Undeniably Asher (The Colloway Brothers Book 2) (41 page)

I declined Asher’s proposal to buy my business. I need to build its success myself before I can ever think of selling, and Asher’s already done so much to help with referrals that I’ve had to hire two more auditors to keep up. GRASCO did have some extra office space that I’m renting for a steal though, so I’ll be close to Asher every day.

“My mom’s not too happy we’ll be living in sin,” he jibes and we laugh, knowing it for the lie it is. Barb Colloway is over the moon thrilled that son number two is heading down the aisle soon. She’s made it pretty clear she wants loads of grandbabies. Sooner rather than later. Asher agrees.

“Well we don’t want Barb upset, do we?”

“No, we most certainly do not.”

“I always wanted to get married on a beach,” I say quietly.

“Then that’s what you’ll get, Alyse.” He gently sits me up so I’m looking at him. He’s still tucked inside me and I feel him growing thick again. “I’ll give you everything you want.”

“You already have,” I say, smiling, running a finger down his cheek. “You’ve given me you.”

“I want to give you my name, baby. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

“I’m already yours. You’re an incredible man.” I lean forward to kiss his lips.

“Because of you. Now…a date?”

I’ve already looked at the calendar, trying to plan a date that will be after Livia gives birth, so they can travel. I can’t get married without my sister there. “July twenty-fifth.”

“July twenty-fifth? That’s months away,” he groans, beginning to thrust his hardness slightly, causing my eyes to float closed.

“We need to wait until after our nephews are born and I need time to plan. Find the perfect beach. Buy a dress. All that girlie stuff,” I pant, starting to lose my grasp on coherent thoughts, because all of my attention is now diverted south and focused on the way Asher’s cock is sliding slowly in and out of my very moist sex, each glide reigniting the sensitive nerves again.

“Okay. July twenty-fifth. Then you’ll be forever mine.” He grabs my hips and begins to drive into me slowly this time, his eyes daring me to stop him.

As if.

“I already am,” I tell him on a pleasurable sigh. “I already am.”

Epilogue

One day later…

Alyse

“You doing okay?” Asher asks, hand in mine, even though it’s shaky and clammy. He’s my strength. My rock. My steady.

No
. “Yes.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go in with you?”

No
. “Yes.”

“What about you, Liv? You holding up?” Asher catches Livia’s eyes in the rearview mirror. I turn my head to see she looks about as sick as I feel and she’s clutching Gray’s hand about as hard as I’m holding Asher’s.

“Good. I’m good.” She’s not.

Asher slows his SUV in front of a nice apartment building in Dearborn. We all sit there in silence, nerves thickening the air to almost claustrophobic levels. I pull at my turtleneck, wishing I’d worn something that didn’t threaten to choke the life out of me, because my own body is doing a stellar job of that on its own. My stomach churns wildly and I’m pretty sure I’m seconds away from having to open the door to vomit the meager contents of my stomach onto the snow-covered blacktop.

“You girls don’t have to do this, you know,” Gray announces. “We can come back another time when you’re ready.” Then I hear him add quietly, “I don’t want you to put any stress on the babies, Livvy.”

“The babies will be fine, Gray. They’re strong like their daddy.”

“No, they’re strong like you, angel. I want to go with you,” he murmurs.

“I need to do this by myself. Please. You’ll be right out here if I need you, right?”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“Let’s do this before I change my mind.” As if I haven’t done
that
fifty times already on the thirty-minute drive here.

We all open our doors, mine with a shaky hand, and within ten seconds Asher has my face in his hands. I grab his waist, holding on for dear life, trying to stop my body from shivering with anxiety. “I love you, baby. I’ll be right here waiting.”

“Thank you for doing this. I know this isn’t…ideal.”

The pained look on his face kills me. “I’m not gonna lie. I don’t like the fact that he’s here and I have to stay outside, but I’m handling it. I trust you.”

I nod just as his lips descend on mine. “You’re mine,” he reminds me.

“Only yours,” I mumble as his mouth takes mine again in a possessive display of ownership.

Forcing myself to break the lip lock, when all I want to do is spend the day getting lost in Asher, I turn to see Livia waiting for me, Gray’s arm protectively around her waist.

“Ready?” she asks.

“As I’ll ever be,” I sigh.

She holds out her hand to mine and with a look back at our sexy men, we take the first steps toward the meeting I’ve been both anticipating and dreading in equal measure.

Beck was the intermediary to set up this little one-hour meet and greet with our mom. It surprised me to find out how close he and my mother really are and that she asked if Beck could be with her for moral support. Apparently at least she’s been a good mom to someone, and yes, as you can see I still have a little resentment securely stored inside. Forgiveness doesn’t happen all at once, but once you start the process it becomes easier.

Elaine and Roberto Mercado divorced two years ago, and according to Beck, the crux of their issues are currently about thirty steps away from her front door. After our father’s death, Roberto still didn’t want her to have anything to do with us. I guess she couldn’t live with that, but she never took steps to make it right either. Considering all this time apart from us, she was afraid of rejection. I try to put myself in her shoes. I suppose I can see where she’s coming from. I’ve been afraid of rejection almost my entire my life, so I try not to condemn her decisions.

I’m hoping this can be a new beginning, the next step to healing, to forgiving. To leaving the last of my past hurts behind me, because I have never been happier than I am now. I don’t want that last little bit of resentment weighing me down. It’s still a heavy burden on my soul and I want it gone.

I feel like I’ve found the other part of me. My heart and soul are both finally whole in ways I never thought humanly possible. Asher has healed me in ways he’ll never truly comprehend, but I also give myself credit, because
I
am the only one who can make the choice to be happy, to forgive. To live. He just finally gave me the reason to
want
to.

Our feet stop moving. We now stand at my mother’s closed burgundy door. Livia gives my hand a quick squeeze. I twist my head to look at her. Her smile strengthens me.

Even a month ago, I wasn’t ready for this, but Asher kept persistently convincing me I needed to keep my mind open to
possibilities
. He’s right, of course. Look how his persistency turned out for us.

“What’s Magic Eight have to say?” she asks, making us both chuckle.

“Cannot predict now,” I reply immediately, having every answer burned into my memory. I want to be optimistic that this will be the first step to building a relationship with my mother, but I also want to be realistic. I’m only human after all. Still in need of protecting my fragile heart.

“She’s never steered us wrong.”

“Nope. Never,” I quietly reply, remembering how Asher’s fate was suspended in the balance of a few shakes that first night.

With one last smile, I take a deep breath, raise my hand, and knock. Several moments later, the door opens and I’m looking at me, just an older version. I’m looking into my eyes. Watery, scared, chocolate-brown ones. I see Beck standing behind her in my peripheral, but am unable to tear my stare away from the woman standing in front of me to acknowledge him.

Then I break.

“Hi, Mom,” I choke, tears spilling over my lids in rivers.

Suddenly Livia and I are enveloped in her arms, all three of our bodies shaking from not-so-silent sobs, and all my faded childhood memories come rushing back in living color.

Her voice, her smell, her love wraps me in its warmth, comfort, and motherly embrace, and I decide that this is the only time that Magic 8 has ever failed me. Within ten seconds of setting eyes on my mother again, I know the answer to the question I asked her before I came would be decidedly different now.

Me: Is this a new beginning?

Magic 8: Without a doubt.

~ The End ~

My musical inspiration for writing
Undeniably Asher
:

“Everything” by Lifehouse

“Dirty Little Thing” by Adelita’s Way

“Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith

“Take Me Over” by Red

“One and Only” by Adele

“Beautiful” by Akon

“Halo” by Beyonce

“Hold Me Now” by Red

“Give Me a Sign” by Breaking Benjamin

“This Time It’s Different” by Evan’s Blue

“Set Me On Fire” by Flyleaf

“Marry Me” by Train

“All Falls Down” by Adelita’s Way

“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

“So I Thought” by Flyleaf

“Skin” by Rhianna

“Lost” by Red

“Not Alone” by Red

Other works by K. L. Kreig:

The
Regent Vampire Lords
series

Surrendering

Belonging

Reawakening

The Colloway Brothers
series

Forsaking Gray

Undeniably Asher

Turn the page for a sneak peek at
Luke’s Absolution
, the next book in the Colloway Brothers series. Release date Spring 2016.

Sneak Peek of

Luke’s Absolution

by K.L. Kreig

Enjoying the view of her toned bare thigh with each step she takes, courtesy of that nice high slit in her dress, I watch her sashay over to where I’m leaning against the bar. She orders a Corona Light from the bartender, tapping her perfectly manicured pink nails against the cool granite while she waits.

I’ve been watching her with that jackass photographer for the last hour, getting progressively angrier by the minute, but not quite understanding why. She’s smokin’ hot, yes, but I have absolutely no claim on her. Not that I wouldn’t mind a little sample. Or fifty.

Confusingly, it’s the same reaction I had when I saw her in his arms last Friday night. The urge to introduce his face to a cement wall was so great, had she not been drunk off her ass, I may not have been able to resist.

She’d be a handful for any man to juggle, no doubt both in bed and out, and picture boy, Cooper Jensen, isn’t even close to enough man for her. It will take a strong hand to control her, make her submit, and God himself help me, that’s all I’ve thought of since I laid eyes on her for the first time months ago. I want to hear her raw voice sobbing my name while I have her pinned helplessly underneath me. Who knew that Eric’s sister was so fucking sexy? Probably why he kept her under wraps all those years ago.

Addy Monroe is like a wild horse. Untamed, full of fire, even feral if you get her riled up enough. I had a small taste of that last weekend after Gray’s bachelor party when we stopped by the bar where the girls were and I saved her from herself by confiscating their almost empty bottle of Patron. Every heated word she spat tugged straight on my cock, and by the time I left with her passed out in my arms, I was stone cold hard. Let’s just say it was a long fucking night all around.

I want her. Not that I
deserve
her. She’s untainted, unlike me. I have so many fucking stains, industrial-strength cleaner couldn’t remove them all. But I’m not looking for a relationship; I’m looking for a good fuck. I’m looking for oblivion.

Liar
, my conscience loudly whispers.

Fuck off
, I tell him, even louder.

I discreetly adjust my hardening dick. “No tequila tonight?” I feel the smirk on my face, but don’t know if she sees it or not, because I’m trying to refrain from looking at her as I will my own body into submission.

“Unrequited love sucks, doesn’t it?” she replies instead with a bite before taking a sip of her beer straight from the bottle. I love a woman who isn’t too prissy to drink her alcohol from the actual container it’s served in. More than that, I love a woman with a smart, feisty mouth.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, sweetheart.”

I flick my eyes over to see hers stray to Gray and Livia across the ballroom and her lips upturn in a sly smirk. “Whatever you say. I’m pretty much the subject matter expert on that shit.”

She turns and leans her back against the bar, mirroring my stance. We’re both silent, watching the happy newly married couple with drinks in our hands. The more I think about what she said, the more it plain pisses me off.

Yes, I care deeply for Livia. I have for years, but no one can possibly understand what I watched her go through and what I had to suffer through myself.