BENEATH THE SURFACE

Chapter Thirty-Nine

ISABELLA

I was roused from my sleep by the crisp breeze flowing in through the expansive window. As I looked around, I came to the realization that I was still in the room with Asher, who was seated at the piano.

I found my head nestled on the couch's armrest, while my high heels lay beside me on the floor. With a gentle push, I raised myself from the couch and swept my hair over my shoulders.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the back of his head, waiting for him to turn around. He replied in a hushed tone without turning, "Around thirty minutes, maybe?"

I blinked repeatedly, attempting to clear the blurriness from my vision while being cautious not to smudge the light makeup adorning my face. My gaze briefly darted towards the white sofa I lay on, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I noticed that my foundation had not left any marks on the luxurious fabric.

Without warning, he rose from the black bench and headed towards the couch, extending his hand in my direction. "Are you ready to leave?" he asked, and I placed my hands in his, rising from the sofa and gracefully stepping into my heels.

"Not yet," I softly murmured, our gazes locking as I lifted my head, my hands still intertwined with his. In that fleeting instant, a new expression flickered in his eyes, one I hadn't seen before, but instead of asking, I chose to disregard it.

I settled back onto the couch, taking a moment to adjust my shoes. Despite having averted my gaze a moment ago, I could still feel Asher's eyes fixed on me, making it challenging to concentrate on my task.

This man had completely upended the past few months of my life, and strangely, the unease that usually accompanied change had disappeared. Instead, I found myself relishing this change.

The act of waking up each morning with someone or something to care about or look forward to, despite the challenges we faced, made everything worthwhile.

"How did you come to know my brother?" He questioned suddenly, diverting my attention from my shoes.

"We crossed paths at a bar," I chuckled nervously, shifting my gaze back to the floor. "I was a bit hesitant initially," I confessed. "However, we bumped into each other a few times, and he kindly offered to be my plus one."

Asher emitted an amused sound, and I could sense my cheeks growing warm under his intense gaze. "Do you have feelings for him?" His unexpected question took me by surprise.

"What?"

"Do you like him?" He repeated his question, and I still wasn't entirely sure how to respond to it so I just went silent for a moment, thinking about it.

"Define 'like,'" I responded, seeking a clearer understanding of his question.

He joined me on the couch, leaning against the backrest with his arms stretched along it. "Would you fuck my brother?" The words caught me off guard, and I audibly gasped in response.

My cheeks grew even warmer as I fixated on the floor, attempting to ignore the way he could affect me in so many ways. His question had left me feeling tense and awkward.

"N-no," I stammered, the words escaping me without control, and I wished I could just sink into the sofa and vanish from his sight in that moment.

A genuine, heartfelt laugh emanated from beside me, and when I stole a glance at him, his eyes were unwaveringly focused on me. Whenever he looked at me, there was a certain expression in his eyes that only surfaced when his gaze met mine.

"Good answer," he remarked with a smirk, standing up from the couch and extending his hand to me once more. "Although I'd love the chance to show you I'm a better fuck than my brother." A smile I couldn't suppress crept onto my face as I placed my hand in his again.

Finally, we exited the room and reentered the bustling crowd that still occupied the spacious ballroom. For a brief moment, it seemed like half of the room's attention was on us, causing a hushed silence. However, I swiftly withdrew my hand from his, breaking the momentary spotlight.

Taking a deep breath, I spotted my mother and Maeve seated at the bar together, their eyes fixed on Asher and me. My mother appeared surprised, while Maeve wore a knowing smirk on her face.

"Looks like you have people waiting for you," Asher whispered, his hand gently brushing against mine as we surveyed the crowd. I smiled briefly before making my way toward the bar. However, his hand stopped me from moving any further. "Let me drive you home after this," his statement carried a half-question tone, but I sensed he wasn't going to accept a 'no,' so I nodded and continued toward the bar.

I slid into the vacant seat between my mother and Maeve, and the bartender promptly delivered another strawberry daiquiri as I settled onto the stool. They both exchanged a laugh, but when I looked their way, their expressions quickly turned serious.

"What's funny?" I asked, fidgeting with the small lemon wedge perched on the rim of my glass. "I told you to go talk to him," Maeve whispered. "Not sleep with him." They both erupted into laughter again, and I playfully nudged Maeve, causing her to bump into my mother.

"I didn't sleep with him!" I exclaimed, not fully realizing how loud my voice had become until I heard his voice from behind me. "I didn't get that lucky, ladies." His words brought a smile to my face, and even my mother and Maeve seemed to blush on my behalf.

Hearing him, seeing him, touching him, feeling him—no matter what it was, butterflies danced in my stomach in his presence. He had this way of making me feel like a little girl with a crush on the playground, and it was the most delightful sensation in the world.

"Well," Maeve started, placing her daiquiri on the bar. "Whatever you two did to Kady, she had to be escorted out of here." She gave me a quick wink before returning her attention to her drink.

"I'm pretty sure whatever we did to her pales in comparison to what she did to us," Asher chimed in, raising the glass of whiskey the bartender had just served. I lifted my own glass to my lips and said, "I'll drink to that!" We all shared a laugh as we took a sip from our glasses.

I wasn't entirely certain where this was heading, or what our destination would be, but in that moment, all I wanted was to be with Asher without the need for secrecy behind his office door. With Kady completely out of the picture, I could have him without the discreetness that had previously been required. Handling his baggage was one thing, but Kady was a bundle of complications on her own, and I couldn't think of a single woman in my life who could manage her issues better than I could.

Asher joined us at the bar, and before long, we were all on the dance floor, accompanied by Taylor, Sofia, Finn, and Liam. We danced the night away, fueled by countless drinks. As the evening wore on, I felt my balance starting to waver, my hips swaying beyond my control. Asher graciously allowed me to bid farewell to nearly everyone at the event, even though I didn't know half of them, before he finally guided us to his car.

I swiftly settled into the passenger seat, wrapping Asher's jacket around me and resting my head against the window as he entered the car and started the engine. A soft melody began to play, and I realized it was our song. Asher's hand gently found its way to my thigh as he drove away, and before I knew it, I had drifted into a peaceful sleep.