Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires #5)

Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Harper

Midnight comes and it’s time to head home.

Day one is over and we did well.

Asher and I slide into the backseat of the Maybach waiting to take us back to the Hamptons and we set off.

I look over at him sitting next to me, tall, brooding, and handsome.

He turns to face me. “We did it.” His voice is as reflective and soothing as a gentle caress.

“We did.”

“You okay?” He slides his hand over mine on my thigh to give it a gentle squeeze. It’s a completely innocent touch but I feel it everywhere and the warmth of arousal makes moisture bead between my thighs.

“I’m good. You?”

“I am now.” He smiles at me, looking like he wants to say more but is holding back because of the driver.

It’s nice to see him look at me with such admiration instead of the disapproval he’s been sporting since Massachusetts.

We reach home within the hour but I don’t want the night to end. I feel like if it does the magic will go with it.

We go inside the house and when we reach the corridor where we’re supposed to go our separate ways our steps slow.

We stop and face each other. Conflict seems to settle in Asher’s expression, but I don’t know if I’m seeing what I want to see. It’s hard to tell when you’re dealing with a guy who can either mask his emotions or switch from one to the next as effortlessly as breathing.

“I’d say we had a great time tonight,” he states with an easy grin.

“Yes. We weren’t arguing and I wasn’t getting myself in trouble.”

“Maybe this is a new normal for us.”

“It seems that way.”

“Thank you for agreeing to do this… thing with me. It helps a lot.”

“It’s a small price to pay considering what you did for me.” I give him a coy smile, showing my appreciation for saving me from whatever fate awaited with Vito and the debt.

“Don’t worry about it. We seem to have a mutually-beneficial agreement.”

Mutually beneficial.

It’s odd he would say that when he had a choice between me and this other woman who I don’t think was there tonight.

Asher was with me the whole time and all the women he introduced me to as friends seemed to just be friends . I’ve known him long enough to know when he likes someone.

“We should probably get some sleep,” he suggests.

“Yeah,” I answer, although I don’t want to say goodbye yet.

“See you in the morning.”

“See you.”

He dips his head and turns to go to his room. I watch him and I don’t know what comes over me but it’s like there’s this urge to hold on to tonight.

It pushes me to call to him. “Asher, wait.”

He stops midstride and turns back to face me.

“Do you want to hang out for a while?” The words tumble out of my mouth faster than I can think. I might be shooting myself in the foot but at least I tried. “I’m not tired.”

Asher seems surprised by my question. As if I caught him off guard. Then the surprise on his face morphs into caution and it looks like he’s going to turn me down.

I prepare for that sinking feeling of disappointment I hate but then his eyes darken with some unidentifiable emotion, and his gaze flicks down to my dress then roams over my body in an unmistakable sexual way.

“Sure. Let’s go to my office.” He nods.

I’m so stunned he agreed that I stare back at him with my eyes wide, checking to make sure I heard him right. “Really? You’re saying yes?”

“Sure. I have some of that wine we had at dinner.” A smooth grin slides across his lips.

“That wine was amazing.” And wow… he actually agreed to hang out. It’s great but now the butterflies in my stomach have goosebumps.

We go in the opposite direction and take the stairs to his office. I’ve only ever seen the door when Olga took me on the tour.

His office is in its own wing of the house with a separate entrance.

When he opens the door and I see inside I’m completely surprised by how big it is. It’s like a separate apartment. The only thing missing is a bed.

He’s got everything set up like his office at Le Blanche Global but on the left there’s a sofa area with a bar. Next to that is a glass wall with a sliding door to a private terrace. The glass walls offer a great view of the beach. Against the dark the beach and the trees in the surrounding area look like a fantasy painting.

Asher goes over to the bar fridge and removes the bottle of wine. It has a French name I can’t begin to pronounce but it’s fruity and absolutely delicious.

“I picked this Monbazillac up on my last trip to France,” he says, grabbing two glasses.

“When was that?”

“A few months ago. I went with a friend of mine but it was a business trip. They needed me to evaluate an investment.”

“Sounds like fun.”

He smirks. “Harper, you really think that evaluating an investment sounds like fun?”

I bite the inside of my lip, holding back a smile. “Not really. I was just being polite.”

“ Clearly . Let’s sit over here.”

I follow him to the large leather sofa where we sit alongside each other.

He sets the wine and glasses on the coffee table then he takes off his jacket and tie.

Embarrassingly, my eyes glue to his thick forearms as he rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt, revealing the Japanese characters for earth, warrior, and brave tattooed on each arm.

I only look away when he picks up the corkscrew to open the wine and I’m amazed how easily he’s able to uncork it.

“You make that look so easy.” I giggle. “I always have a difficult time opening wine. Even with my bar experience.”

“There’s an art to it. My grandfather taught me. I’ll teach you next time.” He glances over at me.

“Thanks. I look forward to you teaching me.”

He grins and pours our drinks. I watch him, getting lost in the way he looks at the glass as he focuses on the wine flowing into it. And the way his long fingers seem to caress the narrow stem.

How silly . I’m jealous. Jealous of the glass. I wish he would stroke me like that.

Asher gives me the glass and I take it, still thinking of him having his hands on me. “Thanks.”

“What did you think of tonight? You got to meet everyone.”

“They were great. Your parents especially are always amazing. And your mom is like my fairy godmother.”

“She likes you a lot. Let me guess, she’s invited you to go out hasn’t she?”

“Every weekend for the next year.” I giggle. “I’m going to see her on Sunday for afternoon tea at the Ritz. Then she’s taking me back to her house to try on all the dresses she got me. I can’t believe she still buys me dresses after so many years of not seeing me.”

“That’s my mom for you,” he grins. “Sorry she’s so crazy.”

“It’s fine. I love her craziness. I think my mom would be grateful to her too.”

A touch of sadness flickers in his eyes. “I think she would too, so it works out well then.”

“It does.”

I finish drinking the wine. He does too and pours us each another glass.

“Luna, Layla, and Autumn are all a great bunch too.” I try to keep the conversation going so that awkward silence doesn’t have a chance to step in and throw me off.

“They are.” Asher chuckles. “I knew you’d get on well with them.”

“I felt like I’d known them for years. It’s different with Beth because I’ve known her since we were kids. I’ve never met anyone else that I got on so well with right off the bat.” They all made an effort to talk to me. It took mere minutes for us to click.

“They were like that with each other too.”

“It will be great working with them. I guess I’ll see Layla more though. And Luna at the charity events.” I learned that Luna owns a charity which she and Hunter run. As Le Blanche Global are huge investors their PR team gets involved with various activities.

“You’ll love working with both of them. More wine?”

“Absolutely.”

After pouring more wine, he starts talking about Hunter and Luc. He talks about going to Luc’s hockey games and taking me along. Then he talks about sailing with Hunter next year after he and Luna have their baby.

This is the longest we’ve ever spoken and either not argued or offended each other.

I hang onto every word he says and I think he does the same with me. But when he talks I like looking at his lips and I keep thinking about all the kisses we shared tonight.

If I’m like this now, how will I feel next time?

Next time will be Sunday. His parents are hosting a dinner party at their home. Since I’ll be with his mom all day I won’t even see Asher for a regroup until he arrives with everyone else. The plan should be fine. It’s just me who’s nervous.

We continue drinking and talking until eventually we reach the last bit of wine in the bottle.

As Asher pours it into my glass, sadness hits me that we’ve reached another natural pause where we should say goodnight.

It’s almost 3 a.m. Now it’s super late.

He has an early start and today is my first day at work. We should go to bed. I just don’t want to yet. The time went by too quickly.

Asher hands me my glass and looks at me as if he knows what I’m thinking. “You tired yet?”

“No.” I smile back at him. “Are you?”

“I’m not but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get you drunk mere hours before your first day on the job.”

“I can handle a few more.” I cock my head, gesturing to the bar. “I haven’t reached my limit yet.”

“Me neither.” That sexy half grin returns. “How about we make some cocktails then head to bed?”

Thank God . “Yes. I want to do that.”

“Alright, come over to the bar with me.” He takes my hand and tugs me to follow.

Like an obedient servant destined to follow him anywhere and do whatever he says, I go.

“What do you like?” He goes behind the bar and grabs a bottle of vodka.

“Anything with fruit and vodka.”

“Perfect.”

“Have you got fruit up here for cocktails?” I glance at the mini fridge.

“I do. When I’m working from home— which happens quite often —I love having cocktails. I like making them too. So Olga makes sure I have what I need.”

He opens the fridge and shows me the little pot of fresh fruit and juices ready to go.

“Olga is amazing.” I giggle, looking over the fruit.

“She certainly is.”

Asher sets out the fruit, the juices and an assortment of alcohol on the counter. Then he grabs two coupe glasses from the cupboard. “Let’s see who can mix the best cocktail.” Asher cocks his head with a challenge in his eyes.

“Game on. You first.”

“You sure?”

“Hmmm hmm.”

“Alright then Miss Bartender.”

Within minutes he shakes up a cocktail using a jigger of bright green liqueur that he says is made by Carhusian monks.

“Wow, this is great.” I’m impressed. The start of a buzz also zings through my mind, a signal that I’m nearly at my limit. “What is it?”

“The Asher special. Do you remember that time when Hunter, Luc and I got stranded in Ibiza?”

My shoulders sag. “No. I don’t remember.”

He touches my cheek and his fingers warm my skin. “It’s okay. It was just a funny story that sparked a running joke for years. We all had to work at a bar. That’s how I learned how to make cocktails.”

“Really? What happened?”

“We got plastered as my grandfather would say—basically drunk out of our minds. Then we were robbed. Then we ended up in jail without a hope in hell of getting out. When we were eventually released we had to find jobs to earn enough to get home. Our parents were away on one of their getaways and unreachable.”

“Oh my God. That is so crazy.” I laugh.

“Josh was supposed to go with us but your dad broke his leg. Josh stayed back to look after him. You were supposed to go on a skiing trip but the two of you refused to leave your father’s side.”

Like always, when I hear people talking about things I should remember, I try to push against those barriers preventing me from accessing my memories. Nothing comes. Not even that hint of a familiar feeling people get when they recognize something. All I see and feel is emptiness. “It’s sad that I don’t remember any of that.”

“It’s okay. The ordinary person doesn’t remember everything.”

“I guess so.”

“It’s your turn, Miss Bartender.” He smirks. “See if you can beat that.”

I laugh, knock back the rest of my drink and grab a bottle of gin from the shelf. “Mine will be the best cocktail you’ve ever had in your life.”

“Is that so?” He raises his brows.

“It will. I’ve never been turned down for a bartender job.”

“Okay. Show me what you got then.”

I mix the drinks even quicker than he did. I fix him my rendition of a Boulevardier but instead of swapping out the gin for whiskey I add both. I always find that the sweetness of the bourbon balances the flavor.

I hand him his glass and he looks interested to try it. He takes a sip and the totally impressed look on his face tells me I’ve won.

“Holy shit, what the hell did you put in this to make it tastes so good?” he glares at me.

I drink mine too. “You saw me. It’s the way I did it.”

“ Clearly.”

“I’ll teach you next time.” I borrow his words from earlier.

He grins and a lock of his dark hair falls over his eye when he takes another gulp. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Just say when.”

“I will.” He nods with an easy smile on his lips that makes my heart flutter. “And I agree. You do make the best cocktails. Looks like Harper St. John isn’t just a beautiful face.”

I was about to take another sip but he hooked me at beautiful . “You think I’m beautiful?” If I was ever going to find out what he truly thinks of me, it’s now.

He stares back at me and my nerves twist in my stomach. I’m locked in his gaze until his eyes drop to my body, then stay there for far too long before climbing back up to meet my eyes again.

“I think any man with eyes thinks you’re beautiful Harper St. John .”

“But… do you ?” I’m pushing the limit and crossing a line again. Again as in allowing the same madness that possessed me to throw myself at him years ago to take over my mind again.

Unlike then, my question feels like the most important one in the world.

And I want the answer my body seeks.

Asher holds my gaze, searching my eyes, knowing what I’m asking him.

Those nerves in my stomach turn to lead, growing heavier the longer I wait.

“Yes. I think you’re beautiful.” His voice is quiet and reverent but the simple words of his answer hit me in my core, stirring my need for more.

More of this feeling rippling through my body like wildfire.

“What else do you think about me?”

He bites the inside of his lip and keeps his gaze trained on me. “I’m… not so sure I should answer that question, Harper.”

“Because you’ll hurt me?” My lungs squeeze. Given that I know he thinks I’m trouble maybe I shouldn’t have asked him anything.

“No, I’d never intentionally hurt you.”

I’m relieved to hear that but my interest piques. “Then tell me. What else do you think about me?”

He looks at me for a moment then reaches out to take a lock of my hair. “I’d have to show you. And I definitely shouldn’t do that.”

“Why shouldn’t you?” God my nerves are on fire.

“Because…” He touches my cheek and leans in a little closer, wrapping me in that scent of power again. “I’m a few drinks away from not being able to control myself. I don’t want to do anything that I can’t explain when the sun comes up.”

His words are like bait thrashing around in front of my face, screaming at me to take the hook and not let go.

So I do. I take the hook, grab the scotch and pour him another drink.

“Show me,” I mutter.

That dark desire settles in his eyes once more and his hand drops from my cheek.

His gaze flicks down to the glass in my hand and he stares at it for a few seconds. Then he takes it from me and nerves scatter all over my body, making my legs turn to fiery liquid.

The moment he puts his lips to the glass, tips his head back and drinks it feels like we’ve both crossed another line. And we’re on the same page now.

Asher closes his eyes for a heartbeat and when he opens them again I see hunger. Raw and carnal. The kind you’d see on a wild animal starved for weeks.

“Fuck it,” he rasps under his breath then leans in to capture my lips for a searing hot kiss that burns through my mind.

He tastes like sin, forbidden passion and dangerous desire rolled into one. My brain barely gets the time to process that his lips are actually on mine before Asher deepens the kiss, making it clear that this kiss is not like any of the others we shared at the Astoria. The kisses that were supposed to be fake.

There is no mistake in whether or not this kiss is real.

And my God does it feel exhilarating. This is the kind of kiss that rivals all kisses, leaves you breathless and wanting more.

Shivers of fire race down my spine and I relish the feel of his tongue touching mine.

His electrifying touch ignites everything inside me and I’m consumed by the heat, lost in a whirlwind of desire and longing.

He pushes his solid body into me, pressing his hard cock into my belly.

At the feel of how thick and big he is my pussy aches with the need for him to be inside me. Every nerve under my skin comes alive and I can’t stop my body responding.

The kiss turns hungry with our tongues tasting each other as if we can’t get enough. I moan into his mouth and he takes the moment to pull out of the kiss and press his lips to my ear.

“I have to stop, Harper,” he groans, his hot breath burning my skin.

“Don’t.” I’ve never sounded more desperate in my life.

“ Fuck .” The scruff of his beard brushes my cheek as he turns his head. “If I keep going I’ll want to taste you everywhere.”

“What if… I want you to taste me everywhere ?” I’m breathing so hard I can barely get the words out but there’s no way in hell I’m giving up now. Not in a million years. I feel like I just strayed into a dream and someone handed me everything I ever wanted.

Asher doesn’t waste another moment. He returns to my lips and kisses me like he’s starving for me.

He goes back to my neck and shoves me against the wall so he can kiss his way down my chest, pausing briefly to taste my skin.

I close my eyes, savoring the little throbbing pulse in my clit as he nibbles on my skin. Then down he goes until he’s licking the skin at my cleavage.

I gasp when he shoves the top of my dress down and my breasts pop out.

He covers my nipple with his mouth and sucks so hard I feel the pull in the tips of my toes. It makes me arch my back to press into his mouth.

He takes me deeper, sucking in more of my sensitive flesh.

I moan out loud and a flicker of a smile slides across his face before he moves to my other breast and sucks.

He sucks from one breast to the other until both nipples are so hard with arousal they feel like shards of glass.

The ache in my pussy increases, making me writhe against him.

Holding my waist with his big, strong hands, he moves down my body and crouches down to bury his face between my thighs through my dress.

I don’t have to wait too long to wonder what he’s going to do next. Asher rolls my dress up my legs, right up to my hips, then he pulls down my panties and spreads my legs wide.

Before I can take my next breath his face is back between my thighs and his tongue is thrusting into my pussy. And holy hell, the impact of his tongue inside me is earth shattering.

I grab on to his shoulders and throw my head back, crying out from the intense pleasure that pulses through me like hot lava.

My blood throbs in my veins, overflowing with a lethal dose of desire and pleasure. It leaves me powerless to do anything besides surrender to the mercy of his dominance as he eats me out, tasting and taking everything from me.

The rising pressure floods my core then explodes into a mind-blowing orgasm that’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

I cry out again, lost in ecstasy as Asher feasts on me, licking, sucking, drinking, lapping until there’s nothing left.

Then he just stays there, breathing hard with me as if we’ve just finished a marathon.

I look down at him, gazing at the top of his ruffled hair. I’m too afraid to move in case I shatter this moment, so all I do is stare.

Feeling the weight of my gaze Asher slowly looks up at me. I don’t know what I expect to see on his face but it’s definitely not guilt.

He presses his forehead to my thigh for a few brief seconds then looks back at me.

“I have to stop now, Harper. I’ve already gone too far.” His voice is heavy with guilt.

“No.”

“Yes.” The firmness in his voice snaps my awareness back into focus and I pull my dress up to cover my breasts.

“Asher—”

“Harper, we can’t .”

All the words bouncing around in my head freeze and I realize we’re back there again. Back to four years ago. This time might have been different but he’s still rejecting me.

“Let’s just stick to the plan. We need to.”

The plan. Be his fake girlfriend.

Not his real one.

“But we?—”

“No.” His sharp tone reminds me that all I am to him is his best friend’s little sister .

Shit. I’m so stupid. This was another foolish mistake.

Why do I keep jonesing for this guy when it’s clear he doesn’t want me?

A wave of embarrassment pulls me under and just like four years ago I turn on my heel and flee.

“Harper,” Asher calls after me but I don’t stop.

I keep going.

I keep going while hot tears sting the back of my eyes and my heart pounds in my throat.

What the hell is wrong with me?

It’s not like I haven’t walked down this road before. I know what’s at the end waiting for me—nothing.

Stick to the plan .

I need to because I owe him, but how the hell am I supposed to forget what we just did?

The problem with crossing lines that are already so blurred you can hardly see them is that you can’t find your way back. I sure as hell can’t.

I wish to God I could.

I wish this was as simple as telling myself I shouldn’t fall any deeper than I already have for him.

But how do you stop falling when you’re already sprawled on the ground?