Page 79 of Restrictions

He steps off the barstool and walks to me, his tall frame towering over mine. I never really realized how tall he is. He may even have an inch or two on Asher. “I knew the moment you two started fucking.” I might actually have just gulped as I look up at him, slightly horrified by his brash statement. “They will too.”

“They?”

He nods. “The Sterlings. They’re smart. Nora...” He shrugs his shoulders. “She might not. She’ll probably be trying to make peace between Linc and Ash.”

“What is it with them anyway?”

He shakes his head. “He doesn’t talk about it. But this trip... Viv, it isn’t going to be fun.”

I don’t want to believe him. I know Asher is nervous and not excited, but I have to believe that once they are all under the same roof, it will be fine. They love each other. I know they all do. “It could be. Maybe they just need more time together. I remember them in school, Sawyer. They were all close.”

“Were they?”

He’s serious now, and it gives me a chill. “I...” I stutter.

“Look, Lola, she’s fucking smart—really fucking smart. And Linc—he’ll know. They’ll both know, and they’ll both take issue with it.”

I take a step back, feeling defensive. “We aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“Then why are you hiding it?”

Jesus. I glare up into his eyes. “What I do in my bedroom is nobody’s business.”

“Maybe, but there’s bad blood there, especially between brothers. And you’re going right into the war zone.”

I shake my head, my hand sliding over my throat as I swallow the impending chaotic feeling brewing. “They were fine at the wedding.”

“Were they around each other?”

I think about the wedding. They were only together at the beginning when Penelope and Lincoln showed up and never alone. “They’re brothers.”

“Brothers are complicated.”

“What’s up?”

We both turn at the sound of Asher’s voice as Baz and he enter the kitchen. I clear my throat, grabbing the pot with the sauce. “Can one of you please grab the pasta?”

I take off toward the table with Baz in tow as Asher walks to the stove, his eyes on Sawyer as he grabs the pasta, and we all sit down at the table together.

Asher eyes Sawyer with suspicion, and I try not to let the thoughts creep in.

I know this trip won’t be easy, but Nora sounded so desperate to have Asher there. Maybe I pulled out a slightly disgusting ploy and used his love for Baz a tiny bit. But Baz really would be upset without Asher there.

And so would I.

So what if his family finds out we occasionally have sex?

Okay, yeah. That would be bad.

Shit.Sawyer is right.

This trip is going to be awful.

35

ASHER

Fucking California.

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