Page 89 of Siren's Game

I nod and gulp, blinking past the sting in my eyes, my heart rate picking up when I can’t read the emotion washing over his face.

"For real?"

Another nod.

"Pinch me?" A teary grin tugs at my lips as I lift my hand and twist a bit of the skin on the back of his hand between my fingernails. "Ouch. Thank you."

"Anytime."

We look at each other for a few seconds until he breaks the silence, his hand moving from my chin to my cupping my cheek.

"I'm falling in love with you, Kayla." I blink, not able to hold back the tears anymore.

"I'm falling in love with you too, Asher," I admit, not looking away as a tear overflows and runs down my cheek. He wipes it away with his thumb. "So can we scratch the 'fake' from our relationship?"

"Sweetheart." My chuckle turns into a sob at the nickname as his other hand moves to the back of my head, tangling in my hair. "It hasn't been fake to me for a while." My eyes widen at his admission.

"Since when?"

"It's hard to say," he admits, his forehead wrinkling as he thinks back. "I first realized it on your couch when we watched that true crime series thing."

My mouth drops open. That long already?

"But it probably happened way before that. Maybe even when you told me where I could stick my apology," he adds with a chuckle, and I just know my cheeks grow even redder. "It doesn't matter in the grand scheme. All that matters is that you're here."

And then his lips are on mine, and I could cry. Well, actually another tear is running down my face so I guess I am.

All the emotions I've been through this evening, all the feelings I have for this man, come together in an explosive kiss that I wish to never end.

My hands lock around his neck as I let him ravage my mouth in the best way, the taste of my champagne and his tequila mixing together as our tongues entangle.

"As much as I'd love to celebrate with my face buried in your cunt," he whispers against my lips. "I'm too drunk. And so are you."

"Can I still sleep over?" I ask him and he nods eagerly. Taking my hand, he gets up, taking a second to regain his balance, before he pulls me along with him, stopping in front of his wardrobe to hand me one of his t-shirts. I throw it at his face and take one he's worn yesterday from the infamous clothes chair in the corner of his bedroom.

We go through our bathroom routines in record speed. I tentatively wash the remainder of my makeup off with hand soap and brush my teeth, deciding to deal with everything else tomorrow.

And then we climb into his bed.

For a moment, I look at him. What do I do?

I'm not sure what goes and what not with this new level of our relationship, but he lays down like it's the most normal thing in the world, extending his arm and beckoning me closer.

I scoot over and he motions for me to put my head on his arm, then pulls my arm around his chest, and reaches down to grab my thigh pull my leg over his, keeping his hand on it. I'm wrapped around him like a koala, and to my own surprise, I love it.

"Sweet dreams, Asher."

He presses his lips against my temple, and I smile against his chest. "Sweet dreams, Kayla."

Asher

Icomeawakefirst,blinking against a sliver of sunlight shining right at my face from a gap in my curtains while the memories of yesterday evening rush back into my mind.

She’s here.

And she said she’s falling in love with me.

At least I hope that’s what happened and it wasn’t some kind of tequila-induced dream, leading up to a rude awakening. I sigh, relieved, when I feel her move right next to me, smushing her face against my shoulder with a little, sleepy sigh.

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