Asher Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About the Author

  Also by Michelle Smith

  Dedication

  About the Book

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  Thank you for reading!

  Acknowledgements

  Asher

  A Wesley Brothers Novel

  By Michelle Smith

  Copyright

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews – without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intentional.

  Copyright ©2018 Michelle Smith

  Cover Design: Shanoff Designs

  Editing: AEI Edits

  About the Author

  For as long as she can remember, Michelle Smith has been making up romantic stories in her head. But it wasn't until this year she finally became brave enough to publish them.

  If she's not reading or writing, you can be sure she's watching her beloved Dallas Stars somewhere, or any of the numerous other sports she likes to watch. She currently lives in Dallas with her wonderful husband and children.

  Website: www.authormichellesmith.com

  Newsletter: https://www.authormichellesmith.com/newsletter

  Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/ms_writes

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AuthorMichelleSmith

  Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2uq4h4e

  Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMSWrites/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMS_Writes

  Instagram: www.instagram.com/authormichellesmith

  Also by Michelle Smith

  The Wesley Brothers Series

  Cade

  Sloan

  Dedication

  To my amazing husband who won’t let me give up on my dream. Your love knows no boundaries.

  About the Book

  Asher Wesley doesn't do serious relationships.

  Playful, charming, and downright dirty, Ash is all about having fun in his personal life while building his professional career. He’s young, successful, and not in the market to be tied down. Why look for happily ever after when he can have happy right now? And as a general rule, he never mixes business with pleasure.

  Until now.

  Kara Mitchell is down on her luck, but thanks to her best friend, she's got a new job to help her get back on her feet. There’s only one problem. She didn’t count on how sexy her new boss would be. But nothing good can come from messing around with the man who signs your paychecks, so Kara resolves to stay clear of her irresistible boss. No matter the temptation, office romances are off-limits.

  Of course, things are never quite that easy...

  Prologue

  Asher

  Do you ever have one of those days where you wake up with the feeling nothing will go as planned, no matter what you do?

  I can’t figure out why I feel that way today. It’s like a sense of impending uncertainty has rooted itself and won’t let go. I’ve racked my brain all morning, trying to narrow down the opportunities for shit to go wrong. I’ve gone through my schedule that Kendra, my personal assistant, sent me for the week. It’s Friday, my easiest day. I only have a few appointments, and as far as I can tell, they should move along smoothly.

  I run my own investment firm now, so I’m positive it’s not a ‘my boss is being an asshole this morning’ kind of deal, because I am the boss. And yes, sometimes I’m an asshole, but that’s beside the point. All my client portfolios are in order, so I know that isn’t the issue. And since I’m only a few months into my new business, there’s not a large quantity of them yet. I haven’t missed anything. Everything is where it should be, and all plans are doing what they’re supposed to do. Yet still I can’t seem to shake the feeling.

  Maybe it’s me being paranoid. That must be it.

  Grabbing my suit jacket off the back of my office chair, I stroll out of my office and into the lobby of my suite. It’s small, but more than enough room for just Kendra and me. Aside from my office and the lobby with a waiting area, there’s a conference room and an extra office I use for storage. When I decided to start my own company, there was an open lease in my grandfather’s building, and he immediately offered it to me to help get my business off the ground. Most of the building is for my family’s law firm—my grandfather, father, and oldest brother are all lawyers—and the rest of the smaller suites are rented out to various other businesses.

  Kendra looks up from her desk when she hears my door open, giving me a warm smile as I walk to her area and lean up against the corner of her desk. “I’m gonna run across the street and grab a coffee. You want anything?”

  She lets out a huff to go along with her frown. “You know I should be the one getting the coffee, right?”

  I shake my head, preparing to go through the same argument we have every time I run an errand and she stays here. “I told you. I’m not a total dick. Even though you’re my assistant, I’m not sending you to get things for me I can get myself, especially when Stan told me you’ve been having contractions more frequently.”

  Kendra rubs her rounded belly and lets out another discontented sigh. “Stan’s got a big mouth.” She makes me laugh because I know this statement to be true. Ever since we met in college, I’ve always known my friend Stan gossips like a little old lady. “It’s false labor pains, Ash, and I’m perfectly capable of doing my job.” Her curly, blonde-haired ponytail bobs with the shake of her head. “I realize you and Stan mean well, but I’m not helpless.”

  “I know you aren’t, okay? And I know you can do your job. I’d just rather you do it here, in the office. I promise. When you get back from maternity leave, I’ll send you on all the errands you can handle.”

  She rolls her eyes and laughs at me. “Fine. Can you bring me back a decaf iced coffee please?”

  “You got it beautiful. Be back in ten.”

  “Oh, Ash, I almost forgot, I found you the perfect replacement. She’s one of my best friends so I know I can trust her. Her company was downsizing, and she was let go from her job, so the timing is perfect. She’ll start next week when I leave. You’re gonna love her.”

  On the outside, I smile, but on the inside. I cringe. The idea of breaking in a new employee isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it doesn’t sound like the most fun either. But if Kendra says she’s good, I have no reason to doubt her. “Sounds good. Just leave her information on my desk for me. Back in a bit.”

  Waiting to get my coffee after the initial morning rush is genius. The line is almost non-existent when I get to the coffee shop, so the whole process takes roughly ten minutes, probably less if I didn’t spend a few of those minutes flirting with the sexy barista. I’m back in the suite in no time, but Kendra’s not at her desk when I come in. I put the drinks down
on her desk, shrugging off my jacket, and call out to her. “I’m back.”

  Her voice rings out from near the bathroom. “Ash! Come here!”

  Panic sets in at the sound of her voice, and I take off down the short hallway to the bathroom. The door is wide open, and Kendra is standing near the sink, looking at me when I come around the corner. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I think my water just broke.”

  “You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me?”

  She huffs out a small laugh. “No, I don’t think I am.”

  “Well, shit. What do I do?” I stand there, running my hands through my dark brown hair. I don’t know anything about pregnant women, except to stay on their good side.

  “Don’t freak out, for one thing.” She gives me an annoyed look. “I need you to call Stan and then get me to the hospital.”

  “Yeah, okay. I can do that.” I turn and jog back to her desk, grabbing my discarded jacket and retrieving my cell phone. I put a call through to Stan and tuck the phone between my shoulder and ear when I get back to the bathroom to help Kendra. Stan is freaked, just like me, but he tells me the plan, and it seems simple enough.

  “Got it.” I disconnect the call, immediately pull up my brother’s contact info and press call, shoving the phone back between my shoulder and ear. Thankfully, he answers on the second ring.

  “What’s up Ash?” Sloan’s voice comes through the line.

  “Man, you gotta get down here and help me. I’m freaking the fuck out right now.” Kendra punches me in the arm as I help her to the door. “Kendra’s water just broke and I need to get her to the hospital. Stan’s coming from the other side of town so he’s going to meet us there.”

  “Fuck. Okay. I’m on my way.” He disconnects the call and I shove my phone in my pocket. It’s times like these I’m grateful my brother works in the same building as me.

  “Okay,” I turn my attention back to Kendra, who’s moving at a snail’s pace beside me, cringing in pain. “Sloan’s coming down to help and Stan should be at the hospital by the time we get there. You okay?”

  She levels me a glare I can only assume should be rightfully leveled at her husband. “I’m just fucking peachy over here. Thanks.”

  The sarcasm is strong with this one.

  I grab my keys and manage to get her out the door, just twisting the lock when Sloan comes speed walking down the corridor from the elevator bank.

  Together, we get Kendra into the elevator and step out on the ground floor when the doors open again. That’s when I realize I forgot to call the valet to get my car from the garage.

  “Shit! I forgot to call for my car.”

  “Nah, we’re good. I had Nora call down before I ran out of the office.”

  “Thank fuck.”

  Kendra doesn’t contribute to the conversation, her attention focused solely on her breathing. She grips her belly as another contraction hits.

  The valet sees us coming and has the doors open, waiting on us to get to the curb. Sloan and I gently help Kendra into the passenger seat.

  “Thanks for your help man.” I say as I jog to the driver’s side.

  “No problem. Good luck.”

  I hop into the driver’s seat and buckle up, pulling onto the street as quickly and as safely as I can. Traffic is light this time of day, and we pull up to the emergency room bay ten minutes later, Stan waiting with a wheelchair when we arrive.

  “Kendra!” He flings open my door before the car even has a chance to stop, helping his wife into the wheelchair, and rushing her inside. I drive around to the visitor parking lot, pulling into a space, and giving myself a few minutes to come down from my adrenaline rush.

  Well, that wasn’t what I expected to happen when I came in this morning, but I had a feeling something was off today.

  Guess I wasn’t paranoid after all.

  Chapter One

  Asher

  I can officially say being without an assistant, sucks.

  I never realized how much I’ve come to depend on Kendra until she went into labor and left me a full week without an assistant. It’s not like she could help it though. Stanley Jr. couldn’t wait to enter this world, so he chose to do it earlier than planned. Apparently, babies do that sort of thing.

  I’d like to think I have the capability to do anything I put my mind to, and for the most part I do. I’m a Wesley. We’re smart, good-looking, athletic, confident, all with just the right amount of cocky thrown in for good measure, but it’s been a long time since I had to fend for myself in a business sense. Yes, I’m capable, but I’m spoiled. I realize that makes me sound like an ass, but Kendra was the one who did it.

  When I mentioned to my friend Stan that I was starting my own financial advising firm, he told me his wife would be perfect for the assistant job I was sure to be hiring for. I’d need someone to help keep everything straight. She was unbelievably organized and efficient and within the first week I knew I had made the right decision. She keeps me on a tight leash—at the office, anyway—which is a good thing because I tend to get off track from time to time. I’m a spontaneous guy, and it’s managed to get me in trouble more times than I can count.

  This week without Kendra has certainly put me in my place. Today, my new assistant finally starts, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s doubtful the newbie can keep me under control as well as Kendra, but since they’re good friends, I’m positive Kendra will be offering her advice to keep me on task. From what I understand, they’ve known each other for years and Kara—my soon-to-be new assistant—moved to Florida with her job only to be laid off a few months later. Talk about bad timing and bad luck.

  I’ll be in the office training her all morning, which is why I’m stopping to get my coffee near my apartment before work as opposed to getting it after the morning rush at the café across from the office building. With all the business offices scattered around it’s impossible to get into it before nine a.m. Even though I only have a few meetings today with some potential new clients, the day itself won’t be too busy, but I want to have her set up and ready to work first thing. Come to think of it, I still have employment papers for her to sign and I haven’t even printed them out yet.

  See?

  This is exactly why I need an assistant.

  I ride the elevator down to the lobby of my apartment building and step out into the resident entrance. It might be early but it’s already warming up nicely and looks as though it’s shaping up to be a clear day, which is nice after the last few days of rain we’ve had to endure. Reaching my assigned spaces, I unlock my Audi and get in, looking longingly into the space next to me where my motorcycle sits. I didn’t get to ride this weekend because of the rain, and it feels like it’s been an eternity since I got her out on the open road. I need to fix that this weekend.

  Pulling out of the parking garage, I head to get my caffeine fix. The sun is shining brightly so I grab my shades from the console and slip them on. One of my favorite rock songs comes on the radio, and I turn up the volume. Nothing like a good rock song to pump you up and get you ready to tackle the day.

  The coffee shop is only a few blocks from my apartment and of course, it’s packed, ensuring I’m forced to park a mile away. Not literally a mile, but it might as well be. Grabbing my phone and wallet from the console, I get distracted returning a few text messages. A few minutes later, I grab the keys from the ignition and climb out of the car. I don’t even get the door closed yet when I see her.

  She’s gorgeous.

  She climbs out of her little red car, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head and bending down to reach inside for something. The plum colored dress she’s wearing with a flowy skirt does nothing to hide the curves stretching the fabric when she bends. I would put money on the fact that ass is magnificent. My eyes trail from her luscious backside down her toned calves, to feet tucked in to a pair of low heals that give her ass just enough lift to make her look more incredible than she already does. Her hair is a ric
h brown, flowing in loose curls down the back of her dress.

  I’d love to run my fingers through those silky waves.

  She’s parked almost as far away from the coffee shop as I am, and when she starts walking towards it, I finally roll my tongue back up into my mouth and check my chin for drool. Hoping no one else observed my obvious creeper moment, I close the car door and start walking through the parking lot too, maybe fifteen to twenty feet behind her. I’ve never seen her around here before, but I don’t frequent this coffee shop as much as I used to since the other one opened near my office. I’d be more than willing to change that though, if it meant I’d get to see this beauty every morning.

  She steps up onto the curb at the end of the building, her heels clacking against the concrete as her hips sway with every step. Fuck, I need to stop staring but I can’t seem to help myself. I should talk to her, catch up and walk with her, maybe even get her number. I’m contemplating the best way to do that when it happens.

  A sudden gust of wind blows between the buildings right as she walks past, lifting her plum skirt high in the air. She panics, trying to catch it and smooth it down before it lifts too high, but only manages to succeed with the front. Not the back, where I have a front row seat. I thought her ass looked magnificent before, and now I have the visual confirmation. Firm and ample, it’s the kind you want to take a bite out of. And fuck me, she’s wearing a thong. Could be black, could be purple, who the fuck cares. It’s sexy as hell framing the creamy mounds of her round ass.

  My cock twitches at the sight, clearly happy with this sudden turn of events, but I do my best to will it down. I’m still in public, after all. I should have averted my eyes the minute I saw what was about to happen, but I didn’t, and it’s too late now. Her head whips around, looking for guilty parties that might have seen more of her than she anticipated showing today. In a split second, her eyes land on me, the only person around besides herself. I’m not sure where everyone else went, but standing there on the sidewalk, it’s only the two of us. Her mouth drops open when she sees me, her cheeks turning red before my eyes. It takes her a few seconds to finally break eye contact and look away, dropping her head, and spinning around back towards the shop. I stand there, rooted in my spot, watching her practically speed walk to the café door and rush inside, not even holding it open for the lady behind her who gives her a scowl Miss Plum never sees.