'd just woken up from a deep sleep.

Or maybe a perfect dream.

I watched as he shook himself, laughing. Then he gave the valet a scolding look. “Might want to work on your timing, buddy,” he said dryly. But he handed the guy a big wad of bills anyway. Then, he turned to me, reaching out and
taking my hands in his own. His hands were huge, I suddenly realized. Able to swallow mine whole.

“I'll see you tomorrow?” he said.

I nodded, still feeling like I was on some distant cloud. My lips still swollen from the kiss. “Bright and early,” I managed to say.

A smile danced on his face. “I assure you, sweetheart. The early bird will have nothing on me.”

I
watched as Piper pulled out of the yacht club, my heart thudding hard in my chest. I still felt the ghost of her lips on my own. Her hands in my hair. My hands on her hips.

Oh God. That was nice. That was really nice.

And really stupid, too.

Truth was, I hadn't planned on kissing her. I mean, eventually I did. There was no way a girl with lips like that was not going to be kissed at some point. Just that at that moment, I was trying to be a gentleman. The knight in shining armor. Trying to make her feel safe and secure and make her see I wasn't some asshole trying to take advantage of her current vulnerable state.

But then I'd caught her face. Her soul-deep brown eyes. And suddenly all common decency flew out the window. The knight in shining armor replaced by the caveman yet again. And I had kissed her. And I had enjoyed the shit out of that kiss. Before that cock-blocking valet showed up anyway.

But that was for the best, really. It was better to let her go. Let her go home. Live to make out another day. Which
was a funny thought coming from me, actually. I mean, let's face it, the majority of my dates ended in a sleepover; sometimes without me even knowing the date in question's last name. Not a fact I was especially proud of, but it had become routine all the same. Wine them, dine them, bed them. Then begin the hunt for new prey.

But Piper was different. For one thing, she was my coworker. She was going to be in my life far beyond a morning after. Not to mention she had already proven a lot more difficult to impress than other girls. Which meant I'd need to take my time with her. Get to know her as a person. Figure out what made her tick. What turned her on.

Like that licking thing I did to her bottom lip. The one that had produced that soft moan of hers that had been like a jolt of lightning straight to my groin. I definitely had to put that one in the old memory bank for future reference.

Licking, yes. Water dates—definitely no.

I groaned, thinking back at my idiocy. What had I been thinking, hiring a yacht for the night? I should have totally realized she had a thing about water after her freak-out at the wedding.

But no, I'd wanted to impress her. To show off. To give her a magical night to remember. To be the Asher Anderson everyone expected me to be.

I sighed. Well, it had been a memorable night all right. But not exactly in the way I had planned. Thank goodness for that last-minute panic save. The clinch move in my playbook with the picnic out back. She'd relaxed out there—at least for a little bit. That was until I had stupidly brought up the whole water thing again. God, I really needed to work on my game. Usually I was so smooth. But she was so different from other girls. I felt unbalanced, awkward. I clearly needed to make some adjustments at halftime.

Still, I reminded myself with a small smile, I had gotten her to kiss me in the end. So it wasn't a total loss. And I'd get to see her tomorrow, too. Bright and early, as she'd said. A time that should have filled me with dismay.

But somehow excited me instead.

Still smiling a little, I headed back into the main building. I had to pay the tab or at least put it on my mother's account and let them know I didn't need the boat tonight after all. I walked inside, heading toward the maître d'. But before I could reach him, a tall, willowy blonde stepped into my path.

Sarah Martin. Awesome.

“Asher!” she cried excitedly, her shining blue eyes fixing on me. “I can't believe you're here! I haven't seen you in ages!”

I shrugged, trying to glance behind her to catch the maître d's eyes. But he was clearly busy with another guest and would be no good for a rescue. “Yeah, I've been busy.”

“I bet!” she declared, nodding her head knowingly, her blond locks bouncing prettily against her shoulders. “I've been so busy myself! It's crazy this year. I barely have time to get my nails done.” She giggled, presenting me with what looked like perfectly polished fingernails. But what did I know?

“Are you looking for your parents?” she asked. “'Cause they're in the main dining room, hanging out with my dad.”

Of course they were. 'Cause heaven forbid I catch a break tonight.

Fuck it. They could put the dinner on my parents' tab. I gave Sarah a smile before turning to leave. “Actually, I was about to—”

“Asher! I didn't know you were going to be here tonight!”

I looked down to see my father, wheeling himself toward me in his wheelchair, a delighted look on his face. So much for a quick exit.

I watched as he approached, my heart squeezing a little as it always did when I saw him in this state. The once tall, proud man, reduced to a shadow of his former self.

The man who had hit him hadn't bothered to stick around. And my father had almost died. He should have died, probably, with all the blood he'd lost. His leg had been shattered. His lung punctured. It had been touch and go for days afterward before he finally managed to fight his way through.

Dad had always been a fighter, after all.

“Hey, Dad,” I said, giving him a weak smile. “I didn't know you would be here, either.”

He waved a hand. “You know your mother,” he said. “She hates eating out anywhere else. She and Sarah's father are in there, blabbing about business again.” He made a loud huffing noise. “So as you can imagine I'm basically stuck here until I die of old age.”

I laughed. “Poor you,” I said. My mother's lengthy “business dinners” were legendary. Legendarily boring, too. “Will she at least let you slip into the cigar room to pass the time?”

My father shook his head, looking mournful. “Sadly, my cigar days are behind me. Gotta keep in good health, don't you know?” He made a gesture to his useless legs and rolled his eyes.

I nodded sadly. Sometimes I got the feeling that my father wished the accident had killed him outright. Allowed him to go out in a blaze of glory, rather than a dwindling flame. Once he'd been so vibrant. So full of life. Now he was a shell of the man he used to be. And it hurt to see him reduced to this.

“Come on, you two,” he broke in, gesturing to Sarah and me. “There's room at the table for both of you. And you can assist me in not dying of boredom.”

I glanced longingly at the front door. It was the last thing I wanted to do. Just sit there and listen to my mother talk shop with Sarah's father, a prominent businessman who was rumored to be running for mayor of San Diego. He already spent a ton of money advertising his businesses on News 9. Now the idea that he might be adding campaign money to the pile had prompted my mother to do a full-court press. Wine him, dine him, kiss his ass. Get him to agree to give her all his money to promote him on TV.

The worst part was, if I joined her, she'd expect the same from me. She loved the idea of the daughter of News 9's biggest advertiser and potential government official on the arm of News 9's golden son. Sarah and I had been pushed
together since right after college when her longtime boyfriend took off overseas, neither of our parents evidently realizing that arranged marriages were no longer actually a thing in the USA.

Okay, it could have been worse. Sarah was super hot. And she was pretty fun, too. She had tons of energy and was always looking for the next party—and usually knew where to find it. We'd hooked up half a dozen times over the past few years—friends with benefits, I guess you'd say. She might have wanted more from me, but she also knew better than to ask for it. Which I had always appreciated.

I reluctantly allowed my father to escort the two of us over to the window table where Mom and Sarah's dad were talking. Mom looked up and saw me—me and Sarah—and predictably her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Asher! My baby!” she crowed, rising from her seat. Sarah's dad stood as well, sticking out his hand. I shook it then dutifully hugged my mother. She smelled of too much perfume and too much brandy. Guess the after-dinner drinks were being served as a first course this evening. What a surprise.

“How's the meeting of the minds going?” I asked, sitting down at the table like a good son. I considered looking at the menu: I was still pretty starving. But I didn't want to get stuck here longer than I had to. I could pick up something on the way home.

Before my mother could answer, the manager stepped up to our table. He looked down to address me. “Sir, I see the boat you reserved is still in its slip,” he said. “Did you decide not to take it out tonight after all? The captain was wondering.”

“Ooh! You signed out a boat?” My mother's eyes glittered.

“Yeah,” I said. I turned back to the manager. “But actually I'm not going to—”

“You should take Sarah out!” Mom interrupted. She turned to Sarah's father. “I mean, if you don't mind.”

“Not at all!” her father exclaimed, after swallowing a large slug of scotch. “We're going to be here a while, after all. And I'm sure poor Sarah is bored out of her skull.”

I watched as Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but her father waved her off. “I know, I know, sweetie,” he said. “You're a good girl to humor your father. But why don't you and Asher go and have some fun? Leave us to talk boring business. We'll see you in the morning.”

Sarah turned to me. “Is that okay with you?” she asked. Her eyes were shiny and her cheeks flushed with excitement. She clearly wanted to go. Of course she did. And normally I would have had no problems taking her. Especially knowing what she'd be willing to do once we got out into open sea. Like I said, she was hot. I liked her a lot.

But damn it, now all I could think of was Piper. And the fact that I had sworn to her I didn't trade out my dates halfway through the night. What would she think if she could see me here now? I imagined disappointment in her wide brown eyes. But not surprise.

Because this was the guy she expected me to be. The guy everyone expected me to be. Even my own mother.

I could feel all the table's eyes on me. Waiting for my answer. My mom's especially, drilling into me with a hard look.
This is a big deal
, those eyes said.
Don't fuck it up.

If I said no, Sarah would be hurt. Her father would take it as a personal affront. He might even decide to end the business dinner prematurely. Before handing my mother all the advertising money she was after. The money she would pretty much have sold her own soul to acquire.

Or, you know, the soul of her only son.

“What a great idea!” I declared with as much bravado as I could muster. I turned to the manager, flashing him a large grin even as I died a little on the inside. “Tell the captain to get her in gear. We'll be out in a few minutes.”

Sarah smiled widely, clapping her hands. “Awesome,” she pronounced. Everyone at the table nodded, seeming to agree. My mother shot me an approving look but it only served to chill my insides.

This is the last time
, I tried to broadcast silently.
I won't keep doing this for you.

I rose to my feet, reaching out to take Sarah's hand. She
leaned into me, so close her breast brushed against my arm. A move I was positive was intentional. An intention I once would have appreciated. But tonight . . .

“A night cruise,” she whispered, her breath against my ear. “How romantic is that?”

And suddenly, for the first time in my life, I was the one who was dreading the sea.