by Skye McNeil
Asher captured the fishing rod with expert precision and flawlessly cast the line farther than any other person on the lake’s banks. “There. Now we wait.”
He handed the pole back to her and plopped on the sandy shoreline. Patting the spot beside him, he instructed, “Have a seat. It may be a while.”
After seeing the rest of her relatives having no luck with the fishing venture either, Jessie decided to sit beside him. She jammed the end of the pole into the sand and sprawled out on her back. Fluffy clouds met her vision as she peered at the sky above. A hint of mountain obscured her eyesight, but she didn’t mind. Gazing up to see clouds above the mountains were a welcomed concealment. It was a multitude better than the skyscrapers New York had to offer.
“It’s gorgeous out here,” Asher said.
Jessie rested her arms behind her head. “It really is.”
Closing her eyes, she allowed the sun’s rays to wash over her jean capris and tank top. If she wasn’t careful, the high altitude and reflections would crisp her ivory skin. The burn would be worth it if just to serve as a reminder of her time in the Rockies.
Jessie lolled her head toward Asher and saw him staring up at the endless blue sky. He looked comfortable in brown cargo shorts and a blue shirt with the Pepsi logo splashed across it.
As if feeling her gaze on him, Asher turned his head toward her. “It’s not nice to ogle,” he said with a lopsided grin.
“I wasn’t ogling,” she replied.
He plucked a dainty white flower from beside her and tossed it on her cheek. “Sure you weren’t.”
“I wasn’t.” Brushing off the flower, she chucked it back toward him. The pretty pedals fluttered to his nose, causing his dimple to deepen. For a complete stranger, he did a number on her soul. Jessie wouldn’t allow herself to grasp the reason why either. Each moment she spent around him teetered her world out of orbit.
With caution, she flicked the flower from his face. The single bud landed on the unforgiving sand between them. “Thank you for all this.”
Asher propped up on his elbow. “For what? You dragged my ass across the country, remember? I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“You’re right, I did.”
His fingers traced a pattern in the sand. “But I’m honored to be a part of your life even if for this trifling time alone.” Asher pointed to her cousins, stirring the water with rocks. “The City gets lonesome. I all but forgot what it was like to have annoying cousins to spoil a fishing expedition.”
Jessie reviewed Ally’s and Evie’s failed attempts to skip rocks more than two times. “So did I. I’ve been ignoring my entire family since the Tommy fiasco.”
Girlish screams drifted across the water, forcing a smile to spread over Jessie’s lips. “I was wrong. I should’ve come home for holidays at the very least.”
Asher continued to play in the sand as he answered. “Time away helps. You did what you had to do. If you’re ready for an abundance of noisy Davis time in the future, then I think you should make the decision on your own. Your parents can’t force you to do something you don’t desire. Do what’s best for you.”
Settling back into her spot, Jessie agreed with him. She hated to admit it, but this Asher fellow was good at picking up on what she needed to hear. Whether he was genuine in his belief it or not, she wasn’t certain. “You may be on to something.”
The sound of water splashing forced Jessie to look away from Asher’s fabulous physique. When she spotted the fishing pole jerking, she shot off the ground in panic. “I got something!” she yelled loud enough for the entire lake population to hear.
Asher jumped to his feet and pulled the pole out of the ground. Handing it to her, he urged, “Reel it in, Mina.”
Ignoring the idyllic way he uttered her nickname, Jessie cranked the reel handle. The fish on the end of the line tugged, pulling her off balance, but Asher stood behind her to balance her stance.
“You’ve got this,” he told her as the end of the pole bent over in strain.
Jessie held onto the rod for all she was worth, her hands burning with every fighting moment. After a struggle, the fish flapped in the water near the shore.
Leaving Jessie on the bank, Asher stepped into the water and scooped the fish up with the net. “Wow! It’s a beautiful walleye,” he said, holding up the net. “I’d wager an easy ten pounds.”
Bursting with excitement, Jessie advanced on him and studied the flailing fish in his grip. “Whoa, I’ve never seen one so big.” She offered him a big grin. “Thank you.”
“Nah, you did all the heavy lifting,” he insisted, handing her the net. He took a step away to give her the full effect of being an expert fisherman, wielding her prize.
Hearing her family approaching at high speed, Jessie hooked her free hand to his arm. “No way. You helped me more than you let on.”
“We work well together,” Asher agreed.
Jessie steadied her feet on the uneven terrain as her cousins surrounded her like a plague of paparazzi. “We sure do,” she managed to say before she was overwhelmed with questions from her animated family.
»»•««
“Jess,” a familiar voice sang as Jessie picked up the last dishes from the table.
It was her and Asher’s turn for dish duty. She frowned at the piles and regretted volunteering. Swinging her eyes up, she saw a group of cousins surround her like fog.
“What’s up, Ally?” she replied to the brunette closest to her.
Ally cozied up to her with a cheeky smile. “So, Asher is pretty special.” The other cousins nodded in agreement.
“Uh huh, he is,” Jessie agreed with a knowing look. “Go ahead and ask. I know you want to.”
“What are you talking about?” Ally said, feigning surprise.
Jessie let out a huff. If her cousins were going to dodge the question, she was going to get bored fast. Opening her mouth, she started to speak when another cousin interjected.
“Does Asher have any brothers?”
Studying the group of eager women, Jessie flicked her gaze to Asher. “Yeah, indeed, he does. His name is Jared. He and Asher were Army Rangers together.”
“Is he as handsome as Asher?” one cousin piped up.
“Oh, does he have dimples?” Megan interrupted.
“I bet he’s handsome,” Ally said while the rest of the cousins continued to pepper questions at Jessie.
Holding up her hands, Jessie silenced them. “I don’t know. I haven’t met him yet, so I can’t help you.”
Jessie was certain each heart in front of her broke a little at her admission. Rolling her eyes at their immature behavior, she snuck a glance over at Asher. He was slacking on his end of dish duty, but she didn’t mind. Having him a part of this conversation would be beyond awkward.
“So, are the two of you happy or are you faking it?” Ally asked, not giving up the conversation.
“Why would you ask that?” Jessie plunged the dish in her hand into the soapy water. Bubbles flew up at her violent action.
“I don’t know. Maybe because you’ve been together for a year and never mentioned him to any of us.” Ally’s eyes were fixed on Asher.
When her cousin’s eyes drifted down his backside, Jessie gritted her teeth. “It’s been ten months, not a year, and I haven’t been home. I didn’t want to bring him around until I was sure about him,” she fibbed without effort. “And no, nothing is wrong with us. Asher is the best thing to happen to me since New York.”
Her three cousins nodded in unison. “Yeah, I can see the reason too. Why enjoy the tourist stops in NYC when you can have him in the bedroom? Am I right?”
Jessie eyed her youngest cousin of five years. “You have no idea.” The gaggle of women sighed at her insinuation and then rushed over to Asher.
Giggling at the confused expression scrawled across Asher’s features, she rehashed her statement. He was the best part of her time in New York City. Of course, her job took precedence, but with a guy
like Asher at the helm with her, she saw the tides changing in his favor faster than anticipated.
»»•««
As evening approached, Asher tapped his fingers together as he waited for Jessie to finish in the upstairs bathroom. Judging from her lengthy shower, she had done more than wash her hair. Rolling up to sit, he reviewed the bedroom from his spot as he recalled the day. Other than Jessie’s apparent hatred for Bobbi and Tommy, the day’s events went in his favor. Little by little, she was opening up to him.
Standing, he grabbed his bag and ruffled through it. But he wanted more from her. It was selfish and moronic of him to suggest they be in a relationship, yet it felt right to him. Calling Jessie his sent a smile across his lips every time he thought about it. She was more than wary about the change in their circumstance. It was hard to miss from her obvious reaction to his proposal.
Jessie’s voice echoed in the hallway, the sound nearing the bedroom door. Asher prepared himself for the inevitable. She would look incredible, just like she did every second of the day.
The bedroom door squeaked open and he swung his eyes to it. “Hey,” he offered when she stepped inside the room. He wasn’t wrong. She looked delectable after her shower. A towel swept up her hair on top of her head like an ice cream cone, and a cream-colored bath robe was all she wore. Swallowing hard at the sight of her, Asher demanded his body relax.
“Oh, hey,” Jessie said, not giving him a second glance. She marched over to the closet and swung it open.
Moving his head to see around her body, Asher was surprised when he saw a red gown hanging in the closet filled with quilts and bedding. “What’s that?”
Snatching the dress out of the closet, Jessie spun around. “My dress for the wedding.”
“I love red,” he informed her, imagining how sinful the gown would look on her.
Jessie nodded as she fingered the material. “Yeah, I know.” Her head snapped up. “But that’s not why I brought it.”
Smirking, Asher crossed his arms over his chest. “Right, of course not.”
“I’m serious,” she told him, laying the dress out on the bed.
“Then why did you bring it?” He eyed the designer concoction. “It doesn’t scream ‘mountain dress’ to me.”
Huffing, Jessie unwound her towel and tossed it to the floor. Her wet hair fell over her shoulders with ease, forcing Asher to watch her every move. “Because this dress has never been worn anywhere except my bedroom.”
Seeing the frustration in her eyes, Asher stood and placed his hands on her arms. “Hey, I’m sorry. I was just teasing,” he assured her, searching her eyes out. The blue gems were full of ire and sadness. “Are you all right?”
Jessie avoided his gaze. “Fine. I need to try this on real quick.” She pulled away from his grip and snagged the dress. “Without you watching.”
Put off by her attitude, Asher shook his head. “I want to see it too.”
Tossing him a glare, Jessie scrunched her eyebrows in frustration. “Are you aware you’re a pain in my ass?”
Sprawling out on the bed, he nodded. “Yeah, I do. I also know you love it.”
She rolled her perfect blue eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t look,” she instructed, stomping over to him and shoving his hand over his eyes.
“Aw come on, Mina,” he said in a sing-song voice. “I promise not to touch.”
She harrumphed in front of him, and he heard her feet back away. Never one to obey the rules, Asher inched the arm she failed to blind him with. His heartbeat quickened at the view he snuck. Somehow, she managed to find a spot in the room where his vision was obscured, but he still saw her bare back from his position. Random freckles shouted at him for his touch, but he stayed stoic. As much as he wanted to connect the dots with his lips, he would refrain until she wanted him.
“No peeking or else,” her voice warned, though she remained facing forward.
Asher chuckled but didn’t answer. When she ducked, he caught sight of a small blue tattoo across her rib. Intrigued, he lifted his arm farther to get a better look at it. Jessie chose the same moment to slide the red dress over her shoulders, hiding her tattoo once more. Her profile turned toward him and he covered his eyes again.
More footsteps met his ears until her voice found him. “You can look now.”
Asher dropped his forearm and sat up. If he ever needed inspiration for a beautiful character, he could look no further than Jessie. “You look stunning,” he admired, slowing standing. The delicate way the dress etched her hourglass figure made his mouth salivate. Though daring, the masterpiece was but a portion of the root of her beauty. Even with dangling, wet hair, Jessie was the epitome of a debutante.
“It’s nice of you to say.”
Meeting her eyes, he took a step closer and embraced her hand in his. His eyes glittered down her body and his muscles ached to touch every inch. His fingers trailed down her neck to the risqué neckline. “Do you have any idea how badly I want to rip this work of art off of you?” he whispered, his voice foreign to his own ears.
Jessie’s breath caught as she searched his eyes. Her lips separated to speak, but no words emitted from them. The desire to kiss her until she consumed him overwhelmed his better senses. Yet, when he hovered at her lips, Asher paused his act. Thus far, his feelings were one-sided. Sure, she made out with him, but he would never push his emotions onto anyone, much less the woman who pulled them out of him with one touch.
“I better hop in the shower before someone else takes it,” he decided, backing away from her.
“Okay, sure,” she stammered, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I better change anyway. I don’t want to get anything on this.” Her eyes glazed over his body and Asher held in his response.
Grabbing a clean shirt, he tugged the bedroom door open and worked his long legs down the hall. Finding the bathroom empty, he flicked the light on and rested his hands on the bathroom vanity. Breathing heavily, he leaned against the wooden cabinet and stared into the mirror. He couldn’t get his mind off of Jessie. Had she made a move toward him, he would’ve ravished her in the best way possible.
Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Asher stripped his clothes off and cranked the shower on. Naked Jessie consumed his thoughts, so he didn’t wait for the water to warm up before jumping into the stall.
“Dammit!” He muttered when the icy water met his stomach. “At least this will calm me down.” He pushed his face into the now-warm water.
His body eased as the water heated up. Grabbing the solitary shampoo bottle in the shower, Asher scrubbed the soap over his short hair. His mind was almost clear of all thoughts of Jessie when he heard a loud knock on the door. Thinking it was a figment of his imagination, he lathered his body with soap. Another rap on the door made him sigh. “Yeah?”
“Sorry, but I forgot my brush,” a small voice called, closer than he expected.
Pulling back the shower curtain, Asher found Jessie already in the bathroom. Her eyes were downcast as she looked for the lost item. “Oh.” He searched the small bathroom with his eyes but didn’t spot the hairbrush.
“Found it,” she called, retrieving the brush before looking up. Jessie’s eyes widened when her gaze flittered to him. “Damn.”
It was then that Asher realized he was stark naked, save the suds dripping down his body. Not bothering to correct the mistake, he couldn’t help but tease her. “Did you find all you’re looking for?”
Jessie’s mouth dropped open and then slammed shut. “Uh, yes. Sorry, I didn’t mean to look.”
Chuckling, Asher shrugged as he reached for the soap once more. “I don’t mind.”
Her beautiful face blushed dark red at his insinuation, but she merely opened the bathroom door and kept her eyes down.
“Jessie, there you are. Do you know where Grandma Jane keeps her lighters? I need a bit of a mountain high if you know what I mean,” a feminine voice asked.
Unable to act fast enough, Asher groaned when Jessie’s cousin, A
lly, stood in the bathroom doorway. “Well, hello, Mr. New York City,” Ally crooned, her eyes caressing his naked form in blatant awe. “I see why Jessie is so fond of you.” Her head tilted to the left. “A very, very long list of reasons too.”
Jessie slammed the door shut fast. “Ally, what the hell?” She yelled from the other side of the door.
Asher craned his head to hear their exchange but heard muffled sounds instead. Closing the shower curtain, a broad smile crossed his face. If Jessie’s reaction was any indication, she was almost as attracted to him as he was to her. He turned the shower off and grabbed a towel. Almost.
Chapter Nine
Jessie stirred a splash of creamer into her coffee the next morning and barely listened as Bobbi told their cousins about the upcoming wedding. Two more days. She repeated it over and over in her mind. No matter how many times she told herself, she didn’t want the time to fly by. Not the time with Asher, of course. It stunned her even then how she responded to seeing Asher’s naked form as bubbles drifted down the hard planes of his body. Shuddering in delight at the memory, Jessie took a drink of coffee. Last night, she couldn’t pry her gaze off him. Her cousin was right. There was a sizeable and detailed list of why she was attracted to Asher before she saw his physique sculpted by the supernatural.
Shaking her head, Jessie tried to focus on the conversation at hand. When the word tulle showed up in the conversation, she drifted into her thoughts. Asher’s kiss on her forehead woke her, but she found she couldn’t fall back to sleep. She missed his body’s warmth beside her in the cool cabin and the comforting way his arms wrapped around her hips.
Before she knew it, she had drained her coffee, so she filled the cup once more. This is bad. Very bad. She complained about the degree of being hooked on the curve of Asher’s body and the way his steady breaths lulled her to sleep. And coffee. She was once again addicted to the dark roast. His coffee. If they ever went beyond mere kissing, she would be lost to the tattooed barista forever.
“Jess, what do you think about horseback riding tomorrow? Are you and Asher in?” Bobbi asked, tapping her shoulder.