BLIND: A Mastermind Novel (21 page)

When the car parked in front of her house, she smirked, thinking of Cinderella and the pumpkin carriage. “What time is it?”

“Ten to midnight,
”
Pennyworth answered, opening her door. “I hope you had a nice evening.”

She grinned. “I did.
”

There was such a rush of accomplishment. For all the danger she feared would come from taking such a risk, there was that much more pride. Sh
e’
d done something reckless and she was
n’
t dead or trapped in basement full of skeletons. The sensation was so out of character for her, such an extraordinary high, she was actually sad it was over.

Her mouth hid a secret smile as she recognized the desire to go to him again. Of all her experiences with men, this one seemed to wake a part of her soul that had been still for a very long time.

She grinned and sighed.
Mr. Stone.

Chapter Eight

Exposure

“I can’t believe you actually went through with it,
”
Jet said as he sniffed the health shake Carla made for him. “I’m proud of you. What the fuck is this?”

“Kale. It’s good for you.
”

Jet pushed the shake away. “How do you feel?”

Asher tilted his head in consideration. “Good. I’m still a little shocked. I mean, she did everything, got in the car, wore the blindfold, followed my every command. I never expected her to actually put that much trust into this.”

“She’s desperate.”

His mouth tightened, not in agreement with that diagnoses. “She’s disciplined,
”
he offered, finding it a better-suited term. “It’s weird. We have something. There’s chemistry there.”

“So why not cut the crap and level with her, maybe actually get the girl, Ash?”

He shook his head as he swallowed a bite of the grilled fish served for lunch. “Can’t. We’re too deep now. She’d see it as a betrayal if I showed her who I actually was. I need a guarantee this won’t blow up in my face before I let her in.”

“Love doesn’t come with guarantees, my friend. And I know you. This isn’t an act. Maybe this is part of who you really are, you just never looked deep enough to see it.”

It did seem he was falling into his role with little difficulty. “I like taking an authoritative role with her. I never considered being that way with women.”

Jet’s dark eyes narrowed as he smiled. “You like
her
.”

He shrugged. “I like what we’re doing. It’s different.”

“I’d say.”

“There’s a rush involved,
”
Asher explained. “It’s a power trip. I’m in complete control. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

His friend laughed. “You kinky little pervert.”

“It’s not like that. I didn’t even kiss her.”

“You didn’t?
”

“Nope. It’s deeper than that. There’s so much sexual tension just from prolonging the intimacy, it keeps building and building and she’s getting drunk on need.”

“How about you?”

Authority was definitely intoxicating. Between that and her sex appeal, there was a punch drunk lightness that hadn’t existed before reintroducing himself to Scarlet. He’d almost backed out of everything last night when she’d started to panic, but then he’d calmed her down, and they found their rhythm and everything had jelled.

“I’m not sure how far I’ll take things. I don’t want to use her. I just want...what I never thought I could have. If I put too much faith in her this early on I’m afraid I’ll end up hurt again. And this time it would be way worse than the first time.”

“Things like this never end well.
”
Jet stole an apple from the dish at the center of the table and took a snapping bite. “So long as you’re keeping secrets, you’re the villain of the piece and the second you get too confident, the rug will get pulled out from under you. Take the opportunity while you have it, Ash, and level with her.”

“I don’t think so. We’re just talking. There’s nothing villainous about having a conversation.”

“Except your deceiving her. If she finds that out before you tell her, she’ll see it as some sort of motive,
”
Jet said, disapproval showing in the arch of his brow.

“I told her every word I say and every interaction we have has a motive. There’s nothing wrong with having a goal.
”
Right now his goal was to prove he could be what she wanted. His success was anybod
y’
s guess.

“Yeah, but she thinks you’re interested in her. You’ve led her to believe your motive’s are in the same realm as hers. If she remembers you from high school and knows you tried to hide who you are on purpose, she might see things a different way.”

He was hiding who he was, but only because he wanted to be perfect when he finally introduced himself to her, not as Mr. Stone, but as Asher Roan. Still, Jet had a good point. He deflected. “Who said I’m not interested?”

“Are you?”

Asher wiped his mouth and pushed away his plate. He’d be lying if he said a lot of his old sentiments hadn’t returned. She was as beautiful, if not more so than she was twelve years ago. Their strange encounter was revealing not only things about her, but things about him.

It was a daily battle to see past the pain she’d caused. Until he figured out how to do that without effort, their circumstances would remain unchanged. Besides, sh
e’
d likely face a similar battle if he asked her to see past the kid he was in high school, a kid he wasn’t much different from now.

Physically, he was changing. Steve marked it in his charts, Hunter had made a comment about his physique, and Elliot noted that he was carrying himself with a bit more confidence. But Asher couldn’t see a change yet—not a significant one at least.

Internally,
something
was happening to him. It was a potent tonic, authority. He was in control, a puppeteer pulling strings. It wasn’t the power he had that effected him most, however—it was her compliance. It shocked him every time.

This woman, the same female still leagues ahead of him that he’d spent years fantasizing about, trusted
him
. Every time she allowed his words to guide her, there came a heady rush of awareness. There was nothing to compare it to. But he liked it and didn’t want it to stop. Learning that he was Asher from high school might put an end to the game faster than anything else.

It was certainly a challenge to not take advantage of such trust. He’d never wanted to kiss a woman with the raw desire he felt last night when the topic was addressed. His main worry was disappointing her expectations.

“Asher?”

Returning his focus to Jet, he admitted, “I want to get to know her more. She’s still stunning. But now
…
there’s a sort of innocence about her. I don’t know how a person matures into a more innocent person than they once were, but she’s somehow managed it.”

“An innocence you could crush. That’s not you, Ash.”

He laughed without humor. “Yeah right. I thought I could do this and stay unaffected. I thought I could outsmart her wiles, be immune to her beauty, but I can’t. And the way we’ve gone about getting to know one another…it’s like an addictive game I tell myself I shouldn’t play, shouldn’t invest so much time and effort into it, but I can’t stop.”

He rubbed the back of his head and looked into Jet’s concerned eyes. “I know she humiliated me in front of all of my enemies and then some. I shouldn’t care what she thinks, Jet, but I care so much.
Too much.
Even when I thought this might all be a lesson in vulnerability, I never would have exploited her the way I was exploited. She saw so much of my shame, Jet. So much pain and weakness, I need to make an impression great enough to erase those moments from her memory. Or she’ll always look at me and see that loser.”

Jet shook his head. “You weren’t a loser. Vulnerability and humiliation are private. Do you think those assholes remember you?”

“Yes, I do. Why do you think I skipped out on the reunion? Those jerks lived to torture us, especially me. She would’ve been sitting with them—just like in high school.” As much as he couldn’t imagine the sweet woman from last night doing that, he knew how things like a reunion went. People stuck with what they knew.

“I don’t think you’re giving her or yourself enough credit. She’s a teacher, Ash. She has to have some level of compassion and understanding. I mean, my God, if we all believed what we believed twelve years ago Elliot would still be writing letters to Santa Clause and Hunter would still sleep with the light on. People change. They grow up. Let her see you so she can see the man you’ve become.”

“I can’t,” he whispered, wondering if thirteen more dates would be enough to find his courage.

“Is she still friends with them?”

“Some. She’s still close with Nicole, but she hasn’t seen Westerman since graduation. I don’t know who else she talks to.” He tossed his napkin on the table.

“Just think about what I said.”

“I will. I gotta go. Steve and I are going rock climbing.”

Jet stood, his eyes creasing with worry. “Ash. You’re not a bad guy. I get you’re going through some personal evolution, and I’m glad you’re finding some confidence, but don’t let your insecurities win.”

He nodded. “Thanks. I’m doing my best.”

****

Scarlet whipped open the door and dodged Nicole’s knuckles as they relentlessly pounded.
“What?”

Her friend barreled inside holding a caddy of coffee. “What? What.
What
she asks. Um
…
you tell me.”

Scarlet shut the door and followed her intrusive friend into the kitchen. Her gaze landed on her scribbled note from the night before. Snatching the paper she quickly crumpled it in her fist. Nicole narrowed her eyes.

“What’s going on, Lettie?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? What’s in your hand?”

“Nothing.”

The coffees landed on the table with a smack. “You better start spilling the beans about yesterday. Who did you spend the night with? Was it the guy from the picture? If so…
”
She paused and did a girly golf clap. “I want details.”

“Myself. I was home by midnight.”

“So you
didn’t
go to Mr. Mystery’s house? Spill. The suspense is killing me!”

She calmly slid a coffee from the caddy and pinched back the top. “I met someone.”

“Where? Who? And why is this the first time I’m hearing about him?”

Scarlet sighed and walked into the living room where she plopped on the couch. It was too early for an interrogation. Nicole followed with a determined scowl.

She didn’t want to disclose too much. First, because there was the whole danger factor, and second, this was her private business and she didn’t want Nicole’s cynicism to change her opinion. Scarlet had enough cynicism for both of them.

She chose her words carefully. “His name’s Stone.”

“Stone? What is he a soap opera character? Is that his first name or last?”

“Last.”

She snorted. “That’s what he goes by? Does he think he’s Cher? What’s his first name?”

“I don’t know.”

“You went to a guy’s house and don’t even know his first name? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

“If I tell you his full name you’ll just Google the shit out of him and come up with some lame excuse why I can’t date him.”

Nicole’s expression softened. “That’s not true. I want you to be happy, Lettie. It’s my job to worry.”

She put her cup on the table. “I know. But I don’t want you worrying about this. It’s new and I really like him. I don’t want anything to ruin it just yet, because we all know it’ll eventually end on it’s own.”

“And I’m the cynic? Who says it’ll end?”

Fourteen nights—now thirteen. No promises. “Look at my track record. It will. We’re just having fun and we both know what this is.
”
Sort of.
“I’m not going to get ahead of myself and label it as anything more.”

Nicole’s bleached brows lowered. “So, what are you, like, his booty call?”