He holding coffee and looking concerned.
He considered not answering. Pretending he wasn't home.
But Kael knocked again. "Asher, I know you're in there. James confirmed you haven't left."
Of course. The security detail.
Asher opened the door but didn't invite Kael in. "What do you want?"
"You called in sick. You never call in sick." Kael's eyes searched his face. "What happened?"
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Damian showed up at your apartment last night. That concerns me."
"Your security guard handled it. Problem solved."
"Asher—"
"Mr. Everhart, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. I just need a personal day."
The formal address made Kael flinch. "Don't do that. Don't shut me out."
"I'm not shutting you out. We're not close enough for that to be possible." Asher kept his voice cold, professional. "You're my boss. I'm your employee. That's the extent of our relationship."
"That's not true and you know it—"
