Page 18 of Unwrapped

“Asher, my man! Great party!” A tall, smiling man ambles up to us, oblivious to the moment he’s interrupted. He extends his hand, and Asher’s expression shifts back to the polished smile he was wearing when I spotted him across the room earlier.

“Thanks, Mike. Glad you could make it,” Asher replies, though his eyes flick back to me, an apology in his gaze.

I take a step back, trying to hide the disappointment that surges through me. “It’s okay,” I murmur, managing a smile. “Go ahead, do your thing.”

He hesitates, like he wants to say more, but then he nods. “I’ll find you later, okay? Don’t leave without saying goodbye.”

I nod, but as he’s swept back into the crowd, I can’t help feeling like the moment we shared is slipping through my fingers. I turn away, searching for Tessa, but my mind keeps replaying the way Asher looked at me, the way his voice softened when he spoke my name.

I make my way through the glittering crowd, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest and the undeniable urge to turn around and look back at him one more time.

Chapter 6

Asher

The 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 saynobody,” 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.”

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