Page 338 of Hate Mates

“Come on a date with me, and you’ll see that I’m not.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Asher Stone. You’re the last man on the planet I’d date.”

His face fell, just a little, before he quickly schooled it into a neutral expression, and Paige felt more than a little bad she’d said that. Especially since it wasn’t true. Regardless of how they clashed in public, she privately thought Asher was the most attractive man she’d ever met. But it was too late now. They’d fought too often, and things were difficult and awkward between them. Paige didn’t know how they could ever be friends, let alone anything more.

“I’ll remember that when you come begging me for a kiss, Miss Ellis.” That smile, the one that made every woman swoon, was now on his face.

“In your dreams, Stone.”

He leaned closer, curling his fingers around the links in the fence. “Every single fucking night, Paige.” His voice was low enough that only she could hear him, and what he said made her gasp. “One day, honey. You and me.”

Without even realizing, she’d dropped her gaze to his dick, clearly outlined in his pants. She could see it in her mind’s eye. Both of them naked, her legs spread wide as Asher plunged inside her over and over. “You wish.”

“I do. We’d be the perfect fit, you know.” His name rang out, and he gave her another wink before jogging back over to rejoin his friends. Paige kept walking, his words ringing in her ears and the images she wanted so desperately to forget playing on a loop in her brain.

She tried to enjoy her walk up and down Main Street as she went from store to store, taking in the decorations and wares on offer. But all she could think about was Asher fucking Stone.

Damn him.

Chapter Two

Aweek later, Paige was floating on air as she practically skipped down the sidewalk to The Good Bean coffee shop, where she planned to indulge in an iced coffee and one of their fat, delicious blueberry muffins. She could already smell the blueberries before she even got to the door, and when she breezed into the café, the scent of cacao, baked goods, and fruit all combined to make her mouth water.

There was a line of about half a dozen people waiting to order, so she joined their ranks, humming to herself happily. After a difficult eighteen months of having to start a new life without her beloved mother in it, things were finally falling into place. It had always been just Paige and her mom, exploring the country and everything in it. Living in an RV had been an exciting adventure for a little girl, and her brain was filled with wonderful memories of everything they’d done together.

After her mom’s passing, Paige decided to stay on the road until she found a place she might want to start over in. And when she’d driven through the small mountain town of Firelight Mountain, she knew she’d stumbled upon what she’d beenlooking for. She’d bought a cottage in the town and had then begun planning to open her dream bookstore.

Paige had started looking for a retail space as soon as she’d settled in. It’d taken that long to find a commercial property big enough with the right equipment to house her bookstore, which she planned to nameTurn the Paige. That had been her mom’s lighthearted suggestion, and she was going with it. She’d already designed a suitable logo for the business and had done some sketches of potential layouts.

She daydreamed as the line got shorter, and then suddenly she was rudely brought back to reality by the last voice on the planet she wanted to hear.

Asher fucking Stone.

She hadn’t noticed him three spots in front of her in the line. The man was a thorn in her side. A pain in the ass.

It didn’t help that the entire town loved him. The denizens of Firelight Mountain gushed about how wonderful he was. Kind. Caring. Helpful. The women swooned over him. The men were ebullient in their praise of him. The man was a fucking saint. All that, and he also happened to be the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“I’ll have an espresso and…” Asher glanced over his shoulder at her as he was placing his order and gave her a wink. She sent him a scowl in return. “A blueberry muffin.”

That asshole! She’d once heard him tell someone he didn’t even like blueberry muffins, so why the hell was he ordering one now? Only doing it because he knew she could hear him, no doubt. Whatever. She hoped he choked on his blueberry muffin while she enjoyed every mouthful of hers.

He’d collected his order by the time she made it to the counter, and she was glad he was no longer in her line of sight.

“Hi, Paige! How’s it going? Do you want your usual?”

She gave the young woman behind the counter a broad smile. “Hi, Trisha. Everything’s good, thank you! I’d love my usual, please.”

The light-haired assistant entered her order into the system and pointed to the card reader when it was ready. Paige tapped her card and took the receipt, then stepped to the side to await her order.

Trisha bustled around to begin making orders while the other worker stepped up to the register. She leaned over behind the large glass case housing the pastries and baked goods, then straightened up, her brows furrowed. “I’m so sorry. We don’t have any more blueberry muffins left. Asher must have gotten the last one.”

Paige breathed in and out slowly as her blood began to boil. Now she knew why he’d ordered it. It took all she had not to stomp her foot and storm over to his table to snatch the blueberry muffin from him. The one that should have been hers.

She focused her attention back on Trisha. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to pick a different muffin? We have chocolate chip, banana nut, lemon poppyseed, or apple cinnamon.”

“I’ll take an apple cinnamon, please.”

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