I hoped he felt it too.
“So, yeah. I guess that’s my two deepest secrets out in the open now.”
Asher licked his lips, nearly shaking with a shocked expression. “I won’t … I wouldn’t … Shit.”
“What?”
“God, I’m an idiot. I wanted to say I wouldn’t out you, but my friends. I’ve told them some stuff. I mean, like, not all of it, butwhat happened at that club. I, uh …” Asher lowered his chin, cheeks turning bright red. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
I sighed and sat back to think for a moment. It wasn’t as if I was worried his friends would ever have any reason to associate with my family or their social circles. Perhaps his cousin, but I couldn’t blame Asher for confiding in his friends when I wouldn’t. We weren’t the same people.
“I won’t ever say anything if we cross paths at one of those events. Savannah won’t either. None of my friends or family would. They aren’t like that.”
I waved his concern away. “It’s done. I trust you, Asher. I have to, I suppose, but I would anyway.” I tipped my head and grinned to ease the moment. “You’ve been nothing but a gentleman with me in public.”
His lips twitched. Was he thinking of thatprivatemoment in the club? Then he blinked. “Wait. You’re not mad?”
“No.”
“I lied to you. I led you on as a girl and told people about it.”
“I lied to you too, didn’t I?”
Asher stared again and then snickered. “Is this one of those rare occasions of two wrongs makes a right?”
I grinned, liking his way of thinking. “It can be. Are you gay?” I huffed and dropped my head back. “Not to sound like a child, but I like you. Are you into guys? Do you feel something between us?” If I’d thought I couldn’t be any more vulnerable after admitting I was a virgin and gay, I was wrong.
Asher shrugged. “I claim gay, but I’m not sure. I like what I like and try not to think about it too hard. I’ve never really had a chance to explore.”
My turn to blink and stare. He’d said he was a virgin when he was Ashley, so I supposed that answered how much he’d been true, even under false pretenses.
“So where do we go from here? You’re not out. Were you just clearing the air since we keep running into each other?”
I grabbed his hand, slowly, so he could stop me if he wanted to. “It could be more than that.”
“Like, date in secret?”
The horror of what I was asking settled in my gut like acid. I dropped his hand and turned to face forward again, hating that I’d let my imagination get the better of me. “You’re right. God, that was stupid. Forget I said anything.” I started the car, not exactly telling him to get out but hoping he’d go easy on me and leave. When he didn’t move, I said, “You’re young, in college, and there is no reason for you to hide your life like that. There’s no reason for you to do what I did.”
Asher leaned over the console and gripped my shoulder, instantly settling the jitters under my skin.
“No reason except that I like you too.”
I swallowed hard. “Y-you do?” I was so bombing this. Where was the confident man I knew? Asher had me shaking in my designer slacks, eager and sensitive.
“Yeah.” His lips quirked on one side. “My momma always said I never met a stranger. I can get along with almost anyone, but with you, it was different. I liked making you smile, and I tried hard to keep doing it.” He let go of my shoulder but only to trail his hand down my arm. “I hated our date went so well ’cause I figured I was gonna ruin it when I told you the truth.”
A sliver of hope wormed its way between my ribs.
“We connected, didn’t we?” I nodded, and he went on. “Even though both of us figured we were doomed for our own reasons, we found something, huh? Something worth coming clean for. Imagine how good it would be with no secrets between us, only the ones we keep from everyone else.”
I leaned closer and inhaled his crisp scent of soap and deodorant, no cologne, but it was perfect. “You’d do that?”
“I’d like to try. A thousand things can go wrong when two people start to date, right? I figure this could be one of those that could go right. I mean, we already know I’m a great kisser. That’s got to take away a huge chunk of those things.”
I smirked and moved my hand to his leg. “Yeah, you’re a good kisser.” Both of us kept inching closer. “How do you do this? How do you make everything seem possible and within reach?”
We’d gotten so close, Asher’s sweetened breath ghosted over my face as he whispered, “Talent.”