The Billionaire's Offer

Chapter 7

Damn! Why does life have to be so incredibly complicated? When did things take such an unexpected turn?

One day, we were just enjoying life and each other's company, and the other our fathers were crafting the blueprint of our lives.

The ring of the bell pulls me away from my thoughts, and I hastily throw on a robe before heading to the living room.

"Wow, that's a nice way to be invited in..." Asher whistles as he makes his way inside. He's carrying a bag of Chinese takeout with him, and my stomach growls at the sight.

"You've already seen me in much less," I speak without thinking, my hands flying to my mouth as soon as the words are out.

"Thanks for the mental image..." He turns to me, a little smirk on his lips as he gives me a slow once-over. "Naked Emma has always been my favorite."

"Stop!" I let out an involuntary chuckle as I close the door.

"What?" He places the food on the coffee table before turning to me. "Are you telling me you haven't skinny-dipped hundreds of times in my family's pool?"

"Uh..." I close my eyes for a second, feeling my cheeks in flames.

"Or that you didn't convince me to paint two pictures of you completely naked?" He walks to me, his arms crossing over his chest as he narrows his eyes playfully.

"Well..." I murmur, my gaze dropping to his lips as I remember the passionate sex we had right after he painted me. Both times.

"Or that you wouldn't always... always sleep naked when we were together?" His hand cups my cheek, and my lips part in anticipation. "How can I ever forget that?" he whispers.

"That was a long time ago..." I murmur, my hands instinctively touching his hard chest. He's sporting a black T-shirt and jeans today, and I can't help but notice how stronger he looks.

"So why does it feel like no time has passed at all?" His lips touch my earlobe just slightly, but enough to awaken my senses.

"We should..." I let out a quick breath when he nuzzles my neck.

"Damn it." His lips touch my shoulder and his hands go to my waist. And every ounce of willpower I have goes down the drain. In the back of my mind, I know I should stop this. He came here for business, and I have a ton of things to deal with right now. I can't let myself get caught up in his spell.

"Asher, I don't think we should..." My eyes close as his hands grip my waist, and he gently presses my back to the door.

"You're absofuckinglutely right," he murmurs, his fingers flexing against my skin. "But how do we pretend there's no chemistry between us? No history? No baggage?"

"Ground rules!" I blurt out, my eyes widening when he pulls back just slightly.

"What?" He frowns, and I use his surprise to my advantage so I can detangle myself from his hold.

Heading to the kitchen, I can feel his presence following me. "You came here to make sure we are on the same page, right?" I pull a bottle of wine from the fridge and hand it to him.

"Yeah..."

Getting two glasses from the cabinet, I head back to the living room and sit down on the floor in front of the coffee table. "I'm starving..." I dig into the box of Chinese food he brought, noticing he's still standing. "Have a seat." I motion to the floor.

"You could at least put some clothes on..." he murmurs as he sits down.

"My robe's bigger than most dresses out there." I take a big bite of a spring roll. "You're gonna be just fine."