by Mari Madison
Toby gave a slow nod. “It sounds like an ambitious project,” she said. Then she frowned. “What if it fails?”
I cocked my head in question. “Fails?” Of all the questions I’d tried to anticipate, this hadn’t been one of them.
Toby folded her hands in front of her. “No offense, Mr. Anderson,” she said. “But I’ve seen your kind in here before. Pitching these grand do-good projects to so-called ‘help’ my kids. They all sound amazing. So splendid and cool. But ninety percent of them sputter out before they can really begin. And the rest?” Her mouth set in a scowl. “They get bored and move on to the next venture.”
“But I wouldn’t—”
Toby raised a hand to stop me. “Look, Mr. Anderson, these kids aren’t a bucket list item that you can check off and feel good about your privilege. They need people they can depend on. They’ve had enough adults waltzing in and out of their lives, crushing their little hopes and dreams under their heels. They’re only children and yet most of them have already suffered more disappointments than you will in your entire life. And I can’t have you coming in here, promising them the world, only to leave them high and dry once you get bored.”
I sat there in my seat, dumbfounded. Not sure what to say. I wanted to protest—to tell her that I wasn’t like that. That when I committed to something I followed through. But she would never believe me. Mostly because it wasn’t true. In fact, up until now I hadn’t truly committed to anything in my life except meteorology. And that was only because I hadn’t been given a choice.
Anger surged through me. At Toby—for her hesitation to commit to the project. At myself—for being the kind of guy who prompted such hesitation.
I tossed the proposal on her desk, then rose to my feet. “Look it over,” I said. “Let Piper know what you think. You have three days to decide before I take the offer to another group home. I’m sure someone will appreciate my charity.”
“Asher . . .” I could feel Piper reaching for my arm. I shook her off.
“I’ll be outside when you’re ready,” I told her. And with that, I stormed out of the office, my stomach roiling with nausea.
So this was what people truly thought of me. And maybe they were right to think it. Before Piper had come around I wouldn’t have cared, either—I would have probably turned it into a joke. Look at Asher, such an irresponsible clown. Hell, I’d worn my Joker status as a badge of honor.
But Piper had changed all of that. She had made me want to be a better person. The kind of person a girl like her could be proud of. The kind of person a girl like her would want on her arm.
“You okay?”
I whirled around to see Piper standing there, watching me. I groaned, leaning up against Fiona, banging my head against her side. “That did not go as I hoped,” I muttered.
I could feel her step behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist, leaning into me, her head resting on my back. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I had no idea Toby would react that way. I honestly thought she’d be thrilled.” She shrugged. “I guess she’s just protective of the kids.”
“Which is what she should be,” I replied. “She’s just doing her job. Keeping the fuckups at bay.”
“You’re not a fuckup, Asher,” she said.
“I don’t know if most people would agree with you.”
“Most people don’t know you. Not like I’ve gotten to know you now. I’ve seen you work hard these past few weeks. I know how important this is to you. I believe you’re in it for the long haul, and it’s not just a passing fancy.” I could feel her smile against my back. “Trust me, all my life people have been trying to tell me what I can’t do. I just use that as an opportunity to prove them wrong.”
I turned to her, pulling her into my arms, my heart soaring at the belief I saw radiating from her eyes. The fact that she believed in me. That she was willing to put her own reputation on the line for me.
Oh God. This girl . . .
I couldn’t help it. I leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth. She eeped in surprise then laughed, kissing me back with a hunger that practically took my breath away. For a moment, we just stood there, locked in one another’s arms, our mouths pressing against one another. My stomach flip-flopping in my chest like a fish and my heart racing—though not from nerves this time.
I pulled away from the kiss, meeting her eyes with my own. Such beautiful eyes. Filled with such passion and belief. Eyes I wanted to wake up to every morning. Fall asleep with every night.
And suddenly I knew exactly what I needed to say.
“If you really believe in me,” I said slowly, “I want you to prove it.”
Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, this thing between us—whatever it is. I don’t want it to be casual. I don’t want it to be about hookups and occasional lapses in judgment. I want to commit. I want to be in it for the long haul—just like the surf school.”
She turned away and I could see her swallow hard. The flash of doubt in her eyes that sent a chill straight to my heart. “Asher,” she said gently. “I don’t know . . .”
“Come on, Piper. Give me a chance. I promise you—I will prove you wrong.”
“Asher, we talked about this. We’re coworkers.”
“Fuck News 9. I don’t care about them. I care about you.”
“I care about you, too,” she said, her eyes taking on a pleading look. “But I also care about my career. I’m sorry—I know that makes me sound heartless. But I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am. I can’t just put everything on the line . . . for whatever this might turn out to be.”
I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand, frustrated beyond belief. I wanted to be angry with her—for putting her career over me—but how could I be that selfish? Her passion for her career was one of the things I loved most about her. How could I ask her to give that up for me?
“Fine,” I said. “Then I will.”
“What?”
“You’re right. You love your career. And I’d never want to be responsible for putting it in jeopardy. So fine. You work at News 9. And I’ll quit.”
“But, Asher, you can’t!”
“Maybe I can.”
“But your mother . . .”
“Will have to deal,” I declared. “Come on, Piper. What do you say? Will you take a chance on me? Will you let me prove myself to you?”
For a moment she said nothing and the silence stretched out long and hard between us. I tried not to fidget, not to speak. Wanting to give her a chance to think about it, even though I was desperate for an answer. One thing was for certain—the next thing that came out of her mouth would have the power to change my life forever.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she looked up, meeting my eyes with her own. Her expression told me her answer before the words could escape her mouth, and it made my heart soar.
“Oh, Asher,” she said with a small smile. “Do you always get your way?”
twenty-eight
PIPER
We barely made it back to Asher’s place and when we did we fell straight onto the bed. Him covering me with kisses. Me digging my hands into his hair. I still didn’t know what the hell I was doing. But somehow I knew I had to do it anyway.
Because Asher. Oh, Asher.
All my life I had played it safe. Kept others at arm’s length. Knowing in the back of my head that if I never trusted anyone to begin with then no one could let me down. And it had worked. At least to an extent. My mind had kept me safe. But it also kept me from being happy.
Asher was a risk. Yes. But life was filled with risks and if you didn’t take any, you would always remain stuck in the same place. I thought back to that moment on the boat. When he pulled me under the deck and kissed away all my fears. I had emerged from that voyage a stronger person, a better person, and Asher had been a bi
g part of that. Now he was asking me to take it one step further. To put all my bets on the table.
I might lose everything.
But I might just win the jackpot.
He pressed his lips against mine, his kiss hungry and urgent as his hand raked up the side of my body. He was trying to be gentle, trying to be slow, but it was sort of killing him, I could tell. And so I reached down between us, where I could feel his arousal, pressing against my belly. I took him in my hand through his pants and wrapped my fingers around him. He jerked, an involuntarily gasp whooshing through his lips. His fingers gripped my arms tight.
I smiled against his mouth. “My turn. And this time I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Don’t worry,” he managed to say. “I’m not up for launching much of a resistance.”
My hands found the waistband of his pants and those damn boxer briefs and I pushed them both down over his thighs. He helped by kicking them off his ankles, stripping himself bare in front of me. I gripped him with one hand, the other resting at his waist. Then I dropped my head down, slipping him into my mouth, taking in his entire length. He groaned and his fingers dug into my hair. A feeling of power surged through me. He was putty in my hands. And I liked that. Asher Anderson, who so many women had tried to tame. But I was the one who had done it.
My mouth slid up and down his shaft, trying to find my rhythm. He was so hard, yet so smooth, his skin like silk sliding in and out of my mouth. When I swirled my tongue along the tip, his whole body stiffened. He grabbed me by the shoulders.
“You gotta stop, sweetheart,” he said. “Give a guy a fighting chance at least.”
Smiling, I pulled off of him. He grabbed me, flipping me over on the bed, pulling down my pants, and yanking off my shirt until I was just in my bra and panties. Then he deftly relieved me of those as well, until I was lying before him, completely naked. Completely vulnerable.
Yet I didn’t feel vulnerable somehow. Not when I could see the adoration in his eyes as his gaze raked over me from head to toe. No, I didn’t feel naked at all. I just felt beautiful. Asher thought I was beautiful, and for once I didn’t want to argue the fact.
He reached down, circling my breasts in his hands then lowering himself to take a nipple into his mouth, sucking it into a diamond-hard peak while tracing lazy circles along the outer areola of the other breast. I gasped, gripping the sheet in my hands, squirming against him, desperate to relieve the pressure that was building up inside of me like an inferno. But Asher didn’t allow me any relief, dropping his hand to my thigh, preventing me from grinding against him. His tongue flicked at my nipple and I stifled a scream of frustration mixed with joy.
He lowered his head, skimming my stomach with kisses, still stroking my inner thigh. Lower and lower until his mouth reached his hand and he licked and nipped at the sensitive skin. I practically yelped from the sensations coursing through me. God, I wanted this man. Like I’d never wanted anyone—or anything—before.
Without warning, he pulled away, looking up at me with sparkling eyes. “There’s still time to play it safe,” he teased. “I could get up and walk away.”
“Don’t you fucking dare.”
He laughed, dropping his head back down between my legs. This time abandoning my thighs to slip his tongue between my folds. I held my breath, taking in the sensations of his mouth moving against me, exquisite torture rioting through my entire body.
“I want you inside me,” I found myself begging. “Please.”
He lifted his head and the sudden break in connection felt like a lost limb. But he was only crawling over to the nightstand to pull out a condom. I watched, practically panting as he ripped it open and carefully put it on. Then he turned back to me.
“I have wanted to do this since the moment I first laid eyes on you,” he said. “But I am so glad you made me wait.”
He climbed over me, spreading my legs to him, his thighs pressing against my own, opening me up, exposing me totally. Then he grabbed his cock in his hand and positioned it against my core. For a moment, he didn’t push in. Just stayed there and I swallowed heavily at the feel of him pressing against my entrance, his hands clamped against my hips, holding me in place. Then, with one fluid movement, he pushed himself inside of me and at last we became one. Flesh against flesh. Man against woman.
“God, you feel even better than I imagined,” he groaned against me, dropping down to find my mouth with his own, his tongue prying apart my lips and giving me a deep kiss. I kissed him back, feeling the shock waves of ecstasy pulse through me with every stroke, and my hips began to thrust in response, unable to let him do all the work. Together we found a tempo that worked for both of us, binding our bodies together. Push and pull, but never losing that connection. I wrapped my legs around his back, hooking my ankles together, and he groaned in approval, pushing himself even deeper inside of me. He dropped his head down to my breast, sucking in a nipple, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to register all the different sparks of electricity that were dancing through me.
“No,” he said suddenly, bringing me back to the present. A hand to my face. I realized he’d stopped thrusting. “Don’t close your eyes, Red. Look at me. I want you to look at me when you come.”
And so I forced my eyes back open, meeting his own. It was weirdly intimate, just staring into one another’s eyes, and for a moment I almost forgot what was taking place lower down. But I couldn’t forget for long as the fire burned deep inside of me, building and building until it reached a crescendo. Ecstasy throbbed through me and I pushed against him over and over, riding the wave to shore. Through it all, he kept my gaze, never wavering, always looking, something deep and important in those eyes.
And suddenly I was so fucking glad I’d taken a chance. No matter what happened after today, after this. It was worth it. This was worth it all.
He came a few moments later, collapsing on top of me when he had finished, his breath hard and ragged in my ears. For a moment, we both just lay there, tangled in an embrace, and it felt so damn good to keep the connection a little longer between us. Eventually he slid off of me, discarding the condom before crawling back into bed. I snuggled up against him, my head lodged in the nook between his shoulder and his chest. He reached up, stroking my hair, while his other hand dropped down to cup my ass, keeping me pressed against him.
“It’s funny,” he said. “Usually after sex I’m ready to bolt for the door. But right now, I can’t imagine getting out of bed.” He grinned wickedly. “Or letting you get out of bed for that matter. Can we just stay here forever?”
I chuckled against him. “Well, we do have to work tomorrow,” I said.
He lifted his head in surprise. “But I’m quitting, remember?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head slowly against his chest. “No way. Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but you asked me to trust you, right? If you truly believe we can be coworkers—and a couple, too—well, that’s what I think we should do.”
“Aw,” he said, putting on a teasing pout. “And here I thought I was getting a girlfriend and a free pass to go surfing every day.”
“Nice try,” I said. “But you’re not getting off the hook that easily. I expect my boyfriend at work tomorrow and I expect him to be on time.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” he replied. “As long as you’re here to wake me up.”
twenty-nine
ASHER
I’d love to say we showed up to work the next morning completely well rested, but that would be a lie. In fact we’d barely gotten any sleep, too busy exploring each other’s bodies while exploring each other’s minds. In fact, it felt like only a brief second that we closed our eyes before the sun peeked through my windows, demanding we face the day. I was pretty sure, when I saw Piper’s face, I could easily convince her to call in sick. To spend the day in bed with me. But I had promised her our relationshi
p would not interfere with her job, so I resisted leading her into temptation.
Somehow we got up, we got dressed, we grabbed breakfast on the way and then headed into work. Separate cars, but definitely together. I wondered, as we walked through the newsroom, if people could tell something had changed between us. No longer just meteorologist and producer, but something so much more.
Things continued in this vein for the next few weeks. With us working together, going home together, maybe working some more at night. I’d never worked so much in my life—the upcoming launch of the surf school taking up almost all of my free time. But I didn’t mind: There was something so satisfying in seeing it come together. Especially the night we gave Toby a tour—and she grudgingly relented into letting her kids participate in the launch. That was pure victory. The school had become this larger-than-life thing that I had built with my bare hands—with sheer force of will. Okay, sure, it had been funded by my family’s accounts, but at the end of the day it was still mine. The first thing I could ever truly say that about.
I still didn’t love working at News 9. But it was a minor sacrifice to get to spend the day with Piper. Also, it served to keep my mother off my back and ensured she didn’t balk at my extracurricular activities.
“So Beth had a good idea today,” Piper told me Friday night as we sat on the floor of the surf shop, waxing the new boards.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“What do you think about her doing a feature on the surf school? You know, like an opening day kind of thing? We could invite some of the kids down from the Holloway House and get video of them checking out the school for the first time.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a great idea. Maybe the publicity would get us some attention from other local businesses as well. We could always use more donations. And I’m sure my mother would love it. A great PR moment—News 9’s golden son, giving back to the community. She loves that kind of shit.”