Sweeter Than Candy (The Davenports 1)

? I ask.

“I’m still recovering from the last dream we chased down.”

“Soon enough, you won’t be able to hide behind Mother Love.”

“Yeah, but that time is not now. If you’re well enough to give me crap, my job is done. Do you have an outfit in mind?” I grab my favorite jeans off the bed, pairing them with a Supernatural Singer’s Salvage T-shirt and a black blazer.

“I do. What do you think?” I turn the phone to face the outfit.

“Perfect. I he picking you up?”

“Yeah. I want to watch his face when he sees my place. I think the first day I caught him at his worst. But I want to be sure. Right now is the perfect opportunity to observe him and see who the real Asher Davenport is.”

“If he’s a jerk, it’s better you find out now.”

“That’s what I’m thinking, too.” I don’t dare tell her, because she’ll read too much into it, but the thought of him not passing the test disappoints me.

“Time to get yourself ready. Call me tonight when you get in. You know I live vicariously through you.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you, too, girl. Have fun.”

Fifteen minutes later I’m fluffing my curls in the mirror when the doorbell chimes. Taking a deep breath, I slowly walk to the front door. I answer and find Asher in a pair of dark denim jeans and a Doctor Who T-shirt, and a pair of white and black high top Converse.

“Hi.”

“Hi yourself. You look great.”

“You too.”

“Are you ready?” he asks.

“Almost. I need to turn out the lights and grab my purse. Please, come in. I’ll be quick.”

His eyes scan my apartment as he steps through the threshold and shoves his hands into his pocket. He relaxes. It’s incredible how touchable he appears now. The uptight man in a suit is a distant memory after a handful of meetings in casual settings.

“You have a nice place. It’s exactly what I would’ve imagined for you. Soft colors, homey décor, and personal touches.”

“Thank you. This is my oasis. When I do spend time here, I want to relax and recharge as much as possible. I downsized from a house when we decided to start up the business. I put a lot of thought into what was important.”

“It shows. I actually envy you. Micah and I share a condo.” He grimaces.

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Let’s just say our tastes are very different and our space does not flow seamlessly the way yours does. I didn’t notice it as much when I was constantly traveling. Now, it’s painfully obvious.”

I snicker. “Boys and their bachelor pads. Be right back.” I sweep through the house, turning off lights, grab my purse off the counter, and guide him to the door. I strike up a conversation on the way down in the elevator. “What game are we playing?”

“We get together every few weeks, so we try to mix things up. This week we’re playing a new to us game called Dead of Winter. It’s a psychological Survival Game.”

“Like post-apocalyptic scenario?” I ask excitedly.

“Yeah. Awesome, isn’t it?” He smiles.

“I hope so. I haven’t played a tabletop game in forever.”

“We have a pretty big group. About twelve counting us, so we’ll have two games going at the same time.”