Page 50 of Camera Stays On

A shiver went through me as he let me go and stepped back.

A sliver of light coming through a small window by the sink caused his face to be half hidden, but even in the dark, he was still so handsome.

“What is?”

“You and Sawyer. Upstairs this afternoon. I know we’re still keeping things hush-hush, but I’m not gonna stay quiet while you get back with Sawyer. I can’t watch you make that mistake again.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Guilt over my reaction to Juliet wearing my dress warmed my face, I was glad it was dark. “Why are we talking about Sawyer?”

“He still wants you and seems to think you want him back.”

“What he wants and what’s real are two separate things.”

Ash’s scowl softened, and the curve of his lips moved downward, but he didn’t speak.

“What?” I asked.

“What he wants and what I want are the exact same thing.”

Ash fell back against the counter, tugging his cowboy hat off his head.

“I don’t know what to do. This feels wrong, betraying my brother and all, but a larger part of me doesn’t care anymore. I spent so many years pining after you, I don’t want to do that anymore, Andi.”

I stepped forward cautiously, my heart hammering loudly in my ears. “What do you mean?”

He looked up from the floor, rolling his eyes. “Oh, come on. Like you didn’t know I’ve been crazy about you since the day you moved in next door.”

My mouth fell open partially.

“I… I didn’t.”

“Well you should have.” He kicked off the counter and came to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him. “If you’d known earlier, maybe things would have happened differently.”

Maybe. Being with Ash instead of Sawyer could have saved a lot of pain and heartache. I sighed.

“We can’t live in ‘what-if’ land, Asher. We can only focus on now, and right now, I’m not in his arms, I’m in yours.”

“Yeah, but for how long?”

My heart thumped.

“What do you mean?” I could barely get the words out.

“How long before he takes you from me? Will I ever get an honest-to-God shot?”

My breathing became labored as I realized what I wanted to do. What I’d been hesitant to do last night. My hands slid up to cup his face, his stubble scratching my palms.

“Take it right now,” I whispered and pulled him down to me. Our lips clashed in an eagerness neither of us were prepared for. His tongue melded with mine so fast it was as if we both knew just how dangerous this was, and if we didn’t move now, we’d realize just how stupidly dangerous this was.

But for now, neither of us cared.

Chapter 22

Andi

KEEPING HIS LIPS on mine, Asher stretched his arm out toward a chair at the small kitchen table. When he couldn’t reach it, he reluctantly pulled away to grab it, bringing it to the door and setting it under the knob to keep it closed. Then, he turned back to me.

Asher’s boots echoed on the linoleum floor as he stepped over to me in the otherwise silent room. I swallowed hard as he pulled me in once more. The smell of beer and his cologne filled my nostrils, stirring my body to life.