Page 55 of Burning Deceptions
I reached for his hand and laced his fingers with mine. “I don’t know how to date, and I don’t want to screw this up.” I glanced at him, hoping he couldn’t see how unsure of myself I was with this. “The second you hate hiding, tell me. Talk to me. I never want to hold you back from the life you want.”
Asher squeezed my hand. “I get it. With anything new, we have to work at it and make mistakes until we get it right.”
I huffed. “God, you’re amazing.”
“I know.”
I shook my head. All of this was so unbelievable. “So why the hellwereyou dressed like a woman that night?”
Asher threw his head back and laughed. The line of his jaw and the cords in his neck called to my tongue, but I refrained. We’d have another moment. And I really did hope it was somewhere private.
“Oh my God,” he said. “It was a bad idea that somehow went all kinds of right.”
We sat there in the parking lot for another hour as Asher regaled me with his innate storytelling ability. He told me about Savannah, the cousin I’d sort of met, the bet, and the reason he kept showing up to all of these events.
Perhaps it was his pronounced accent or his animation or the way he lit from within. Who knew. Who cared. I was enchanted all the same, with no hope of remembering the names of every cousin he mentioned but wanting to meet them one day. When we finally parted ways with a chaste peck and a promise to talk soon, I was still snickering.
Soon came later that same day. I had gone home and changed clothes to work out. William didn’t mind the last-minute notice and met me at the gym. He asked about my good mood, but all I said was that I’d been sleeping better. A lie, because I hadn’t but figured I would be.
As soon as I was home and separating laundry, my phone pinged.
Ash
I swear I won’t be obnoxious or anything, but I didn’t really ask about texting. Do you hate it? Should I not say anything too private? Testing my limits, I guess.
You’re fine, and say whatever you like. No one has access to my phone but me.
I dropped the phone on my bed, but it lit up with another message immediately.
Ash
So if I said how sexy your dick is, you don’t mind?
I bit away a grin, then turned and sat on the edge of my bed.
I don’t mind.
Ideas burned in my brain. Teasing words and sexting I’d never been able to partake in suddenly overloaded me. What did I say in return? Was this flirting? Was he expecting something sexy from me?
Ash
Good. Your ass looks amazing in those slacks too, btw. I thought I hated your snooty britches, but they’re growing on me.
Snooty britches? I laughed and shook my head.
Hmm, if I didn’t know better, I’d say someone was trying to provoke me into a reaction.
Ash
You don’t know better then, because that’s exactly what I’m doing.
What are you doing right now?
The provocative chore of laundry.
Ash
I’m currently staring at my own pile of clothes and wondering if any of it smells good enough to wear again.
