Lana scoffed. She'd always made it very clear she disapproved of Asher's lifestyle.
“Waiting to see you? Don't flatter yourself.” She slung an arm around me. “Sarah's got more self-respect than that.”
“I was just trying to see what all the fuss is about.” I gestured to the growing line of impatient customers. “Little late to be starting an early-bird sale, don't you think?”
He grinned and waved at them as if he were a celebrity and the customers his adoring fans. Somebody flipped him off in response.
“Aw, they're not going anywhere. I got the best sales in Grant City. That's worth waiting for.” Then, when Lana wasn't paying attention, he looked me up and down. “Just like you are.”
“M-me?”
“Sure. I've been thinking about you lately.”
Asher Carrington, playboy of the year and cockiest guy I'd ever met, was thinking about me.
Wished I could say I didn't care one iota, but I didn't exactly mind the attention.
“Oh, miss, are you open?” An elderly woman stood in front of my shop. “I'd like to buy my granddaughter a present. She would simply love one of these dollhouses.”
Lana glanced at Asher, then me. Her eyes narrowed. She was suspicious, and with good reason. Didn't take a genius to feel the heat rising between us.
So much heat, I thought it would melt the snow...
“Want me to take care of this one?”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks. I'll be just a minute.”
Lana unlocked the shop door and let the woman in. Asher's eyebrow lifted as he stared at my chest with no shame whatsoever.
“Wonder when I'm gonna get you alone for real.”
“Never.”
He pulled out his wallet. “I'm willing to bet money you're wrong. Fifty bucks. How about it?”
A shiny foil packet fell out when he opened it and landed in the frosty grass. I wasn't surprised. Of course a man like Asher kept condoms on him at all times.
“Be prepared, that's my motto.” He scooped up the Trojan without blinking.
I couldn't help but notice it was the extra-large size, and “ribbed for her pleasure” too. Oh, man. Why did I have to see that? Now I'd never stop thinking about his big –
“Hey!” The man in line's face was turning red with barely-stifled rage. “You're the manager, right? Open the freaking door already.”
The poor, hapless employees gazed at him pleadingly. He sighed and jangled the keys in his pocket.
“Guess I'd better get to work, or dad will let me have it.” He winked at me. “We'll have to continue this conversation later.”
“In your dreams. Man whores just aren't my type.”
He brushed against me as he moved to unlock the door. His brief touch made my heartbeat quicken. And his cologne, mm... What right did he have to smell so freaking good?
“Maybe I'm not your type,” he murmured so only I could hear. “That won't matter once I have you naked and in my bed.”
He had balls to hit on me so blatantly, I'd give him that. A smart woman would've slapped him for being such a jerk. How many times had I warned him I wasn't interested?
Too bad he knew I was lying.
“Just a moment, folks. I'll have this open in a jiffy. Please, no running or pushing. There's more than enough deals for everyone in line.”
Something red on his shirt collar caught my eye as he unlocked the door. It was easy to identify as a lipstick stain.
Whatever desire I had pent up for him faded in an instant. No wonder he was so late this morning. He'd clearly been with someone last night – and he had the nerve to hit on me mere hours after?
Asher really was a whore, and nothing, not even the right woman, would change that.
The doors slid open, and throngs of customers shoved one another to be the first inside. Already, an argument had broken out over some discounted remote-control cars by the entrance.
“Get your paws off; I saw it first!”
A woman struggled to yank the toy from another's hands. One employee hurried over to try and settle them down.
Asher made his way inside too, barking orders at his workers. They scattered in all directions like frightened mice.
A quick look inside the store was enough to impress even me. Signs hung everywhere, boasting amazing sales and prices too low to believe. The shelves were fully stocked with shiny new gadgets, and catchy pop music played over the speakers.
Asher might have been a dick, but he was good at what he did with Slicker Image. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to browse the place, take some notes, and adopt a few of his marketing strategies for myself.
“Yeah, right,” I said. “You just want an excuse to stare at his ass some more.”
Even though he'd screwed more women than he could count, and though he'd never in his life consider settling down with just one of them, none of that mattered.
I ached to have him inside me, to see what I'd been missing all this time. Lusting after him was stupid, but that wasn't something I could change or stop no matter how hard I wished it away.
In the store, it was total mayhem. Children ran about unattended while their parents fought bitterly, like soldiers on a battlefield, over the last toy on the shelf. A grown man threw an actual tantrum, tears and all, as he threatened to sue a lady for bumping into his wheelchair with her cart.
“Sir, what do we do?” The pimply young worker squeaked. “They're out of control. Someone's going to get hurt.”
Asher watched from the sidelines and offered only a carefree shrug. “This is how Black Friday always goes, Ken.
