Page 57 of Where the Stars Heal

“Piper,” Asher says, his voice firm. He pulls me closer, his hand disappearing beneath my Whiskey Cove shirt. “This is Halle, my girlfriend,” he announces.

The words hit me like an electric shock.My girlfriend.Gasps and murmured, “Ohhhs” echo around us, and I smile smugly at her. Shock flicks across Piper’s face before she pulls herself together, her eyes zeroing in on me. The rage inside me begins to simmer with the warmth of Asher’stouch and his claim on me. It’s enough to remind me that no matter what’s happened before, I’m his now.

“Since when do you do girlfriends, Asher?” She scoffs.

Her friends laugh at the condescending tone in her voice, thinking that what she said would hurt, but I chuckle under my breath. It’s written all over her face: jealousy. She’s trying to figure out how a girl like me could lock down a guy like Asher. The way she stands there with her hands braced on her hips, trying to control the whole situation, sets my teeth on edge, and if I don’t walk away now, she’ll completely kill the high Asher left me on from earlier.

“You know,” she starts to say, her smile growing as her gaze rakes over me, “it wasn’t that long ago that he was dragging me through those doors,” her eyes flick over to the staff door and back to me, “wanting to fuck me on the couch in the office.”

Asher laces our fingers together, his hold on my hand tightens, and I glance down, watching the veins in his forearms strain as his muscles tense. The same forearms that had been wrapped around me earlier tonight, holding me up as he fucked me into the door.

I can still feel him between my legs. The dull ache that’s pulsing there makes me shift on my feet, pressing my thighs together. A snicker escapes me. She’s so far out of her head swimming in her delusions, clueless that I’m standing here craving more of what he’s already given me. Shaking free of Asher’s hold, I advance on her with slow, deliberate steps. Her friends clutch at her, trying to pull her back, and I watch the fear and confusion pass across her face. I see the moment she realizes her words didn’t land how she hoped.

“You know,” I mimic her.

I feel Asher step up behind me, and I draw from his strength, my adrenaline starting to wane.

“It was just tonight that I let him fuck me in the store room,” I reveal, my voice low and cutting, so only we can hear.

Asher chuckles behind me, sliding his hand in mine and dragging me away without another word. I glance back, catching the flush in her face. Her anger radiates off her, and I swear I can practically see the steam leaving her ears as she stomps her foot before disappearing into the crowd, her friends following her. The small audience we had erupts in cheers and hollers, and I smile at them as a wave of comfort and acceptance washes over me. Not a single one shows a hint of displeasure at Piper being made out to look like the crazy one. I lift my chin, feeling more confident than ever as Asher heads toward the bar.

“You,” Asher says, pinning me against the bar, “are sexy as hell when you’re possessive.”

He leans down, capturing my lips in a swift, heated kiss. But before he has a chance to pull back, I bite down hard on his lower lip, proving just how wild I am for him.

“Oh my god.” Madi’s voice cuts through the moment, breaking us apart as she stands beside me smirking. “You and me, breakfast tomorrow,” she says before running off to serve a group of guys calling for shots.

Asher leans in closer again. “You gonna tell her we fucked, sweetheart?” His low and teasing voice sends a shiver down my spine.

Shooting him a sharp look, I stifle a laugh as I shove him away.

“You two all good?” Hunter asks, grabbing a bottle of vodka off the shelf from behind us.

“We’re good, man,” Asher replies, clapping him on the back.

We stumble through Asher’s front door, our lips fused as we both fight for control. His hand tangles in my hair, fingers tugging at the roots in a possessive way that has me melting against him. Exhaustion runs deep through my bones, a dull ache forming behind my eyelids. I need a hot shower, one to wash away the sweat clinging to my skin from working all night. To scrub off the stench of stale alcohol and chicken wings. But right now, my body craves his.

Tossing his keys onto the coffee table, he guides me down the hallway, his mouth never breaking from mine. We’re frantic, our movements hurried as we strip each other, leaving a trail of clothes in our path.

Pulling apart in the bathroom, our heated gazes collide, and the unspoken tension between us sparks in the air, growing by the second. My chest rises and falls, my heart racing with anticipation and longing. My core throbs, but my feet ache, reminding me of just how tired I am.

“You did so good tonight, baby.”

I inhale his earthy scent as his arms wrap around me, cocooning me in his strength, his chin resting atop my head. Pressing my ear against his chest, I listen to the wild rhythm of his heartbeat as we stand there completely bare, holding on to one another, letting our racing hearts settle. The tension between us shifts, morphing into something softer, more tender. My soul reaches for his, screaming at me to let him in completely. But my mind is just as loud, telling me to be careful. I trust Asher with all I have—more than I’ve trusted anyone—but what if he does hurt me? What if my heart craves him only because it’s never known care like thisbefore? What if, one day, he decides that I am a burden? What if his sweet words twist into something sharper? What if they turn into mean words?

A heavy sigh escapes me, and Asher pulls me back, his hands cradling my face.

“You know,” he says, his voice soft, “I can feel it when you get lost inside your head.” He taps my temple lightly, his lips twitching with a small smile. “Your heart starts beating erratically, your shoulders tense just the slightest, and it’s like I can feel you drift away.”

My chest tightens, but instead of telling him what’s on my mind, I push up on my toes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

His eyes search mine when he pulls back. “Wanna tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, sweetheart?” he asks, reaching over to turn the shower on.

Hot steam fills the room, and the steady pressure of the water hitting the tiles reminds me of the waterfall we love to swim under. Asher takes my hand, guiding me into the shower and under the cascading water. The heat envelops me, and I shiver from the way he stands behind me, his hands trailing up and down my body, his touch slow and deliberate, leaving a path of goosebumps in its wake. A tired breath leaves me as the hot water and warmth of Asher’s touch work away the tension and fatigue of my day.

“Need to look after you,” he breathes softly into my ear, “and when you’re ready, sweetheart, I want to hear all of your worries.”

Tilting my head, I offer him a soft smile, nibbling on my lower lip, and give a small nod. My heart feels weightless, as if it might float away on a happy sigh. He shifts, reaching over to grab the shampoo, and a quiet moan falls from my parted lips as his hands thread through my hair, massagingthe shampoo into my roots. His nails scrape lightly along my scalp, down to the nape of my neck where his hands pause to squeeze my shoulders. I let my head fall back against his chest as he keeps working his hands all over me. They trail down my sides before gliding back up, kneading and massaging my breasts, and when I lean back into him fully, I feel his thick, hard length pressing against my back. Steam rises above our heads, our breaths become heavy, and with every touch, every moan and sigh, the weight of the night dissolves away, leaving a slow burning ache inside me.

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