“Seriously if I didn’t know better I’d think you were the same person. Chase already called twice and stopped in just to be sure I didn’t miss a case of … whatever.”
We paid event planners handsomely for handling this stuff; we weren’t concerned about running out of booze. But we obviously both sucked at making excuses. Sierra had bailed on hanging with Lil today. Supposedly, Layla was teething and needed a ‘Mommy day.’ Unintentional but salt, open wound, ouch. So instead of going straight home to shower before I knocked on the Oriental Suite door in T-minus fifty-four minutes, I made time to “check” in. And since I was here, I snuck a peek behind the bar to secure a visual on the case of Prosecco I had shipped from Italy. Just where I left it. Good.
Lili whipped her hands in the air and scooted down the bar to rearrange the accent pieces that had been set down not two seconds ago. Dark blue and purple roses were draped by the millions on top of every reflective surface. Flowers were never my thing, but hell, they looked pretty good in this setting.
“You trying to kill my boy tonight? You look gorgeous.” I was a schmuck for just noticing that she was already glammed up, wearing a killer one shoulder blue satin dress that matched the flowers. It wasn’t my fault. I was a little distracted ... T-minus fifty-two minutes.
“Asher,” she snapped. “Get out! Go get dressed and pick up your girl.”
“Bossy and persistent, he’s wearing off on you.” But I liked her choice of words. Hell, I loved them. She eye daggered me and I held up my hands in surrender. “I’m going, I’m going.”
Lil was fine, holding it together, so I was sure as shit going, finally.
I valeted my nine-eleven Carrera in front of the Mandarin Oriental on Boylston.
“I’m only gonna be a couple minutes, can you keep the car running?” Sliding out of the driver seat, the wind cut through my white tuxedo shirt. It was freezing out. Even though KimCore was only a couple of blocks away I was glad I decided to drive. I opened the back door and closed it and then opened it again, finally grabbing my tux jacket. The valet attendant stood patiently waiting for me to make up my mind. “Thanks,” I mumbled in his direction.
I pushed through the revolving doors and opened her text for the tenth time. Ready when u are. Dangerous last words. I wanted to pick her up earlier but she made a last minute engagement with a friend. She didn’t offer; I didn’t ask. It seemed irrelevant, or so I hoped. I slipped on the formal black jacket and punched at the elevator button several times hoping to make the damn thing move faster. I wasn’t sure if I had ever felt like this. Lili’s last comment was stuck on repeat in my head.
I thought back to how Tal agreed to hang with me for New Year’s without questioning our destination. Even during subsequent conversations, she skirted the topic until she finally admitted she enjoyed the mystery, because no one—which I could only assume was a boyfriend—had surprised her in decades. That tidbit pissed me off. I was tempted to jump on the next transcontinental flight to surprise her with a fucking French croissant. If she knew me at all, she had twenty plus years of missed surprises coming her way. But a gala event at KimCore wasn’t one of them. I would’ve never done that to her. I only wished I could’ve told her face to face because the minutes of silence before I heard her resolve crumble sliced deep. I started from the beginning and talked until all her questions were answered. And by the end of the call she knew everything. Kim’s suffering, Chase’s development of the device, the struggles getting KimCore off the ground, even Lili’s accident. My chest constricted when she audibly sobbed.
The magnitude of walking through KimCore’s doors for the first time, on New Year’s no less, was not lost on me. No doubt this was going to be difficult for her. But her strength leveled me and her poignant words when we ended that call were still permanently ingrained in my mind. ‘Chase gave Kimi a beautiful life, Asher. Both of you have. You’ve poured your hearts and souls into a project that’s not only dedicated to our truly selfless best friend, but has given hundreds after her a second chance on life.’ I fell back on my hotel room bed that December night and squeezed my eyes shut. The last twenty years of my life flashed under my lids, a newly familiar sick feeling bubbled up from my gut. It finally dawned on me. Yeah, I lived in the moment. Yeah, I liked teetering on the outer edge of all boundaries. And yeah, I felt selfish half the time knowing I was given a second chance at life. But Talia’s perspective made me realize it wasn’t about being selfish. It was about being selfless. I had never given myself a chance to think about a future. I had barely given myself a chance to think about the next day, let alone the next year.
A long ass elevator ride and five wide strides later, I found her suite door propped ajar by the safety latch. She was waiting for me, but I knocked anyway. Always a gentleman. Or at least I was a gentleman, until she opened the door. I stood frozen and drank her in. All of her. I saw my future. Our future. For the first time in my life, I had to remind my lungs to expand. Who had to remember to breathe? Everything I had ever known, ever lived by, seemed to be spiraling out of control. Time had always been irrelevant, now it needed to slow down so I could memorize this moment. She was breathtaking. Her translucent brown eyes twinkled with flecks of champagne and gold, almost reaching my own; there was no chance she wasn’t wearing a pair of killer heels. Her makeup was subtle and showcased her perfect porcelain skin. The only contrast to her soft hues was shimmery eye shadow and a sparkly lip glaze that I had every intention of licking off. Her silky blonde hair was parted to one side and pulled into a high sleek ponytail. Classic, understated. Stunning. And all she did was smile. Sweet Jesus, those lips. She was mine tonight and here I was hoping for a whole hell of a lot longer than that.
The vessels in my neck pulsated and my heart matched them beat for beat. I was fucked. I rocked back on my patent loafers, providing some space to soak in her entire length. Whoever designed her dress hated men, hated me. The delicate sequin fabric matched the sparkles of her eyes and hit high on her thigh, showing off her sickly defined legs. It clung to the tip of her shoulders, loosely criss-crossing low in front. The neckline didn’t plunge—it just didn’t exist. There was nothing sexier than the deep triangle of bare skin between her small perky tits that were no doubt flying commando. We had that in common. Good thing my hands were already snaked in my pants pockets and responsible for pinning my arousal against my stomach. That might have disguised the evidence, but did nothing for the intense throb.
“Hey, you.” Her voice wavered, she sounded nervous.
“You used my line.” I smirked to help break the ice. It worked. She rolled her eyes and batted her long black eyelashes.
One hand braced on her hip, she shifted her weight to the opposite heel as my eyes flicked down to a strappy gold stiletto.
In the sincerest voice she asked, “What’s a girl have to do to get a hug from an old friend?”
“Not wear that.”
“Asher!” Her cheeks and chest blushed.
“You asked. I answered.”
I couldn’t tell what the expression on her face meant, but I loved it. She was a vision of sophistication and beauty. We stared at each other for another moment, before I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. I lightly ran my hands along her arms then turned my head so my lips hovered above her ear. “Teeps,” I whispered, inhaling the sweetest scent of jasmine. “You, my friend, are perfection.” She was.
Millimeters stood between her delicious ear and my tongue. Her breath hitched and the raised bumps on her skin told me she felt the same way. She wrapped her arms around my waist and stepped a little closer. The warmth of her body was enough to drive me crazy. I was as hard as steel and all I wanted to do was devour every inch of her svelte body with my mouth, starting with those legs that went on for days. I could only imagine they led to the sweetest treasure on earth. The air was thick with sexual tension. We were both breathing heavy. I pressed my lips to her temple and backed up before there would be no stopping what we started, at least not this year. I extended my hand.