Caden's POV

 "Say that one more time.

I didn't quite hear you the first time." I said, uncrossing my arms.

 Casa shook her head as if disappointed. "This isn't a joke, Caden. You will be getting married if your life is threatened again."

 "Like fuck I will!" I scoffed. "You expect me to arrive when my life is in danger? What is marriage now? Some sort of life insurance?"

 Gabriel made an attempt to speak but I cut him off.

 "Not another word from you. The last thing I want to hear is your shitty American accent." I spun around and picked at the hairs at the back of my neck with my good hand.

 "Caden, this is what your grandfather wanted." Jonathan began softly.

 "What about what I want?" I tilted my head to meet his gaze. "Did any of you stop to ask me that?"

 "It's not in our power to do that, Caden," Jonathan sighed. "Your grandfather clearly stated in the second clause that if a threat to your life is deemed persistent beyond 30 days, then you'll have to get married to someone vetted and approved by the board."

 "Why?" I asked, still picking at the hairs till they stung like a bitch.

 "Your grandpa was obsessed with legacy and stability. And a single, reckless CEO with a death wish isn't exactly stable in the eyes of investors." Gabriel added.

 "Investors are what you're worried about when my life is in danger? I should fire you!" I hissed. "And marriage? Who, pray tell, is the saviour I'll be getting married to."

 The trio exchanged quiet looks, giving me the answer I needed to know.

 I slapped my forehead."Jesus Christ."

 "Having a bodyguard follow you everywhere 24/7 will only spark suspicion among the people so to avoid that, your grandfather decided we have a bodyguard pose as your partner, thereby reducing the risk of your life falling in danger." Casa explained like this was one of those shitty lectures she attends in Cambridge.

 I sum everything they've told me and sighed. "So you're telling me if I don't marry my bodyguard, I lose my entire company?"

 The trio exchanged a resigned look before looking at me.

 "Yes." They chorused.

 That word did enough damage.

 I stuffed both my hands in my pockets and turned to the door.

 "Caden, where are you going?" Gabriel called behind me.

 I clutched the doorknob and twisted it open. "To my room to get some sleep.

You know, to sleep on the bomb you three just dropped on my lap."

 "You know this marriage will still hold without your consent." Casa added.

 "Like hell it would." I walked out of the room, not forgetting to slam the door on my way out.

 I didn't even bother to return to the kitchen. Those three had successfully ruined my appetite like they do every time.

 "Dinner is ready, sir." Joakim said the moment I stepped into the living room.

 I dismissed him with a light wave. "I'm not hungry. Thank you."

 "You sure?" He arched his brow.

 "Are you deaf?! I said I'm not hungry!" I snapped.

 Shit.

 I palmed my forehead and sighed. "Look, I lost my cool and I'm sorry but please, I'm not hungry. You can share dinner with the rest of the team. Goodnight."

 With that, I paddled to the direction of my room. A good night's sleep would fix this nightmare. I'm too young to be depressed.

 "Depressed huh? That's a common word teenagers use nowadays." Those words flashed through my head and I stopped dead in my tracks.

 It was HIM. Again. Why does he keep running through my mind after all these years? What gave him the right to just punish me with the memory of his eyes and his scent?

 Fuck. I think I'm obsessed.

 Another sigh escaped me and I took a step forward but I bumped into a wall. Since when were walls built with chiseled muscles and 6 packs?

 "If you want to feel my abs, you could just ask nicely." A familiar gravy voice caressed my skin.

 I looked up and met full pink lips, pointed nose till they locked on dark-gray eyes.

 Asher was sporting a black T-shirt that clung to his upper body like a second skin. The man was ripped in all the good places. He was the kind of man God had spent time creating. Too bad, the man in question was an infuriating asshole.

 "I'd rather bleach my eyes than touch you." I pulled away from him.

 "You sure? Because you looked like you wanted to." He flashed me a grin and I died. I cannot be attracted to this man. It's Mission : Impossible.

 "Go fuck yourself, Asher." I tried to sidestep him but he grabbed my elbow. "Let go."

 "One of these days, I'll teach that foul mouth of yours a lesson." He growled.

 Okay. What did I find that hot? And why in Queen Elizabeth's name was I looking forward to the lesson he'll teach me. My mouth, I mean.

 Get your head back in the game, Caden.

 I shoved his arm away but he was quick to grab me. This time he pulled me closer to himself. No distance, no space. Just the two of us, chest pressed against each other, breaths nearly one.

 "Don't make my job difficult for me, little prince." Asher hissed.

 "If you don't want me to make your life a living hell, I suggest you get out of my fucking way." I bit out.

 "Watch what you say to me." Asher's grip on my elbow tightened.

 I don't wince. I won't give him the liberty of seeing me fumble. So, I lift my chin and smile. "Get the fuck out of my way, please."

 He murmured a rain of unintelligent curses before he dragged me away.

 "Where the hell are we going?" I asked, trying my best to keep up with his large footsteps.

 "Dinner." He growled again.

Asher's POV

Despite my rambunctious lifestyle, I was a man of principle.

I never lost my cool unless when necessary and I certainly never lost control for any reason. Not for a fight or booze or even women. But right now, at this moment, I'd been driven so close to the edge that I feared one more step would tip me over to my doom. My own customized doom - Caden Booker.

My personal hell was this forced proximity, this natural prison I was growing accustomed to. It was torture watching him from afar and not be able to do anything to him. To ruin that perfect image was my perfect bliss. To watch him writhe beneath me and unravel like he did 5 years ago, was my personal prayer request to God, but God in his infinite cruelty, refused to answer that.

 'I am not Gay. Stop thinking like that, Asher.' I screamed that mantra in my head as I led Caden to the dining room. If no one watched the little fucker, he'll starve himself for days. I've kept tabs on him for years to notice that disturbing habit.

I pull out a chair and shove him on it. "Sit down, shut up and eat."

 "Don't talk to me that way, asshole." The blonde prince crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me.

God, I like it when he does that but as much as I do, I hate the fact that I love it.

Caden - 1 Asher - 0

"Did you poison this?" Caden said as he stared at the food.

I noticed that look on his face and leaned back in my chair. "Oh really? Your eyes and mouth are saying two different things."

"Got to hell." Caden hissed.

"You shouldn't curse." I glared at him.

"Go to hell, please." He smiled sweetly, mischief dancing in those baby-blue eyes.

"You can dig in. I know you're hungry." I smiled at his cute attempts to spite me.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Thank you but I'd rather starve."

Well, not on my watch. I'm not saying because I don't want him to starve but because it'll only cause suspicions if he lost weight.

Convincing him would turn into a battle of words and I had no time for that, especially when he's upset from the bombshell Gabriel and the others dropped earlier. So, I picked up my spoon and started eating. If Caden was truly hungry, he would've left the table a while ago. Instead, he chose to stay.

A few minutes into dinner, he picked up a spoon and joined me.

 I didn't say a word to him. If I did, I'd annoy him and he'd probably go on a hunger strike for a month.

He lifted a bowl of chilli. I forgot to tell him it was still hot. His injured finger touched the bowl and he winced, dropping it.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed in that posh accent I liked, blowing air to his index finger.

 "Fuck." I reached for him. "You should've been careful."

"It's just a little sting. Don't grow soft on me now." Caden scoffed.

"More like growing annoyed. Didn't you see the steam coming out of the bowl?" I ripped the band-aid off his finger and tossed it aside.

"Look, I don't need your help. I'm fine!" Caden tried to take back his finger and I spanked him.

 He froze, colour rising to his pale skin. "W - what did you just do to me?"

I didn't answer. Didn't need to because we both knew what I just did.

 "Did you just spank me?" Caden scoffed.

"Yes and I'll do that again if you don't behave." I applied pressure to the finger and with my free hand whipped out an ointment from my pocket.

"You carry that around?" Caden furrowed his brows.

"For a walking disaster like you? Yes." I unscrewed the cap and applied a little portion on the finger.

"I hate you." Caden bit out.

"Likewise." I let go of his fingers and eyes locked.

 For a moment, I drank him in. Shining blonde hair my fingers itched to run through, lips I'd ached to taste, and a body made for me to ruin. I drank Caden in, in all his twisted glory and I was still thirsty.

"Stop looking at me like that." Caden broke the silent spell that'd trapped us.

The air was super charged with tension or whatever the hell I felt a few seconds ago and I wondered if he felt it too.

"Like what?" I quipped, drawing closer. I needed to see him. All of him.

"Like you want to ruin me." He said softly.

 Jesus fucking Christ.

I'll burst into flames if I don't touch him.

One more step and it'll all be over.

"Asher, come on, you've gotta check this out!"

 Frisbee walked into the dining room. Frisbee was my best hacker and one of the guys I owe my life to, but at that moment, I was this close to killing him.

 "Oh. Am I interrupting?" He slowed in his tracks.

"No." I brushed past Caden and followed Frisbee.

We arrived at the control room downstairs.

Computers, lots of them lined the walls. They were Frisbee's favourite type of thing. As guns were my poison, computers were his. It was just him in the control room. The others were guarding the exterior of the estate.

He grabbed his swivel chair and typed away at the keyboard. The windows interface appeared on the computer screen and he clicked on an untitled file.

 "I found what you were looking for," he began. "But you're not gonna like it."

Like the police and practically half of the FBI, I was also investigating Caden's assassination. My job is to kill Caden but someone nearly deprived me of that. And I told Frisbee to find the fucker and he delivered. He never ceased to impress me. What I didn't like was the part of not liking what I would see.

"Open it." I ordered.

Frisbee opened the file. After spending a few seconds encrypting a secret code he'd used to hide the original content in the file, he played it - it was a video. Not just any video but footage.

 It was a wide shot of a private car wash. I noticed a middle-aged man I'd seen in Caden's family mansion step out of the BMV. Was he the one who planted the bomb? Doubtful. He was talking to the carwash owner.

"Fast forward." I leaned closer, watching the footage.

My eyes zeroed in on an odd factor and I snapped my finger. "Pause and zoom in."

Frisbee did as he was told.

I looked at the grainy image on the screen and dragged my hand through my hair.

I pinched the skin between my brows. "You've gotta be kidding me."

 "You know her, boss?" He asked.

"Yeah," I turned away from the office.

"Who?

An old flame?" he called behind me.

 "No!" I called back. "She's my fucking niece!"

My niece tried to kill Caden.