Page 51 of Rejected By My Stepbrother Alpha
I crossed my legs, which caused my skirt to ride up. Asher’s eyes shot down to my bare thighs.
“I’ll be right back,” he murmured.
After he left, I got up and scanned his office. The glass shelves on the wall behind his desk were full of business certificates and awards. Three glossy green hanging plants were attached to the ceiling. Their wild vines hang past the containers as if they were trying to reach the floor. With a jolt, I realized that the plants were ivy. But that had to be a coincidence, right?
The wall to my left was mostly glass and held a breathtaking view of Sun Fire. It reminded me of the view from the room where Asher and I had spent the night together. When he looked out the window, did he ever think of that night, too? Or had he tried his best to forget making love to me?
I walked around his desk, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the one picture Asher had displayed in a black frame. It was a photo of his father and him from the gala celebrating his dad's business achievements. Russell was gripping his cane, but he looked happy to be next to his son. In the picture, Asher still had a spark in his eyes that had been extinguished when his father died.
“Why didn’t you visit him?”
I jumped at the unexpected voice behind me. I spun around and discovered Asher, who was holding two bottles of water. He wasn’tlooking at me, but instead, he was staring intently at the picture of him and his father. Something he probably did often.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, but I was pretty sure I knew.
Asher’s eyes hardened as he looked at me. “My dad was in the hospital for a month before he died. And you never visited him. Why?”
“Why do you think I didn’t?” I snapped.
Shouldn’t that be obvious? Because we slept together and then Asher pretended like it didn’t happen. But I didn’t want to say this out loud. I was afraid that if Asher ever saw Adrian, he would do the mental math and figure out that Adrian was his son. I didn't want to help that along by reminding him of our night together.
I walked around his desk and sat in my seat again. “Why did you reject me as your Mate?” I evaded his question by asking one of my own.
Asher’s body tensed, and he sank into his chair. In a way, it was like we were in a business meeting. He reached over and placed one of the water bottles in front of me, but I crossed my arms and ignored it.
“Because I assumed that you were part of your mother’s plans to steal all of my father’s money and this company.” He gestured around his office. “When you didn’t visit my father in the hospital that supported my theory.” Asher folded his hands in front of him, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “But over the years, I wondered if I had it all wrong.” There was a note of regret in his voice.
I inhaled sharply, and a wave of hurt washed over me. Even though Asher and I hadn’t known each other that well back then—or now for that matter—the fact that he believed I was capable of being as cruel as my mother crushed me.
I looked directly into his eyes. “I wasn’t part of her plans. My mother revealed her horrible scheme to me after your father passed away, and then I cut ties with her. I cared about your father as a person, not because he was rich or what he could do for me. But because he seemed like a good man. I was devastated when he died.”
“Really?” Asher breathed out, emotion brimming behind his eyes.
“Really,” I confirmed. “I haven’t spoken to my mother since I left the pack seven years ago. I worked for everythingI have, and I’m proud of the woman I am today. If I was in on my mother’s plans, wouldn’t I be trying to scam a millionaire out of his money? Instead, I took a different path than my mother and became a businesswoman myself.”
His shoulders sagged with relief, and his lips twitched at my last comment. He paused as he processed this revelation and then regret clouded his hazel eyes.
“I’m so sorry for rejecting you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “I should have just talked with you when we found out we were Fated Mates at the ceremony.” He shook his head slowly. “What a fool I’ve been.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“I completely understand your resentment toward me,” he said, his eyes shining with sincerity. “If I thought there was a way to make things up to you, I would.” Asher paused and took a breath. “But I know that to earn back your trust it’s going to take time and work on my part. I know that I have to show you instead of just telling you that I’ve matured and grown over the years. I’m not that rash, immature guy who rejected you anymore.”
I froze. Asher was saying all the right things…but why? What did he expect me to do? Give him another chance romantically?
“All that to say, I want to propose a business truce between us,” Asher continued. “That way, our two companies can work together to secure the project for the Alpha king. Anya implied that if we don’t team up, neither of our companies have a chance in hell of getting that account.”
Strangely, my stomach sank with disappointment.
I couldn’t be disappointed that he wasn’t speaking about being together in a romantic sense. Asher and I could never happen. I didn’t trust him, and that was the most important thing in a relationship. And I couldn’t trust him to have a relationship with our son.
“Before you reject my truce, I’ve been doing some research on the ColdCrest Pack,” he said. “And I know that the unemployment rate there is high. If we win this account, it could create a lot of jobs and help the economy in both of our packs.”
I hesitated. Everything he said so far made sense. My company'sbest shot at gaining this account was working with Asher’s. But could I be in close proximity to Asher and not be drawn back in by him? The only way I could agree to this was to make a vow to myself. I needed to stay firm about not allowing Asher back into my heart. Because I had no intention of being claimed by anyone. Especially by the one who rejected me. I'd spent the last seven years proving to myself that I didn't need him. I'd built a career, forged my own strength, and raised a son without his help.
“All right,” I said, coming to a decision. “You have yourself a deal.”
I reached my hand out and we shook to our business truce. It was hard to remember my steely resolve from a moment ago as a jolt of hot pleasure shot through me from our innocent contact.
