Burned Duet: Asher & Elodie: Fast Burn & Deep Burn (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 4)

by Abigail Davies

  She blinked, her mouth opening and closing, and I could see she was trying to make sense of what I’d said. I’d been forward, but I’d waited long enough. I’d kept my distance and let her come to me, but now that she had, I wasn’t going to back down. “I…” She swallowed, and just as I was about to tell her to forget it, she blurted out, “Okay.”

  “Yeah?” I smiled slowly and my stomach fluttered. She’d given me damn butterflies.

  “Sure.” She pressed her soft palm to my face. “When do we need to leave?”

  I leaned down, pressed a kiss to her lips, and murmured, “Get ready, then we’ll head to my place so I can get changed.”

  I didn’t want to lift up off her, I wanted to stay exactly where we were all day, but the only time I’d missed a cookout day was when I was away on tour. And if I didn’t go today, I’d never hear the end of it. Elodie pushed out of bed and I didn’t move my attention off her as she walked to her en suite completely naked. She was fuckin’ perfection.

  It wasn’t until we were leaving my house an hour later that I realized by bringing Elodie there, Belle would find out we were more than just friends. It wasn’t like I’d lied to her a couple of weeks ago. Back then we had only been friends, but now—

  “You look more nervous than me,” Elodie commented as I pulled into the street my mom and dad’s house was on. I could already see the cars parked on the driveway and outside, and a quick check told me Cade and Belle were already here. That meant we’d walk into a house full of people and—

  “Asher?” Elodie asked, her voice measured and unsure. “If you don’t want me to go—”

  “No.” I shook my head and pulled up at the end of the driveway. “It’s not that.” I blew out a breath and ran my palm over my face. “I’ve…” I turned to face her. “I’ve never brought a girl home before.”

  Her brows rose and she blinked several times. “You haven’t?”

  “No.” I leaned my head on the headrest. “Fuck. I’m nervous.”

  “We can say we’re friends. Belle and Leo will be in there anyway, so it’s not like—”

  “No,” I growled, reaching for her hand. “I’m not introducing you as my friend to my parents. We haven’t named what we are, and I’m okay with that, but you’re not just gonna be a friend, not when it comes to them.” I swallowed as I stared at her. What I’d said was the truth. She wasn’t only my friend. She’d never just be my friend.

  Her lips pulled up into a genuine smile, and her cheeks reddened. “Okay.”

  I gave her hand a squeeze and took another calming breath. “Let’s do this.” I turned the engine off and we both exited my truck. I met her halfway around the front, not hesitating as I took her hand in mine. Her entire hand fit in my palm and I loved the feeling of it. I hadn’t held hands like this since I was a teenager, but there was something about Elodie that had me reverting back to a time I’d almost forgotten about.

  We hadn’t even made it halfway to the front door when it burst open and Belle’s knowing face appeared. “Aha!” She pointed at us. “I knew it.” She grinned and turned to face someone in the house. “You owe me twenty dollars, Ford!”

  I rolled my eyes at her antics. I should have known she’d make a bet from the moment she asked about us a couple of weeks ago. She was like Dad, always watching and analyzing. She hadn’t always been that way, though. She’d learned to become super aware of her surroundings.

  “What? Why?” Ford appeared from the living room as we made it to the front door. His gaze met mine and then Elodie’s and finally flicked down to our joined hands. “Dammit.” He pulled some cash out of his front jeans pocket. “Why do you always have to be right?” he asked Belle.

  “It’s a skill,” Belle retorted. “One you’ll never be able to master.” She smirked at him, then turned back to face us. “Elodie, this is Ford, my husband and Leo’s dad.”

  “Oh,” Elodie whispered. “I…erm, hi.” She waved awkwardly and I inwardly chuckled. She was nervous.

  “Nice to meet you,” Ford responded, then turned to face me with a raised brow. “Your sister called it.” His lips quirked on one side. “You’re a damn Easton through and through.” I knew what he meant by that—the age gap—but I wasn’t going to acknowledge it. There was more to me and Elodie than our ages. It didn’t bother me one bit that she was fourteen years younger than me. She didn’t act like your typical eighteen-year-old. Age was only a number.

  “I did.” Belle seemed pretty damn proud of herself. “Come in. I’ve already told everyone all about you.”

  “Jesus, Belle.” I led Elodie into the house. “Why do you have to do that?”

  “What?” She glanced over her shoulder at me as we walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Laughter echoed from outside, and Elodie’s hand squeezed mine so hard I almost lost feeling in it. I didn’t think twice as I lifted our joined hands to my lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “Aww, that’s so sweet.”

  “I’m not gonna hear the end of this,” I groaned out, and Elodie chuckled, her grip lessening on my hand.

  “Finally!” Cade shouted as we all stepped out onto the decking. “My stomach has been rumbling for an hour—oh.” His gaze met Elodie’s and then flung to me. “You brought a guest?”

  “I did.” I grinned and spotted Leo’s eyes widening as he stared at us. “Everyone, this is Elodie. Elodie, this is my brother, Cade.” I pointed to Cade and then to Aria, who was sitting next to him. “That’s his girlfriend, Aria. You already know Leo, Belle, and Ford.” I moved closer to where Dad was manning the grill, a spatula in his hand as he’s stared at us with an open mouth and shocked eyes. “This is my dad, Brody.”

  “Hi,” Elodie said, her voice louder now. She was starting to feel comfortable, although it was still a lot of people to get used to. I already knew things about her that I’d never known about other girls. I knew when she was happy and when she was pretending to be happy. I knew when she was nervous and when she was scared. It was in the little details you saw the most.

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” Dad said, holding his hand out for her. “You’re the first girl Asher has ever brought home.” If I hadn’t already told Elodie that, I would have been embarrassed, but I didn’t think Dad was trying to embarrass me. He was shocked I’d brought someone home, so he’d said the first thing that came to him. At least I hoped that was what it was.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Dad continued as he let her hand go. “I cooked way too many burgers.”

  “They smell amazing.” Elodie let go of my hand and stepped forward. No one ever got into Dad’s grilling space, but he simply grinned as she stared down at the burgers. “What’s that?”

  “My special sauce.” Dad turned to face me, winked, and then concentrated back on the grill. “It’s my secret recipe.”

  “Yeah?” Elodie smiled up at Dad. “What do you use it on?”

  “Dad seems to like her,” a voice said from beside me, and I glanced down at Mom who had sidled up next to me. “And you seem besotted.”

  “Besotted?” I chuckled and pushed my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. “What kind of word is that?”

  Mom shrugged and pushed her hair behind her ear. “It was in my word-of-the-day cards, so I figured now was as good a time as any to use it.” She placed her hand on the side of my face, giving me that look only a mom gave one of her kids. “There’s something different about you today.” She paused, her gaze flicking to Elodie who was still talking to Dad. “The old Asher is slipping through the cracks.”

  I swallowed, trying to not let her words affect me, but it was useless because she was right. The old Asher was merging with the Asher I’d been since I’d joined the Marines. I just wasn’t sure whether it was a good or a bad thing.

  “It’s her,” I murmured. I’d always been open and honest with my mom, and now wouldn’t be any different. “She brings it out of me.”

  She nodded like she knew exactly w
hat I was saying. “She’s good for you, I can already see that.” She let her hand slide off my cheek and patted my chest, right over my heart. “Let her in, sweetie. Never be afraid to show her all of you.”

  “I won’t,” I murmured, not able to hold back from wrapping my arms around my mom. She was always the one person in this world I could talk to. “Do you want to meet her?”

  She pulled back, slapped me on the shoulder, and rolled her eyes. “What kind of question is that? Of course, I want to meet her.”

  “Okay, okay, no need to get violent.”

  She shoved me aside with her hip and stood between me and Elodie, taking matters into her own hands. “Hi,” she announced. “I’m Lola, Asher’s mom.”

  Elodie turned around, her gaze snapping from my mom to me and back again. This may have been the last person she was going to meet, but it was also the most important person. I wouldn’t be where I was today if it wasn’t for my mom. “Hi.” She held her hand out. “I’m Elodie.”

  Mom waved her away and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. “I don’t do handshakes.” She pulled back and smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” Elodie whispered, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Maybe I’d pushed too much on her. Should I have waited? Should I have—

  “Could I use your bathroom?”

  “Of course, Asher can show you where it is.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to face me, and I placed my hand on the bottom of her back, a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d taken things too far, brought her here too soon. I—

  “I don’t need to use the bathroom,” Elodie announced as we got into the living room. “I just needed to—”

  “I’m sorry. If it’s too much we can leave.”

  “No.” She lunged forward and placed her hands on my chest. “No, no. It’s nothing like that I…” She pulled in a breath and I glanced down at her, completely captivated by her navy-blue eyes. “I just needed to say thank you for bringing me here. I never had a family like this and…well, thank you.”

  I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulled her to me, and dipped down to touch my lips to hers. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” I pulled back a couple of centimeters. “Want to see my childhood bedroom? I still have my pirate bed in there.”

  She burst out laughing. “You had a pirate bed?”

  “Yep.” I lifted her off her feet, not waiting for her to pull back, then turned around and headed toward the stairs. “It’s the best bed in the world.” I walked up the stairs. “My bedroom is also at the front of the house, so…”

  Elodie shook her head but her grin was undeterred. “You’re so bad at innuendos.”

  I shrugged. “Fine. Come to my bedroom with me so I can touch you some more.”

  She grasped my face in her palms as I made it to my old bedroom door. “That sounds more like my Marine.”

  My Marine. Fuck, she was gonna be the death of me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ELODIE

  I’d only ever felt truly comfortable in certain places: the dance studio, and my new apartment. And now I could add Asher’s mom and dad’s house to that mix too. I wasn’t sure what time the cookouts usually ended but I found myself not wanting to leave. His dad had spoken to me about his secret sauce and everything he’d gotten up to now that he was retired from the DEA, and I’d told him all about my dancing competitions. It had been easy to talk to everyone, but I should have known it would have been because it was the same with both Asher and Leo.

  So, as the darkness covered us and everyone started to leave, I felt a little sad. I’d have to go home to my apartment and not be surrounded by people who made me feel at ease. Belle, Leo, and Ford were the last to leave, which meant there was now only me, Asher, Lola, and Brody.

  “You driving all the way home this late?” Lola asked.

  “Darlin’, he lives thirty minutes away, not five hours.”

  “I know, but still. He could always stay the night and—”

  “We’ll be fine, Mom.” Asher squeezed my thigh, where he’d placed his hand an hour ago under the table. “I’ll drive slow.”

  She pointed at him, her brows lowering in warning. “You better, mister.” She sighed. “I miss having the kids at home. It’s too damn quiet for my liking.”

  Brody leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek, and I nearly melted at the interaction. “It’s what happens when you get old.”

  Her head reeled back. “How dare you.” She reached for her glass of wine. “I’m not old. I’m still in my prime.”

  “That’s right, Mom, you tell him.” Asher laughed, but it soon stopped when her gaze focused on him. “Oh shit. Erm…” He stood, looking every bit like the kid who’d been told off with one single look. “I think we should get going.”

  “Mm-hmm.” She took a swig of her wine and winked at me. “These Easton men need keeping in check.”

  I chuckled under my breath and bit down on my bottom lip. I saw exactly where Belle got her flair for the dramatics and open attitude from, and part of me wanted a piece of it. I’d never been as outspoken as the women in this family. I’d learned to only speak when I had to. I’d been taught to act like I wasn’t even there. But these women were strong, independent, and not afraid to say exactly what they were thinking.

  “You ready, sweetheart?” Asher whispered in my ear, and I nodded in reply. My stomach felt heavy as we said our goodbyes, but I promised them I’d be back next Saturday for the cookout. They’d welcomed me into their family without a second thought, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was too good to be true. Were there really people out there like this?

  Brody and Lola stood by the front door as we drove away, and I waved at them, not able to wipe the smile off my face. I’d had the best day I could ever remember, and it was all thanks to Asher. He’d been worried it would be too much too soon, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

  “That’s a sight I’ll never get tired of,” Asher murmured as he exited the street. I turned my head to give him my attention, and he grinned over at me. “The look on your face and the smile on your lips.” He winked. “Best look in the whole damn world if you ask me.”

  I felt the heat of a blush work its way onto my cheeks as he stared at me, but as soon as he looked away, I wished he didn’t have to. I wanted his attention—all of his attention—because when he was focusing on me, I felt alive. I felt ready to do and be anything I wanted.

  The drive back seemed to take longer than the drive here. Asher automatically drove us to my apartment, and I wasn’t sure if it was because we’d started here, or because he knew deep down that I wanted to be back in my own space for a while. Today had been great, but I couldn’t deny it had zapped my mental energy.

  He pulled up next to the side door and just as I expected him to turn his engine off, his cell rang out. “Fuck.” He held the screen up to show me Jax’s name, then pressed the answer call button and placed it next to his ear. “Yeah?” His brows furrowed. “For how long? Fuck. Yeah. I…” His gaze clashed with mine. “I’ll shoot over to you, but I can’t stay long. Yeah, okay, see you in a bit.”

  He ended the call and I leaned back in my seat, waiting for what he was going to say. “Al is…” He darted his attention to the windshield. “Al is struggling. He had an episode in the clubhouse. Jax wants me to come and help.”

  “Can you help him?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” He pushed his hand through his hair and looked more stressed than I’d ever seen him. “That’s why I was at the club last week. He’s struggling with being back home.” He paused and stared right into my eyes, showing me everything he possibly could. Pain. Frustration. Anger.

  “Go to him,” I told him, not a question in my mind. “You have a key to the apartment, so let yourself in when you get back.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yep.” I undid my belt and leaned ov
er the center console. “I’ll see you in a while, okay?”

  He paused, searching my eyes for something, and whatever he saw there must have satisfied him because he said, “Okay. I’ll watch you go in.”

  I gave him a quick kiss, then let myself out of the truck. I didn’t know how bad Al was, but for Jax to call Asher, it had to have been something he couldn’t handle on his own, so the quicker Asher could get there, the better. I put my key in the lock, pushed the door open, and took one last look at him, then closed the door behind me.

  So much had happened today, and I was ready for my bed. Maybe it was a good thing Asher would be gone for a little while. At least then I could sort through all of my thoughts.

  I headed up the stairs and opened my apartment door, then switched all the lights on. The button on my jeans was digging into me thanks to all of the burgers Brody had cooked and I couldn’t turn down, so I undid it and headed toward my bedroom. But I hadn’t made it halfway there when my apartment door opened. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I spun around. Jax must have called Asher and told him he didn’t need to come—

  “Damn, that’s one big smile.”

  My stomach dropped and I was sure my heart skipped a beat. What the hell was he doing here? And how the hell did he get in? Had I not locked the doors properly? Adrenaline shot through my body as I slowly turned around. “Knox?” I stammered out. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

  He smirked, the same smirk he always gave me when he knew something that I didn’t. “Just wanted to check out your new place.” He stepped forward, picking up the little trinkets I’d placed around the apartment, but he wasn’t really looking at them.

  I backed away, my instincts kicking in and telling me to get as far away from his as I could. “Leave. Now.”

  He tilted his head to the side and frowned. “That’s not very welcoming now, is it, El?” He chuckled and dropped the candle he’d picked up. It barreled across the small table in front of my sofa and smashed as it hit the edge. “You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trailer park out of the girl, huh?”