Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires #5)

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Asher

My day at the office was as shitty and hard as I knew it would be.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Harper. I barely paid attention during my meetings and I was completely off my game.

I couldn’t wait to get back home to see her and clear the air between us.

But when I reach home I find an empty house.

I finished at eight and Harper was done before five, so I expected her to be home before me.

At ten on the mark I get a message from her letting me know she's at Beth's. I text back, telling her to be safe.

I know Beth is her best friend and she’s a nice girl but I don't trust her with Harper.

Beth gets up to the kind of wildness that I don't think is good for Harper. I don’t like the company Beth keeps and fuck, yes I’m worried Harper will see Jack or someone else like him.

I wake early the next day with Harper on my mind even more than before.

Today is the first time since she’s been living with me that she’s been away and as I’m not at work today I won’t see her until later. Hunter and I are upstate to meet with a new client.

Once again, at the end of the day, I’m eager to get home and see Harper, but I get another message at ten letting me know she's going to stay with Beth until Sunday.

It's clear she's avoiding me. I don’t even have to wonder whether she is or not but the irritating thing is, if she were around me, I might be doing the same thing.

She's just beating me to it. This way neither of us has to feel that awkwardness of being avoided .

This isn’t what I wanted. But what did I expect after what we did? After what I did.

Things were never going to go back to normal after that. I fucking ate her out, licked her naked body, then had her coming in my mouth. There is no going back to how we used to be. Only this. Awkwardness.

On Sunday evening when it's time to head to my parents’ house for the dinner party I'm ready to flip my lid.

I've imagined all sorts of scenarios and things that Harper could have gotten up to with Jack.

I keep imagining her with him and feel like a fool because this is not my style.

Usually if there’s a woman I’m interested in there’s no way in fuck that I’d allow someone else to have her.

I’m only stuck because it’s her. Harper. My best friend’s sister.

I'm already running high when I walk through the doors of my parents’ hall. So when I see Nolan talking to Harper my blood spikes as if someone added a dose of napalm to it.

It ignites when he says something to make her laugh and I see how happy she looks.

God I hate that guy. And knowing Nolan like I do, he’s only talking to Harper to fuck with me.

I march over to them like a general leading his men into battle.

When they notice me they stop talking but Harper still has a ghost of a smile on her beautiful face.

“Asher, there you are,” Nolan says with that fake-as-fuck smile plastered over his face.

“Moving in on my girl as well?” Shit. I can't help it. He’s so obvious to me, I call it like I see it, whereas everyone else tiptoes around him. I can’t do that.

Harper looks surprised by my comment. Nolan simply laughs.

“We were just talking. I just discovered that Harper is a football fan. It's always great to meet a woman who loves sports.”

“Indeed.” I return his fake smile.

“I’ve asked her to join me at the Rangers game on Wednesday.”

I give him a death glare. Clearly he must be on crack if he thinks I’m going to agree to that. “No. She’s not going with you, Nolan.”

They both stare back at me as if I've lost my mind but I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what either of them think. Especially Nolan.

“Harper has already agreed to attend with me.” Nolan smiles at Harper.

“Yes. I did,” Harper says in that stiff tone that tells me she’s annoyed with me.

“I’m sure you’re not the kind of man who makes decisions for his woman.”

“I’m not. But it’s still a no from me.”

“ Oh my God ,” Harper mumbles under her breath.

Nolan chuckles low and menacing. “Good God, Asher, loosen up a little. It’s just a game.”

I step into his personal space and stare him down like I’m ready to fight. We’ve had enough run-ins over the years that he would have wondered what it would be like to fight me.

I’ve held back because of my father. I’m guessing he held off because of his father too. And the threat that I’d win.

We both know I would. Unlike him, who’s afraid to get his hands dirty, I’m unhinged with no off switch.

“Find another Rangers fan.” I give him a clipped smile and flick invisible lint off the shoulder of his jacket. “My girl is not going with you. Understand ?”

I intensify my stare, silently warning him to back the hell off. From the shift in his demeanor he seems to get the message and after a beat of silence he nods.

“Sure. See you both later.”

I don't answer but Harper smiles at him.

“It was great talking to you,” she says in a small, cautious voice, her embarrassment peeking through.

Nolan dips his head at her and walks away.

I turn back to Harper, finding her glaring at me. Mad as hell, like she was that day when I was rude to Jack, but all I can see is her beauty.

“What is wrong with you?” she snaps. “Do you have to be an asshole all the time?”

“Yes. Definitely with certain people.”

“But Nolan was being nice to me. He invited me to a simple football game.”

“I want you to stay away from that guy.”

She narrows her eyes. “Why? We were just talking about football.”

“I don't care.”

“He’s harmless.”

“You don’t know him like I do. He’s shady as fuck and I don’t want you hanging around him. Do you hear me?”

She holds my gaze for a moment with that relentless look in her eyes that makes her ballsy, but she finally sighs and nods. “Fine. Anyone else I’m supposed to avoid?”

Yeah. Me. Except doing so defeats the purpose of our plan. I need to talk to her. I need to do it now before we get to the end of the night and I want her all over again.

We’re alone so this is the best chance I’ll get for privacy before everyone starts talking to us.

“There’s no one else. But um…” I pause for a beat, wondering how I’m going to say what I need to say and not piss her off. “I wanted to talk to you about the other night.”

“There's nothing to talk about. Obviously we both drank too much.” Her answer sounds well thought out and rehearsed. She’s also trying to look nonchalant but the hurt in her eyes is evident.

I don’t want to take the easy way out and agree that we drank too much because I already had a get-out-of-jail card thrown my way when she lost her memory. But maybe it’s best for tonight.

“Yes, I guess we did. So, are we good?” That feels like an asshole question when I know we’re not and I feel like I’m trying to fix a broken vase with paper glue.

“Yes. Of course. And we’re sticking to the plan.” She tries to keep a straight face but I can see the hurt still lurking in her eyes.

“Yes. This arrangement of ours is just to give me time. Time to get to know other people.”

“Sure,” she says in a clipped tone. “Is she going to be here tonight?”

I give her a narrowed stare. “Who are you talking about?”

“The woman you like.”

Oh. Right. I forgot I told Harper about Alexis. Except I didn’t give her name.

“No, she won't be.”

“Okay. Well I guess we should get this show on the road then.” Again she gives me that not-real smile.

“Yeah.”

She glances across the room as Autumn and Luna enter. They wave her over.

She waves back and faces me. “I'm gonna talk to them.”

“Go, have fun. I'll catch up with you later.”

“Sure,” she says, then saunters away.

I stare after her like always, feeling like the coward and the fool again. Two things that are naturally against my character.

This is supposed to be the right decision. If I stay away from Harper things remain the same. She’ll be free to be with someone more deserving of her and things remain cool between Josh and me.

So why the fuck do I feel like shit?

Why do I feel like everything is wrong?

Why does she still feel like mine when I keep letting her go?

This girl has always screwed with my head so I don’t know right from wrong when I need it most. But right now I know this doesn’t feel right.

The feeling becomes more evident as the night wears on.

And the worst thing is her kisses don’t feel like they did the other night.

Every time I kiss her I can’t feel her anywhere. I find myself kissing her when I’m not supposed to, just to check. Every time I come up short and it’s like I’m kissing an empty shell.

Like the Harper I want isn’t there anymore. Each kiss is as empty as a void and fake.

As fake as our relationship is supposed to be.