Just A Kiss

by Tessier, Shantel

  I shrug. Like I care what she thinks of me.

  “Nothing.” I answer his first question. He knows I’m not going to acknowledge the hatred my assistant has for me. The hatred he and Hadley once had for each other was their foreplay. That is not the case with Tris and me.

  “Asher was just asking me about Andrea.” She rats me out.

  “Oh, really?” he questions with a smile on his face. Fucker. “What exactly does he want to know?” he asks her but looks at me.

  I roll my eyes.

  “We were just about to get to that.”

  They both stare at me, expecting me to speak up, but I don’t.

  Aiden smirks and looks at Hadley. “I told him last night that she isn’t his type.”

  “What does that mean?” she asks him.

  “Come on, babe. Andrea isn’t the type of girl my brother dates.”

  She scoffs at his words. “Asher doesn’t date any girl. He just screws them and then tosses them out.” He opens his mouth, but she says, “Maybe Asher isn’t the kind of guy Andrea dates.” And before he can respond to that, she jumps from her seat and storms out, slamming my door shut behind her.

  My brother watches her leave and then turns in his seat to stare at me. He straightens his suit jacket and cocks a dark brow. We look identical. Dark hair with blue eyes and square jaws. The only difference is he has facial hair, and I’m clean-shaven. “I told you not to go there.”

  I smile. “And I believe I told you the same thing with Hadley. But you didn’t listen. So why should I?”

  He shakes his head. “Because this is different.”

  I don’t doubt that, but I find myself asking, “How?”

  He lets out a long breath. “Because Andrea is my wife’s best friend, and after you throw her away, I’ll have to hear about it.”

  “I’m sure you can deal.” I don’t plan on letting her go anywhere, but I’m not gonna tell him that.

  His eyes narrow on me. “You know what?” He stands and straightens his jacket. “Go ahead and do what you want to do. I can’t stop you. But when you fuck it up, you can deal with Hadley.”

  “Wait,” I call out and stand.

  “What?”

  “What are you doing with your apartment?”

  His brows pull together. “What do you mean doing with it?”

  “Are you selling it? Keeping it?” He’s owned the penthouse here at Legacy Tower for years even though he also has a house in the same neighborhood where our father and I live.

  “I haven’t thought about it. Why?” His voice trails off as he catches on to what I’m asking. He throws me a smile and then opens the door to walk out of my office, slamming it shut.

  I sit back, chuckling. I can handle my sister-in-law. As a matter of fact, I can handle any woman. And I have my eyes set on one at the moment who may take a little more push than the ones before her, but I’m up for the challenge.

  Pressing the intercom button on my phone, I bark, “Tris, get in here.”

  She comes barging into my office again seconds later. But this time, she doesn’t speak. Instead, she comes to my desk and glares down at me over her nose. She wears a pair of black dress slacks and a black blouse with a red scarf and red heels. Her bleach blond hair is up in a bun, and her lipstick matches her scarf. She’s hot, no doubt about it, but she’s just not my type. Or more like I’m not her type. She hits on Hadley more than anything else. At first, I thought it was just to piss my brother off, but I think she feels she may really have a chance.

  I hired her after Bianca, my last assistant, tried to kill Hadley and was arrested. She is a bitch, and I’m a dick. We work well together. “I have a meeting in an hour,” I tell her.

  She rolls her eyes. “Yes, sir. That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier.”

  I stand. “Grab your notebook and meet Aiden and me in the conference room. We need to go over the notes I made last night.”

  She nods, saying, “Yes, sir,” and then turns to exit my office.

  I slide my cell into my suit jacket pocket and remind myself to get Andrea’s number when I see her at The Horseshoe again tonight. I’m not gonna give up as easily as she thinks. I’m nothing like all those fuckers from her past.

  I wake up for the second time this morning to my cell ringing. I pry my heavy lids open and roll over to grab it off my nightstand. “Hello?” I ask roughly and then clear my throat.

  “Wake up,” Hadley orders. “We gotta talk.”

  I sit up immediately, pushing my wild and crazy hair away from my face. My heart beats faster. “I just spoke to you earlier. You okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. This is about you.”

  “What about me?” I ask through a yawn.

  “Why the hell is Asher calling me into his office to question me about you?”

  My eyes widen. “I don’t know …”

  “What else happened last night that you’re not telling me?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Andrea, I know when you’re lying, and this is one of those times.”

  I sigh heavily. “Can you meet me tonight?”

  “Yes. Aiden and Asher have a late meeting. Do you have to work?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be there around seven?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “See you then. And Andrea …”

  “Yeah?”

  “You better be ready to tell me everything.”

  I hang up and lie back down. Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag. At least it will be by seven fifteen tonight.

  * * *

  I had off from my day job, so I was able to catch up on some sleep. But I don’t think you ever actually catch up on the sleep you miss.

  I’m standing behind the bar when, true to her word, Hadley comes walking through the door. She gives me a huge smile as she slides on a barstool at the bar. “Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

  “Well, you’ve been busy,” I tell her. Even though she and Aiden just recently married, they’ve been inseparable for the past two years.

  “I’m all yours”—she looks down at her watch— “for the next thirty minutes. So spill.”

  I laugh. “What? Not even gonna buy me a drink first?” I joke. She tilts her head to the side, and my laughter grows. “Okay. Okay.” Placing my hands on the bar, I lean over it and whisper, “Asher and I slept together.” Might as well get to the point.

  She gasps loudly. “Last night?”

  I bite my bottom lip and whisper nervously. “In Tahiti.”

  “What?” she squeals. “Oh my God, Andrea. Why are you just now telling me this?”

  “’Cause you’ve been busy,” I answer with a shrug.

  She lets out a long sigh. “I’m sorry.”

  “Hey, don’t apologize. It’s no big deal.”

  She looks around and then leans forward. “It’s a very big deal. What are you gonna do?”

  “What do you mean, what am I gonna do? It was just sex,” I state, and she arches an eyebrow. “I can handle it.”

  “I don’t think you know what you’ve gotten into.”

  I wave her off. “Asher Kyle is not a problem.”

  A smirk crosses her face, and it has me swallowing nervously. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I can totally do this. It was just one night. And him coming into The Horseshoe last night was just a coincidence. I won’t have to see him again until they have a baby or something. I’m not worried.

  “Oh, he can be a very big problem. Trust me.”

  I snort. “How?”

  “He wants you. You don’t know what that means in the Kyle world.”

  “He’s had me,” I remind her.

  She shakes her head. “He wants more, Andrea. Are you willing to give him that?”

  “It was just one night. We both knew and agreed on that.”

  “Then why is he asking me about you?” She arches a brow.

  I argue. “Asher Kyle has options he
re in Chicago. In Tahiti, he was limited.”

  She shakes her head. “You don’t know how these men are. I’ve seen Asher Kyle go after a girl he wants, and he always wins.” She looks me up and down. “I know how hardcore you can be, but even you can’t hold up against him.”

  I lean over the bar. “Well, then what do you suppose I do?”

  She smiles and pulls out her cell. “Make him jealous.”

  I laugh. “Why would I want to do that? I don’t even like the guy.”

  “Sure, you don’t.” She mocks me as she dials a number on her phone.

  “What are you doing?”

  She places the phone to her ear, and a moment of silence passes by before she smiles. “Hey, Nate. You busy?”

  My brows arch. Nate? I remember that name. Where have I heard it?

  She nods her head a few times and then her eyes meet mine. “I have a friend who needs your help.”

  I shake mine. “No …”

  “Yeah. What are you doing tonight?”

  “Hadley …”

  “Perfect. She’ll be at The Horseshoe. An hour? Okay. See you then.” She hangs up.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I ask, completely confused.

  She places her phone in her purse and smiles at me. “I have a friend who owes me a favor.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You like Asher—”

  “No, I don’t.” I interrupt her.

  “You do.”

  Gosh, have I been that fucking obvious? I sigh.

  “Remember that charity event you attended with me after I found out Aiden was married?” I nod. “I saw it then. The way he looked at you.”

  I snort. “You saw nothing.”

  “Oh, I did. Not sure why I didn’t think of it before.”

  The charity ball. Yeah, I remember that very well.

  We both look up when we hear a man clear his throat. Asher has joined us. “How long have you been there?” she asks him with red cheeks.

  “Long enough to hear you call yourself a slut,” he says with a smile.

  She narrows her eyes on him. “This is not funny.” She points a finger at him. “Are you married as well?”

  She just found out earlier today that the man she has been sleeping with, who is her boss and his twin brother, has a wife. And she was obligated to come to this charity event for work. We’ve been here for an hour, and I hate that she’s had to watch the guy she’s fallen for prance around with his wife on his arm.

  “No,” he answers, shaking his head. “Monogamy isn’t really my thing.”

  She huffs. “It’s not your brother’s thing either, yet here he is. With his wife.”

  He frowns. “You shouldn’t judge him for things you don’t know about.”

  “I know I fucked a married man,” she snaps, and he clears his throat as an older couple walks by us.

  “Excuse us,” he tells them when their eyes narrow on her. “Watch your mouth,” Asher growls at Hadley.

  “This is not her fault,” I snap at him. His eyes move to mine, and he stares at me for a few seconds. He opens his mouth but then shuts it when a redhead comes to join him.

  “There you are, darling.” She slides her arm around him and kisses him on the cheek. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  He doesn’t acknowledge her. Instead, he lets his eyes travel down my body. My breath hitches when they linger on my breasts. My nipples instantly harden behind my dress, and I pray he doesn’t notice. When his eyes reach mine again, they’re a darker blue. I square myself, trying to remain unaffected by his stare, but my insides are growing warmer.

  Then like nothing ever happened, he turns to look at the date on his arm. “I’m right here, sweetheart.”

  Without another word, they turn and walk off.

  “The man is a prick,” I hiss. Just like his brother. “But I gotta admit he’s hot. I’d totally do him.” I take a drink of my champagne and watch him walk to the other side of the ballroom with his hand on her ass. He looks over his shoulder to catch me staring and winks at me. I look back at Hadley. She rolls her eyes and downs what is left of her drink.

  “You even said that you wanted him then.”

  “Who were you just talking to?” I change the subject.

  She smiles at me. “Your fiancé.”

  “What?”

  Her eyes drop to the ring on my left hand. “You wear a wedding ring in order to keep guys away.” She shrugs. “Might as well have a man to go along with that façade.”

  “This is not a good idea,” I tell her, shaking my head.

  “It’s a great idea,” she argues, rubbing her hands together. “I can’t wait to see how he reacts.”

  “Remember how you reacted when you found out Aiden was married?”

  “Of course, but it wasn’t what it looked like.”

  “I don’t know why you’re doing this. I don’t have feelings for him. It was just sex. One time.” But I dream of it every night, and it feels like we’ve done it a thousand times, a hundred different ways. Every morning when I wake, the thought of him leaves me breathless and wanting more.

  She cocks her head. “You are such a liar.”

  I look away from her and pretend to be busy cleaning glasses.

  * * *

  For the second night in a row, I find myself inside a smoky bar. The same one as last night, but this time, I’m not here to meet a client. I’m here for her. I found myself on this side of town, and when I saw her car parked outside, I told myself it was fate. The funny thing is that I don’t believe in fate. I was raised to believe you make your own luck. You don’t leave it to chance or coincidence.

  I walk up to the bar. Her back is toward me, and her hair is up in a bun. She wears tight-fitting jeans that hug her narrow waist and a black tank top that allows you to see the two dimples right above her ass. My dick instantly hardens as I imagine pulling her pants down and putting my hands all over her. A bar towel hangs from one back pocket, and I can see the outline of her cell in the other.

  She turns around, and I lift my eyes to hers. They widen when she sees me. “Asher! What are you doing here?”

  “Needed a drink,” I lie.

  The surprised look drops off her face, and she walks over to me. “On this side of town?”

  I shrug. “The view is nice.”

  She snorts but doesn’t comment further. “What do you want to drink?”

  “Whiskey. Neat.”

  She nods her head once and grabs a glass. “How did you know I was here?” she asks, setting my drink in front of me. Then she rolls her eyes. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”

  I take a sip and then set the glass on the bar. “Can you drink while working?”

  She looks at me for a long second, her blue eyes slightly narrowing at my question. Finally, she nods once. “If I’m offered—”

  “Hey, babe,” a man calls out, interrupting her as he comes up to the bar.

  I look over at him. His blond hair is slicked back and to the left. He wears a pair of khakis and a white polo shirt with loafers. He definitely doesn’t fit in this bar.

  “Hey … sweetie,” she responds with a big smile on her face.

  I narrow my eyes on hers. I’ve never heard mention of a boyfriend. Wouldn’t Hadley have told me that when I questioned her this morning?

  He leans over the bar, and she meets him halfway, giving him her cheek, and he kisses it. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “No worries,” she says and makes him a shot of tequila. He looks at it as if it has two heads. We both watch him lift it and smell it before he takes a sip. He coughs, and she looks at me. “What was it you wanted, Asher?”

  I glare at her, trying to find the meaning behind her words. Is she being funny? She must be. Because she knows I came here for her and her only. Not to consume their cheap and crappy whiskey. Instead, I say, “Didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

  She smiles and holds up her left hand. “Actually, I’m eng
aged.”

  My eyes widen, and the guy to my right spits out his tequila all over the bar and begins to cough harder than before.

  “Are you okay, baby?” she asks him.

  He nods quickly and grabs some napkins off the bar and begins to blot his face. “Fine,” he croaks out.

  “Engaged? Since when?” I don’t believe her for a second. Especially after looking at the cubic zirconia on her finger.

  “Since last week,” she answers with a smile. “We’ve been on and off for a few years now, and last week, he popped the question. Didn’t he do a great job?” She inspects her hand. “We’re thinking of a July wedding. Right, sweetie?”

  His face is pale, and he’s breathing so heavy I’m afraid he may pass out, but he nods at her question. “I’ll … uh … be right back,” he manages to get out before he takes off toward the bathroom.

  I look at her, and she places a new glass of whiskey in front of me. “It’s on the house.”

  I reach over and grab her wrists, keeping her from turning away from me. “I know you’re lying. The question is why?”

  She leans over the bar and lowers her voice. “Came by here for a drink? You’re the one who was lying.”

  I release her wrist, take the shot, and nod to her. “I’ll be back, Andi.”

  “And I’ll still be engaged.”

  I watch him walk out of the bar, and my shoulders slump. I don’t know why I went along with Hadley’s plan. I’m not usually one to play games. If I like a guy, I’m up front and open about it. Have I had very many boyfriends? No, but I’m also not shy about what I want.

  I know Asher is a completely different ball game, though. And Hadley is trying to watch out for me. She knows a lot about the man. I know nothing except his dick is big, and he’s good in bed.

  “You should have warned me.”

  I look over at the guy who has returned from the bathroom. My fake fiancé. “Sorry, I thought Hadley had.”

  He shakes his head as his eyes look me up and down. “No. All she said was that I owed her a favor.”