Page 95 of Even if It Hurts

Asher’s head bobbed as the corners of his mouth twitched. “Did you say ‘deadly duo’?”

My eyes widened as I glanced around for Hudson and Mallory, but they were nowhere to be seen. “Okay, they’re...unnaturally stunning,” I said on a whisper as I met Asher’s amused expression again. “And even though Hudson has literally hit on every woman we’ve seen, beneath that smile, he looks like he kills people for fun. And Mallory is definitely Assassin Barbie.”

A shocked laugh punched from Asher. The rough sound so loud and unexpected that even Kaia stopped simultaneously chewing on the teething beads and reaching for a basket of food to look up at him.

“I’ll never hear the end of it if they know you think that,” Asher said as he smoothly moved the basket away from Kaia’schubby fingers. “But even though they’re good at what they do and more than capable, they aren’t the ones you should’ve given that title to.”

I thought of his gentle giant of a best friend and the other two I’d only briefly encountered, then locked on the dark eyes watching me. “Oh,” I murmured when I realized what he was hinting at.

“You can still leave,” he offered.

“I didn’t leave the first time you kicked my chair away and grabbed a gun from under the kitchen table,” I reminded him as I lifted the cup to my lips. “This doesn’t change anything.”

The look on Asher’s face let me know he’d expected my response and was relieved by it, but he would still change it if he could.

“You said youthinkyou found a place to live,” he said, but the unspoken question lingered between us as if he’d spoken it out loud.

“Well, Chloe asked if I was interested and nearly begged me to move in right then,” I told him and gave Kaia a smile when I noticed the cheesy look she was giving me. “But it was hard to think anything through when I didn’t know what was going on with you, and Mallory was staring Chloe down like she was one flinch from drawing a gun on probably the bubbliest person I’ve ever met.”

“She’s usually more subtle,” Asher mused, and I gave a breathless laugh.

“I think she terrified everyone who stopped by to say hi to me.”

Asher’s gaze searched out the area as he muttered, “It’s probably because it’syou. Because of what she knows you mean to me. Protecting strangers and people we hardly know is one thing...” Those dark eyes found me again. “Protecting what’s mine is another.”

Warmth crept into my cheeks, and my stare fell as I absorbed this newest claim.

For someone who spoke in frustrated sneers and grunts and had trauma linked to the wordsI love you, Asher’s unflinching honesty when it came to the way he felt for me was staggering.

I’d been sayingI love youto Jackson for so many years, that I hadn’t realized it’d become an automatic, obligatory response. I hadn’t realized that it’d lost its meaning somewhere along the way.

And while I still didn’t know if I loved Asher Briggs or if he loved me, I knew his bold declarations meant so much more than an overused, obligatory phrase.

“I see,” I said as I fought the smile tugging at my lips and failed when I noticed Kaia’s look of concentration as she studied the beads as if they were fascinating. Tugging at the end of the chain, I met Asher’s patient expression again. “Anyway, I told Chloe I’d let her know soon.”

Understanding rumbled in his chest. “And until then? Where do you wanna stay?”

My lips automatically parted to remind him about the hotel until I remembered Gray had dumped all my things in Asher’s apartment last night. I’d stowed it all away in the guest room so Asher wouldn’t be bothered by the mess when he got home, but I had no intention of actually staying there because...no. Right? That would be...soon and...soon.

“What just happened?” he asked, snapping my attention back to him.

“What?”

His brow furrowed, and if I hadn’t spent so much time obsessing over this man and his expressions, I would’ve worried I’d upset him because he looked so much more angry than confused. But as ridiculous as it was for any man to look that handsomeangry, I could see the whisper of concern in his eyes.

And it had embarrassment surging in my chest because I realized just before he spoke what he was going to say and what I was going to have to admit.

“You looked like you were panicking.”

“This is absolutely one of those times I would rather not say what I was thinking,” I said on a breath.

Asher’s brow furrowed even more as he clearly tried to figure outwhy, his lips parted to ask before realization lit in his eyes.

Oh no.

A wolfish smirk tugged at his mouth that really gave Hudson’s a run for his money, but he just nodded and ran a hand over his beard as he made another sweep of the Square, forcing the smirk away as he did. “Lainey, I’ll never turn you away. But don’t feel like you have to stay with me.”

“I don’t,” I said quickly—too quickly from the way his chest pitched with a laugh. “I don’t, I just...my stuff’s there, but I...”

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