I was free from my unhealthy attraction to him. With him being gone I can actually focus on my future and move on with my life.Sure, my heart hurt, but at least I wasn't Gina. Just thinking about her and what I found out was tearing me apart. How did I not know anything about this? Did anyone else know? It didn't seem like anyone did, and I wasn't going to be the one to tell anyone. Why bring up the past?I couldn't be here any longer so I made my way out the front doors and found my car in the student parking lot. I was exhausted and just wanted a nap.Tomorrow would be another day. ~~~~~~~But tomorrow turned into an endless amount of dull, empty days that led me to graduation day.High school would officially be over at 7:15pm today and then I would be off to art school in the fall. All alone.Harper was going to Seattle with Tate and I was staying here in Portland. Which didn't bother me. It would be a completely fresh new start. A place where I wouldn't know anyone. Well, at le
SEVEN YEARS LATERI hadn't seen or heard a single word from Asher Creed in seven years. Seven long, grueling, lonely years, and when Harper or her mom would bring him up, I politely asked them to change the subject. So, of course, after asking them a few times they learned that Asher was still a touchy subject around me so they stopped talking about him altogether.The only way I knew anything about him and his life was over the internet. I didn't get much other than the professional photo's from his skateboarding career and a few shots from the paparazzi. Asher kept his life a secret. He didn't even have social media. He was like a ghost in the celebrity world. Nobody even knew where he came from, other than his managers and agents, of course, but his fans were clueless about the details of his life.I tortured myself quite often when I sat in my office all alone in the evening hours and searched for Asher online. At this very moment, I was staring at the most recent photo the papara
Then I laughed at Harper. "Yes, I have a few days off. I told him the wedding was out of town and being hosted at a resort in the mountains. Don't worry. I won't ditch out on you.""Good. I gave you and Mark the other honeymoon suite in our building. You cool with that?" She eyed me speculatively.Mark and I hadn't slept together or in the same bed in months, but we lived together and were comfortable with one another. Besides, we were adults."I'm sure that will be fine." Then my mind drifted to the one question that had been gnawing at me for weeks. A question that shouldn't matter, but it did."I don't know if he'll be there." I whipped my head up to Harper and glared at her. I didn't accidentally ask the question out loud, did I? "I saw it on your face," she answered my silent mind chatter. "He hasn't RSVP'd and Tate said he hasn't talked to any of the guys in a few months."I shrugged and sipped my wine when the waitress set our drinks down. "So, you have the dinner finally all f
I'm not going to turn around.Nope. Not going to do that. Maybe if I don't turn around then he won't really be there.But then I turned around.Asher Creed stood right in front of me with his piercing grey eyes and his overwhelming scent of sandalwood.He looked even more glorious now than I ever remember. How is it legal to be this attractive?!"You look amazing," he finally said with a deeper than normal voice as his eyes traveled down to my lips before meeting my eyes again.My brain wasn't functioning. No words were coming out and I was frozen to my spot."Layla? You okay?" This came from Mark behind me and I finally blinked.I saw how Asher was sizing Mark up before he stuck his hand out for Mark to shake."Hey. I'm Asher. The bride's brother."Mark took his hand. "Mark. I'm..."I cut him off. "My boyfriend."What?! I finally had the courage to speak and those were the words that came out?!Asher eyed me suspiciously but then smiled at Mark. Mark thankfully didn't correct me and
"Mind if I join?"I whipped my eyes open and looked up to find Asher standing above me in his briefs, and holy smokes was his body amazing!! He was more muscular than before and his tattoos went further than just his arms. Good lord, I'm in trouble."It's a free country..."Seriously?Get it together, Layla! He lightly chuckled as I watched him slowly get into the hot tub and sit just a few inches away from me, but he was careful not to touch me."Mmmm..." he moaned out with his eyes closed and I immediately dropped my mouth open and gawked at him.Is he trying to kill me right now?!He opened his eyes and looked at me and I quickly tore my gaze away."I didn't know if you'd be here or not," he finally spoke."Seriously? Your sister is my best friend and you didn't know that I'd be here?"He laughed, his glorious white teeth beaming back at me. "All right. I knew you would be." Then his smiling mouth turned to his dangerous grin and I had to look away."Well, I can honestly say I had
I was awake and up before anyone else, so I took this time to go for a nice walk through the woods. I noticed a nice gravel path going into the woods last night and wondered where it went.So I ventured out bright and early and found that it led far back into the woods to the base of the mountain where a bridge met my path. I went over the bridge and hiked a bit further and that's when I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.There was a little water fall coming out of the rock face and into a small pool of crystal clear water and when I stepped closer, that's when I saw the water was steaming.So of course I stick my hand in it and smile when I feel that the water is warm. Must be one of the hot springs the brochure in our bedroom wrote about.And then an idea came to me.I pulled my phone out and saw that it was still really early and that there was no way anyone was up yet. So I did the unthinkable and got undressed behind a large pine tre
My chest was now tightly against his, his face inches from mine, and his arm around my waist.He didn't say a word as he stared down at me, licking his lips.Gah! What I wouldn't give to nibble that bottom lip right now. I wanted to taste him again. Hell, I dreamed of that kiss last night."Breakfast is outside," he rasped out, "thought you should know."He let go of me and left the kitchen, the annoying girl right behind him, and I stood there in complete shock.How does he still affect me so much after so many years?! I have worked diligently to get Asher Creed out of my head and I was doing a really good job at it! And then he comes back into my life like a freight train and I can't even keep my shit together.This is going to be the longest weekend in history.~~~~~~After breakfast a few of us stayed sitting outside near the outdoor fireplace sipping on our coffees. The morning was beautiful and the air was crisp.I looked around at everyone who was sitting around and smiled.Har
Fury ran through me unlike anything I'd ever felt. I felt like I was 17 all over again, but I'm not 17 years old anymore! I'm a grown ass adult! And there was no way I was going to letAsher Creed treat me like this again!No. He was going to get the tongue lashing he always deserved.When I had the courage to move my feet and bombard on him, Harper yelled at me."What the hell are you doing?! Why aren't you dressed?"I spun to find her glaring at me with her hands on her hips. She was wearing everything but her wedding gown and my heart dropped. Was it that time already?"What time is it?" I asked confused. I didn't think I was in my room for that long, but it also wouldn't surprise me. When I got into my work, I tended to lose track of time."It's time for your pretty little ass to get dressed and meet us downstairs!" She sounded frantic and I wanted to calm her down but no amount of calming words were going to break Harper from her rampage. "The hairdresser just got here so hurry up