Page 16 of Obsession on Repeat (Vinyl Hearts #1)

"Tomorrow?" I whined. "But it’s Wednesday! "

"You said you wanted to work."

"But I’m drunk, you said so!" I sputtered.

Vanessa chuckled. "In that case, she can come in bright and early tomorrow, and Rory, you can enjoy your headache."

With a groan, Gina flopped against the couch.

I tripped for the second time on the way to his car, and once again, he reached out to steady me before I fell. I giggled as he propped me against the car and fished his keys from his pocket. "I am so drunk!"

"I’ve noticed." He opened the passenger door. "Inside you go, hopefully in one piece, please."

"You’re so sweet." I tapped his cheek with my hand. "So sweet."

"My mother raised me right." I slipped, Asher grabbing my elbow and directing me into the passenger seat. "Whoa. Thanks. You know who else says that? Keanu Reeves. He says whoa a lot."

Shaking his head, he shut the door and walked around to the other side of his black Toyota Tundra.

He climbed into the driver’s seat, lowering the volume on the radio, and started the engine.

He pulled into traffic with one hand on the wheel, his right arm leaning on the center console. "What’s your address?"

Grunting, I struggled with my seat belt. "You don’t already know?" I yanked on the strap. "Isn’t that in my paperwork, too?"

"I looked over your information. I didn’t say I memorized it."

"Well, you certainly memorized my birthday! What the hell is going on with this fucking seat belt?"

"I remembered your birthday because it’s this month.

There was nothing sinister about it." He hit the brake as we were stopped by a red light.

Undoing his belt, he reached out to grab the lock at my hip.

"Sit back, Rory." I didn’t move. He shot me an exasperated look before reaching across to grab the strap.

"Asher?"

His gaze shifted to mine, our faces inches away from each other, with his arm stretched across my chest. "Yes, Rory?"

"You’re pretty for a guy. Did you know that? Of course, you know that." I trailed my fingers across his chin. I dropped my hand. "Asher?"

He swallowed, his gaze lingering on my mouth. "Yes?"

"The light’s green. "

He swore under his breath, clicking my seat belt. He settled back as someone blew their horn behind us. Rolling his eyes, he pressed on the gas, and the vehicle roared through the intersection. He released a long stream of air harshly through his nose. "I need your address."

"Too bad. I don’t know," I sighed. "I live with Sullivan. He’s not there. I don’t want to be there either."

"You can’t sleep on the street."

"I can sleep with you!"

The truck swerved but thankfully stayed on the road. "You can do what?"

"Well, not with you!" Laughing, I swatted his arm. "I can sleep at your place! You’re rich; you’ve probably got a huge house with twenty beds!"

"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves."

I leaned on the center console toward him, a teasing smile on my face. "About how big your house is?" I wiggled my eyebrows then sat back, rubbing my throat. "Stupid belt is trying to cut my throat." I frowned. "I think I left my duffel bag in my locker."

We were stopped by another red light, and he hit the brake as gently as he could. "You can get it tomorrow."

"I’m not going back tomorrow, remember?" I sighed at the sound of my seat belt popping loose. "Asher, my belt! I need you to fix it again."

"You are going to be the death of me."

"Blame the belt maker! "

He smiled, but he didn’t move. "I fully blame Jack Daniels."

"Yummy Jack. Do you have Jack at that huge house of yours?"

He pressed on the gas when the light turned green. "You’re not having any more liquor tonight." He shook his head as he noticed me pouting out of the corner of his eye. "That doesn’t work on me, Rory."

As soon as we parked in his driveway, I climbed out of the car, almost slipping. He steadied me, his hand on my arm. "I told you to watch your step, darlin’."

"I can’t help it if your car is eighty feet off the ground!" I shouted.

Wincing, he covered my mouth with his hand. "You have to be quiet, Rory! It’s four in the morning!" He quickly jerked his hand away. "Did you lick my hand?"

"What? No, my lips are parched."

"I felt you-" He shook his head. "I’m not standing in my driveway at four in the morning arguing about whether or not you licked my hand. I’m not."

"I think you are, sir." I poked his chest. "Wow, do you work out?" I poked him again. "Cause, wow."

He laughed at my dazed expression. "You’re going to regret this in the morning and not because of the headache."

"Says you." I grinned, dizzy, but something inside me twisted. Because deep down, I knew he was right .

He started to pull away, but my grip on him tightened. "Rory…"

"I can’t walk."

"Nor can you operate a seat belt. It’s amazing."

"If you’re trying to get in my pants, you’re gonna need better compliments."

He placed his hands on my hips, mindful of the fact we were standing in his driveway where all of his neighbors could see had they been awake. No doubt a few of them were currently glued to their windows by now. "Compliments aren’t what you want right now."

"And what do I want?" I squealed when he suddenly scooped me up into his arms. "Not so fast, the world is spinning!"

Grunting, Asher carried me to the front door, taking the stairs two steps at a time.

He entered the living room, sitting me down on the couch, and I flopped back against the huge cushions, watching him with hooded eyes as he disappeared into the kitchen.

He returned with a glass of water and stopped in the doorway at the sight of me curled up with a pillow, my eyes shut.

"Rory, are you awake?" He lowered the glass onto the coffee table, quietly removing my shoes, and shifted me comfortably on my side. Grabbing a huge fleece blanket from the back of the couch, he covered me with it.