Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 196

I squeal and rush towards the bathroom, the sound of Asher's low chuckle following me as I slam the door shut behind me. My cheeks are burning, and not just from the embarrassment, I’m still reeling from everything. From Leon’s little face full of joy… from Asher’s smile… from the way my body aches in the best and worst ways.

The shower hits me like a reset button. Steam curls around me as I stand under the hot water, letting it wash away the physical evidence of the afternoon, but none of the emotion. I press my forehead to the cool tile and close my eyes.

What am I doing?

How did I go from wild limbs and tangled sheets? And now… now I have to go downstairs and pretend like I’m not buzzing with every kind of feeling imaginable.

When I come out in fresh clothes, simple jeans and a t-shirt, I feel more like myself again. Not the version that was crying in his arms this morning or moaning in the bed this afternoon. Just… me. Casey. Leon’s mom.

Asher is standing near the dresser, shirtless, finishing the last bite of the ice cream cone. He raises his brows when he sees me.

“What?” I asked him, a little bit hesitant, a little bit unsure.

“Nothing,” he says. “But… you’re really beautiful.”

He says it like he’s just noticed. Like he’s discovered something rare. Like he’s created something special and I love it.

“Okay,” I say, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “So, I’m going downstairs. The shower is all yours, the bedroom is all yours. I’ll make sure Leon or Maria doesn’t come in here.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re gonna leave me in here for the rest of the night,” he says, teasingly. But there’s a thread of seriousness under his voice, that I don’t miss.

“I’m gonna try to come back as soon as I can,” I promise. “I’ll just listen to Leon’s football story and find a way to quickly come upstairs. After all… I don’t know how long you’re staying.”

Something shifts in his face, just slightly but he only nods. I think that’s the end of the conversation, so I turn and head downstairs.

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