Page 102 of Charm and Conquer

He looks genuinely unsure of my answer, which makes no sense. I'm here with him now, aren't I? I've tried to imagine my future without him and it's a bleak picture. "Of course I want you in my life. I love you."

His eyes widen like he's surprised. "You do?"

"Of course I do, idiot. I wouldn't have given you the gym if I didn't love you."

He raises his brows. "I thought you did that because you were trying to give the money to my family in whatever way you could."

"That too. But you deserve to have the gym, Asher."

He grips my hands tighter, staring into my eyes, warmth filling the space between us. "I'd rather have you." He leans in close and I can't stand the distance between us for another moment.

The kiss is like coming home after being away too long. I sigh against his mouth and my lips part, letting him in. He kisses me gently at first, but the kiss heats up quickly, his need for me matching mine for him.

He's mine. He's really mine and he's not going to leave me when he finds out what kind of man my father was or what he led me to do. It's a relief like nothing else and love for this man surges through me so fiercely I have to pull away from him. "I love you," I say. "So much."

He groans like I've said something dirty, his hands cup my face and he looks into my eyes. "You are my heart, baby. I love you like I never thought I could love anyone."

This time our kiss is wild, hungry, and so full of emotion tears spring to my eyes. He slides his hands under my shirt and I reach for the waistband of his shorts.

Hoots and cheers erupt way too close to my car and I shriek and cling to Asher.

He chuckles against my cheek. "Guess we got a little carried away."

I twist to see my sisters and cousins, even my mother, around the car cheering on our make-out session. "I'm not sure how I feel about this."

Pulling away from Asher I straighten as reality sinks in. "I'm still not sure this is a good idea, Asher. I can't stay in Catalpa Creek without a job."

He runs a hand through his hair, looking suddenly nervous. "Actually you can. Because I'm not taking the gym unless you share it with me."

I stare at him. The rational part of me is shouting that this is a crazy idea, but another, bigger part of me is already picturing it. Me and Asher running a gym together, seeing him every day, planning and fighting and making up. "You mean you want me to help you run it?"

"I mean, I want us to own it together. I want to be your business partner and your boyfriend. I know that probably sounds impractical, but I love you and I think we could build an amazing gym together."

There's so much hope and love in his eyes. No matter the risks, I believe in this man. I believe in us as a team. "I'm in," I say, laughing. "I'm all the way in."

Asher pulls me into his lap, my head bumping the ceiling, before I realize what's happening and curl my body down to fit. Asher looks me in the eyes. "I love you so fucking much."

Then he kisses me like I've just made him the happiest man in the world. And I kiss him back, fully ignoring the hoots and the shouts outside the car.

EPILOGUE

One Year Later

"I'm ready for the reveal," Henry Cooper smiles as he walks over to the front desk, where I'm looking over the lists of people signed up for yoga and pilates classes. "Want to see it now?"

"Hell yes."

I wave at Asher as I cross the gym with Henry.

Asher, who's training a college student, waves back. "Time for the reveal?"

I hop and clap. "Yes."

"Be there in a few," he says.

When I heard about couples who worked together in the past, I'd always rolled my eyes, figuring there was no way they could see that much of each other and still like each other, but I love working with Asher. Amazingly, I fall a little more in love with him every day.

It's not all roses and sunshine all the time. We disagree and have the occasional knock-down drag out battle when we care passionately about something we're deciding, but we always make up. And make-up sex is amazing.

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