#19 - Under My Skin
1247 Words
Asher
He means a lot to me.
A lot.
My hand tightened around my glass.
Jade hadn't even flinched when she said it.
It had taken everything in me not to react.
Leon bloody Hartley meant a lot to her.
I drank.
It didn't burn enough.
So I poured myself another, downed it in one go, and slammed the glass onto the table.
I shouldn't have asked. Damn it.
I loosened my tie.
It didn't do a damned thing about the tightness clawing its way from my chest to my throat.
I scowled when movement at the entrance to the VIP lounge caught my attention.
Who the hell thought I wanted company?
"A gift from the lady at the bar," a server said, placing a bottle of wine in front of me.
Irritation flared.
Did I look like I wanted to be picked up?
My gaze swung to the bar, my irritation shifting into something colder when the woman waved, licking her lips in invitation.
On any other night, I wouldn't have bothered. Candidates not vetted couldn't come a mile near me.
Tonight?
I leaned back, brows arched.
"Tell her if she expects me to drink it, she should be the one pouring."
"Yes sir," the server nodded and spun around and left.
"She's a risk," Gavin muttered, sliding into the seat beside me.
"Then do your job, Cross," I said evenly, folding one leg over the other.
He cursed under his breath but left anyway.
I would have an earful from him later, but I didn't care.
My focus was on the woman who thought a cheap bottle of wine was enough to pick me up.
Only one person had ever had that kind of hold on me.
And some other guy meant a lot to her.
My jaw clenched as I watched the server deliver my message.
The woman smiled like she'd just landed the biggest prize in the room.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
As she straightened her little red dress excitedly, I slipped my hand into my pocket and retrieved the lone piece of jewellery I'd tucked there before coming to the club.
I slipped it onto my ring finger and stared at it for a long moment.
It gleamed beneath the club lights, reminding me of those few hours Jade and I had spent celebrating our wedding night.
She'd been happy.
Eyes sparkling as she crooked a finger at me from the empty dance floor.
"Won't you dance with your wife, Mr. Frost?" She'd asked.
I had indulged her.
Or so I'd told myself the entire night.
Every touch as she swayed to the music had set every inch of me on fire.
I'd been with women before, but that night Jade had unlocked parts of me I'd preferred stayed hidden.
I'd wanted to show her.
And I knew she'd have let me.
But at what cost?
"Is this seat taken?"
I looked up, eyes landing on my unwanted guest.
She hadn't wasted any time.
I inwardly scoffed at the freshly applied lipstick, the voluminous curls she'd probably fluffed a second ago.
And the legs in those heels...
I drank, welcoming the familiar burn.
I clearly preferred the barefoot mother with the messy bun, lying on a play mat beside my kids.
"Depends," I replied, not bothering to look away from my glass.
"On?"
"Whether you are my wife," I said finally looking up.
Confusion flickered across her face before she quickly recovered.
"I could be your wife tonight," she purred.
I almost laughed.
"You could, if you were even a fraction of the woman she is."
"I'm sorry?"
"I'm taken, sweetheart. Even if I wasn't," I took another drink before pointing at her. "You're still not my type."
She gaped at me. "You—"
"We're done."
She had the decency not to fall on her knees and beg.
That earned her some credit.
"Wait," I called after her.
She halted, barely glancing back at me.
"You've left something."
She grabbed the wine bottle a little more forcefully than necessary and left, almost bumping into my best friend as she bypassed him.
"You know," Daniel began, standing at the door, arms folded. "Sometimes I forget just how sweet you can be."
"Not in the mood," I snapped, turning back to my drink.
"I'm taken, sweetheart," Daniel imitated, ignoring me. "Never thought I'd see the day the mighty Asher Frost would use a woman as a shield to get away from another woman."
"Quit following me."
"No, can't do," Daniel said, sinking into the seat, arms spread wide like he owned the place—which he did.
The Black Crown was a famous upscale nightclub where celebrities, executives, and wealthy clients came to disappear for the night. They indulged in expensive drinks, loud music and the illusion of freedom.
The people who mattered came upstairs.
And of course, he owned it anonymously across multiple countries.
"Come upstairs."
I didn't look at him. "No."
Daniel sighed. "You haven't even heard what I'm offering."
"I know exactly what you are offering."
I'd taken those offers many times before. I'd been the one making them even more often.
I wanted none of that tonight.
Not ever.
Unless... it was with her.
I froze, the realisation hitting me square in the chest.
Jade.
I had thought she was done getting under my skin.
Damn.
"A distraction," Daniel offered still.
"Not interested," I said, getting up too quickly. "I need to be in Driftwood by sunrise."
I hadn't wanted to leave for Glanbury, but if I'd stayed tonight, I would have found my way to Hartley and done... something.
Then I'd lose her forever over the prick.
God knew that was what he was waiting for.
For me to mess up.
Daniel grinned.
I scowled at him. "What? Was this some kind of test?"
"I love Jade—"
I shot him a death glare.
"As a friend," he amended immediately.
My glare only sharpened.
"Jesus, let's just say if you hurt her, I'll do more than chop off that ring finger."
He'd seen it.
Of course he had.
"We're best friends," his gaze turned serious. "But if you hurt her again, that's one little detail I'm willing to forget."
I wouldn't expect any less.
"But of course," he grinned. "If she decides to get toge—"
My fist connected with his jaw before he could finish.
"What the hell, man?" Daniel groaned.
"Details," I said, stepping into him.
His grin widened. "Like I said, sometimes I forget how bloody sweet you can be."
He slapped a black access card on my chest before I could think of a come back.
"Really?" My eyes narrowed at him.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's a new product I've been working on. It's tailored. To preferences. Can also be modified according to taste."
I blinked at the card.
Damn.
Was this what I thought it was?
"It's all wrapped up and ready for you. One of a kind."
My throat closed up.
The bastard.
I pulled him into a hug, not caring who was watching.
"I should probably buy you things more often," Daniel said, holding me tighter.
I scoffed, shoving him away.
"You're hopeless."
"And you love me anyway."
That I did. Without a doubt.
My phone buzzed.
I reached for it.
Jade.
Something lit up in my chest.
I opened the message without a second thought.
"Leon, please come, I need you."
- Writer
