he wants to say, but won’t. Or can’t. He wants to tell me it’s not my fault. That there was nothing I could’ve done. That I shouldn’t feel guilty for surviving the unthinkable when everyone else died. I hear it in the deep pull of his breath, but we’ve had this conversation a hundred times and it doesn’t help.
“Fine. I’ll make the calls. Where do you want me to send them?”
Well, shit. I didn’t think that through. I can’t send them to the hospital.
“Hang on.” Unlike Prescott, I hit the mute button. “Asher?”
He pokes his head inside my room. “You called?” The way his eyes spark shouldn’t be legal, but they flicker and flash and steal my breath.
“I kind of need a favor.”
“Real-ly?” He drags out the syllables and saunters into my room. “Are you asking for help?”
“Are you going to make me beg?”
“Depends. What kind of begging are we talking about? Because something fun comes to mind.”
I want to smile, but I’m trying to be serious. His innuendoes are harmless enough, kind of, but what would he do if I bit and gave a little nibble?
“You’re smiling and I want to know why?”
“It’s nothing.” No way in hell am I telling him what I was thinking about nibbling.
“Didn’t look like nothing.” He crosses his arms and stares down at me.
The man is simply too much to take in. I’m back to thinking about climbing his body and going for that ride he promised, the one that may, or may not, involve rope, and most definitely doesn’t involve clothes.
“Well, it was.” It totally wasn’t, but I’m keeping Prescott on hold. “I need to send replacement copies of my credit cards, insurance cards, you know all the things which burned?”
“Yes?”
“And, I don’t have a place to send them to.” I’m very aware I barely know this man, but he did save my life, and he did take time away from wine and horses to visit me. I give a little nibble of my lower lip and look up at him. “So, what do you say? Wanna help a girl out? Pretty please?”
He said he wanted me to beg. I’m batting my lashes, nibbling on my lip, and staring up at him with what I hope is my best innocent, doe-eyed expression.
“Damn but you’re good at that.” He turns around and rubs his hand through his hair. “What’s it worth to you?”
“You want me to pay?” I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be offended or if we’re still playing a game. If we’re playing a game, I have no idea what the rules might be.
“With your time.” His attention shifts to my lips and I can’t help but press them together.
All that’s going through my head is how much I want his lips on mine and how they would feel running all over me. I bet he’d take his time.
If he kisses with the same intensity with which he stares, it will be exquisite torture. He looks up in the sudden silence filling the room which leaves me to wonder what is going through his head. Did he just fantasy kiss me?
“Um…”
“Relax.” His smile is true, genuine, and warm. “You’re not making this easy me on me.”
“Huh?”
“Come on, Evelyn, I’m asking you out on a date.”
“A date?” Damn, but all I can think about is how the scruff of his beard will feel between my thighs when he kisses me down there.
“Yeah, you know. Boy rescues girl. Boy asks girl on a date. Girl kisses boy.” He wiggles his eye brows. “Boy kisses girl back. You know, date stuff, fun stuff.”
Now I know we’re definitely on the same wavelength.
“That kind of date?” The smile on my face is huge. “The fun kind?”
“Those are the best kind. What do you say? Send your stuff to my house. When you get out of here, I’ll take you out.”
It’s an offer I can’t refuse, but am I ready to jump back into those waters? I honestly don’t know. If I’m going to jump, why not do it with this amazing man who makes the ache between my legs burn?
Only, I’m a chicken and dodge his blatant proposition.
“You know I’m not from around here.”
“Yeah. So?”
“So—I’ll be taking off.”
“Yeah, but I still want to take you out. I like you, and I’d like to get to know you better.” The way he says it speaks volumes and his eyes practically undress me.
“Get to know me better?”
“Yeah, it’s what people do when they go out on a