by Jewel, Bella
Ashlyn went to speak, but Lachlan decided to twist the knife a little further. “Obviously, she is slowly coming to her senses and knows what cock she truly wants.”
“Don’t be an asshole, Lachlan. I said what I needed to say,” Ashlyn spat, then stood from the table.
“Let’s go,” I demanded, wanting to get the fuck out of there as quickly as possible.
She didn’t object. Without a word or another look at Lachlan, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the bar, with Ky close on her heel. I stuck with Lachlan. When she was out of sight, I swung back to him to find his eyes locked firmly on the door Ashlyn had just disappeared through.
Leaning over the table, I got in his face, and his arrogant gaze fell to mine. My jaw clenched as the need to wipe the smug look off his face hit me full force.
“Ashlyn is mine, and what’s mine I will protect until I take my last breath. I don’t care what I have to do, but I will do anything to protect her. Leave her the fuck alone.”
“You are a joke, Josh. She will come to her senses. It’s only a matter of time. She came back to me once, the second time will be the icing on the cake.”
“Fuck off. You’ve been warned.”
There was no point in sticking around. With anger seething through my body, I left the bar before I lost control. What the fuck was she doing here? Betrayal and confusion were a dangerous mix. The sunlight hit my eyes, and I pulled my sunglasses on, which helped avoid Ashlyn’s gaze. She stood beside Ky near her car, and her eyes burned into me as I crossed the parking lot.
“I’ll drive Ashlyn’s car,” I stated without any emotion.
Ashlyn broke the distance between us, but I needed to get my thoughts in check before I could even touch her.
I stepped away. “I need a minute.”
“You okay to drive?” Ky asked nervously, his brow furrowed and concern flickering over his face.
“I need to drive.”
Without fighting or complaining, Ashlyn handed over her keys. Avoiding her gaze, I headed toward the car, pushed the button for the locks, and slid into the driver’s seat. In the silence of the car, I took a couple of deep breaths and rested my head against the seat. This was beyond fucked up. The passenger door opened, and I watched Ashlyn climb in. Her eyes showed her nerves and reluctance. As I pulled out of the parking lot, quiet filled the car. This was not how I imagined today going. After not seeing her for a week, I should have been kissing the fuck out of her by now.
“Can you please say something?” Ashlyn asked in a timid voice beside me. Her hand came to rest on my thigh, and she offered a gentle squeeze.
“I’m pissed off. Just let me calm down and I’ll be fine.”
Her hand remained on my thigh, and she didn’t say another word. The apartment building appeared, and I drove into the parking garage. Neither of us said a word as we walked with Ky to the elevators.
“Are we not going to your apartment?” she asked as the elevator didn’t stop on floor eight.
“Nope, everyone is at Ky’s old place.”
When the doors opened on the tenth floor, the three of us stepped out and headed to the front door. Her hand shot out and grabbed mine before I had a chance to follow Ky into the apartment. Her fingers entwined with mine and she pulled me close to her body. Finally, I got the chance to really look at her and have her close for the first time in over a week. I was beyond pissed, but more than anything I was completely in the dark about what she could possibly be doing with Lachlan. Insecurities were a fucked up thing, and right now, mine were taunting me. I was always a confident man, maybe too confident at times, but with Ashlyn, my insecurities seemed to appear more often than I’d like.
“I really want to kiss you, but I know you are pissed off at me,” she said softly, running her thumb over the back of my hand.
“Yes, I’m pissed off, but mainly, I’m confused as to why you were with him. Have you decided that you don’t want to be with me? Is that it? I’m in too far with you to deal with this kind of bullshit, so just tell me now. Right here, right now. What the fuck were you doing with him?”
Her face stilled, then she took a step away from me and headed into the apartment. All eyes fell onto us, both seething with our own thoughts, and suddenly it felt like we were under scrutiny. Ashlyn avoided me, and that alone confused me. How was I in the wrong?
“You okay, Ash?” Eden asked sweetly, and took a step toward her.
Ashlyn offered the briefest of smiles. “I’m fine. I’m going to have a shower and start getting ready for tonight.”
She was shutting down at a fast rate, which caused my frustration to grow. Had she completely disregarded the fact that she went to see Lachlan? Was this her way of telling me that my fears were justified?
“Don’t you think we should talk about this?” I asked.
“Are you going to tell Josh why you were with Lachlan, or are you going to let it continue to eat at him? It was a bad fucking move, Ash,” Ky stated in a harsher-than-usual tone.
“Ky, I know you are happy for us, and that means so much to me. I love you, I truly do, but this is between Josh and me.” She turned to me and crossed the living room until she was standing before me. The fact that we were in a room full of people failed to register with either of us. “I’m sick of people thinking you are using me for sex and that I’m random pussy, so when Lachlan started bombarding me with texts, telling me exactly that, I knew I had to do something. So I did.”
“He is unpredictable, Ash. You should have taken someone with you.”
“You have been there for me throughout everything, Josh. You were there when Lachlan broke my heart, and it was you that put it back together. I don’t need anyone putting shit on you, and I won’t tolerate it. Yes, I called Lachlan, and yes, I met up with him. He needed to hear it from me. I needed to warn him off. Will it work? I don’t know. Does he believe me? I don’t know. But I had to try. He is nothing to me, and he will never be anything to me again. He is the darkest part of my life, and I don’t want him haunting the lightness that you bring. So be pissed off at me, pull yourself away from me, but I will not apologize. I would do it again, because, as you always say to me, you are worth fighting for.”
She didn’t say another word. She stormed out of the living room, and the sound of the front door slamming rattled through the apartment.
“Wow,” Savannah whispered, looking at me with wide eyes. “We have so much to discuss later.”
“Is it really inappropriate that I am thinking of the hot make up sex you two are going to have?”
“Tate, seriously?” Tanzi scoffed, and rolled her eyes at her twin.
“What? Everyone is thinking it,” he muttered.
I left everyone as Savannah and Tate got into a discussion about the benefits of fighting with your partner because of the amazingness of make-up sex. Stepping into the hall, I found Ashlyn standing near the elevator waiting for it to arrive. Silently, I walked up behind her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her against my chest.
“I’m still slightly pissed off,” I whispered into her ear before tenderly kissing her neck.
Her hands rested on my arms, and she turned her head to look up at me with big green eyes. “I’m not sorry, Josh. I’d do it again.”
“Do you understand why I’m pissed, though? He could have done anything. He is unpredictable, Ashlyn. I don’t even want to imagine him doing something to hurt you,” I said, trying to make her see reason. Although I couldn’t deny I admired her tenacity.
She twisted in my arms until my hands were resting on her lower back and hers lay on my chest. “You are worth the risk, Josh.”
My throat closed as I admired her. This beautiful woman put herself in potential danger for me. She was putting me before her own safety. If I hadn’t been in love with her from the very beginning, then this exact moment would have made me fall for her.
Green eyes begged for me to speak, but nothing came out. I couldn’t put into words what
I wanted to say, but I could breathe it into her. My mouth fell to hers, and I kissed her with my heart, my soul, and with every inch of who I was. I kissed her with a sense of purpose, a new life plan, and a new obsession to make her feel the kind of love that only a girl like her would deserve. I kissed her to show her that she owned me forever.
I pulled away, breathless. “Fuck, I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she whispered with a sigh against my lips, and leaned her body until she was flush against mine. I could feel her heat, and it messed with my head. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“I’m sure you can find a way to make it up to me later, preferably with you screaming my name.”
“You do realize Tate and Sav are staying at your place tonight. Do you really think they’d enjoy hearing me beg you to go harder and deeper?” She laughed as a flash of excitement hit her eyes.
“That just makes it even more exciting.”
I took her hand and we walked back into Ky’s apartment. Once again, everyone’s eyes fell to us. Savannah was sitting on Tate’s lap, but she shot me a look that told me we were having a conversation very soon. Jack and Tanzi were standing with Ky and Eden, and Tori glared at Ashlyn. Maybe now she’d get a fucking clue.
“I’m going to go and catch up with Tanzi and Savannah. Are we okay?” Ashlyn asked softly beside me.
“Better than okay.”
An hour later, Ky, Tate, and I stood in the kitchen, talking about stupid shit and planning a surfing trip to Malibu once Ky and Eden got back from their honeymoon.
“Holy shit, I am in love with your girl!” Jack hooted as he stepped into the room and joined us. “She is out there having words with Tori. It’s fucking amazing.”
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“Tori is telling the girls how she plans to fuck you at the wedding.”
“Christ.”
I left the kitchen with the guys in tow, and when we hit the living room, I could hear Tori spitting shit about her plans of fucking me. What was it about me and Ashlyn that caused us to have our pasts continually thrown in our faces?
“So, how about we all go out for dinner?” Eden said quickly, clearly trying to stop the scene that was unfolding. “Come on, Tori, let’s choose our outfits.”
“What’s your problem Tori?” Ashlyn shot, ignoring Eden’s blatant desire for peace. “You do realize Josh is with me, right? Like, I know you’ve seen us kissing today. I don’t share what’s mine.”
“Everywhere he goes, you are there. I just want a bit of privacy with him. We always catch up when I’m in town,” Tori sneered and crossed her arms over her chest, which was barely covered by a poor excuse for a top.
“The only privacy you’ll be getting is when you go to the bathroom. I haven’t seen Josh in a week, and I really don’t appreciate you being under the impression that you’ll be anywhere near his pants. So, please, put your boobs away, tuck those nipples in, and step back. He is taken.”
Ashlyn grabbed my hand, and with the strength of ten men she pulled me toward her, then suddenly her lips slammed into mine. I wrapped my arms around her body and hauled her close, as her tongue slid into my mouth and took complete control. I don’t know how long we kissed, but I knew when she broke away we were both breathless.
“He is taken,” Ashlyn stated to a wide-eyed Tori. “So please, I will ask you nicely, stay the fuck away from him unless you can control yourself.”
Tori looked at me, and then at Ashlyn, before she turned and stormed out of the apartment with a slam of the front door.
“Do you think she got the point?” she asked proudly. “Seriously, did you see that top? I swear I’ve seen her nipples about three times tonight.”
“You are my hero,” Savannah said with laugh. “Tuck your nipples away? Ashlyn Hart, you are what legends are made of. If you don’t marry her one day, Josh, I will.”
“Why don’t you claim me like that?” Jack shot to Tanzi, who gave him an eye roll in return.
“You know I claimed you long ago. Do I need to remind you about the cat fight I got into with that red-haired whore?”
“Hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
I hadn’t said a word, and Ashlyn soon noticed. She turned away from the group and stepped toward me. Her eyes ran over my face as if she was attempting to read what was going through my head. All I could do was stare at her.
Ashlyn Hart was without a doubt my ultimate temptation, and had been from the first moment I saw her. But having her stand there and claim me, call me out as her own, be territorial like a wild cat, was like nothing I could have imagined. The swell of pride that appeared in my chest, and the feeling of being a man that deserved a woman as incredible as her, was exhilarating.
A touch of pink swept over her cheeks as she gazed back at me. “What are you looking at, Joshua?” she asked, and stepped closer until we were chest to chest.
Finally, I found my words and I didn’t hesitate in my response. “I’m looking at absolute perfection.”
28
Ashlyn
After waking with Josh’s fingers playing between my thighs, I decided that I would never sleep another night without him by my side. Waking up with him was phenomenal. Tonight was Ky and Eden’s joint bachelor / bachelorette party at Tate’s bar, Red Velvet, but before then I had a day at the spa with the girls to look forward to.
“Do you think we could stay in bed all day?” Josh mumbled against my neck. “I don’t want to play with anyone but you today.”
“You were very well behaved last night.” I giggled, and it earned me a pinch on my ass. After coming back to the apartment with Tate and Savannah, we sat around catching up, before Josh and I disappeared into his bedroom for a night of making out and fun with fingers and hands.
“I cannot believe you wouldn’t let me fuck you,” he said with a huff, and rolled his eyes dramatically. He was a bigger diva then me most of the time.
“Did I say you couldn’t? Did you hear the words you cannot fuck me come out of my mouth?” I asked in jest.
His brows furrowed, and it was like a bulb went off within him when realization hit. I never actually told him we couldn’t have sex, I just decided to make him come with my hand instead, and then we fell asleep.
“You are kidding me? I could have been inside you last night.”
“Yep.”
He rolled me to my back and rested his body on mine, then our eyes locked. Mischief flashed before me. I leaned up and placed a light kiss on his lips. “You are super cute when you are sex deprived.”
“And you are super annoying when you are right.”
My giggle was stolen when he returned my light kiss and his hands started moving to remove my panties.
“Josh, stop manhandling Ash and get out of bed. We are leaving in twenty minutes,” Tate said through the door.
Josh groaned and pulled the covers over our heads, and we disappeared from the world for a moment.
I snuggled into his chest, then his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close. “So fucking happy you’re my girl,” Josh whispered in the darkness.
I was so in love with this man. “Do you really have to go?” I pouted. “I just want to stay in bed all day.”
“Josh, get your fucking ass out of bed.” Now it was Ky’s turn to interrupt our peace.
“If I don’t get up, they will come in here.” He groaned.
He pulled back the covers, then reluctantly sat up and got out of bed. I watched the muscles of his back move as he went through his drawers, and I admired the way his ass looked in his boxers. How the hell did I get this lucky?
He turned around and caught me blatantly checking him out. “You’re not making it easy to leave.”
I followed his lead and pulled myself out of bed, then I walked toward him. His eyes ran over my panties and tiny cami, and he didn’t hide his groan of approval.
“I just want to make one thing perfectly clear,” I said softly and rose onto my
tiptoes to get close to his ear. “I want there to be no doubts, no confusion, and no misunderstandings. You have free reign of my body, so you can fuck me whenever you want.”
With a swing of my hips and a look over my shoulder, I stepped out of the bedroom and rushed down to the bathroom. I knew if I didn’t leave now, neither of us would be going anywhere.
I loved that I was becoming the woman I always wanted to be, and I was so happy that it was Josh Crawford who was helping me bring her out into the world.
* * *
With our nails, facials, and massages done, Eden, Savannah, Tanzi, and I sat around the pool of the day spa and fell into girl talk. God only knew where Tori had disappeared to. The more mimosa’s we had, the more open we became, and soon we were talking about the guys.
“Can I ask you girls something?” I asked, as I grabbed another glass from the tray. “It’s a sex question.”
“Sex talk is my favorite kind,” Savannah replied excitedly.
Tanzi hooted her approval. “If it’s got anything to do with sex and Josh Crawford, then hell yeah.”
“Do your guys ever just make you completely lose control? Like, I’m sorry Sav, but you are probably going to hear me have sex tonight, and I’m here thinking, god I hope I get into the bedroom and don’t just fuck him on the couch for everyone to see.”
“Tate makes me lose control all the time. We have to find any chance we can get now because of Max, but it's hotter than ever. His office at Red Velvet sees a lot of action,” Savannah replied wistfully. “In regard to tonight, I’ll be sure to jump Tate’s bones so I only hear him and me.”
“Ky stopped on the drive here and we pulled into a rest stop. Back seat of his car is my new favorite spot,” Eden, the little minx, admitted.
Seriously, she surprised me every time she admitted something about her and Ky. I freaking loved it. I’d have to share more stories with her.
Tanzi, in a casual voice, admitted, “Jack and I joined the mile high club on the way here.”
