Reckless Abandon(27)

I do another one-eighty and head for the lobby. The clock behind the desk reads 9:05. Should I stand in the middle of the room? Have a seat? Ugh! I don’t want to look like I’m waiting. I walk over to the man behind the desk and ask him if we have any messages. This way if Asher walks in, I won’t look like I’m desperately waiting for him to arrive.

Which I’m not, for the record.

“Your name?” the man asks.

“Emma Paige.” I look over at the door. The anticipation is killing me.

“Paige?” A look of realization crosses his face. “A gentleman was here. I have no Paige. I told him you no stay here. I look in the computer and see you with Reingold. I tell him I’ll call. He leave.”

Asher was here and left already? Where did he go? I walk out the front door and look outside but he is nowhere to be seen. I can’t believe he is standing me up when he’s the one who asked to go to dinner. No. He demanded dinner. I didn’t have a choice in the matter.

I walk to the street, looking both ways. If he came in a car, it’s long gone. Where would he even get a car? No, he had to have walked and if he came from the boat he’s headed back to the marina.

I make my way toward the stone steps Leah and I walked up on the first day we got here, carrying our suitcases to the hotel. The stairs lead to the marina and is most likely the way he went. Taking two at a time, I skip down the steps until I see his six-foot frame, walking down the path in a slow and purposeful manner.

“Where are you going?” My feet stop at the step I’m on when I see him. He’s about twenty steps below me.

Asher stops his descent and slowly turns around. The sun has already set, so it’s hard to make out his expression in the evening light. From his posture, it looks like he’s mad.

“Who’s Adam?” His voice is thick with inquisition.

Okay. That is the last thing I expected out of his mouth. “Why do you care about Adam?”

Asher doesn’t move and neither do I. We have a stand still on the steps while I try to figure out how he even knows about Adam. And, seriously, why does he care?

“I gave your name to the man at the hotel. He said you were staying in Adam Reingold’s room.” Asher crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Are you married?”

My brows lower over my eyes lids while I try to figure out this guy. “If I were, do you think I’d be all dressed up, ready for you to take me to dinner?”

Asher doesn’t miss a beat before answering. “Yes.”

His answer leaves me speechless but only for a second. “No. I’m not married.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Nope.”

“Kids?”

“No. But would it matter?”

“Only if you lied about having them.”

I feel like I’m on trial. I guess it’s normal to ask someone you’re about to go to dinner with if they’re already taken. Maybe I should reciprocate. I cross my arms over my chest. “What about you?”

Asher cocks his head to the side. “What about me?”

“Married?”

He balks as if the idea is ludicrous. “No.”

“Kids?”

“No.”

“Boyfriend?” I ask in attempt to lighten the mood.

At this, Asher lets out a laugh and releases his arms. “Never.”

I walk down the stairs until I am two steps above him, making me slightly taller than him. The perfect height to appraise. Leah says he’s hot but that’s not the word. Asher is the most perfectly created person I’ve even seen. His smooth skin is evident even in the darkness of the night, and the perfect structure of his face is outlined in the moonlight.

“You confuse the hell out of me.” It’s true. I thought he was mean but then he was nice. I thought he wanted to take me out and now he’s running away.

Asher looks into my eyes and I stand here, awaiting his response. Usually I’m not so brazen with men. I’m not shy. I just don’t have the time for games. I should go back to the room and take Leah out to dinner. But first, I need answers.

“What is it you want from me?”

“I’m trying to figure out if I can trust you.” His words are light, like a whisper.

“Trust me?” I let out a slight laugh. “You don’t even know me. And I don’t know you. How am I supposed to trust you?”

Asher lets out a deep breath. “That’s why you intrigue me.”

If I had a nickel for every time this guy baffled me I’d have . . . a quarter. Yeah, not so dramatic when I put it that way.

I take a step back and up, away from him. “Here’s the deal. I had a crap year. Like, a total crap year, so I don’t have any room for games. I got all dressed up and I’m going out to dinner tonight, with or without you. And since I’m never going to see you again it really doesn’t matter to me either way.”

Asher places his hands in his pockets and leans back on his heels. His mouth widens in a smile. “Since you put it that way, it looks like I’m taking you out to dinner.”

“Now that we have that straightened out, where are we going?” I take my three steps down and walk past him on the staircase. Asher follows.

I spin my head around; he’s glancing at his watch. “Are you starving or do you want to walk a little?”