She swiped a tear from her eyes, emotion constricting her chest. She started to toy with the key necklace around her neck. “Do you really need me to tell you again that I’m all in?”
Shaking his head, he lifted his hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m floundering, Em.”
“We’ll take it a day at a time. Think about today. You’ve shared such a huge part of your past. You’ve given me a pretty big piece of yourself. That’s one step toward…” She drifted off, unsure about finishing the sentence.
“Toward what?”
Blushing, Emma looked at his lips rather than into his eyes. “A step toward us.”
“That sounds good,” he replied, smoothing his thumb down her cheek. “Really good. I only ask that you have patience with me. I’ll give you what I can, and try hard to open up when I’d usually back away.”
“I can be very persuasive.” She winked, smiling sweetly and hoping he understood her meaning.
Asher quirked a brow. “I see. How persuasive?”
“I use every tool in my arsenal.” She shoved her hands into the back pockets of his jeans and brought their bodies together. “Every tool.”
His grin had her nerves easing. They still had so much to wade through, starting with the shattered window downstairs. Nevertheless, Emma enjoyed the tender interaction between them. The man was even more attractive when he let his guard down. The perma-scowl disappeared and his eyes glinted with what she could only describe as happiness. It suited him.
“I’ll remember that. Maybe hold back on a few more things so that you have to change my mind.”
“I like you when you’re playful. Relaxed.”
Asher snorted. “I shouldn’t be. I’ve got a damn window to fix, glass to clean up, and a big case of over-share to put a cork in.”
Saddened by his statement, Emma hid her upset and asked, “Are you sorry you told me all that?”
“Shit, no. That’s not really what I meant. I was kind of saying that I’d shared enough for tonight.
She didn’t quite believe him, but allowed it to slide for the night. They had gone through enough. “Where is your broom?”
Asher grumbled, his gaze shooting toward the stairs. “It needs cleaning up, huh?”
“I suppose.”
Looking at her, his expression grew serious. “Life goes on.”
Those three words halted her heartbeat. For him, he’d always taken that step forward alone. His life had been isolated until Ike. Emma wanted to show him he wasn’t alone anymore. She held out her hand, wanting him to take it. “It does. Let’s do it together.”
Chapter 18
“Are you sure he wants me?” Gabe asked as he and Emma approached Asher’s bookshop. He’d been anxious and fidgeting since they’d left the shelter, worrying about the possibility of a job. Emma felt somewhat guilty, because she still hadn’t run the idea by Asher. She surmised he needed help with the clean-up, and help in general, so she intended on just throwing the two together. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind when it came to them getting along; they’d be good for one another. Once they lowered their guards.
“Stop worrying,” she replied as she patted him on the shoulder and cast a quick glance behind her. Unease had her searching the street. She’d sensed something for the last five minutes but whenever she looked, there was nothing to be found. The incident with the window had obviously made her nervous.
Gabe stopped when they reached the shop window. It was still boarded up. The frame had been measured and the glass would be fitted tomorrow. Until then the shop was left with no natural light.
“Besides helping with the shop, at the moment, I think Asher will have you cleaning up. Much of the glass ended up over the bookshelves. He wants to make sure all the shards are out of the books before he opens to the public again. He won’t risk cutting anyone with a loose piece of glass.”
“Don’t care what I’m doing if he’s paying me.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Don’t go telling Asher that. He’ll tell you to get lost. You have to want this, Gabe. It’s a major opportunity.”
Gabe toed the floor and picked at this finger nails as he mumbled, “I’m not going to let you down, Priss. Besides, I like the idea of working here. And I like the idea of having my own place because of it.”
“Good.” She let her gaze drift over his appearance, then tidied his blond hair. When he ducked away, she sobered and continued to speak. “Now listen, let me speak to Asher first. You can start to tidy up, if you want. It’ll make a great first impression.”
Gabe sneered, but hid it quickly. “If it’ll work, then sure.”
Her anxiety rose, making her palms sweaty. Bringing Gabe here before talking to Asher probably wasn’t her best decision. However, whenever she thought about the two of them, she came back to this solution every time. They could be so good for another. Asher just needed to see it. Or maybe made to see it.
Burying her nervousness, Emma pushed the door of the shop open and called out. “Ash?” She paused. Asher crouched in the middle of the shop floor, his hands delved into a large brown box. He twisted to face them as he stood, his grin wide, his eyes sparkling. He had her heart skipping a beat, and from the expression on his face, she did the same for him. She loved the thought of that.
“Hi, there,” he said on a gentle exhale as he walked over to her. He hooked a finger into the belt loop of her trousers, tugging her closer and dropping his face into the crook of her neck. “I like surprise visits. Makes for a really good distraction.”
Emma leaned into him, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the briefest of moments with him. His lips touched her neck, burning a trail up to her earlobe. She squirmed and giggled. “Can I ask you to remember that for a second?”
His eyes thinned as he reared back. “Um, sure?” It was a question, not agreement.
“It’s good. I promise. I’m here to bring you something brilliant.”
He looked down at her hands, frowning when he saw they were empty.
“It’s too big for me to hold. Or rather he is.” Turning, she pointed over to Gabe, who was now bent over his own large box. “I brought the answer to your problems.”
The corner of his lips lifted upward, and he startled her with his response. “I thought we’d already agreed that was you, angel.”
Emma blushed, the heat rising up her neck and burning her cheeks. Hearing him say it was thrilling; she’d wished they were alone to appreciate it more. They weren’t, and she had a little persuading to do.
“It’s good to know you think that.” She reached out and took his hand. “We can talk about that later, but first I’d like you to meet Gabe.”
“Gabe?”
“Yeah. He’s doing really well, but he needs a job, Asher. He needs help getting his own place—getting out of his current environment. You can do that for him. I thought this was a great solution.”
His smile faded, those tell-tale lines appearing on his forehead. Fearing she was about to lose him, Emma spoke rapidly as she tried to convince him. “Think about it. Gabe can sort through all the books at the front of the shop and make sure all the glass is gone. You could even close that little bit off, allowing you to reopen. Having him here now means you wouldn’t have to stay closed.”
“Has he worked in a shop before?”
Annoyed by his question, she placed her hands on her hips and asked, “Had you?”
“What?”
“When Ike gave you the job here. Had you worked in a shop before?” She knew she had him cornered. Nevertheless, she waited for him to respond. He gave nothing but a sharp shake of his head. “You could continue the legacy.” His wince told her he knew where she was heading. “You could do for him what Ike did for you. You could be the one to give him the same chance you had. The only chance you had.”
Gabe coughed, causing both Emma and Asher to look in his direction. He pointed over to the box he’d been looking through. “Am I good to start over there? See
ms like that’s where most of the glass is.”
Emma looked from Asher to Gabe. She toyed with the key on her necklace, worried that Asher was going to shut down and tell them both to leave. She never could be sure of his reactions when he felt backed into a corner. This probably wasn’t her best idea. She should have spoken to him about it before bringing Gabe.
The atmosphere grew tense as they all stared at one another. Asher began running his fingers through his hair and shuffling from one foot to the other. His panic, along with his need to be alone again was rising. Emma could sense that without asking.
Touching his arm, she tilted her head toward the stairs that led to his flat. “Can we go back there and talk? Please?”
“You should have asked me first,” he hissed, putting some space between them.
He was right.
“Please, Asher.” She faced Gabe, still reaching out for Asher, even though he’d stepped away. “Gabe, if you could make a start over near the window that would be perfect. I’m just going to talk to Ash. We’ll be back in a while.”
“Sure thing, Priss.”
Still playing with her necklace, she followed Asher around the counter into the back of the shop. He folded his arms over his chest, his brown eyes sharp and hard as they glared at her. She’d really messed this one up.
“Just hear me out, okay?”
Asher gave her nothing more than a minute nod. Nothing else moved, his body as rigid as stone. She’d never seen him so upset.
“Gabe needs a job. If he has one, there’s the possibility of him getting a place on a programme where the charity pay for his own place. It wouldn’t be anything special—a bedsit really, but he needs it. You need it too.” She watched his eyes flare as his mouth dropped open to speak. “Don’t be annoyed at me, because if you really think about it, it makes sense. You’ve been searching for someone for ages. You understand Gabe where no one else does. You also know what it will take to bring him out of his shell, and to give him the new start he deserves. All I ask is that you think about it before you berate me.”
Snapping his mouth closed, Asher’s eyes remained locked to hers. Short of begging, she didn’t know what else would work with him. She’d honestly thought the bit about Ike would be all it would take to have him agreeing. Not the first time she’d been wrong today.
The silence set her on edge, not helped by the intensity of his gaze. She racked her brain, trying to think of anything that would help to convince him. This was the right thing to do, and letting Gabe down wasn’t an option. If Asher said no, then she’d do whatever she had to find him another job. She’d raised his hopes now.
“You could have come to me about this before you dragged him here.” His voice held no hint of aggression. That calmed her a little.
“I didn’t think this through. I thought you’d understand why I was asking.”
Lifting his hands, he scrubbed his face and groaned. “This is unfair, Em. I know what turning him away would do to him. I understand how much hope that kid has right now.”
She touched his wrist, wrapping her fingers around it when he didn’t flinch away. “So say yes. Let him help you too.”
“It’s not just about that is it? I understand you more than you think. I get what you’re doing here with him…and with me. This isn’t only about Gabe. Is it, angel?”
“I’m trying to help you both. In fact, when you think about it neither of you need me. You’d help each other by being friends. Gabe doesn’t know anything about your past, but I can’t help thinking that sharing it—”
“No.”
“Asher, telling—”
“No.”
She started to speak again, only to receive another denial from him. “I’m not a project. No. Gabe’s the one you should focus on.”
Keeping her fingers around his wrist, she pulled his arm when he tried to turn away. She ducked her head, forcing him to make eye contact with her. This was one discussion they were not walking away from. “You’re not a project. I care about you, and I wish you’d start to get that. I was hoping my solution would solve everyone’s problems.” She smiled. “It would also mean I could spend more time here. Watching Gabe, of course.”
A groan rumbled up his throat. “You,” he ground out, his eyes wide and vibrant. “You burst into my life and turn the whole fucking thing upside down. I balance myself again, get to grips with whatever path we’re on, and you flip it again.”
“Asher, I’m not playing games with you. I know this between us freaks you out, and how close we’ve grown in such a short time, but this thing with Gabe isn’t about us. I mean it. I’m not on a crusade to save you. You’ve done a pretty good job of that yourself. I was merely hoping you could help someone who was like you were once.”
He growled again, his hands grasping her shoulders and spinning her around. He pushed her back against the wall and gave her shoulders a small shake. “He’s not like me.”
“You’re wrong. He’s the same. Look at him.”
“No. Don’t you see? He’s nothing like me, because he has you. You’ll make his life so much better now.”
Her insides fluttered. “You have me too. Ash, you told me you’d try your best to accept that I’m here for you. Right now I’m bouncing between the two of you, seeing the struggles you have and knowing you’d be great together.”
“You make us sound like a couple.”
“You are. A couple of lost souls.”
Asher snorted. “Very poetic.” He began stroking her hair from her face, delving his fingers deeper with each caress. “What do you need me to do, Em?”
“Try?”
“With Gabe?”
His fingers pushed into her hair, threading around into the back of her head. She leaned into him. “Yes. Give him a trial. Consider it a favour to me.”
“And what do I get as payment.” His wiggled his brows. Playful Asher was back. She was winning. For now.
She looked up at him through her lashes. “I’ll stay here again tonight.”
“So, dumbing this right down, you’re blackmailing me? I give Gabe a trial and you sleep here tonight.”
Momentarily stunned, Emma couldn’t think of a witty response. “That’s not what I meant.”
Asher laughed. “I was joking. Don’t look so scared.” Hooking his finger underneath her chin, he lifted her head and brought his lips to hers. His touch was feather light, fleeting. Yet it was still enough to make her melt. “You should have led with the offer of staying the night. I would have accepted on the spot.” He kissed her again.
“So, that’s a yes?”
He let his hands drop, sliding them along her shoulders and slowly down her arms. He tickled her fingers with his. “I’m still pissed at you for not talking to me first. As well as the fact that I’m not a puzzle for you to solve. I like you, Em. Love spending time with you, but you must stop treating me like one of your kids at the shelter.”
She hated that he thought those things. It hadn’t been her intention. Sure, she wanted to know more about him, but she didn’t think she’d treated him like a puzzle.
“I never thought that,” she replied, placing her palms flat on his chest. She felt the heavy thump of his heartbeat. “I’ve messed this up. I’m sorry. How about I take you back out there and introduce you to Gabe. Then later I can apologise properly.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” he responded as he tapped the tip of her nose. He began walking back out into the shop. Emma grabbed a hold of his hand as he moved by her. They walked over to Gabe together, and she gave his hand a quick squeeze before they reached him.
“Hey.” Asher greeted him. “Seems Emma here is determined to do some matchmaking between us.”
Gabe offered a lopsided grin, but Emma knew him, and saw the caution in his eyes. She saw the same caution reflected in Asher’s.
Gabe swiped his palms down his jean-clad thighs, before shaking Asher’s hand. “Priss is like a dog with a bone. She ain’t letting go until
she’s ready.”
To Emma’s utter astonishment, Asher tossed his head back and laughed. “You call her Priss?”
“Yeah. Everyone at the shelter does. It’s the smart trousers, jumper, and expensive shoes that do it. They all call her Miss Priss because she looks out of place there.”
“But she’s good for you all, huh? She goes out of her way.” He looked at her. “No matter who she upsets, and does what she can to make things a bit better for you.”
Gabe agreed. “Dog with a bone. Has she done it to you, too?”
Mirroring Gabe’s smile, Asher nodded. “Since the day she blew back into my life. Priss has a way of getting what she wants.”
“Hey!” Emma protested, slapping Asher across the back of his head. “Watch who you’re calling Priss.”
“He’s not wrong though, is he? You do always get what you want.” Gabe stepped back, raising his hands in surrender when Emma glowered at him.
As she stepped between them, she looked from Asher to Gabe, finally resting on Asher. “See! Didn’t I tell you that you two are perfect for one another? I’m going to let you become acquainted with each other. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. I’ll bring coffee.”
Gabe sent her a mock salute while Asher looped an arm around her back and hauled her against him. “You’d better bring me more than coffee. You owe me.”
“And I said I’d repay you.” He nuzzled her throat. Damn, she loved it when he did that. Couldn’t get enough. “Good things come to those who wait.”
“Come? Oh, I do hope so.” His guttural tone had her blushing and intimate thoughts flooded her head. All of them included Asher, naked and writhing against her.
Hiding her shyness, she twisted out of his arms and headed for the door. “Two hours. No cuddling, kissing, or fornicating. Enjoy your time boys.”
Asher’s hoot of laughter, along with Gabe’s protests were the last things she heard before closed the door. Asher hadn’t been pleased at the start of their conversation, and was still a little reluctant but he and Gabe would be fine. She knew it.
Chapter 19