by Lexy Timms
The woman left behind Gucci heels.
Her fingers glossed over the fabrics as she lost herself in the sea of clothing. Silk and lace and full-length gowns. Slim-fit pants and beautiful flowing blouses and rows of jewelry. Designer sunglasses. Hair clips studded in diamonds.
Kallie turned back around to Ash and found him grinning at her.
“How in the world could she just ... leave all this stuff?” she asked.
She watched Ash shrug as he pushed his scantily clad body off the doorframe of the entrance.
“My dad’s second wife left with millions in the divorce. Four hundred, if I remember correctly.”
“Four hundred million dollars?” Kallie asked.
“She probably bought all-new stuff,” he said.
“So why is it still here? Why didn’t your father get rid of it?”
“My guess? There are a few empty spots in the jewelry drawers. Some sunglasses that went missing. Some shoes that left dusty spots behind. My guess?”
“He wouldn’t,” Kallie said.
“He was probably regifting them to the woman who’s now his third wife,” he said with a grin.
“Oh that’s bad. She’ll kill him if she finds out.”
“Probably not. She’s as petty as they come. As long as it’s pretty and shiny, she doesn't care what its origins are.”
“What morals,” Kallie said flatly.
“Help yourself to anything. Take what you want. It’s not being used and it’s taking up space. Even if you don’t wear it today but you think you might wear it eventually, put it in a suitcase.”
“What?” she asked.
“There are several suitcase sets in the corner in the back. Pick one and take some things with you.”
“Are you serious?”
“Why not? They’re gorgeous clothes. They should be on a gorgeous woman.”
Kallie flushed at his comment before she turned her gaze back toward the clothes. Shaking her head, Kallie started toggling through the clothing. Though the endless amount of shirts and blouses and dresses and rompers. All of it was expensive. All of it designer. All of it way out of her league price-wise. Kallie couldn’t dream of even partially owning some of these pieces.
And they were simply hanging in a closet.
Unused.
Unworn.
And some even still with the tags.
She chanced a glance at the prices as Ash sat down on a personal leather chair in the corner. Her eyes widened and his chuckle blanketed over her body. Ten thousand dollars for a skirt?
Kallie didn’t even feel worthy of touching something like that.
Finally, she ran over a summer dress that didn’t look too luxe for her tastes. She held it up to herself and turned toward a mirror, running her fingers along the silken fabric. The asymmetrical design of its flow intrigued Kallie, and the high-low skirt would make it comfortable for the warm summer day in the city. But it didn’t have a built-in bra and she didn’t have one with her, which meant she’d have to find a way to keep her chest in place in the dress.
One by one, she started opening the drawers. She hung her head between the hanger and the fabric of the dress as she riffled through things. She opened a drawer that housed panties and bras of all shapes and colors and fashions. Some even still had the tags on them.
Great. Fresh undergarments.
But the more Kallie perused, the more tags she found.
All of the undergarments still had the tags on.
“Amazing,” she said in a whisper.
Kallie got dressed and picked out a hair clip that wasn’t so studded with diamonds. She twisted her hair up to get it off her neck, then picked a pair of sunglasses for their day. She turned to look at Ash and held her hands out, then gave him a little twirl.
“No one could make that dress look as good as you do,” he said with a grin.
Kallie picked out a pair of comfortable shoes to walk around in while Ash put some clothes on, then the two of them headed to Central Park. And it shouldn’t have shocked her to see that it was only a few steps from the front door of his building. Kallie felt Ash thread their fingers together and she looked up at him, enjoying the way he smiled around her. It felt like the island again. Things were cozy. Simple. Familiar. They walked slowly around the park, taking in the giggling children and the random games of Frisbee going on. Kallie leaned into him. Relaxed her head against his strong arm. The deeper they got into the park, the more she felt him relax.
Yet another thing that reminded her of her island man.
Getting him farther away from the city put him more in his element. He seemed relaxed in nature. They walked among the trees as the summer wind whipped through them and she watched Ash smile. Close his eyes. Take a deep breath of the fresh air barreling around them. He looked more in his element with every step they took, and she liked that he wasn’t a fan of the city.
But soon, her stomach started rumbling.
“I heard that,” Ash said with a smile.
Then Ash’s stomach growled out and it caused Kallie to laugh.
“Sounds like you’re ready for some food too,” she said.
“Would you like to grab a bite to eat with me?”
“I think I can spare some time,” she said with a wink.
After their quiet stroll, the last place she expected to be taken was the iconic Tavern on the Green. The maître d' recognized Ash immediately and whisked them both away to the best table overlooking the park they had just walked around in. But instead of recoiling at it, Kallie found it endearing. The table was private and quaint, and the view was fantastic. They weren’t surrounded by snobbish, stuck-up individuals who would make Kallie the butt of their endless jokes.
She felt comfortable with Ash in a place like that.
And she supposed there were some perks to being with “the richest man” in the city as his friend so delicately put it last night.
“Eris,” Kallie said with a whisper.
“What?” Ash asked.
“I have to check on Eris,” she said.
“Then go. Give her a call. I’ll be right here.”
Kallie excused herself to the bathroom, digging her phone out of her purse and turning it on. Damn it. She hadn’t turned her phone back on. Eris had probably blown her up trying to figure out where she was. But instead of getting bombarded with text messages and missed calls and voice mails, there was nothing.
Was Eris okay?
“Hello?”
“Are you still asleep?” Kallie asked.
She heard shuffling around in bed before some hushed tones reverberated through the phone. Kallie’s eyebrows shot up to her forehead and a grin crossed her cheeks.
That explained a lot.
“Yes. I’m still asleep,” Eris said. “What gives?”
“I was calling to check on you. I’m surprised you didn’t do the same with me.”
“Well, you sound good. I’m alive. Now let me sleep,” Eris said.
“You went home with Jeremy, didn’t you?” she asked.
A silence fell over the phone and she could’ve sworn she heard Eris giggling.
“I’ll talk with you later, okay? Promise.”
“You better tell me everything,” Kallie said.
“Gotta go. Bye!”
Well, at least Kallie knew her best friend was okay.
Chapter 10
Ash
Ash enjoyed the bite to eat sitting across from Kallie. Their soft conversation and way things easily flowed between the two of them already had him thinking of taking her back to his apartment. She looked beautiful in the outfit she had picked out. The hair clip caught the sun and glistened against her copper locks. Her green eyes popped with the multicolored dress she picked out. It gave him a beautiful look at her toned calves while draping around her body in ways that called to his fingertips. He envisioned taking her back to his apartment and making love to her for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.
&nbs
p; Hell, why did they ever have to stop?
“It’s beautiful up here,” Kallie said. “Do you come here often?”
“Usually by myself. This is my favorite table.”
“I figured, since the guy at the front seemed to know you.”
“Well he doesn’t know me from here,” Ash said. “He made a trip to the island one time while I was out there and got himself into a financial bind.”
“Really? What happened?”
“He was there with his two daughters and lost his wallet. Probably got washed away with the ocean. I was coming out of the waves and he was talking to his daughters about how they might have to head back home sooner than usual. I sort of eavesdropped.”
“Are you telling me you paid for his vacation?” she asked.
“I gave him some money to get through his last few days there. He’s a good guy. A single dad who does his best. He saved up for years for that trip he took his girls on, and I didn’t like seeing his daughters cry.”
Ash shrugged it off, but he could see something in Kallie’s eyes. Something that softened more toward him. He didn’t like boasting about that kind of stuff. Walking around and talking about how he always helped people with his money. But he tried where he could while still keeping a low profile. He could still see the tears in those girls’ eyes.
And the sound of their crying?
It still broke his heart.
“How’s the food?” Ash asked.
“Really good. Could we take another walk in the park after?” Kallie asked.
“Of course we can. We can do whatever you want today. And if you’re hungry after this walk, I’ll take you out for dinner.”
“Oh, there’s this awesome pizza place in Brooklyn.”
“There are many awesome pizza places in Brooklyn,” he said.
“Maybe we could go share a slice or something?”
“Oh, you’re getting your own slice. No one touches my Brooklyn pizza.”
“Well fine then. We can get pizza and cinnamon rolls. How does that sound?”
“Are you talking about that place right in the middle of the city? What’s it called...?”
“The one across the street from the cinnamon bun store? Oh yes. That’s the one I’m talking about.”
“It’s a date then,” he said with a smile.
“What are you eating, by the way?” Kallie asked.
“Roasted figs. Would you like to try one?”
“They look slimy.”
“But they taste delicious,” he said with a smile. “Here, just a small bite.”
Ash pierced one on his fork and watched Kallie wrap her lips around it. The image alone had his cock throbbing for more of her. He watched all sorts of emotions and reactions cascade over her beautiful face. Intrigue and confusion, a bit of disgust until she bit into it. Then her facial features relaxed and she rolled her eyes, moaning as the taste flooded her tongue.
“See?” Ash asked.
“Oh my gosh. That’s really good,” Kallie said.
“Here. Let me try a bite of your octopus. I have to admit, I’ve been eyeing it.”
“I’ve never had octopus before, but this is really good. Here, hold on.”
Ash watched her spear some onto a fork before she brought it to his face. He smiled at her as he wrapped his lips around the delicious morsel, his body coming alive when Kallie giggled. And she was right. The octopus was fantastic. And in the restaurant’s defense, Ash had never had anything here that wasn’t good.
But it was better with Kallie sitting across from him. Feeding it to him.
Enjoying it alongside him.
“Is that Ashly Worthington I see?”
Ash cringed the second he heard that voice. Like nails on a chalkboard.
He watched Kallie furrow her brow before her gaze turned off to the side. He considered taking her hand and bolting. Running down the back steps and getting away from the dastardly woman approaching them. Fuck. Sasha Benson.
Of course she would pop up at the most inopportune time in his fucking life.
Ash turned his body and watched the woman walk toward them. Her smile was a mile wide and her face was tanned and taut. Her platinum blond hair hung down to her shoulders and her slim build made her look like she hadn’t eaten in days. Sasha Benson. Fuck, that woman was a shark. Sasha was everything Ash hated about the elite. She was snooty. Snobbish. Entitled to all the fancy things in life. Didn’t have to work for her money because her good old daddy made all of it for her to spend. She was an entitled heiress. A typical young New York City socialite.
And she was headed straight for them.
“Sasha,” Ash said curtly.
“And why in the world didn’t you tell me you were back in the city?” Sasha asked.
Her features were as plastic and as brittle as the fake attitude pouring from her lips.
“Probably because I didn't want to,” Ash said.
“And who is this?” Sasha asked.
She turned and gave Kallie a tight grin, and there was a look in her eye that he didn’t like. Sasha positioned herself so he couldn't even see Kallie any longer, and he could feel anger pooling in his chest. His father had always taught him to respect a woman, but Ash had no intentions of respecting her if she couldn't respect the woman he was with.
“If you could move, I’d really enjoy that,” Ash said.
“I was hoping I’d be able to catch you on the island,” Sasha said. “I know you’re usually there this time of year. What brought you back to the city?”
Ash watched Kallie peek out from around Sasha’s body and he desperately searched for a way to get them out of this position.
“You remember that time you taught me how to surf?” Sasha asked. “I was hoping you’d be able to give me a few more lessons.”
“Nope. Have to say my ticket’s all filled up,” Ash said.
“Such a shame. Will you be back on the island anytime soon? There’s a new club opening up, and I was hoping we could go dancing. I always love it when we dance together, Ash. I’ve missed it.”
He could see Kallie wilting in her seat and it boiled his blood.
“While it’s flattering that you miss our interactions,” Ash said as he stood, “we were just leaving.”
“Already? I was hoping to join you for a bite,” Sasha said.
“Too bad I never invited you to,” Ash said.
He stood up and walked around her, then held his hand out to Kallie. She took it, but he felt how limp her grasp was.
“Always a pleasure,” Sasha said as her eyes fell onto Kallie.
“Wish I could say the same. If you want something, you can take a seat and charge it to my card. You still do that, right? Live off other’s money?” Ash asked.
Sasha’s smile stayed plastered on her face, but her eyes hardened.
“See you around,” Sasha said.
And he didn’t like the tone of voice she said it in.
Ash turned around and guided Kallie away from the table, but he should’ve known Sasha wouldn’t let him go that easily. He heard her quick footfalls behind him and he knew the ploy that was coming. Sasha never changed and always used the same tactics to get what she wanted.
He turned around before she could tap him on the shoulder and he put on his best smile.
“What?” Ash asked.
“I just remembered—”
“I’m sure you did,” Ash said.
Sasha smiled at him before she cleared her throat.
“I just remembered that my birthday party is next weekend. Oh, you do have to come. Everyone will enjoy seeing you.”
Sasha latched onto his free arm, threading her grip around the crook of it.
“Uh-huh. I’m sure you wouldn’t forget a party in honor of your birth,” Ash said.
“Do come. Promise me. It’ll be the greatest birthday present.”
“I’ll see what I’ve got on my schedule.”
“Oh, Ash. Don’t be like that. You know
you love a good party. Remember all those shots we used to throw back? What’s your drink of choice? I’ll have it flown in and stocked.”
“Goodbye, Sasha.”
Ash pulled away from the woman’s grasp and quickly ushered Kallie to the stairs.
“Call me!” Sasha called out.
Fuck. She couldn’t have appeared at a worse time. And Kallie looked pale in the face. Her stare was far-off. Her grip on his hand was loose. Her footfalls were heavier. Ash wanted to apologize. To explain what had just happened and who that woman was. But he wanted to get her out of the crowded restaurant first. He could hear Sasha still calling after him and he eyed his friend at the front. He nodded his head and stepped in between the two of them, distracting Sasha long enough to make their way back to the park.
If Sasha had ruined his chance at trying to win Kallie back, he would never forgive her.
More than that, he would make sure she paid for her sins.
Chapter 11
Kallie
Kallie walked alongside Ash in the park, but she wasn’t holding his hand. He tried to take it every now and again, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. In fact, she really didn’t want to be in the park with him any longer. She kept replaying their encounter with that woman in her head over and over again. Like a bad movie with terrible takes every single time.
“Could we head back inside?” she asked.
“Is that what you want?” Ash asked.
“Yeah. I’m getting a bit tired.”
She felt Ash try to put his hand on the small of her back, but she rushed in front of him. Walked across the street without giving him a chance to catch up. The walk back to his apartment was silent, and all Kallie wanted to do was crawl into bed and go back to sleep. Something about that woman cheapened their day. Cheapened the time they were spending together.
“Kallie, I can explain,” Ash said as he shut the door behind them.
“Who was she?”
Kallie turned around and her eyes filled with tears. She hated crying in front of people. She hated feeling so bombarded with all of these emotions. She had genuinely been excited about the idea of spending the day with Ash, and then this woman popped out of nowhere and started talking about all of those memories.
