Page 22 of Rejected by My Stepbrother Alpha (Billionaire Shifter Club #1)

S even Years Late

Ivy

Quickly, I stepped in front of Asher, putting myself in between the two men. I threw my hands up and noticed that both of their bodies were trembling.

I needed to stop this before it even started. If they transformed into their wolf forms, someone could get seriously injured. I didn't want my brother to get hurt, and things between Asher and I might be complicated, but I didn't want any harm to come to him.

“Stop being idiots,” I said with exasperation in my voice. I spun around and glared at my ex-Mate. “Asher, you are the Alpha of this territory. Do you really want your pack members to see you fighting in broad daylight?”

“I would have moved the fight to the alleyway.” He muttered.

But I ignored his comment, putting my hands on my hips, and turned to my brother.

“Damian, you have a son. What if you became critically injured from a stupid fight? Or worse?”

My brother sighed and his tense posture relaxed. Asher still stood behind us and I could tell that he was listening to our conversation .

“You’re right,” Damian said. “I’m sorry, I got caught up in the moment. And I’m sorry about accidentally hitting you. I hope you know I’d never hurt you on purpose.”

I waved away his unnecessary apology. “You barely hit me. It didn’t even hurt. You go back to the hotel without me. I want to have a talk with Asher.”

Damian’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

I was aware that I could be making a huge mistake.

But over the past few days, I'd been thinking that it might be best for Asher and I to finally clear the air.

We needed to talk things through. I didn't want to hold this resentment for the father of my child for the rest of my life.

Even though I didn't plan on telling Asher that Adrian was his son.

Also, I was exhausted from trying to fight the intense need to be around him.

Maybe if we just spent a little time together, the unrelenting demand for Asher would go away.

“All right, if you’re sure…” Damian trailed off. “Call me if you need anything.” He turned around and looked at Asher, then back at me. “Be careful. And call me when you’re done. You shouldn’t walk back by yourself.”

I wanted to tell him I could take care of myself, but I knew that he was only worried because of the recent attack on me. My arm throbbed with pain at the reminder.

“I will,” I promised and brought him in for a quick hug.

Damian looked in Asher’s direction one last time. “Be careful,” my brother repeated and then turned to walk away.

I wanted to assure him that Asher wouldn’t hurt me, but how could I be sure of that when Asher was the person who had caused me the most pain in my life?

Asher came up beside me, and his closeness made me shiver.

Focus.

I needed to prepare myself for this conversation. It was seven years late.

“Damian has a son?” Asher asked as he stared at my brother's retreating back through narrowed eyes.

“Yes,” I answered distractedly. My stomach was churning from just thinking about talking things through with Asher. Adrian' s sweet face popped into my head. Well, we wouldn't be talking about everything. “Let's go to your office since it’s right next door. We can talk there.”

He nodded, his eyes still on Damian.

Asher and I walked down the crowded sidewalk. I was extremely aware of him right beside me. All of my senses were heightened. I had to clench my hands into tight fists so I wouldn’t do something ridiculous like reach out and grab his hand.

In his building, we were silent as we rode the elevator to the top floor. I tried to organize my thoughts as Asher led the way through his busy office, but my mind was a mess. In his office, Asher gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked. “Water or coffee?”

“Water, please.”

I crossed my legs, which caused my skirt to ride up. Asher’s eyes shot down to my bare thighs.

“I’ll be right back,” he murmured.

After he left, I got up and scanned his office.

The glass shelves on the wall behind his desk were full of business certificates and awards.

Three glossy green hanging plants were attached to the ceiling.

Their wild vines hang past the containers as if they were trying to reach the floor.

With a jolt, I realized that the plants were ivy.

But that had to be a coincidence, right?

The wall to my left was mostly glass and held a breathtaking view of Sun Fire. It reminded me of the view from the room where Asher and I had spent the night together. When he looked out the window, did he ever think of that night, too? Or had he tried his best to forget making love to me?

I walked around his desk, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the one picture Asher had displayed in a black frame.

It was a photo of his father and him from the gala celebrating his dad's business achievements.

Russell was gripping his cane, but he looked happy to be next to his son.

In the picture, Asher still had a spark in his eyes that had been extinguished when his father died.

“Why didn’t you visit him?”

I jumped at the unexpected voice behind me. I spun around and discovered Asher, who was holding two bottles of water. He wasn’t looking at me, but instead, he was staring intently at the picture of him and his father. Something he probably did often.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, but I was pretty sure I knew.

Asher’s eyes hardened as he looked at me. “My dad was in the hospital for a month before he died. And you never visited him. Why?”

“Why do you think I didn’t?” I snapped.

Shouldn’t that be obvious? Because we slept together and then Asher pretended like it didn’t happen.

But I didn’t want to say this out loud. I was afraid that if Asher ever saw Adrian, he would do the mental math and figure out that Adrian was his son.

I didn't want to help that along by reminding him of our night together.

I walked around his desk and sat in my seat again. “Why did you reject me as your Mate?” I evaded his question by asking one of my own.

Asher’s body tensed, and he sank into his chair. In a way, it was like we were in a business meeting. He reached over and placed one of the water bottles in front of me, but I crossed my arms and ignored it.

“Because I assumed that you were part of your mother’s plans to steal all of my father’s money and this company.

” He gestured around his office. “When you didn’t visit my father in the hospital that supported my theory.

” Asher folded his hands in front of him, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

“But over the years, I wondered if I had it all wrong.” There was a note of regret in his voice.

I inhaled sharply, and a wave of hurt washed over me. Even though Asher and I hadn’t known each other that well back then—or now for that matter—the fact that he believed I was capable of being as cruel as my mother crushed me.

I looked directly into his eyes. “I wasn’t part of her plans.

My mother revealed her horrible scheme to me after your father passed away, and then I cut ties with her.

I cared about your father as a person, not because he was rich or what he could do for me.

But because he seemed like a good man. I was devastated when he died. ”

“Really?” Asher breathed out, emotion brimming behind his eyes.

“Really,” I confirmed. “I haven’t spoken to my mother since I left the pack seven years ago.

I worked for everything I have, and I’m proud of the woman I am today.

If I was in on my mother’s plans, wouldn’t I be trying to scam a millionaire out of his money?

Instead, I took a different path than my mother and became a businesswoman myself. ”

His shoulders sagged with relief, and his lips twitched at my last comment. He paused as he processed this revelation and then regret clouded his hazel eyes.

“I’m so sorry for rejecting you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “I should have just talked with you when we found out we were Fated Mates at the ceremony.” He shook his head slowly. “What a fool I’ve been.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“I completely understand your resentment toward me,” he said, his eyes shining with sincerity.

“If I thought there was a way to make things up to you, I would.” Asher paused and took a breath.

“But I know that to earn back your trust it’s going to take time and work on my part.

I know that I have to show you instead of just telling you that I’ve matured and grown over the years.

I’m not that rash, immature guy who rejected you anymore. ”

I froze. Asher was saying all the right things…but why? What did he expect me to do? Give him another chance romantically?

“All that to say, I want to propose a business truce between us,” Asher continued. “That way, our two companies can work together to secure the project for the Alpha king. Anya implied that if we don’t team up, neither of our companies have a chance in hell of getting that account.”

Strangely, my stomach sank with disappointment.

I couldn’t be disappointed that he wasn’t speaking about being together in a romantic sense. Asher and I could never happen. I didn’t trust him, and that was the most important thing in a relationship. And I couldn’t trust him to have a relationship with our son.

“Before you reject my truce, I’ve been doing some research on the ColdCrest Pack,” he said. “And I know that the unemployment rate there is high. If we win this account, it could create a lot of jobs and help the economy in both of our packs.”

I hesitated. Everything he said so far made sense.

My company's best shot at gaining this account was working with Asher’s.

But could I be in close proximity to Asher and not be drawn back in by him?

The only way I could agree to this was to make a vow to myself.

I needed to stay firm about not allowing Asher back into my heart.

Because I had no intention of being claimed by anyone.

Especially by the one who rejected me. I'd spent the last seven years proving to myself that I didn't need him.

I'd built a career, forged my own strength, and raised a son without his help.

“All right,” I said, coming to a decision. “You have yourself a deal.”

I reached my hand out and we shook to our business truce. It was hard to remember my steely resolve from a moment ago as a jolt of hot pleasure shot through me from our innocent contact.

“There’s also something more,” Asher said, his eyes glancing down at our connected hands.

My throat became dry and it was difficult to swallow.

“More?” I asked and bit my bottom lip.

Keeping my hand in his, he stood and walked around the desk.

His hazel eyes stayed on mine as he stood in front of me and leaned back on the desk.

Asher’s hand was warm and his intense eye contact made me hyper aware of how close his body was to mine.

There wasn’t much room between his desk and my chair.

My body was screaming at me to close the distance between us.

When his thumb stroked the back of my hand, I had to bite down harder on my lip so I wouldn't moan out loud.

“I don’t want just a business truce between us,” Asher said, his voice deep and hypnotizing.

“You mentioned that we don’t know each other very well.

And you’re right.” He paused for a moment.

“We never got a chance to know each other seven years ago. But now, we do. I want to get to know you and I want you to get to know the real me. I want to make up for my past mistakes.” He squeezed my hand and my lips pressed together.

“Can you give me a chance to show you what kind of man I really am, Ivy?” Sincerity was shining in his eyes.

A wave of pleasure wrapped around from hearing him say my real name. Whenever he did, it gave me the same feeling as coming home to Adrian after a long day.

His warm and gentle touch and heartfelt expression made me answer without thinking.

“I’ll think about it,” I breathed out.

Asher’s entire face transformed with happiness. His cheeks lifted and the side of his eyes creased. “At least you didn’t say no. And right now, I’ll take what I can get.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Asher Callahan…you’re going to be the death of me.

“Well, this is me,” I joked when Asher and I got to the entrance of the hotel I was staying at.

After our talk, Asher offered to walk me back to my hotel because of the wolf attack. I only accepted because I was trying to keep things civil between us.

Well, if I was being honest with myself, I accepted his invitation because back in his office, I couldn’t bear the thought of saying goodbye to him just yet.

I turned to him, and when our eyes met, my skin tingled.

There was a look of intensity in his eyes that made my pulse jump.

I wanted him to grab my hand just like he did in his office.

I wanted to feel the heat of his body against mine.

I wanted him to cup my face and press his lips against mine.

I wanted everything that I shouldn’t want from this man.

Asher pulled me into a tight hug, his body heat enveloping me.

My arms automatically wrapped around him, pressing him closer.

His embrace was familiar in some ways, but new to me in so many others.

Electric tension raced between us, and my hands that were pressed against his strong lower back began to shake.

He dipped his head and placed his lips right beside my ear, making me dizzy with desire.

“I'll see you soon, Ivy,” he whispered.

I shivered, and when he pulled away, my body protested at the loss of him.

Asher grinned down at me and raised one cocky eyebrow as if he knew exactly what he just did to me. He turned and walked down the sidewalk.

As I watched him walk away—our eyes met one last time before he turned the corner—I bit my lip as a burning need mixed with confusion filled me.