Page 37 of Rejected by My Stepbrother Alpha (Billionaire Shifter Club #1)

S uperstar

Ivy

Shock flowed through me as I watched Asher’s guards take away the young woman who had tried to poison us.

The startling realization that Asher had been drugged seven years ago made so much sense.

He couldn’t remember our stolen night together because someone had put something in his drink.

The thought that someone wanted to hurt him even back then was terrifying, but a small part of me was relieved to finally have the answer as to why Asher didn’t remember our night together.

Back then, when I thought that Asher was simply pretending like our night together didn’t happen, it had crushed me. Then, when Asher and I reconnected, I believed that he hadn’t remembered sleeping with me because he was too drunk. That possibility still hurt my feelings, though.

But now that he’d figured out the truth, the walls around my heart shattered. My pulse raced as I looked back at all of my memories, seeing them in a new light.

It wasn’t Asher’s fault that he didn’t remember our night together.

When Asher turned back to Damian and me, his face was drawn with worry from the attempted poisoning. That same anxiety was making my stomach turn, but when I looked at him, all I could feel was gratitude.

And attraction. A frightening amount of attraction, actually.

Looking at Asher’s fitted black suit that strained against his muscles made desire shoot down my spine. His maroon tie made fantasies about being tied to a bed post as he made love to me jump into my head.

Asher pushed away a stray piece of brown hair from his forehead, and my mouth went dry.

“We need to be more careful going forward,” he told Damian and me.

“The investigations of my team came back clean, so I’m going to double our security and put two of my guards in the hotel kitchen so they can monitor everything that gets put into our food.

We can’t take any chances. After this presentation, we’re going to have to be on a complete lockdown. ”

Damian nodded. “I agree. I already hired a team of guards for my wife and son back home. Just in case. I’d go back to protect them, but I don’t want to lead whoever is after you guys back there.”

“Good idea,” Asher said. “Until whoever is after is caught. It’s better if you stay in Sun Fire.”

As they spoke, all I could do was stare at Asher. After our shattering discovery, I was seeing him in a completely different way.

He truly was my protector. Just like when he purposely followed me into the woods on my twentieth birthday. That was what Asher did for the people in his life. He protected them.

“You saved us,” I said to Asher in an awed voice.

My strange tone surprised him, and he turned to me.

“Of course,” he said and looked at me questioningly. “I’ll always save you…and if your brother is in danger, I’ll save him, too.” A small smile played on the corners of his lips.

“Yeah, yeah. My hero,” Damian said sarcastically and walked away, giving us a moment alone.

I stepped toward Asher at the same time that he reached for me. My heart pounded against my rib cage as I stared into his hazel eyes and cupped his face.

Asher drew me into his warm embrace, putting his lips right next to my ear.

“I’m always going to save you, baby. From now on, I’ll always be here to protect you and our son.

You guys are the most important people in my life.

” Asher paused, and when he pulled away, the intense emotion brimming in his eyes made me gasp.

Our mating bond vibrated between us as if it were a living thing that was connecting our two souls. I glanced down at my left hand, and my scar from the mating ceremony was more pronounced than it had ever been.

My heart pounded as our gazes locked together. His strong hands were gripping me, and I never wanted him to let me go. In the back of my mind, I registered a few mutters at our embrace, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I was having an epiphany about the man in front of me.

For once, I didn’t overthink it. I acted on my feelings alone. With a huge grin, I cupped Asher’s face and drew him to me. When our lips met, an electric shock of pleasure went through me.

Mine.

Asher let out a small groan against my lips and threaded his fingers through my hair. His mouth tasted like sugar and dark chocolate. Our lips moved together like we’d been kissing our whole lives. It was like we were made for each other.

With a start, I realized that we were made for each other.

“Blackwood Inc. and BloodMoon Enterprises, you’re up!” a voice called.

Someone loudly cleared their throat behind us.

Asher and I sprang apart to find Damian standing there.

My brother rolled his eyes. “If you guys are done sucking each other’s faces, we have a presentation to make.”

I flushed and smoothed down my hair. Asher cleared his throat and fixed his tie.

It was time to switch to business mode.

But when Asher flashed me a huge grin, my heart skipped, and it was hard to remember that it would be frowned upon if I kissed him in the boardroom.

As we walked to the large conference room where we would present, Asher and I shared a heated look .

“Since I saved you and your brother from being poisoned, have I earned your trust back?” Asher murmured with a smirk.

The corners of my mouth turned up. “It’s a step in the right direction,” I replied and then walked into the room to attend one of the most important meetings of my career.

“It was awesome, buddy!” Asher told Adrian. “Your mom was a superstar in that boardroom! She kicked butt!”

Our son stared up at his father with wide, mesmerized eyes. “Cool! She beat some people up to win the project?”

A bubble of laughter escaped from Asher. He began to explain what “kicked butt” meant.

We were back at the hotel after a long day.

Our presentation went very well. After everyone was finished, Anya had asked our group and Silas Shepherd’s group to stay.

The panel of judges bombarded us with complex questions about our products, like what material we would use to produce it, and if we had the staff to make up the entire Royal Guard.

I believed that our chances of winning were high. Silas Shepherd and his partner had trouble answering some of the questions.

We made it just in time for Adrian’s bedtime. Asher had asked me if he could take over getting him ready, and I agreed. His request had made the walls around my heart lower even more.

Right now, Asher was supervising Adrian’s bath time. He had one of his staff members get a bunch of bath toys, so there were now waterproof toy cars floating around our son.

I stayed back, wanting to give them some space, but I couldn’t help but watch them. I didn’t even think that Asher knew I was still in Adrian’s room since I told him I was going to talk to my dad and brother. The door to the bathroom was slightly open, and I peeked in.

My heart warmed as he did something simple, like push Adrian’s hair out of eyes so he could see, because our son didn’t want to let go of the cars in his hands. Those were the kind of things that made a lump develop in my throat.

“Your mom was just on fire today,” Asher continued after his lesson on figures of speech. “Remember when you said you wanted to be like me when you grew up?”

Adrian nodded vigorously. “Yeah! I want to be an Alpha just like you, Dad.”

“You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that, Adrian,” Asher said.

His back was to me, but I could hear the intense emotion in his voice.

“Just keep in mind that being like your mom when you grow up would be a good thing, too. She is fearless, confident, and kind. She’s got a head for business that is even better than mine or your Uncle Damian’s.

Because the truth is, your Uncle Damian and I were born into our positions.

But your mom truly worked for hers. Your grandpa helped her, but she had to work extra hard because she wasn’t born knowing that she’d be the vice president of a tech company one day.

She learned everything that she needed to know about the business world, all while taking care of you.

That’s pretty impressive, don’t you think? ”

Our son nodded. “Maybe I can be like you and mommy when I grow up.”

Asher smoothed his hair back. “Sounds like a plan.”

My eyes pricked with tears, and the lump in my throat turned into a boulder. It was like my heart was cracking from all of the intense emotion flooding through me.

How could I not fall back in love with him after hearing that?

Adrian and Asher were silent for a few moments as our son splashed around the bath.

Then, out of nowhere, Adrian looked up at his father. “I love you, Dad.”

Asher was stunned into speechlessness for the length of a few heartbeats. I just knew that his heart had to be bursting with joy to hear Adrian say that.

“I love you, too, Adrian. You and your mother are the best things in my life,” Asher said with a slight tremor in his voice.

I had to move away from the doorway after that. The mating bond was pulling me toward Asher with such an intense force that I almost couldn’t fight it. But I wanted them to be able to have their moment .

With shaking legs, I walked out of Adrian’s room and across the hall. I nodded to the guard in the hallway and then knocked on Damian’s door.

After the way that Asher has protected my loved ones and me, and how he had truly embraced his role of being a father, I wanted to do something nice for him. I knew that he was under a lot of stress right now—we all were. But Asher had the added pressure of running his pack at this hotel.

I wanted to do something to thank him and get his mind off all his worries for just a little bit. I hoped that this would also show Asher that I was letting my guard down and giving us a chance. There was an idea forming in my head, but I would need a little assistance to execute my plan.

“I need your help,” I said when my brother opened his door.