Page 100 of The Love Penalty

I’m still in too much shock to find my anger. I don’t even know what I’m feeling.

“I should have stuck around and beat the shit out of him before coming to see you,” Asher seethes.

“No.” I curl my fingers around his fist. It’s an instinctual move. Thoughtless. Reckless, maybe.

It’s first contact.

I rub my thumb over his knuckles and can’t deny myself anymore. It feels so right to touch him.

His fingers unfurl and I slip my digits against his palm, squeezing tight and loving his instant warmth. It spreads through me in spite of this harrowing conversation.

He stares at our connection, his face bunching in agony as he raises my hand to his lips and holds a long kiss against my skin. Closing his eyes, he shudders before finally whispering, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Nothing,” I tell him, my voice sounding steady and sure as I comfort him. “Asher, this isn’t your fight. If I want to take this further, it’s between me and Harvey. You don’t have to get involved.”

“I’m already involved.” He looks me in the eye, and I can see new tears building on his lashes.

Is it possible to be more in love with him now than I was three minutes ago?

His agony over this is heart-wrenching and endearing… and speaks to how much this all means to him.

He’s a good man with a soft heart, and… I love him. I love him so much.

Which is why I can’t let him lose what’s most important to him.

“You have to step back from this. Even though I know you hate what Harvey’s done and what your uncle threatened…” I shake my head, scrambling for the right words to convince him. “I can’t let you throw this all away for me. If you have to pick a side, you need to choose them. They’re your family. And you stand to lose so much. Hockey House? I mean, you can’t risk that. You could lose?—”

“I can’t lose you.” His voice is raw with emotion as he takes my face in his hands. “I won’t.”

His eyes are wet with tears, and I can’t help joining him as we stare at each other and I soak in those words.

I wrap my fingers around his wrists, loving the feel of his hands on my face. Hating the agony riding through him… and me.

But in spite of this pain, there’s something else too.

Something I can’t keep pretending I don’t want.

“I can’t lose you either,” I finally blubber, giving in to my heart’s desire and lurching for his lips.

He kisses me back and we sink into each other, his arms winding around me as much as they can at this awkward angle. I nudge my seat around so I can climb out of it and into his lap.

As my chest hits his, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and cling like I never want to let go.

Because I don’t.

Ever.

And I know that means a shitstorm of trouble is coming our way, but if we’re gonna have any chance of surviving it, we need to hold on to each other… just like this.

CHAPTER 45

ASHER

Lani sat on my knee until my legs went numb. I didn’t complain. Holding her again was the best fucking feeling in the world.

She’s mine. I didn’t lose her. And it makes it easier to breathe.

She came home with me, and we ate dinner in my man cave, then curled up in my bed and watched Lord of the Rings until she couldn’t keep her eyes open. There was no lovemaking, no more conversation. All we seemed capable of doing was holding each other and trying not to think.

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