Page 164

“I will,” I say, and then I turn to Harper. “Do you have plans tonight?”
“Micah is supposed to arrive in a few hours. Might sit in the tub and wait for him,” she says, and I notice how Brody tenses beside me.
“Okay.” I smile at her. “The same rules apply for you. If you leave, let Brody know.”
She gives me a nod, then disappears into her room.
My cousin and I stare at one another for a few seconds.
“I don’t like him,” I whisper.
“I fucking hate him,” Brody says with a clenched jaw. “Anyway, have a good night.”
“You too,” I tell him, scanning my key.
The door swings open, only to reveal Asher waiting for me. He’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt, which hugs him in all the right places. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of him, and swirling emotions hit me all at once.
He rushes to me; our lips find each other. The stress from traveling dissolves as his lips move over mine with urgency.
“I missed you so much.” He pulls me into his arms. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” I say, and then I notice he has dinner waiting for us on the table. Candles flicker, and a soft smile meets my lips as he kisses me nearly stealing my breath away. “Why are you so perfect?”
“I’m hardly perfect.” Asher chuckles, releasing me from our kiss. He takes my hand and leads me toward the table, pulling out a chair for me. “But I am pretty damn close.”
I laugh and sit, admiring the food spread before us.
“This looks incredible,” I say, my stomach rumbling in anticipation. “What is all this?”
“I’m not sure exactly,” Asher replies as he uncorks a bottle of red wine and pours us each a glass. “I called in a favor from a chef friend. Told him I was having dinner with the love of my life.”
My cheeks heat. “I needed this so much,” I admit, sipping the rich, velvety liquid.
“I did too,” he says.
From where we’re sitting, we have the perfect view of London and its glittering nighttime lights. I can barely focus on anything other than how incredible it feels to be here with Asher.
“Where are you staying?” I ask.
“I have a room on another floor,” he tells me. “But I thought I’d stay with you instead. If you want me to.”
“Please. I was going to beg you. I don’t want to be alone,” I confess.
Asher reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You’re never alone, princess. Not as long as my heart beats.”
I blush at his words as his thumb strokes over my knuckles in a soothing motion.
“Hey, what’s going through that pretty head of yours?” he asks, his voice soft.
“I’m nervous about the show and what’s to come with Josh. Everything is changing so fast,” I admit, scooping up mashed potatoes so creamy that they melt in my mouth.
Asher grins. “It’s almost over, I promise.”
“Have you figured out who hacked his site?” I ask.
“Not yet.” He shakes his head, then pulls his phone from his pocket and shows me the site for Lustre Fashion.
“Less than twenty-four hours,” I whisper, watching the skull and crossbones laugh. “I kinda feel bad for him.”