Ultraviolet Catastrophe(48)
Author: Jamie Grey

I grimaced. So much for an early warning system. Thank god Asher had heard them. I leaned closer to him to whisper, “Danvers and my dad. We need to hide.”

We both realized it at the same moment. There was no place to hide. Avery’s desk was glass, modern and sleek. There were no closets, no huge chairs to hide behind. We were trapped.

Outside the door, the voices grew louder. Dad had that overly reasonable tone he always got when he was trying to make a point.

“You know I can’t continue on this project using Avery’s plan, Carla. That’s not how I work. I need time to reevaluate the approach.”

“We don’t have time, William. QT can’t afford any mistakes right now. We’re under investigation from the government, and Branston is breathing down our necks. If this doesn’t go well, they’ll take us over for sure. And then none of us will be safe.”

Asher tensed beside me, and I wanted to touch him, to reassure him it would be okay and my dad would make this right, but I held back, waiting for Dad’s answer.

“I understand, but we can’t take chances with this. One wrong step and it won’t just be our jobs at stake — it’ll be our lives.” He let out a deep sigh. “I need his files, Carla.”

There was a long pause, but finally, she said, “Fine.” The keypad beeped as she entered a password.

Asher slid a hand around my waist and yanked me to him, his other hand tangling in the hair at the back of my neck.

And then he kissed me.

I sank into him, my body fitting against his chest like a puzzle piece. My arms snaked up to his shoulders, brushing through the soft hair at the back of his neck. His lips crushed mine as his hands splayed across my back, pulling me even closer. The smooth fabric of his tux wrinkled beneath my grasping fingers.

The heat of him, the taste of him overwhelmed me, and the kiss deepened until the whole room was spinning. I forgot where we were, what we were doing. All that mattered was the chemistry between us, the way my hips pressed to his, the feel of his arms around me.

Asher’s fingers feathered against my jaw, each touch searing and gentle at the same time. His other hand traced the contour of my waist, curled around me, pulling me closer until our heartbeats mirrored each other. He tasted exactly like I’d expected — like Asher. And I wanted more.

There was a shocked gasp, and then my dad’s murderous voice. “Alexa Kepler, what the hell are you doing in here?”

Asher and I sprang apart. I could feel my cheeks blazing, and I stared at the floor, the walls, anywhere but my dad’s furious face.

“It was my fault, Dr. Kepler,” Asher said. “I wanted to be alone with Lexie, and this was the only unlocked office.”

Dr. Danvers shook her head. “That’s impossible. Security sealed it.” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do, Rosen?”

“Me?” He blinked innocently at her and adjusted his jacket. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Both of you need to get back to the party. Now,” Dad growled. “And, Alexa, we will be talking about this later.”

I hung my head and shuffled out of the room, Asher right behind me. My dad slammed the door behind us.

Asher grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Guess it worked. They didn’t even question why we were in there.”

I blinked a few times. My head still felt kind of swimmy from that kiss, but I should’ve realized he’d only done it to save us, to give us an excuse for being in there. I forced a laugh. “Good one. Totally fooled them.”

“Let’s get back to the ballroom. We need to get everyone together and tell them what we heard. Branston wants to take over QT. I didn’t even think something like that was possible.” He shook his head and set off at a sprint.

I didn’t bother to try to keep up. My knees weren’t steady enough for that sort of speed yet, and my pulse still raced faster than I thought possible.

Asher stopped at the doors and waited for me. “You okay, Lexicon?”

Pull it together, Kepler.

I nodded and pushed past him into the crowded room. “Just need a drink.”

He peered at me for a minute, concerned. “There’s a chair over there. I’ll go grab a soda for you and be right back.”

I sank down into one of the chairs against the wall and watched him push through the crowds. People laughed and greeted him, and he’d switched back into actor Asher mode. Hell, he might even be more charming than usual if that was even possible.

Amy must have been watching for him because she appeared a moment later and gripped his arm like a lifeline. A surge of jealousy shot through me. The kiss hadn’t meant anything. I had to let it go. Asher and I were better off just staying friends.

Across the room, I spotted Max and Zella entering together. She had her head tilted close to his to hear better, her face glowing with happiness. There was another situation I couldn’t read. Zella obviously liked him, so why didn’t she just tell him? The music started up again, and Zella grabbed Max’s arm, tugging him toward the dance floor. He shook his head, but she kept tugging and finally he smiled and followed her.

I frowned at them. Maybe I understood Zella better than I thought. I wasn’t really having much success with accepting my own feelings about Asher. It was freaking terrifying.

At the drink table, Amy had draped herself all over Asher, but he shrugged out of her reach and nodded at one of the other guys standing nearby. He looked like he was our age, but I didn’t recognize him — probably in a different level. The guy’s eyes widened, and he nodded enthusiastically before holding out his hand.

Amy pouted at Asher, but he shook his head. Finally, she grabbed the other guy’s arm, her hips swaying as she headed for the dance floor. She glanced back at Asher to make sure he was watching the show, but he’d already picked up two cans of soda and was headed back toward me.

Amy stared at me from across the room. Her eyes narrowed before her partner spun her away into the crowd. I felt my skin crawl at the raw hatred in her expression.

“Amy looked pretty pissed you abandoned her,” I said casually, taking the can from Asher as he sat down beside me.

“I’m more worried about what’s going on here. Not really in the mood to dance with her.”

I chewed my lip. The image of Asher and me twirling to the music, the feel of his hands on my hips as we danced popped into my head before I could stop myself. And there I went again. So much for my promise to not think about him like that. “So, um, what are you in the mood for then?”