Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“Am I forgiven?” He sighed, his hands gripping my hips. “I’ll try to do better, Rosie. Sometimes it hits me, and I react—”
I pressed a finger to his mouth. “Forgiven. I understand.”
“I do, as well. AJ comes first. I’ll try to hold back on my impulsive panic.”
“I’ll try to remember to look at my phone more often. I’m not used to anyone calling or checking in on me. If AJ is with me, I tend to forget.”
He smiled, tracing a finger down my cheek. “We both have things to learn. Me, some patience, and you, that you have someone who deeply cares.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.”
His stomach grumbled, and I frowned. “Are you hungry?”
“I didn’t eat. I was upset.”
“I’ll make you something.”
“I don’t want you to work. I’ll order something.”
I laughed. “Asher, it’s late on New Year’s Eve. Do you know how busy every place is? You won’t get delivery for hours.”
He looked mischievous, reaching for his phone. I rolled my eyes.
“Not even you,” I challenged.
He grinned. “Oh baby, now I have something to prove.”
Forty-five minutes later, I was nibbling on an egg roll as Asher dug into a container of noodles. He fed me a mouthful and opened some orange chicken, muttering about how delicious it was. He offered me a piece with his chopsticks, and I took it, agreeing how tasty the morsel was.
“How?” I asked.
He smiled. “I went to school with the owner. We’re still close. I bankrolled the restaurant. He always comes through.”
“Even on New Year’s Eve,” I hummed, impressed.
Asher chuckled, licking at some sauce on his mouth. “I actually rarely ask. He knew it had to be important.” He dug in the bag and handed me a set of chopsticks. “Eat with me. I saw the leftover pizza in the fridge, so I know you didn’t eat much either.”
“I was upset,” I admitted.
He paused, leaned forward, and stroked my cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“I know. I’m better now.”
“Me too.”
We ate, the TV on low in the background, music playing, mostly by groups I had never heard of, but it was white noise. Asher appeared famished, polishing off every dish he had ordered. I picked at the food, nowhere near as hungry as he was.
“Did you not eat today at all?” I asked.
“No.” He peered into the bag, handing me a fortune cookie. “No leftovers. I should have ordered more. I’ll get more in for dinner tomorrow. AJ loves Chinese.” He stopped, meeting my gaze. “If that’s all right with you.”
“You’ll spoil us.”
He placed the bag on the coffee table and opened his fortune cookie, breaking it in half. He placed a piece on my bottom lip, and I let him feed me the sweet-tasting cookie. He popped the rest into his mouth and chewed slowly. “I need to make this clear, Rosie. I want to spoil you. Both of you. I have money. Lots of money. What seems extravagant to you probably doesn’t to me.” He held up his hand before I could say anything. “I’m aware of how that sounds. I’ll try to watch myself and not go overboard. But you should know part of my ‘love language,’ if you want to call it that, is buying gifts. I do for my sister and my niece. I’m generous with employees. It’s part of my nature.”
“Love language?” I repeated, a smile pulling on my lips.
He chuckled. “That’s what Suzy calls it.”
“I know you’re generous. More than most people,” I replied. “Christmas is a good example.”
“I held myself back,” he argued.
I sighed. “I can’t reciprocate, Asher.”
“Yes, you can,” he said, sounding eager. “You can cook me the food I bring. Let me enjoy a meal with you and AJ instead of eating alone. Wear the scarf, which will make me happy knowing you love it. Relax in the tub using the bath bombs I picked out because they smelled great and I wanted to inhale that fragrance on your skin. Being here with you makes me happy. That is far more valuable than the cash I spend. Happiness is much rarer.”
“Says someone who has lots of it.”
He shifted closer. “I can make you happy too, Rosie. Give me a chance. Let me into your life and trust me. Let me spoil you the way I can. You spoil me the way you can. It all equals out.”
“Hardly,” I said with a grimace.
“You’re right,” he agreed. “I’ll never be equal to what you give me.”
“Asher,” I protested.
“You are priceless to me.” He took my hands and cupped them with his, kissing my palms. “You mean so much already, and we’ve only started. I cannot fathom what you’ll mean over the next while.”
My breath caught at his words. “You mean a lot as well.”