By the time the wedding reception winded down to an end, my feet were killing me and my throat was raw. But I merely stretched the kinks of out my back before beginning to put away the karaoke machine.
Only half a dozen people remained: Knox and Felicity helping clean the floor, Ten and Caroline doing the same thing, and Asher.
Stumbling my way, he waved a hand. “Hey, sexy lady. Let me help you put that up.”
I laughed and waved him away. “Oh, no you don’t. I’ve got this just fine, plastered boy. I’m surprised you’re still able to stand upright.”
“I know, right?” He spread out his arms and looked down at his wobbling legs. “It’s like some kind of miracle.”
Damn it, he was even adorable when he was drunk off his ass.
“Yo, Drummer Girl.” Tearing my gaze from Asher, I scowled toward Ten, who’d wrapped his arm and suit jacket around Caroline’s shoulders as he steered her toward the exit. “Hart’s not fit to drive shit, so you can get him home, right?”
My eyes flared wide. Hell no, I couldn’t get Asher home. He was all sweet and drunk. What if I couldn’t help myself and ended up molesting him? “Can’t you get him home?” I asked, pleading with my eyes.
But Ten only grinned. “Fuck no. I plan on giving Caroline road head as she drives my drunk ass home.”
“Eww.” Wrinkling my nose, I couldn’t argue with that, and besides, it was too late anyway. He and Caroline had just escaped through the front door, leaving me here alone...with Asher.
I gazed wildly around the place, but even Knox and Felicity had disappeared too.
Shit.
“You remember where I live, right?” Asher said, drawing his finger up my arm. “Because I remember you remembering very clearly exactly where I live.”
I glanced at him and knew I was doomed. No way could I let him drive like this. And no way could I tell him no if he tried something.
From the glaze of lust in his green eyes as he watched me, he was definitely going to try something, too.
Damn it. I was fucked...literally.
Just as I feared, Asher was a very lovey-dovey, touchy-feely, horny kind of drunk.
“You looked really good tonight,” he told me from the passenger seat of my car. “Did I tell you earlier how good you looked?”
“Umm...” I bit my lip to keep myself together. “No, you didn’t. But thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It’s the truth, though. You were the most beautiful woman in that entire club. Don’t tell the bride, but you were even prettier than Eva. And I get to be in this car all alone with you right now. Damn, I’m a lucky bastard. Hey...” he slurred as he rolled his head against the seat so he could face me. “Guess what?”
“What?” I asked, oh so very ready to change the subject.
He sighed as he watched me. “I learned what te amo really meant,”
Shit! Okay, I didn’t want the subject turned to that, though.
I squeezed my hands around the steering wheel and said nothing. Why had I ever said that to him? I knew it wouldn’t take anything for him to ask anyone who knew Spanish to translate it for him.
“No one’s ever said that to me before,” he said, his voice going hoarse. “In any language.”
My heart tore for him, and I suddenly realized why I’d said it, because I pretty much already knew he hadn’t heard it a lot. His mother, his father, his uncle who barely raised him. None of them would’ve said it. And Pick was too new a brother to go spouting fluffy love crap quite yet. So I’d said it because he’d deserved to hear it.
And I’d meant it.
He was an amazing man who just needed one person to appreciate that and tell him how special he was. I knew it shouldn’t have been me, but I hadn’t been able to resist. Everyone needed to hear I love you at least once in his life.
“Did you mean it?” he asked.
I clenched my teeth and concentrated on driving as I pulled into the alley that led to his place. But as soon as I cut the engine, he pushed the issue again.