Emma

It's been two days since my dinner with Asher.

My brother and I have been holed up in my kitchen for the past few hours, and I swear my head is on the verge of exploding. He's been listing all the reasons marrying Asher is a bad idea, and if I didn't adore him so much, I might have kicked him out of my house by now.

"Aiden, seriously–" I begin, but the doorbell rings, interrupting me.

"Ah, that must be José," he sighs dramatically, darting off to the living room to answer the door. "I'm counting on my husband here to talk some sense into your stubborn head."

Groaning, I trail after him. "No one is changing my mind."

"Hey babe." Aiden opens the door. "Could you please tell my sister she's making a big mistake by marrying Asher?"

"Honey..." José gives me a warm smile, pulling my brother into a side hug as he lets himself in. "Let's trust she knows what she's doing."

"But she can't just marry a guy who up and left her like she was nothing," Aiden insists, making me snort.

"It's not a real marriage," I say. "As my legal counsel, you've scrutinized the paperwork, so you know it's a solid arrangement."

"So, you're just going to sell yourself–"

"Aiden, leave her alone," José cuts him off. "Emma is an adult and perfectly capable of making her own choices. If she believes this is the path she needs to take, we should respect her decision."

"Fine..." Aiden sighs, turning his attention back to me. "We've got reservations at six for dinner. We better get going."

"Aiden..." I stop in front of him. "I know what I'm doing."

"And I'm always here for you." He pulls me into a hug. "Even when you drive me to the brink of insanity."

"Thank you." I chuckle, drawing back slightly to look at him. "Now, go enjoy your evening."

"Right..." he murmurs, a teasing grin on his lips. "Give my future brother-in-law my regards."

"Come on, honey, give her a break." José shakes his head. "I'm sure Asher is smart enough to know we'll both kick his ass if he messes with Emma."

"Well," Aiden starts, but I playfully nudge him through the door.

"Go!"

"Call me if you need anything," he calls out as he and José walk away.

Hurrying to hop into the shower, I feel a wave of questions going through my mind. The fact Asher and I are getting married is surreal. I've known this guy my entire life. He was my first love and my first heartbreak. And now he'll be my husband.

Memories of us together come flooding back as the hot water cascades down my back.

The time I first realized how much I loved his laugh when I saw his eyes crinkle as we played together as kids...

The moment I saw him in a different light when he stood up for me against a group of bullies at school...

The first time I realized he had grown taller and his voice had deepened...

Summer breaks where I'd keep ogling his body and noticing how much he'd grown up...

When I saw my friends fawning over him, and I felt jealous for the first time in my life...

The countless times we spent talking about nothing and everything...

The moment our lips touched for the first time and I knew there was something special between us...

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."

"Max said you're ready to sign the papers." Asher opens the wine and pours us both a glass.

"Aiden revised it and said that, in theory, everything looks good..."

"But?" he asks, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

"He's not convinced we can actually make it work."

"Why not?" His mouth twitches with a smile.

"We were good friends once, Ash." I sigh, holding his gaze. "I'm counting on that to make things work."

"I won't lie and say I don't feel attracted to you..." He swallows, his eyes searching mine.

"Asher..."

"I know it's messed up, but it's there. I can't just magically make it go away..." He looks down when I don't say anything.

"We're both adults here." I take a sip of my wine, trying to get my heart to cooperate. "As you said, we both get something we need from this deal, so we have no option but to make it work."

"So you're saying you're not attracted to me?" A playful frown mars the space between his brows. "I'm making this all up?"

"You're way too full of yourself. Did you know that?" I scoff, and he leans in closer, pressing a kiss to my jaw.

"Am I?" He cups my cheek, and I let out a quick breath, hating how my body seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to this man.

Shaking his head, he stands up, walks to my desk, and grabs a sheet of paper and a pen before sitting by my side again.

"What are you doing?" I sit up straight, determined to regain control of my body.

"We're making an official deal that involves just the two of us." He draws a vertical line in the middle of the paper, writing the word 'yes' on one side and 'no' on the other side.

"You do realize it has no legal value, right?" I go back to my food.

"You said you needed some ground rules, right?" He raises his eyebrows, and I can't help but roll my eyes.

"I don't need them..." I murmur. "I just..."

"I know." He gives me a knowing smile. "I feel the same."

Snatching the pen from his hand, I let out a scoff as I start writing and saying the words out loud, "No sex. No making out. No kissing. I guess that sums up our list."

Chuckling, he takes the pen from my hands. "Light public displays of affection," he says as he writes the words.

Nodding, I take another bite of my food. "I get to keep my house since it's near the shelter, but we can find a new place closer to your work for appearances."

"Okay." He writes it down. "But we always sleep under the same roof."

"On that note..." I take a sip of my wine. "Different bedrooms."

"But we could have a master bedroom with a his-and-hers-walk-in closet for appearances," he suggests, and I nod.

"Works for me."

"We also need to sync our schedules." He takes a bite of his food. "Apparently, I have my own secretary now, and she already booked me up for the rest of the year."

"Well, 'leashed' Asher is definitely a new version of you I never expected to see." I laugh, and he shakes his head.

"Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a nightmare with all these meetings and paperwork."

"You went to an Ivy League university," I wink at him. "I'm sure you'll figure it all out."

"Only I dropped out." He takes a sip of his wine. "At least you could do something you were passionate about in college. I was stuck with a business major."

"But look how helpful it will be for you now." I playfully nudge his shoulder.

He looks down, his lips curving into a slight grin. "It's definitely a weird feeling to be both grateful for my privileges and frustrated with them at the same time."

"Trust me, I get it." I raise my glass to him. "I deal with tons of people who would kill for clean clothes and a plate of warm food in front of them. Yet, I left billions of dollars behind because I couldn't stand looking at my father's face."

"But you're trying to make a difference in the world, Em." He meets my gaze. "Scratch that. You are making a difference in the world."

"Last I heard, you were involved in a reforestation program in Brazil, Mister." I shrug, pretending his old nickname didn't affect me. "I'm sure you can find some time in your busy schedule to honor your true values and missions."

Nodding, he lets out a full-blown smile that lights up his face and goes straight to my heart. "I missed this, you know?" He holds my gaze with so much longing and adoration that it's hard to look away.

"We should go back to our list," I murmur, refilling our glasses.

"Right, back to our schedules." He clears his throat. "Are you free next Friday evening? The Hope for Tomorrow Foundation is hosting their annual Charity Gala."

"I've actually been invited, too." A smile tugs at my lips. "I think it's the perfect opportunity for us to make an appearance as an engaged couple."

"Speaking of engagement..." his voice trails off, and he reaches into his pocket, placing a velvet black box on the coffee table.

"What's this?" I whisper, my heart skipping a beat.

"I never thought I'd ask you to marry me like this, Em." He swallows hard, his eyes filled with longing. "But I wanted you to have something that reminds you that you mean more to me than just a business arrangement."

My breath catches as he opens the box, revealing a stunning engagement ring.

It has a brilliant-cut, pear-shaped diamond that sparkles with captivating brilliance. The diamond is cradled in a delicate platinum band, adorned with smaller, pave-set diamonds, creating a mesmerizing contrast between the centerpiece and the intricate details.

It's timeless, elegant, and everything I didn't even know I wanted in a ring.

"It's beautiful," I whisper, my eyes welling up with tears. "I can't believe you're going to make me cry."

Sliding the ring onto my finger, he lets out a soft chuckle. "Not making Emma cry. Should we add that to our list?"

"Absolutely." I try to sound serious, but I can't hide the smile on my lips.

_____

A/N: *sighs* How cute is he?

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Celeste