Until Series: Box set (18 page)

“I’ll be fine,” he says and my phone starts ringing, saving him from a lecture. I pull it out of my bag and see Asher calling.
Crap!

“Hey,” I answer.

“Are you okay, baby?”

“Um, yeah. I just freaked and beat up your brother,” I whisper into the phone.

“I’m going to kick his ass. What the fuck was he thinking, doing that shit?”

“It’s fine. He was just joking around and I don’t think he will ever do it again.”

“Yeah, I heard. So, how was the meeting with the lawyer?”

“Oh…um…it was okay.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“Oh, you know, this and that, typical lawyer stuff.” I cross my fingers, praying that he doesn’t ask me anymore about it. I want to tell him everything but money always changes people.

“What the fuck?”

“I’d rather not talk about this over the phone.”

“Okay. You can tell me tonight. Should we do takeout?”

“I’m staying at my dad’s tonight.”

“November, you’re not staying there. It’s not safe.”

“I’ll sleep in the guest room upstairs. My dad will be in the next room.”

“Have dinner with Mike then I want you in my bed tonight.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Don’t you think we should have a break? I mean, we have been together all weekend.”

“A break?” he yells and I know that was the wrong thing to say. “Careful how you word shit right now, November. I’m already pissed off about you being out with Nick then you say you need a break. I might get the wrong idea.”

This is when I remember that he can be a total jerk. “Are you serious right now? Wait, don’t answer that. I know you are,” I yell back. “I also told you that you have to trust me. That is not optional, Asher,” I whisper into the phone, knowing my temper is going a little crazy. “Liz is waiting for me. I’ll talk to you later.” I hang up and turn my phone to silent.

I walk to where Liz is sitting with Nick. Her head is bent, studying the coffee cup in front of her like it holds the secrets to the universe. I feel guilty for leaving her out here for so long. She looks up as I sit down across from her.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her honestly. I feel bad that I made plans with her and they got completely messed up.

“It’s fine.” She smiles and looks over her shoulder at Cash and Nico, and I know that she is in hot-guy heaven. I laugh and she starts laughing too. Yep, we are going to be great friends.

I look up from her to see Nico and Cash walking towards us. Both are carrying coffee cups.

“Alright, sis,” Cash says, looking down at me. “We gotta go. We’ll see you this weekend, right?” His phone starts ringing and he picks up. “Yo, yeah, hold on.”

He pushes the phone in my direction and I know it is Asher. I look at it in his hand and feel like it is going to uncoil and strike out at me. Then, he shoves it closer and I have no choice but to take it from him.

“Hello?”

“Don’t ever fucking hang up on me.”

“I—”

“See you at seven.” Then the line is dead.

“Crap,” I whisper.

“Is everything okay?” Cash asks.

“I guess we’ll see,” I tell him truthfully, biting my lower lip. For the first time, I’m not looking forward to seeing Asher.

After the guys say goodbye, I debate on telling Liz I have a headache. I no longer feel like visiting. I want to go home and crawl into bed and cuddle with Beast, but I stay. Nick is really nice, no flirting, just chatting. Liz is watching him closely. They had gone to high school together but didn’t know each other well.

After a while, we all say goodbye and I tell Liz to call me so we can meet up later in the week. I tell Nick that I will talk to him when he gets the papers ready for me to sign. Then, I get in my car and drive home.

*

When I get
home, my dad and uncle cameo out on the front porch and had me follow them around the side of the house to the garage. When we got there, I have no idea what is going on until they pulled the tarp off a shiny, black motorcycle.

They explain that it’s a 2011 Ninja 250r. It’s a small bike—perfect for my height and weight. It also doesn’t have as much power as a bigger bike, so there is less of a chance of me doing damage to myself or someone else. I only half listened to them. I mean, I have a motorcycle. How flipping awesome is that?

Uncle Joe tells me that one of his buddies bought it for his son when he wanted to learn to ride. Now, he is upgrading to a Harley so he’s ready to sell it. I’m instantly in love. I love it. He also hands me a white helmet with hot pink and black airbrush writing that says
baby girl
on the back. I jump up and down when he hands it to me.

They show me how to ride for over three hours after I’ve changed into jeans, boots, and a leather jacket. Then finally, they let me go out on the road.

I feel free. It’s amazing. The landscape passes by quickly as I drive down a long stretch of…

In the country, there is no traffic. You might come across a truck or two but normally you are the only car on the road for miles at a time. It is perfect. I am in love and know that I will be doing this often just to clear my head.

When I start up my dad’s driveway, I see Asher’s jeep and my good mood leaves just as quickly as it came. “Great,” I whisper to myself. I pull up in front of the garage. I get off the bike, take off my helmet, and shake out my hair. Asher walks up with Beast following behind him. He is wearing a red thermal and a pair of dark jeans with his brown boots. He’s also wearing a white baseball hat with black writing. I have never seen him in a hat before and he looks hot. Well, hotter than normal.

“Hey,” I say and start pushing the bike into the garage. He takes over and pushes it all the way in then takes the cover from me and tosses it over the bike.

“So, I guess this is one more thing that I have to worry about?” he asks, and even though I know what he’s talking about, I still ask.

“Sorry?”

“The bike,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes on me.

“My dad and uncle got it for me. I like riding it and I’m going to keep it.” I cross my arms over my chest, copying his stance and daring him to say something stupid like, you ‘can’t keep it’.” Then I will have to inform him that he is going to be the only thing not kept if he thinks he can tell me that I can’t have my bike.

“Just promise that when you’re on this shit, you’ll always wear a helmet, jeans, boots, and a jacket.”

“Promise,” I smile and his eyes narrow on my mouth.

“Now tell me why you were out with Nick.”

“I wasn’t out with him,” I say, completely exasperated. “I went to his dad’s firm, he asked me to lunch and I said no thank you and that I had plans. I felt bad, so I asked him if he wanted to go with me and Liz for coffee.”

“Uh huh,” he says, pulling one of the belt loops of my jeans, forcing me to take a step in his direction.

“Uh huh?” I repeat with a raised eyebrow.

“Where are you sleeping tonight?” he asks, pulling me closer and dipping his head towards my neck.

“In bed,” I answer but my brain is being dragged into an Asher-fog with the way he kisses the skin below my ear.

“What bed?” he whispers as he bites my neck.

“What bed am I supposed to sleep in?” I breathe deeply as he starts nipping on my earlobe.

“Mine.”

“Hmm,” I moan as he presses into me.

“So, where are you sleeping, November?” He growls and his hand is fisted into the back of my head, his mouth hovering over mine. My eyes flutter open. “Where are you sleeping, baby?” he asks against my mouth.

“With you,” I whisper, feeling powerless against him.

“That’s right. Always with me.” My brain registers his words but before I can make him clarify what he means, his mouth is on mine and my brain goes deeper into the Asher-fog. His kiss feels desperate, like he is branding me with it. When he pulls away, he presses his forehead against mine. I run my hand along his jaw and his eyes open at my touch.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Better,” he says and gives me his cocky grin. He thinks he’s just gotten his way. I want to tell him that I have no problem sleeping with him. The only thing that worries me is that I can be a little clingy. My mom and my ex told me the same thing. They may have told me that so I wouldn’t nag them about where they were going or how long they would be gone. But I know I’m a people person, and if I know someone is around, I want to be where they are. I worry that I might be what my mom and ex say I am, and I never want Asher to feel like I am crowding him.

“Will you promise me something?” I ask.

“What?”

“Just promise that, when you start feeling like I’m around too much, you will let me know.”

“That’s not going to happen,” he says, cupping my cheek. His thumb slides across my lower lip.

“Just promise, okay?” I say again, feeling desperate for him to understand how much this means to me.

“Promise, baby.”

“Thanks.” I grin and he kisses my nose.

“Now, do you want to eat here or do you want to pick up something on the way back to my place?” I bite my lip, thinking about it, and his eyes drop to my mouth.

“Never mind. We’re picking something up.” He bends down and my belly goes into his shoulder as he picks me up and carries me out of the garage.

“Um, I have to go inside and get some stuff,” I say from my upside down position.

“You have shit at my place.”

“I packed everything.” He stops and my feet hit the ground. Luckily, his arms come up to my shoulders or I would have fallen on my ass.

“You packed everything?” he growls.

“I didn’t want you to feel like I was suffocating you,” I say in a huff.

“Don’t do that shit.” His hands go to my neck, his thumbs sweeping under my jaw then his face gets closer to mine. “Unless I tell you I want space, don’t read into non-existing shit and create problems. I swear,” he says, looking into the sky, “if I don’t want you around, I will tell you that shit straight out. No games, no bullshit.”

“Okay,” I whisper, never wanting to hear those words from him.

“Okay, now go pack your shit,” he says and I glare at him.

“Don’t tell me to pack my shit. It’s rude.”

“It’s rude?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. “Baby, I promise you when I get you in my bed, I’ll show you how much you like it when I’m being rude.” This makes me tingle in a couple different spots. I definitely want him to show me how rude he can be. “Just for that look right there, I’m going to make you beg me to be rude to you.”

Oh my God, I just had an orgasm standing outside my dad’s house in the daytime. I look around, hoping no one saw me have a mini orgasm. I know I have to play this off, so I do what any woman would do.

“Whatever.” I roll my eyes, and then run into my dad’s house as quickly as I can with his laughter following me the whole way.

*

Asher

As I watch
November pull up in front of the club on that damn bike, I look over and see a group of guys staring at her too. She puts the kickstand down, takes the helmet off, and shakes out her hair. She looks like a fucking wet dream sitting on that bike. Her legs are covered in tight denim with black boots laced up to mid-calf. She has a leather jacket on and it’s zipped up half way, showing off a good amount of cleavage. I hear one of the guy whistle and her head comes up, spotting me.

“Hey, babe,” she calls and the guy goes to step in her direction. Her nose scrunches and I shake my head at him, walking toward my girl.

“You just had to ride the bike, didn’t you?” I ask, not at all surprised.

She smiles, shaking her head. “Uncle Joe would be disappointed if I didn’t ride it,” she says, lifting her leg over the seat and putting her helmet under her arm. I look at her and know she’s right. Joe loves his boys, but neither of them ride. Now that his niece has shown an interest in riding, he feels like he has someone to share it with besides Mike.

“Did you ride with him today?” I ask, taking the helmet from her.

“Yeah, we went out to the park and stopped for lunch.”

“Good,” I say and kiss her nose. We walk inside the club, past the group of guys standing near the door. It used to bug the shit out of me when men openly checked her out but not anymore. She never even notices. I spot Nico and Cash. They already have a table waiting for us.