Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires #5)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Harper

Pride is a taunting devil to those who are helpless.

It sits on your shoulders laughing at you when you fall on your face and realize you need help from the one person you shunned.

Nights ago, when I last saw Asher, I cursed him to hell and back in my mind. To me he was another asshole in my world and I hoped I’d never see him again.

Now here I am in his home, a step away from being a hobo on the street with no place to go.

When I get closer Asher pastes a smile on his handsome face, revealing sinful dimples that look even more alluring with his fuller beard.

“Hi,” I say first, because I should be gracious and grateful.

“Hey.”

“We’ll start bringing the food out now,” Olga says, giving me a once-over.

Throughout the day I’ve tried to figure her out. She hasn’t got a wide range of emotions so it’s hard. It does, however, seem like she’s not sure about me. Regardless of being Josh’s sister, maybe she thinks I’m a gold digger.

I can assure her I’m not. As long as I can play my music, I’d be quite happy just to pay off my debt and live a comfortable life.

Olga leaves us and Asher returns his focus to me.

“Sit.” He points to the chair next to him on his right.

I sit and he does, too. There’s enough space between us but I feel like he’s too close. Like when we were in the car and he seemed to take up all the air and space.

“Thanks for letting me stay with you.” I bring my hands nervously together.

“No worries.”

“I'll try not to overstay my time.”

“Stay as long as you need to.”

Again I feel that pang of indifference and that he's doing this for me because of his loyalty to Josh. But of course he is. They’re like brothers and he’s just doing Josh a favor. “Thanks again.”

“Have you settled in okay?”

“Yes. Your house is impressive.”

“Glad you like it.”

“I do. It suits you.”

“It’s a good place to come home to after a long day.”

“Did you have a good day at work?” My God, we sound like a pair of strangers who just met on the subway. Not like two people who’ve known each other nearly twenty years.

“The best.”

I don’t miss the sarcasm in his tone which implies that he didn’t have a good day, but I won’t ask for details.

I’m momentarily thrown and that awkward silence I hate sneaks between us.

Thankfully I’m saved when the door opens and Olga and the kitchen staff bring in the food.

They carry in several delicious dishes of chicken, beef, and fish, along with an assortment of garnished vegetables. It looks like they prepped for a banquet. I almost ask them if they’re going to join us. There’s no way all of this food is just for Asher and me.

When they finish laying out the food on the table and depart I think of all the times I was starving in the past and couldn’t even afford a pot of ramen.

I’m not overly hungry now because I ate throughout the day but I feel like I should eat to make up for all those bad times. And because the staff went through the trouble of making it.

“Wow. The food looks amazing.” I smile, scanning the spread on the table. “It’s like I’m in a Harry Potter movie.”

Asher chuckles. “My staff tend to go all out.”

“They certainly do. The food looks great, but sadly I'll pass on the shrimp and fish. As delicious as it looks, I don’t eat seafood.”

A dull look washes over his face. It’s so distinct I consider whether I offended him, but I don’t think it’s that. There’s something in his eyes that looks like guilt. It throws me off again because I’m not used to seeing him look that way.

“Did I say something wrong?” I search his eyes and he straightens.

“You love seafood.”

My eyes widen with complete surprise because he’s totally wrong. “No way. You must have me confused with someone else.”

He gives me a sidelong stare. “Harper, you think I have you confused with someone else?”

“Clearly. I would never eat fish because it’s gross and shrimp looks like?—”

“Worms with beady eyes.”

He took the words right out of my mind and I realize that I must have said that before but can’t remember.

“Please don’t tell me I’ve had shrimp in the past.” I wrinkle my nose, narrow my eyes and grimace, knowing I look completely disgusted.

“You love shrimp and all seafood. You’re an all-you-can-eat-shrimp at the crab shack kind of girl.”

“ Crab!” My voice raises by several octaves. I can’t help my reaction. I’m shocked and grossed out in equal parts.

“Yes. You love that, too.”

My stomach turns and bile rises into my throat but I set aside my disgust and think of the bigger issue here. “I don’t remember.”

I bite the inside of my lip and Asher looks even more guilty. Suddenly I realize why. I’m surprised it never occurred to me before that perhaps he feels guilty because the accident happened after he turned me down. I didn’t think he would care that much.

No… that’s wrong of me to say. I’m just being a bitter bitch.

I heard Asher came to visit me every day in the hospital when I was in a coma. Then when I came out of it, he was always there with Josh and Dad. They were there every day, every chance they could get.

“Why don’t you try a piece of shrimp?” He nods at the platter of grilled shrimp dipped in lemon and garlic.

“Oh no.” I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t think I could.”

He grabs a fork and spears one of the shrimp then holds it out to me. “Try it.”

I want to say no again but the thought of him feeding me has me hooked in place like an idiot schoolgirl who’d agree to go to the ends of the earth with the boy she likes.

“Come on, you know me. I’m not going to give you something you don’t like.” He nods, biting the inside of his lip.

I release a heavy sigh and decide to brave it. “Okay. Just a little bite, though.”

He moves the fork closer. When I open my mouth his eyes drop to my lips and, just for an instant, the blue of his irises darkens. If I didn’t know better I’d think that was desire in his eyes.

I lean in and take a bite of the shrimp, no longer thinking it’s shrimp. Instead I’m transfixed with trying to figure out what that look is.

Then the burst of flavors hits me and my eyes snap wide. I lean in again and take the rest of the shrimp and, oh my God, how the hell could I have possibly thought this was gross?

“See, told you.” Asher smiles.

“Oh my God. This is divine.”

“That’s exactly what you said last time, too.”

“Did you get me to eat it?”

“I did.”

“How? And when?” I’m completely curious.

“You were fifteen. I went on vacation with you and your family to Cancun. Josh and I had just graduated so your dad wanted to do something special. Anyway you and I made a bet. I won. That’s how you ended up eating shrimp.”

I’ve seen pictures of us at Cancun and that’s all they were to me—pictures. It’s nice to get some more context.

“What was the bet?”

“We played chess. I bet that I’d put you in checkmate within the first five minutes.”

“Well, no wonder I lost because I don’t play chess.” I shake my head and giggle.

“Yes… you do. You won the championship at school the year before.”

The smile falls off my face. “ Me ?”

“Yes, you.”

“Who taught me to play chess?”

“I did.” A spark of pride comes into his eyes.

I stare back at him, feeling dazed. I never knew we spent so much time together. Or rather, I don’t remember. The only memory I have of Asher and me is the worst one. The one from that night.

Josh, Dad, and Beth did so much work with me after the accident to help me remember certain things about my life but there was so much more memories that I lost. Most of them with Asher it seems.

I guess I might have tried harder to reacquaint myself with more memories we shared, but because I remembered his rejection, I thought it was best to stay away. Then Dad died and my world changed forever.

“I guess there’s a lot I still don’t remember,” I state with an awkward smile.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure we’ll get the chance to talk about some of those things while you’re here.” There’s a warmth in his eyes that reaches out to me with that safe feeling again.

“That would be nice.”

“Eat, don’t let the food get cold.” He lifts his chin, motioning to the shrimp platter. “Continue with those.”

“Thank you.”

At least it seems that Asher and I are getting off to a good start.

We tuck back into the food and I devour all the shrimp and fish.

Everything is so delicious I'm now grateful there’s so much of it.

I remember Mom cautioning me to never eat as much as the guys. Sorry, Mom, this food is too good to resist.

I eat like a little pig and then some.

“This is all so good,” I state when I decide to take a break. My sides have only just started aching.

“You look like you enjoyed it.”

“Thoroughly. Did Kimberly make all of this?”

“She did. She’s a world-class chef.”

“I can’t believe you have a world-class chef in your home.”

“I don’t have time to cook and I hate junk food.”

And it shows. You can’t maintain a body like his on junk. “I need to eat better.”

“You will here.”

I guzzle the last of my wine and he watches me with a curious look crinkling his eyes.

“How are things since Massachusetts?” he asks, studying my face.

I was waiting for him to ask me about that. “They’re fine,” I lie, hoping he doesn’t see through the fakeness in my words and me .

“Really?”

“Yes. I sorted everything out.” I’ve done nothing but panic. He doesn’t need to know that though.

“ Everything like what?”

“I'll be looking for a job Monday and going to lessons with my old violin teacher. Then there's are a few things I have to do at NYU.”

“How are you otherwise? Massachusetts was kind of a big deal.”

I get the feeling he knows things aren't right with me. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be asking.

“I'm okay. And I swear I won't be any trouble or torch your car if you piss me off. I’m sure it’s worth more than me so I wouldn’t be able to compensate you.”

He sits back against the chair and levels me a hard stare. “The car isn’t worth more than you. However, I think we should go over some house rules so you aren’t tempted to torch my cars.”

Cars … most people own one. How many does he have? I saw the two garages on my tour but Olga didn’t let me inside either of them.

“What are your house rules?” I raise a brow and keep my gaze fixed on him.

Asher assumes his business persona and the lightheartedness he previously displayed is gone. Gone as if he’s been split in two and the evil twin version of himself has taken over.

“I’d like to know where you are if you’re out after ten.”

What the hell? I’ve never had a curfew. “Do I get to know where you are if you’re not in by ten?”

“Yes,” he replies in a stiff tone. “You’re also welcome to go wherever you like in the house except my office, my bedroom and the bigger garage. I’ll get you a car so you’re not taking public transport.”

“I can get an Uber if I need to go out.” I don’t want him to spend any money on me.

“Ubers cost money, especially around here. It’s also a long way into the city. In traffic, the price can go up. Having a car will be cheaper and you can go wherever you want.”

“But you don’t have to?—”

“I’m getting you a car.” His voice is firmer and the look in his eyes tells me not to fight him.

“Okay, thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

“You don’t have to pay me back. I’m a busy man. I promised Josh I’d take care of you. I don’t have time for extra worries so knowing you have a car is a benefit to me as much as it is for you.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. Or how to feel. Yes, a car would be great but it definitely sounds like it’s more for his benefit, so I don’t burden him the way a child would with extra worries .

“Okay.” I’m starting to sound like a mindless robot now, programmed to answer with one to three words. “Anything else?”

“I’m sure I don’t have to ask you to keep the place tidy. I have a good team of maids here but I’ve always prided myself on not giving them more than their fair share of work.”

I won’t remind him that he and Josh shared a room at Princeton and I remember the place looked like they were raising livestock.

“I’m a very tidy person so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Just making sure you know how I treat my staff.”

“Anything else ?”

“There will be weeks when I’ll be away on business. I still expect you to let me know where you are whether I’m in or out of the country.” His expression turns stonier, like a statue. “I’d also like to know who you bring in the house at all times. Of course, I don’t mean Beth. She can come whenever she wants. I mean anyone else.”

“Like men?” I throw back because I don’t know why he doesn’t just say what he means when it’s obvious that’s what he’s talking about.

“Yes, like men.”

“I’m not a child, Asher. I haven’t been one in a very long time. I know how to behave in someone else’s home.”

“I’m sure you do but your choice in men is questionable. This is a hoodlum-free zone.”

Great . We’re back to square one. And he’s right back in the asshole crew again.

It serves me right for thinking we’d gotten off to a good start and that he could be nice to me.