Page 7 of The Love Penalty

He’s Asher Drives-Me-Fucking-Crazy Bensen.

Asher Asshat Bensen.

I smirk. Asher Asshat. I like that.

My brain does a playful little giggle as I let that swirl through my head for a while. The streetlights flash past like a swift drumbeat, and we’re soon pulling into a parking space just outside Riley’s Righteous Bar & Grill.

“This place does the best burgers. I’ll buy you whatever you want. Order three if you will. No judgment here.”

“I’m paying,” I murmur as I grab my purse.

“What?” Asher swivels in his seat to snap at me. “No, I can buy you dinner.”

“No way. You paid for gas.”

“It’s my truck!”

I finally glance up at him, noticing the incredulous look on his face. It’s oddly satisfying.

With a cheesy grin, I pop open my door and tell him, “I don’t care. I’m paying for dinner or we’re not eating.”

He rolls his eyes and huffs, muttering his way out of his truck and slapping the door closed.

I stifle another giggle as I meet him at the restaurant door and let him open it for me.

CHAPTER 4

ASHER

I catch a whiff of her perfume as she glides past me. It’s intoxicating to say the least. Everything about this woman is. From her brown skin to those freckles on her nose and those big eyes that seem to take in everything. She’s a Polynesian princess, and my stupid brain can’t help picturing that lush, curvy body in a grass skirt with a coconut bra.

That’s probably really bad, but damn, she would look fucking fine in that getup.

Those hips of hers swaying to some Hawaiian beat, her toes sinking into the sand while she danced for me.

Would you shut the fuck up? She’s not going to dance for you, you moron.

She may be beautiful, but she’s a bitch. An intelligent, bossy, Potterhead, likes-classical-music bitch.

What a mindfuck.

I shake my head, forcing my eyes away from her body while she walks to a table near the center of the room. It’s basically the only one left. This place is packed.

It’s only then that I notice the guy at the front getting ready to start up a quiz night.

Lani takes a seat and pulls her phone out of her purse. “Quiz night,” she murmurs.

I nod as I sit in the chair beside her. She’s already downloading the app displayed on the screen up front, and it’s obvious she wants to take part. Truth is, so do I. I love this kinda shit. Competition. Trivia. It’s my drug of choice (not that I’ll ever admit that to anyone), but being on a team with this woman?

Can I stand it?

You’ve done it once before.

Yeah, but I had Caroline and Casey as buffers. It’s just the two of us tonight and?—

“Wanna?” She shows me the app on her phone screen, and I nod before logic has time to stop me.

She starts filling in our team information before I can retract my agreement, and then the waitress comes over to distract me.