Those hips, that ass—fuck me. She’s one hundred percent woman and I love every single inch of it. For the first time in my life, I want a woman who wants nothing to do with me. I crave her, and I have the worst feeling that I’ve done something to make her doubt that.

The fleeting memory of her standing in front of me with tears raining down her face flashes through my mind momentarily, there one second and gone the next. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, I’ve drunk too much, and there are so many holes in my mind that I fear I might have done something during one of my drinking benders that has done permanent damage to the relationship we started to form.

Before I can analyze the thought any further, my phone starts to ring.

“Dee?”

“Oh, dear Asher James. How are you this fine day?” she sings through the line.

“Uh, I’m fine. How are you?”

“Fine, just fine. So tell me—what are you doing today?”

She’s up to something. Dee’s been up my ass since we met, always trying to meddle in my business, and this phone call is screaming devious Dee.

“About to head over to the gym. Why?”

“Well, see…I’m over at Sway’s getting my hair done and the guys are all real busy. Is there anyway that you could swing over to Fat Jacks and grab us some burgers? I’m really—really—in the mood for some of their burgers.”

“You want me to get you lunch? Doesn’t Sway have staff there that takes care of that crap for you?”

Unbelievable.

“Oh. They’re all out right now. You know, slow day, so he told them to go out and enjoy a long break. It’s just a few of us here.”

Right.

“What about Davey? Pretty sure he wouldn’t mind grabbing his boyfriend, and you, some food.”

She’s silent for a second. Then I hear the phone rustling against her hand, her muffled voice talking to someone near her.

“He’s out. Sick.”

“He’s sick?” I question, knowing damn well that she’s full of shit but curious enough to wonder what she’s playing out.

“Yup. So Fat Jacks?”

“Dee, cut to the chase. What are you up to?”

“Shit,” she hisses.

I can hear Sway yelling at her in the distance a few seconds before the phone is clearly ripped from her hands.

“Asher, you tall glass of water, did you miss me? Of course you did. Look, what Dee here is so clearly terrible at is subtlety. I’m going to be honest with you, okay?”

“Yeah.” As curious as I am, I can feel it coming. I just know that whatever is coming is going to set some sort of ball rolling, especially if Sway has a part in it. I just have to hope it’s a calm situation they’re about to get me into.

“Sway here has noticed recently that you’ve got those sexy cerulean eyes trained on our fine little Chelcie. Oh yes, I noticed those fireworks shooting all over the place, and it’s a wonder no one got burned. So Sway here is doing you a favor, darling. I just got word from little miss Denise that Chelcie is currently on a date. As we speak, she’s sitting that lush body down and having a meat-filled lunch. So if you want to make sure the only meat she’s partaking in is the burger variety, I suggest you take those hot buns and get over to Fat Jacks. You got that, love?”

That ball that’s been sitting in my gut, slowly burning hotter at each word he has spoken, is starting to uncoil, spreading a wrath like no other to have spread throughout my body. My woman is out with another man? Oh. Hell. No.

I click the phone off before grabbing my keys and storming out the door. Maddox looks up from grabbing his duffel off the floor, his eyes questioning the mood that is following me out the door. I vaguely hear him remind me that I’m watching Cat again until he gets home. Not willing to waste a single second on the fucking elevator, I start running at full speed down the twenty-seven flights of stairs.

The only thing I have my mind set on is getting to Fat Jacks as quickly as I can and claiming MY woman.

For fucking good.

Chapter 11 – Chelcie

He’s still looking at my toes.

My skin is crawling with the way he’s looking at my poor toes. I’ve tried everything to shift his attention from my feet, but he literally just moved closer and is looking under the table…at my feet.

I’m cursing my outfit now. Earlier today, it seemed like a good idea to wear the cute, new open-toed flats I’d picked up. I haven’t worn them yet, and I loved the way my red-painted toes peeked out of the shoe. They made me feel sexy before. Now, all I want to do is find about ten pairs of socks and hide my feet for the rest of my life.