“Ash.” Beau’s voice entered my fantasy.
“Hmm . . .” I managed to respond as my hand touched his abs.
“What’re you doing?” His voice didn’t sound right. There was a panicked tone to it that snapped me out of my dream and into reality. I gasped when I realized my leg was hiked up on Beau’s thigh. The hem of my sundress was barely covering my panties. To make matters worse my hand was under his black shirt and his skin felt so warm and soft. The soft circular patterns on my arm had stopped and his hand was no longer touching me. Horror washed over me and I jerked my hand out of his shirt and sat up.
“Oh my God,” I blurted out. “I’m sorry . . . I didn’t mean . . . I’m sorry.” I couldn’t look at him. Not after I’d been all over him! Instead, I did the only thing I could think of. I ran for my room.
I pushed the door hard enough to slam it but the loud crack never came.
“Ash, wait.” Beau’s voice made me cringe. Oh God, WHY did he have to follow me? Couldn’t he have just left?
I couldn’t face him.
“I’m sorry. Just . . . go, okay?”
I crossed my arms and stared hard at the window, waiting for him to leave. His arms wrapped around me from behind and I whimpered as the humiliation just got worse. He was going to try to comfort me.
“I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours but from the way you’re acting I can imagine it’s pretty bad.” He lowered his head to my shoulder. “You want me to leave and I’m going to go. But first I want to make sure you understand something.”
My throat was tight and tears clogged my airway. Responding wasn’t possible.
“I started that in there. Not you. I wasn’t prepared for the reaction I got. I thought you’d push me away, not . . . snuggle closer.” He stopped again and his breath was warm on my neck before his lips touched my bare shoulder. I shivered and his hands ran down my arms until they covered mine. “I shouldn’t have touched you. But I couldn’t help myself,” he murmured against my ear.
I wanted to argue. It wasn’t his fault. I wanted to tell him I was the one who got carried away. But I couldn’t manage more than just a small snivel. “I can’t do this, Ash. God knows I want to but I can’t,” and then he was gone. I turned to see him walking out of my door. More than anything I wanted to call him back, but I didn’t.
Chapter 4
The ding alerting me of a text message woke me up. I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus before reaching for my phone.
Beau: G’ morning
The shock of seeing his name on my phone this early had me sitting up quickly and then flopping back down against my pillow as last night’s events rushed back to me. I could almost feel Beau’s lips on my shoulder and I shivered under the covers.
Beau: When u wake up call me
I should ignore him. I should ignore these texts and pretend like last night never happened. But the memory of his breath in my ear and his hands caressing my arms threw all my good intentions out the window.
Me: I’m awake now
In less than a minute my phone rang. I had a decision to make and fast. I either ignore his call and save both Beau and me the future trouble. Or I answer and forget about the consequences.
“Hello.”
“Hey.” His voice made me instantly glad I answered.
“About last night,” I began.
“I want to see you today,” he interrupted.
My heart pounded in my chest and I smiled up at the ceiling. He wanted to see me.
“Okay,” I replied quickly.
“Do you mind coming here?”
“Your place?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got some things I need to do for Mom. Why don’t you come keep me company?”
I sat up in bed grinning like an idiot.
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet.”
“I’ll bring breakfast then,” I replied.
“Sounds good.”
“Okay, bye.”
He hesitated a minute then said, “See ya soon.”
My heart was going at warp speed as I jumped up and headed to the kitchen to make some biscuits before taking a shower.
Beau
I reached for my phone for at least the tenth time to call and cancel when Ashton’s Jetta spun into the gravel drive outside.
Great.
I’d successfully fought off my good intentions just long enough for her to get here. This was bad. Hurting people isn’t something I have issues with, but hurting Sawyer? That’s out of the question.
Ashton stepped out of her car wearing another short dress and carrying a plate of food. Watching the sway of her hips under the wispy fabric as she made her way toward me, the corners of her mouth turned up in a shy little smile, I decided I didn’t care if I was being a dirtbag. Sawyer wasn’t here and I couldn’t seem to help myself.
My cousin should have stayed his ass home.
“I made sausage biscuits,” she said as she approached the door.
“Yum, I’m starving,” I replied, holding the door open for her. The breeze ruffled her hair as she walked past me. Why did she have to smell so damn good? I closed the door and turned around to drink her in. Last night when I’d left her I’d gone straight to Nicole. Reminding myself who I was had been vitally important. Nicole had been very willing but my body couldn’t seem to forget how good Ashton felt curled up against me.
“I didn’t expect you to call me,” Ashton said softly while studying the plate of biscuits in her hands. I’d had a moment of intense weakness when I’d woken up from an incredibly good dream she had starred in. All I could think about was being near her again.
“I hated the way we left things last night.”
She blushed and glanced up at me. “I’m really sorry about how I acted.”
Damn, damn, damn, I wasn’t going to be able to resist her. Pushing Sawyer to the deep dark forgotten part of my mind I walked over to her and took the plate of biscuits and sat them down on the counter.
“I told you last night, I started it. I should be the one apologizing.”
She let out a small laugh and stared down at her feet.
“No, I distinctly remember it being my leg that was hiked up in your lap and my hand that was up your shirt. You had completely stopped touching me. Thanks for trying to take the blame off me but I was there, Beau.”