Unwrapped (Sugar & Spice #1)

6. Asher

Chapter 6

Asher

T he holiday party hums around me—laughter, the clinking of glasses, the murmur of music mixing with the buzz of conversation. But none of it matters right now. The moment I step near the Christmas tree, all I see is her. Ivy, standing in the soft glow of the lights, the colors playing over her dress, casting shades of gold and red that make her look… radiant. Her hips gently flare out away from her cinched waist.

I lean against the wall, trying to look casual. It’s easier than admitting that she makes me nervous. She always has. But I don’t let it show. Instead, I focus on her, my attention sharp, like she’s the only person in the room worth looking at. And right now, she is.

“I told you I’d find you,” I say, stopping a foot behind Ivy, my voice dropping an octave.

“Hey.” She spins around, a smile already stretching her dark cherry-colored lips. “You didn’t have to. I know you’re busy.”

“Nah, they’re all drunk. Nobody cares about me right now.” I cross my arms, trying to play it cool even though my heart is racing. I shake my head with a nervous chuckle, sliding my hands into my pockets to keep them from reaching out to grab her waist.

“I wouldn’t say nobody ,” she teases with a little roll of her eyes.

“Listen, I wanted to. Ivy, I…” I trail off, running a hand through my hair, feeling almost uncertain all of a sudden. Like I’m about to cross a professional boundary that could complicate things. “I know we’ve reconnected professionally and I think there’s a strong future there, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious—beyond that.”

She blinks, clearly caught off guard by the honesty in my words. “Oh.”

“I never really got to know you back in high school, did I? At least nothing beyond just… seeing you with Tessa or a casual hello in the hallway.”

“No, I guess not. I don’t think I ever gave you a reason to, did I?” she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. “I was always too busy hiding in the library, but I wasn’t hiding from you or anyone. Well, maybe I was?—”

“No, nothing you did,” I clarify.

“Maybe you were just busy too.” She shrugs.

I take a step closer, her eyes searching mine. “Maybe. Or maybe I was just too busy being the guy everyone thought I was supposed to be.”

“Meaning?” She looks up at me, my height making me tower over her, even in her heels.

“Meaning you’re a breath of fresh air.” I reach out slowly, brushing a soft curl away from her neck. “Or maybe just a lovely reminder of what life could be like.”

I worry I’ve said too much when my eyes meet hers again. They’re wide, searching mine like she’s suddenly treading water without land in sight. “So, I have to admit,” I start, letting a teasing smile slip onto my face, hoping my change in tone lightens the mood, “you’re not quite what I expected—now, I mean.”

Her eyebrow arches, and she crosses her arms over her chest, but there’s a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. “Oh? And what did you expect, Mr. Mercer?”

That look for one.

I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. “I remember you as the girl who always had her nose in a book. The quiet one. I thought you’d be… I don’t know, more uptight.”

She laughs softly, and the sound hits me right in the chest, mingling with the music around us. “So you thought I’d be boring?”

“No, not boring. Just… maybe a little more reserved. Less likely to show up at a party like this.” I gesture to the crowd—a sea of people in designer suits and cocktail dresses, all looking like they belong.

“Well, you invited me.”

“I was going to say show up to a party like this, in that dress.” I nod toward her tits. “Not to mention that snarky little attitude you’ve developed.”

She follows my gaze, then meets my eyes again with a smile that’s half-amused, half-challenging. “To be fair, I’ve always had the attitude; you just never had the pleasure of experiencing it.”

“Is that so?” I shake my head, the tension between us growing so thick my cock is begging for attention. “Damn shame on my part.”

“The tits are new, though; they grew in during college.”

“Fuck me.” I laugh, dragging my hand down my face, hers glowing red. “I take it back; you are absolutely able to hold your own at this party.”

“Honestly, though? I’m not that comfortable with all of this. But I’ve learned that pretending to be confident sometimes works just as well as actually being confident. Fake it till you make it or whatever.”

“You fake it, huh?” I shake my head, clicking my tongue. “I never would’ve guessed.” She tilts her head, giving me this look like she’s assessing whether that was an innuendo or not. “And yes,” I continue, deciding to leap past any and all professional boundaries I was second-guessing a moment ago. “I meant that exactly as you’re thinking I meant it.”

She looks at me for a few more seconds, that flush from her cheeks reaching down to her neck. I watch her throat constrict as she swallows and I want to reach out and wrap my fingers around it. She’s contemplating on taking the bait, on taking it further.

“It’s all an illusion. Smoke and mirrors. Or in this case, a little black dress.”

“You know, I like this side of you, Ivy. It’s… exciting.”

She raises an eyebrow, that playful spark still in her eyes. “Of course you do, it’s designed to excite you. Biology.”

“Mmm, God, I love nerdy talk then because biology has me very, very excited.” I laugh.

“Trust me, if I started in with the hardcore nerdy talk you’d be gone before I could say thermonuclear dynamics.”

I smirk, leaning in just a fraction. “Well, you do have a way of charging up my ions.”

“A cation.”

“A what?”

“That’s an ion with a positive charge, a cation.” She flushes, and it’s hard not to feel a thrill at the way her cheeks go pink, but the real thrill is hearing her laughter fill the space around us. “And what about you, Asher? You’re not exactly what I expected either.”

That catches me off guard, and I can’t help but tilt my head, intrigued. “Oh yeah? How so?”

“I thought you’d be—” She pauses, and I watch her search for the right words. “I don’t know, more… full of yourself.”

I wince dramatically, but I keep the grin on my face. “Ouch. I’m not sure if I should be offended or flattered you felt you could be honest with me.”

“Maybe a little of both?” she teases, and there’s something in her smile that makes me want to keep this conversation going, to dig a little deeper. “I just didn’t expect you to be… real, I guess. You were always so put together in high school, like you had everything figured out. And obviously, you and Zane have done some pretty incredible things in the ten years since we graduated.”

I shrug, feeling a touch of something I rarely let show when it comes to my personal life—honesty. “Turns out, I’m realizing that most of that was just an act. It wasn’t that I didn’t like playing football or being involved in everything, I just never gave it a second thought. The pressure was there and I just fell into the trap of living up to it. Guess we’ve both been faking it, huh?”

“Maybe.” She leans back against the wall beside me, and the warmth from the Christmas lights dances across her face, making her look even softer, even more… tempting. I try not to get too lost in the way she looks right now, like she’s someone I could spend hours talking to and never get bored. The reality is, we don’t know each other anymore and never really did. She’s a reminder of home, of that small-town life when things felt so much easier.

There’s a pause between us, just the faint hum of the party and the soft glow from the tree filling the space. For the first time tonight, I’m not thinking about all the people I need to impress or the business associates I’m supposed to schmooze. I’m thinking about Ivy and the way she’s looking at me, like she’s waiting for something.

“You know,” I say, almost without realizing it, “I always wondered what you were reading back then. When you sat in the bleachers during football practice. You looked so… focused.”

She blinks, and for a moment, she looks surprised—maybe even a little shy. “You remember that?” she asks, her voice softer, almost like she can’t believe I paid attention.

I nod, my eyes not leaving hers. “Yeah, I remember. I used to think you were reading something profound—like Tolstoy or Nietzsche. Something serious and poetic.”

She laughs, and the sound is light, almost like music. “Oh God, no. It was definitely not Tolstoy. It was probably some mystery novel or maybe… fantasy. With dragons and sword fights.”

I can’t help but feel delighted. I didn’t expect that answer, but it fits her in a way I didn’t realize until now. “Fantasy, huh? Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

She crosses her arms, but there’s a hint of a smirk on her lips. “What can I say? I’ve always liked stories where the secretly fierce heroine wins in the end.”

I lean closer, letting the warmth of her words sink in. “Ivy Calloway, lover of dragons and sword fights. I never would have guessed.”

She shrugs, but I can tell she’s hiding a smile. “Well, I never would’ve guessed that Asher Mercer, star quarterback and prom king, would be interested in our little bakery. Yet here we are.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Touché. But in my defense, it’s not every day that I meet someone who can turn baking into a science.”

She lights up at that, like I’ve just said the magic words. “Baking is science,” she insists, and I love how her eyes brighten when she talks about it. “It’s chemistry, thermodynamics, molecular gastronomy…”

I raise an eyebrow, feeling genuinely entertained. “Molecular gastronomy, huh? That sounds pretty intense for cookies.”

She waves me off, but her smile is infectious. “Hey, don’t knock it. If you get the wrong ratio of flour to liquid, you’ll end up with a cookie that’s either too dry or one that spreads out into a sad, shapeless puddle. It’s all about finding the right balance. You know, kind of like life.”

Something about that sticks with me, and I lean in even closer, feeling like we’re sharing a secret. “So what’s the secret to finding that balance, then? In baking—or in life?”

Her eyes flicker with something—maybe confidence, maybe a challenge. “That’s the thing. There is no perfect balance. It’s all a little trial and error. You add a little too much sugar, maybe a little more flour, see what happens. If you’re lucky, you end up with something delicious. If you’re not, well… you try again. And sometimes, you might discover something completely new that you never even considered in the first place.”

“I think I like that philosophy, Ivy. I’ll have to keep it in mind the next time I screw up a batch of pancakes. Maybe I’ll accidentally make crepes for the first time and end up loving them.”

She raises an eyebrow, her smile turning more teasing. “You cook?”

I put my hands up in defense. “Okay, maybe ‘cook’ is a strong word. Let’s just say I’m capable of feeding myself without burning down my apartment.”

She laughs, and it’s the kind of laugh that makes me want to hear it again and again. “I’d like to see that. Maybe you could come by the bakery sometime. I’ll give you some pointers before you accidentally poison yourself or burn down the building.”

The idea of spending more time with her sends a thrill through me. I grin, leaning back a little but keeping my eyes locked on hers. “Deal. I’ll bring the wine.”

For a moment, it’s just the two of us. Everything else fades—the music, the crowd, all of it. Her expression softens, and there’s a warmth in her eyes that makes my heart pick up speed. I can’t help but think that I missed out on something back in high school. “You know, Ivy,” I say quietly, “I know I said it earlier, but I missed out on something back in high school. Not getting to know you.”

She looks up at me, and there’s something honest in her gaze. “You never really looked, Asher. And I guess I never gave you an opportunity.”

I take a step closer, feeling a pull I can’t explain. “Well, I’m looking now.”

The air between us feels charged, like everything could change in the next second. For a moment, I think maybe I’ll reach out, maybe close that last bit of space between us. But before I can, someone bumps into me from behind, and the moment shatters. I catch myself against the wall, laughing as a tipsy partygoer stumbles past.

I glance back at Ivy, feeling the moment slip away. “Looks like the universe isn’t ready for us to test that theory yet.”

She smiles, but I can see the disappointment, just a flicker before she hides it. “Maybe it’s a sign,” she says, her voice light but her eyes saying something else, “or maybe I’m just too much of a control in this experiment.”

I grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, I guess that means I’ll just have to keep looking for an opportunity.”

Her cheeks flush a little, but she doesn’t look away, and there’s a spark in her eyes that tells me she’s just as caught up in this as I am. Before I can say anything else, Tessa appears at her side, holding two champagne flutes and looking like she knows exactly what she’s interrupting.

“Here you go, Ivy,” Tessa says, thrusting a glass into Ivy’s hand. “Thought you could use a drink.”

She’s all smiles, her eyes flicking between the two of us, and it’s obvious she’s enjoying herself. “Am I interrupting something?”

I glance at Ivy, waiting for her to say something, but she just shoots Tessa a look that’s half-annoyed, half-amused. I can’t help but laugh, shaking my head. “Not at all. Ivy and I were just… catching up.”

Tessa grins, looking far too pleased with herself. “Oh, I’m sure you were. Well, don’t let me keep you.”

She disappears into the crowd, leaving me and Ivy alone again. I watch her go, then turn back to Ivy, who’s staring down at her glass like it’s the most interesting thing in the world. “Your friend is… quite the character,” I say, raising my glass in a mock toast.

She lifts her own glass, a small smile on her lips. “You have no idea.”

“And what about you? I’m afraid I don’t know as much as I’d like.”

We clink glasses, and I take a sip, but I don’t take my eyes off her. She meets my gaze over the rim of her glass, and for a moment, it feels like we’re in our own little world again, everything else fading into the background.

“You know, Ivy, I think I’d like to change that. Maybe get to know more about what’s behind that scientific mind of yours.”

I watch as her eyes soften, and there’s something vulnerable in her expression that makes my chest tighten. She doesn’t look away, doesn’t put up her usual guarded smile. Instead, she holds my gaze, and I can tell—she’s letting me in, even if it’s just a little.

“Well,” she says, leaning in slightly, her voice playful but with a hint of something deeper, “if you’re looking for more baking chemistry lessons, you know where to find me.”

A slow smile spreads across my face. “I might just take you up on that.”

There’s a charge in the air between us, something electric. I feel it, and I know she feels it too. I take a small step closer, letting our shoulders brush, and the warmth of her skin against mine sends a thrill through me. “Okay, but don’t expect any shortcuts,” she says, her eyebrow quirking up. “Perfecting a recipe takes time and patience. And a willingness to get your hands a little messy.”

I lean in, feeling the pull of her words, and I can’t help the grin that forms. “I’m good with my hands,” I murmur, my voice low. I watch her face go pink, and there’s something about seeing her flustered that makes me want to push just a little further. Makes me wish I could reach down and pull her dress away from her body to see if the flush matches her nipples.

She swallows, trying to keep her composure, but I can see the way her eyes flicker, the way her breath catches. For a second, I think about closing that last bit of distance between us, about what it might feel like to just let this happen. But before I can decide, someone calls my name from across the room, and it breaks the moment.

I glance over and see one of my business associates waving me over, looking impatient. I sigh, a pang of frustration settling in my chest. I don’t want to walk away from this, from her, but I know I have to. “I have to take care of this,” I say, the reluctance clear in my voice.

She nods, and I catch a hint of disappointment before she covers it up with a smile. “Yeah, of course. Go do your CEO thing.”

I hesitate, not wanting to leave things like this. “Don’t disappear on me, okay? I’ll find you later.” I reach my hand out, letting it slide gently around her waist. “I’m sorry I have to step away again.”

She gives me a small smile, and there’s a softness in her eyes that gives me hope. “I’ll be around.”

I need to kiss her, to taste her but I can’t be rushed. Not the first time. I need to be able to savor her, to take my time. I let my hand fall from her body with a small nod.

As I walk away, I can’t help but glance back at her, the glow of the Christmas tree lights reflecting off her skin, making her look almost ethereal. My chest tightens, and I realize just how much I don’t want this night to end. For the first time in a while, I feel like I’m not just playing a part, but like I’ve found something real, something that’s not just about business deals or impressing people.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, but as I shake hands and nod through the conversation with my associate, my mind keeps drifting back to Ivy. The way she looked at me, the way she talked about baking and life, the way she made me feel like maybe—just maybe—there’s more to this holiday party than networking and putting on a show.

When I finally manage to wrap things up, I scan the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her dark hair or the sparkle of her dress. But I don’t see her. The conversation took longer than expected and I glance down at my watch.

“Shit.” It’s just after midnight already. I feel my pocket buzz and pull out my phone to see a text from Ivy.

Ivy

Sorry I left without saying goodbye! Feet were killing me. Let me know when you’re interested in your next chemistry lesson.

The smile that’s been plastered on my face all night because of her returns. I almost type out a quick response but decide to hold off, waiting to craft the perfect response when I can offer her a time to hang out.

“What’s with that look?” Zane mutters as he shuffles over to me.

“What are you still doing here? I’m shocked you stuck around after the first hour.”

He shrugs, his bow tie hanging loose around his neck, an almost finished cocktail in his hand. “Open bar got me,” he says, raising his glass.

The look on his face tells me that is not the reason he stuck around tonight—or at least not the only reason. I’m about to ask who she is but I decide I’m too wrapped up in my head right now to hear about his latest conquest.

“Well, I’m beat, think I’m gonna head out. You good?” he asks, grabbing my shoulder.

“Great,” I assure him, grabbing my now warm champagne flute and lifting it toward his glass. “To another successful holiday party in the books.”

I don’t know what’s going to happen next with Ivy and me, but I do know one thing—whatever it is, I don’t want to miss it.

Because for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. And I’m not about to let that slip away.