Asher sighed, debating his next words, but then looking up he seemed determined to speak them. "I do have one idea. She needs a home and we need a nanny, someone to look after the children. She already has a relationship with Mary and she reads to kids at the library, so that means she must like working with them."

"That sounds all well and good," Ari moved closer to him, "but you just mentioned the laws of which you have to uphold and she's not a Lake."

"But she could be, I have that right to give her the Lake name."

Ari searched Asher's face and he could tell that he wasn't meaning to be contradicting. He knew Asher had no plans to take her as his wife, but even then the alternative wasn't an option. Ari didn't want him to see it as an option. "In other words you're going to ask her to sign a contract...with you."

"Dude, I think that's an awesome idea. I'm for it," Nixon announced. The intensity in which he delivered the words not only surprised Ari, they took Asher just as equally off guard.

"But I'm not," Ari said. "I think knowing what she's been through with her jerky boyfriend that's a little unfair to her. You can't ask her to do that Asher."

"What if I merely give her the choice and let her decide," Asher uttered, not looking at him. "In the meantime she could come home with us and I can't see how that would bother you in the least."

"You do what you want. You ask her to sign your contract but leave me out of it." Ari slammed his glass down on the bar and since Elle was still in the bathroom he went to his room to grab clothes.

Chapter Nineteen.

Misconceptions The furnishings were dark and expensive looking black lacquer stuff. The bed was covered in black silk sheets and matching feather comforter. The room smelled of Ari's strong cologne. She wondered just how many women had sat in her place on his bed, and soaked in the huge sunken tub.

Through the walls she had heard them arguing. Several times in the last hour Elle had thought about leaving and saving herself a bunch of awkward embarrassment, but she sat in a robe with nothing underneath. Her clothes along with her shoes had disappeared, and out the window she could see fresh snowflakes falling.

If she could just get through the night, she would leave then. She would go and put distance between her and the Lakes. Then they wouldn't have to talk about her in the next room. Then they wouldn't have to worry about what they planned to do with her. Starling at the sound of a knock, Elle saw it was the orange haired girl, Kennedy standing in the door that led out to the hall. Elle knew her room was just across the way but she knew she didn't want her in there either.

"Ostentatious isn't it, the room?" She tossed a stack of clothes on the bed. "He's such a man-slut."

"I got that feeling," Elle said. The girl didn't look at her. She just crossed to the closet, opened the door to reveal a row of dark suits and dress shirts, and took a brush and mirror from a dresser top inside. When she dropped the items on the bed, Elle noticed the long blonde strands clinging to the hair brush. "And I guess that confirms it," she laughed.

Kennedy ignored her. "Well when you're dressed come relieve me," she said. "Oh and I ordered a pizza, but if you don't get over there quick that kids gonna scarf everything up."

"Thanks for the clothes. I'll get them back to you."

"No need," Kennedy wrinkled her nose. "I have plenty and those are some I keep here for spares. I haven't been here in over a year. They're outdated."

"Well, thanks anyway." Elle noticed her slow down on her way to the door, but she didn't stop. Since arriving, Kennedy had done nothing that articulated a welcome.

Taking the clothes to the bathroom, Elle discarded the robe. She pulled on new undergarments that still sported shocking price tags. The rest of the clothes were the same, new, expensive and fit the style of a teenage girl. The jeans were low rise, snug and showed off her curves. The shirt was light blue and low cut. Elle had always downplayed her assets for fear Julio would think she was trying to attract men. Now she feared what the Lake's would think.

At least along with everything else, Kennedy had included an over jacket, a sporty looking white denim coat with a zippered front and hood. She sat that aside. The bathroom was steamed up from the hot bath and blow dryer, and her cheeks were a little flushed from the heat.

After a quick brush through her hair, Elle cleaned the bathroom, grabbed the jacket and stepped out. She had her right arm halfway in the sleeve when she noticed movement. She froze in mid-step and stumbled into the leather wing chair. The first thing that flashed in her head again was Julio, but this time it wasn't him or even Ari. He didn't have the same effect on her as his brother did. Asher had the power to turn her into a bumbling idiot.

He sat on the edge of Ari's bed. His hair was shiny and damp and slicked back from his face. He was clean shaven and wearing different clothes-a pale blue tee-shirt that looked a little snug and faded jeans. He was barefoot just as she was. His bright blue hypnotic eyes moved slowly upward. She was wearing Kennedy's clothes, her hair and body was washed so she didn't stink. She could only hope he saw an improvement.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I guess there was no getting around that," he said.

"You could have given me a head's up." She pulled the jacket the rest of the way on, and quickly started working on the zipper. The big v area in the front of the shirt made her uncomfortable and exposed far too much of Julio's handiwork.

"Yes," he dropped his eyes, "I should have thought of that."

"Ari's not here. I thought he was with you?"

"He was, now he's not. I needed to talk to you...alone." He pursed his lips in thought.

She waited for him to resume, but he just sat with an unreadable sort of glazed look, playing with a loose thread on the knee of his jeans. "Look I can see that you're struggling, so I'll speed things along," she said. "I know I'm here because of Ari. I heard you two arguing. I appreciate all of this, but I don't want to be a problem for anyone. But in my defense I'm not who you think I am. "

"No you're not," he quickly responded which only fueled Elle's frustrations. When he unexpectedly looked up and she saw that a grin was playing on his perfect lips, she forgot what she was about to say. "You've been kind Elle to accept my family and me the way that you have--well apart from the occasional remark. Others don't always prove to be so generous especially to me when they get a good look at me. I finally get the comment about the Bonnie Tyler song. Nixon was kind enough to sing it, repeatedly, while I showered, particularly the turnaround bright eyes part."

Elle was confused. "You mean I've been kind to you because I didn't freak out about your eyes?"

Asher nodded. "I usually hide them. The truth is I may not be able to control my eyes, but I can control my temper. I just choose not to. I would like to have the opportunity to at least try. I have a proposition for you Elle, and if you'll join us for dinner, I'll explain."

"Kennedy ordered-"

"Pizza is not exactly the dinner I had wished to extend to you. Grant meant a lot to me and it appears that even though your time with his child was short, I know he would have appreciated your compassion. I know that I do." His head dropped. Unlike his brother, Asher's sincerity wasn't as easy to clarify. His words were somewhat stilted as though he had mentally made up an entire conversation in his head, and now he couldn't remember his lines.

"I didn't do anything for Mary other than what I wished someone would have done for me. You don't owe me anything. I might have given you that impression-"

"I didn't say anything about owing or impressions," Asher exhaled deeply. "Please understand that this is hard enough on me."

"Hard how, because I'm east side pregnant trash? Yeah, I heard that word come up. I'm just not sure why you felt the need to tell your brothers." Elle scanned the floor for her shoes. "I can't face them now."

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Asher examined his hands. "That was never my intention. I'm not very good with people just ask my brothers. But in this particular case I meant hard as in the sense that you are a woman." He emphasized the last few words.

Elle realized she was staring, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from him. She had pictured him not much different than Ari when it came to women. How could he not be? He had all the elements of a paperback hero. Asher Lake was what Sandra and her other coworkers at the library called eye-candy. She had thought his behavior was due to her alone and for reasons other than discomfort.

"You said you've read the Tale of Two Brothers series, and if you've deemed anything from them at all, then you have got to know that Pain and I share similar qualities. And unlike his idiot doff of a brother with his pretentious bachelor pad, and numerous women, Pain is what?" Asher wanted her to answer so Elle thought hard but when she recalled Pain's vow, she couldn't say the word out loud.

"He made a vow of celibacy and so have I," Asher answered for her. "It comes with the territory, a vow I'm sworn to as Keeper. What I'm trying to say is on the account of that I chose-" hesitating he closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he met hers with earnestness, and she knew that he wanted her to understand. "I chose a long time ago to avoid female company whenever possible. That choice may have been easier for me then, but now it leaves me ignorant in how to act, and that in turn makes me uncomfortable."

"You didn't seem all that uncomfortable when you were pulling me onto your lap and encircling me in your magic bubble."

Standing almost instinctively, Asher started for the door. Midway across the room he stopped and turned back. "I guess I deserved that, but I was trying to be straight with you. I wanted you to understand where I'm coming from. I guess it was too much to ask that you give me the courtesy of not trying to embarrass me in the process."

Elle could see the flush to his pale skin and his sudden avoidance of her gaze. Up until that point he had been at least trying to make eye contact and for that she felt bad.

"I guess if I understood your point I wouldn't be so on guard." She said. "I understand your reason for being uncomfortable around women, no not women, because in this case we're only talking about me. But if the only purpose of this conversation is because you think I'm going to try and take advantage of your vulnerability or any of you," she mindlessly waved a hand behind her toward the glowing Lake Inc. sign, "because of that than you're wrong."

Asher glanced out the window with a great deal of puzzlement showing in his eyes, and then as though the meaning of her words became suddenly clear, he hurriedly crossed the room, shaking his head as he neared. Instinctually since she had lived years with Julio's short fuse, Elle took a giant step backward but when she came up short against the chair, she fell back onto the seat. Asher moved to the bed and sat down directly in front of her, and laced his fingers in front of him. He watched her awhile, before he spoke.

"I may have trouble with communication but just now when you pointed to my company, you made me realize that this between us, isn't just about me. You behaved the same on the roof when I mentioned the Plaza and when you saw the limo you actually panicked. You have formed an impression of us that is unfair. Yes we're rich. There is no denying that, but we're not the typical rich and famous. Don't form an opinion of us because of that, when that doesn't matter to us at all." This time Asher pointed out the window.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing and judging you," she said, "you make me just as uncomfortable Asher, for several reasons."

"Yes," he chuckled, "I've seen that, but none of the reasons are for what they should be. You have completely accepted the paranormal aspects of us Lake's and fallen victim to reality."

Elle nodded. "I guess that does seem odd to you." Since he was trying to hide the fact that he was smiling, she guessed he didn't mind.

"I have no doubt that my conduct seemed unbecoming to you before," he said. "No matter how unjustified, I did have my reasons, but they weren't however for the reasons you believed. People hate me Elle and they're trying to hurt my family. I live under certain rules and guidelines that I don't exactly believe in that I am forced to maintain. There are many factors but my anger wasn't exactly aimed at you in general. I can't expect you to understand, but when it comes to you in particular, I stand in no position to play anyone's judge, and I would never intentionally harm you."

He met her gaze then and when his eyes steadily moved over her face, she was the one that looked down away from him. She didn't want him to look at the bruises.

"Elle," he continued, "to further reiterate the matter of money and wrongly judging, I have this to say. We ani-shifts can detect natures and not once did the thought of you taking advantage of me or my brothers cross my mind. As a matter of fact I was planning on insisting you accept my help, and I can be quite stubborn." When she glanced up this time there was a devious smirk playing on his lips which sent her heart to fluttering in a strange way.

Standing, Asher crossed the room again and in about the same spot as before, turned back. "Ari was right," he said, "when he told you that there are things you don't understand. I had hoped to explain some of them downstairs. You can decide what you wish to do though. You can join me for dinner and see what I have to offer or you can eat pizza with Kennedy and Mary in the other room."

Elle stood up and moved across the carpeted floor to where he stood and he watched her approach through the veil of his hair. She hadn't failed to notice that he didn't say anything about her leaving. "Then I'm no bother?"

"If you were a bother, you wouldn't be here," Asher tilted his head back and looked at her through his long lashes, "and I know Ari told you that. But since you are here tell me something. Would you have just walked away?" He softly grunted when she nodded. "And when you heard us arguing, how many times did you think of doing the same?"

His lips quirked upwards into a devilish smile when she stuck out her chin in an attempt to be stubborn and not answer. "Well then, I believe you have helped me to make the right choice. You will join me for dinner Elle. You seem to need a little help deciding things." This time his words were final. There would be no more discussing the matter.

Elle couldn't deny the urge to resist him but Asher had his own way such as his brother Ari had his charm. She was afraid of Asher's intensity just as much as she was drawn to him, drawn like a trusting bug to a Venus Fly Trap.

"Fine, but I need to say hello to Mary first. She's really freaked out, and maybe Kennedy has an extra pair of shoes, mine have disappeared."

"Don't bother, I'm not wearing any."

"But it's a restaurant."

"And in the light of sounding flamboyantly rich," he said, "since in fact I just informed you that I'm not, I will remind you that I own the restaurant."

Asher stepped out into the hall. He pulled on a tailored fit white jacket, just as Kennedy flung open the door to her room. Even though her mouth was gaping wide open on verge of some angry remark she had planned to say, she stood gawking instead. Her eyes went to Elle and then to Asher. "Oh my God! Why are you dressed alike?"

"Actually," Asher crossed in front of her into the room, "I was going to ask you that very question. I thought you gave her the clothes intentionally."

"No why would I do that?" She followed him in the room. "I just grabbed stuff I didn't want anymore. Asher! Why would I do that?"

Asher's response was to pretend that he didn't hear her. He went to where Mary sat on the floor in between the two queen size beds. Her face was red from crying and where her tears fell it washed away a layer of soot and smeared pizza sauce. Asher knelt in front of her but Mary cowered away and started crying all the harder. The fingers on his extended hand curled inward and he didn't seem to know what to do.

"He tends to have that effect on people, especially children," Kennedy said matter-of-factly exploring the shiny, orange polish on her fingernails.

"Mary, he's not going to hurt you," Elle said. The instant she said the words Mary's cries came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes widened and in a flash she was on her feet. She ran around Asher and wrapped arms around Elle's waist so tight, it took the very breath from her lungs. Asher turned to watch them. He seemed genuinely curious.

"Miss Ison, it is you?" Mary squealed.

"Of course it is." Elle pushed her back at arm's length. "Now what's this all about?"

"You don't look like yourself. I kept asking when you were gonna come to get me. I don't like her." Mary pointed at Kennedy, who in turn stuck out her tongue.

"Well at least I don't stink," Kennedy retorted.

"That's enough girl," Asher warned, "after all she is Grant's child."

Kennedy's eyes glassed over as she looked at Mary. "You're right and I'm sorry."

Mary didn't appear persuaded. Instead she tightened her hold on Elle's waist. "Mary I need to go with this fella here," Elle said.

At first both Kennedy and Mary looked as though they would protest, but that was before she and Asher apparently made them think otherwise. Asher held up his finger to silence Kennedy, and she put a finger on Mary's lips that silenced her.

"Now I want you to go take a bath just like you did for me at home. She's right, you do stink and I told you that I don't like to be around you when you stink. Scrub real good, wash and brush that crazy hair and I'll come back to see you in a little while."

"Do I really have to take a bath?"

"Yes, or I won't come back." Bending Elle kissed Mary on the head, and then steered her in the direction of the bathroom. "Use plenty of soap Mary." When Mary wasn't looking, Elle wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and out of the corner of her eye, she not only noticed Asher grin, she saw that Kennedy was observing him with a thoughtful frown.

They were in the elevator heading down to the first floor, Asher standing as far away from her as possible, before he looked her way.

"She looks like Grant, except for the hair." He wrinkled his nose. "I'm sensitive to smell."

"So you've implied." Elle kept her gaze straight ahead. The elevator doors were mirrored and she could clearly see his reflection. His gaze grazed over her face, but when he noticed her watching him he quickly averted his eyes. He found the red floor letters above the elevator doors far more interesting. "I guess," She said, "if the trash sets too long and it starts to stink it will eventually get your attention."

"Not where I live," he snorted.

"Well, she really is a good child. I didn't believe her of course, but one night on the fire escape she told me she was an ani-shift like in one of the books I read to the children."

"She's a wolf just like her dad."

"A wolf!" Elle said. Asher's head jerked sideways. His lips parted but he didn't say anything. He just studied her expression. "Mary, that sweet little girl is a wolf?" she asked.

"Yes, she is a grey," he said. "Do wolves frighten you?"

"Well, if I was to encounter one in the woods that wanted to eat me for dinner, maybe, but I think I can handle Mary being a wolf after dealing with Kennedy."

"Yes," Asher grinned. "I guess Nixon and Ari are less intimidating, but if some mean black wolf with orange eyes ever comes after you in the woods, I would run."

Turning back to the mirror the grin quickly faded from Asher's lips. The surprise in his eyes told Elle that he had noticed the fact he was smiling, and now that he was currently frowning gave her the impression he wasn't happy with himself.

"Did her mother know?" he redirected.

"No, I don't believe so." Elle thought of her few conversations with Mea and substantiated with a shake of her head. "She told me Grant was very secretive and didn't talk about his family much. One day she just didn't hear from him again. She said she started drinking shortly after that."

"I can't believe Grant would fall in love with a woman that would reject his child."

"I won't defend Mea because I believe the same. She should have kept Grant alive through Mary, but instead she chose to run from her pain and pretend life didn't happen. Is it too much for me to ask how he died?" Asher shifted uncomfortably so Elle turned her head so that she could clearly make him out. His hair had dried and now fell forward in his face. He combed it back with his fingers but stubbornly the black layers fell back in place to conceal his expression making that task difficult. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked." She said. "I can tell it still upsets you."

"Ten years and in my mind it was just yesterday. Not one day goes by that I don't live without regret. He shouldn't have fallen in love. What good did it do him? No one benefited from it, not Mary, not her mom and definitely not me? I was left to clean up the mess and I did a horrible job. I should have seen to Mary a long time ago but I guess I've done enough running of my own."

"But she's safe with you now and that's what counts. Once Mea returns to the apartment and learns of the fire she will worry about Mary. What will come of her?"

"I'll hire someone to find Mea Carter but I haven't decided after that."