by Lexy Timms
He was showering in the damn guest bathroom, so he wouldn’t be assaulted by memories of her body pressed against the tiles. He couldn’t walk from his bedroom to his kitchen without looking at the windows of his penthouse. Out at the lights and the skyline of the city.
The windows Kallie had once been pressed against.
Ash had no idea why the fuck he was still in town. What was the point? New York City had always been a shithole, and he might as well leave. There was nothing here for him any longer. Not after the betrayal of Kallie. Not after she was exposed by her ex, God fucking bless his bullshit soul. But the island was full of memories of her. Full of naps in the hammocks and surfing in the ocean waves and passionate lovemaking against the walls of bungalows and villas and balconies.
Fuck.
Even his island was tainted with her.
He threw the rest of his wine back before tossing the glass in the sink. It shattered upon impact, but he didn’t care. He picked up the rest of the wine bottle and tipped it up to his lips. Guzzled it down as the burn ripped through his skin. Maybe he’d go to Europe for a while. Do some backpacking and fuck some natives. Or maybe South America. He could visit at the discreet wonders of the world and wrap his fist up in the tendrils of black hair that area of the world had to offer.
Somewhere where the women didn’t bother lying because they were only good for a night or two anyway.
Ash fell back into bed, tossing the empty wine bottle to the floor. He groaned into his pillow as his phone started to vibrate. He didn’t give a shit who it was. He didn’t want to talk to them. His mother had been completely absent since he threw her out, and all it did was serve to prove to him how utterly fucking selfish she was. When shit happened with her, she didn’t mind busting through his front door. But when shit happened to him, fucking radio silence.
Batshit selfish woman, that one.
He rolled over into bed and reached for his phone. He ignored all of the missed calls and texts, not bothering to see who they were from. He opened up his social media feed and scrolled past all the comments. All the pictures of him partying out in the city and lip-locking with other women. He hadn’t brought any of them back, of course. But the press catching wind of it was rehabilitating his image. The media was slowly diverting away from Kallie and her senseless acts and was focused on Ash and his ability to bounce back.
The latest headline? “Ash Worthington Proves Women Can’t Swindle Men.”
Hell fucking yes.
His eyes danced along the screen as he decided which party to crash for the night. Which hotspot to grace with his presence. Somewhere with lots of alcohol, decent food, and women with curves in all the right places. He was going to bless another venue with a night of partying on him. And then he’d pick a lovely lady to lay his hands on for the night. To grind against. Maybe to sink his cock into.
At the very least, he’d pick a lovely lady whose lips he wanted to taste.
His phone lit up again with a text message and he sighed. But this was from Sasha Benson. That fucking bitch. Then again, that was yet another intervention the heavens tried to send to him. The beautiful day he had spent with Kallie and it was almost ruined by her presence. At least, Ash thought she was trying to ruin it.
Looking back on it, he figured it was a sign.
Someone shouting down from the clouds telling him to run the other way as fast as he fucking could.
Hope you didn’t forget about my birthday this weekend. It’s at my family’s place in the Hamptons. You should come, Ash. I’ve got your favorite drink ready and waiting. Come have a good time. Get out of the city. Have a drink with me. XoX
Fuck. Ash had forgotten all about that. He read the text message over and over, wondering if it was something he should go to. He and Sasha had a history. An island sort of history. If he went, he was certain something would go down. But the idea of getting away from the city and away from all the bullshit that plagued him here was too rich to pass up.
Getting out of the city was a very appealing idea. Especially if he wasn’t going back to the island.
Fuck New York City and its residents.
Ash was headed to the Hamptons.
“Yes, Mr. Worthington?”
“Clyde! Good morning. Are you busy this afternoon?” Ash asked.
“No, sir. I am at your disposal.”
“Wonderful. I’m heading to the Hamptons this afternoon. To my father’s residence. Is he there currently?”
“No, sir. He’s in London for the next month.”
“Perfect. Be at my place around two o’clock. Once you drop me off, you can take some time off.”
“Will you not need an escort around the town?” he asked.
“No, Clyde. I can get myself around. I’ll use one of my father’s cars. I’m sure he won’t miss one of the seven he has in that location alone.”
“No, sir. I’m sure he won’t.”
“Perfect! Then I’ll see you at two.”
“See you then, sir.”
Ash hung up the phone with the family driver and began to pack. He stumbled around his closet, tossing random shit into a suitcase. He had no idea what he was tossing in there, and he didn’t care. His father’s house in the Hamptons was the most luxurious place the man owned. An indoor-outdoor swimming pool. Two separate hot tubs. A swim-up bar with a bartender who was on call for all sorts of purposes. Multiple rooms, each with its own theme and decor. A beautifully landscaped backyard with a gazebo that housed a porch swing. A masseuse, a maid, a butler, and a chef who all lived permanently on the grounds, and acres of land to explore with the golf cart and the two four-wheelers his father owned.
Yes, a month in the Hamptons was exactly what Ash needed.
He zipped up his suitcase of bullshit and grabbed a few suits, then slung them over his shoulder. Whatever else he needed he could probably find in his father’s closet. That was the thing about him and his father. They were practically twins of each other. Same height. Same build. Same weight. Same boyish stare. Every time Ash saw his father, it was like looking into a fucking mirror.
He didn’t like it. Which was why he avoided his father at all costs.
He tossed his stuff into the trunk of the car before he slid into the back. He automatically rolled up the partition between himself and Clyde, then the two of them set off. He relaxed back into the buttery leather chairs of the car and reached for the bottle of champagne in the back. He opened it up and tipped it to his lips, drowning the last of whatever Kallie had left on the tip of his tongue.
It had been days since he’d kissed her. Been with her. Held her. But it still felt like she was there.
The champagne slowly spiraled him into a fit of self-pity. All he could remember was how good it had felt to spend his evening with Kallie. To press himself against her and bury himself within her time and time again. How lovely she sounded. How desperately she wanted him. How much she craved submitting to him. She came so easily for him. His name falling from her lips was like a chorus of love for him. Drawing him into her performance before she brought up the lights and revealed the lie.
How could she do that to him?
To what they had?
Ash continued to swallow back champagne as the car rolled around town. They rode up the stretch of Long Island, leaving the bulk of the city behind. He forced himself to concentrate on Sasha’s party tomorrow night. He hoped it would be enough to take his mind off all the bullshit the past week had put him through. At least for a few hours. That was all he could hope for when Sasha was involved, really. Even when the two of them were hitting it off on the island, she was still only good enough for a night or two. He couldn't stand her voice. Or her presence. And she was practically a wet noodle in bed. But she provided comfort and a warm body to curl up against, so he made the best of things when he had been around her.
And he would do it again.
Anything to bounce back from the hell he’d slipped into.
He wanted to p
ut Kallie out of his mind. But it was harder than he would’ve thought. She penetrated the whole of him. Burrowed underneath his skin and left her scent behind. He felt controlled, and he didn’t like that. Controlled by the ghost of woman who had tricked him. Used him. Wrapped him up in her web of lies and deceit. The longer he thought about that interview with James, the more it made sense. Why hadn’t Kallie called him once she’d gotten into that cab? She’d even been taking a damn bath before he showed up at her place.
Had James been taking a bath with her?
It was the only logical explanation to him.
“Fuck,” Ash said to himself. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”
Everything made sense. The more he thought about that interview and the more he thought about Kallie’s actions since he’d found her in the city, the more it all made sense. He couldn't reconcile it without James’s story, and that pissed him off even more. He polished off the champagne bottle before sticking it back into the ice it had been sitting in, then his head leaned against the window.
Gone were the bustling streets and the skyscrapers and the angry drivers. Gone was the foggy haze of the city streets and the homeless men on the corner.
They were finally rolling into the Hamptons. Into the peaceful existence of this small place that housed some of the nation’s richest people.
He was back with his kind.
Which was why he planned on staying inside his father’s house until it was time to emerge for Sasha’s party.
Chapter 28
Kallie
“Thai on the Fly, can I take your order?”
“Uh, yes. Could I get—?”
The phone beeped in Kallie’s ear and she sighed. She pulled it out and saw Eris calling, but she ignored the call. She was hungry and tired, and it was the first time in days she’d had a craving for something to eat.
But not a second later, Eris called back.
“Hello?” the man asked.
“I’m sorry. Let me call you back,” Kallie said.
Then she swapped over to Eris as her stomach continued to growl.
“What is it? I’m trying to order food.”
“So testy nowadays. But at least you’re hungry. That’s a good thing.”
“Do you have a question to ask? Or am I stalling my dinner hour for nothing?” Kallie asked.
“Damn. You really do need some food,” Eris said. “What are you doing this weekend?”
“Napping. Sleeping. Maybe another nap. I changed my plans from living my life to sleeping with a full stomach of Thai. But I have to get this incessant voice out of my ear first.”
“Well, while that sounds absolutely wonderful, you already have plans,” Eris said.
“And what, pray tell, are those plans?”
“You’re going to the Hamptons this weekend.”
“Uh-huh. And who orchestrated this plan without telling me?” Kallie asked.
“I did when Jeremy called a few minutes ago.”
“Jeremy. The guy from the—damn, Eris. What’s it been? Like, two weeks?”
“A week and a half, I know. Crazy, right? Anyway, Jeremy has a house in the Hamptons and he’s invited me to come and stay with him for the weekend. I told him I’d only go if you came along with me, so he invited you.”
“Because he wants to get laid,” Kallie said. “And I don’t think a fun weekend consists of me lying in bed alone listening to your sexual circus next door.”
“One, your room would be on a completely different level from us. He has a house, Kallie. Not a hut. And second, you need to get out of the city. If you want to sleep and nap and gorge yourself on Thai food, at least do it in a quiet place that has, you know, legitimate food sources for you to eat.”
“The city has legitimate food sources.”
“Nothing that delivers is a legitimate food source, Kallie.”
“So my choices are staying in bed here and having people bring me food versus staying in the bed that’s not in my apartment and leaving to get my food.”
“Come on, Kallie. You’ve been through the wringer. And I admit, Ash is doing you a few favors in the media,” Eris said.
“Yeah, I’m aware,” Kallie said flatly.
“He’s partying and having fun and doing all this shit. It’s taking the heat off you. Get out of the city for the weekend, have a bit of fun yourself, and I bet by the time you get back the media won’t be focused on either of you.”
“Unless Ash goes streaking through the middle of the city.”
“In which case, they’ll think he needs to be committed and that will be the headline.”
“No, the headline would be ‘Gold Digger Drives Worthington Dingy.’”
“Hey. That’s not a bad one. You should pitch that somewhere,” Eris said.
“I hate you.”
“Come on, Kallie. I’m not going to beg you.”
“Good, because I’m not interested.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll beg you. Please, Kallie. Please, please, please, please, please...”
Kallie rolled her eyes and held her phone out from her ear. She knew her friend wouldn’t stop chanting that stupid phrase until she gave in. She could hang up the phone. But the last time she did that, Eris flooded both her voice mail inbox and her text messages with that one word.
But was a weekend in the Hamptons really so bad?
The idea of getting out of town sounded good to Kallie. Away from all of the things that reminded her of Ash. She was stifled by him. If she didn’t smell him walking into her office she saw his ghost looming in her apartment. And if she didn’t see him or smell him in those places, she was bombarded by him on her social media. She did have a clear schedule on Monday, so even if the weekend was a bust, she would have a day to recuperate. Going to the Hamptons gave her a chance to get away from everything and everyone in a city who had seemed to turn on her on a dime.
Maybe a trip was exactly what she needed to distract herself from her heartache.
“Please, please, please, please, please, please...”
But running away got her into this mess in the first place. To cope with what James had done, she ran to the island. Was it really wise to cope with what was happening with Ash by running away to somewhere else? What if she met someone again? What if the media followed her? The Hamptons were full of people just like Ash. Rich and snobbish and untrusting of anyone around them. She would be throwing herself to the pack of wolves James had struck up against her.
Was that good for her health?
“Please, please, please, please, please, please—”
“Okay!” Kallie exclaimed.
Eris fell silent as Kallie sighed.
“I want to make it known that me running away from my problems got me into this mess in the first place. And going to the Hamptons places me in the heart of the people that hate me the most right now. So I’m not leaving that house. I’ll get there and cook what I need. And if I need anything, you’re running out to get it.”
“Fine,” Eris said. “I can work with that. And to argue your points, one? You’re not running, you’re taking a little vacation.”
“Seriously? That’s the word you’re going to use?” Kallie asked.
“You’re getting away to clear your head. Not to get over someone. You weren’t in love with Ash like you were with James.”
Kallie kept her mouth shut on that comment.
“And two, rich bitches like those in the Hamptons don’t give a shit about the news. They control the news. They aren’t going to care that you’re there. They’ve got too much money to care about shit like that. I’m just glad you’re coming.”
“Thanks. I think,” Kallie said.
“Jeremy and I will pick you up around three, okay?”
“I’ll be ready.”
“You better be. Because if you aren’t packed, I’m hog-tying you and tossing you into the back of his car.”
“Sounds like one of your sex games.”
“Ha. Ha. H
a.”
“I thought it was a good one,” Kallie said with a grin.
“See you in a couple of hours.”
Kallie called the Thai place back and ordered her lunch. Then she flipped between eating and packing. She wouldn't need much for the weekend because she didn’t plan on going out. Some pajamas. A bikini if she dared to go out. A pair of flip-flops. A sundress in case Eris forcefully drugged her and dragged her out into public. And her toiletries. That was it. Kallie ate a few bites of her food before her stomach rebelled, then she put the rest in the refrigerator for when she got back.
If she was eating at that point.
“Okay, so the weekend will be pretty chill,” Jeremy said as he put Kallie’s stuff in the back. “We’ll need to grocery shop once we get there and get some toilet paper, but that’s it. You can sit in the car if you want to during that time, Kallie. I’ll give you a key to the house in case you want to come and go, but the upstairs bedroom with the jetted tub is yours.”
“Thanks,” Kallie said.
“There are all sorts of summer parties that go on at the Hamptons, but don’t feel required to attend any of them. Eris and I will bounce between them, but my house sits on the beach. You can lie out in the warm sand and take a nap or do whatever you want. I’ve got a golf cart you can also ride around town if you want to use it.”
“Thanks,” Kallie said.
“Oh! And another thing. Just because all this shit is going on doesn’t mean I judge you in any way, Kallie. Eris gave me the rundown of what really happened at that wedding and what your ex is doing is fucked up.”
“Wait, so you believe me?” Kallie asked.
“Hell yeah, I do. James just looks like a creep. And Ash had his head up his ass. I can’t do anything about that, but I’m on your side in all this.”
“Wow. I ... I really appreciate that, thanks.”
“It helps that I’m screwing him too,” Eris said.
Kallie rolled her eyes and shook her head as she got into the car. The three of them headed up Long Island, and the closer they got to Jeremy’s house, the nicer she thought the weekend might be. Lying out on the sand. Taking in the sun. Dipping into the ocean when her body got too warm. And a bathroom with a jetted tub? Kallie could see herself taking long baths before piling into bed and sleeping the days away. That was the real attraction. Sleeping away the blessed nightmare Kallie had found herself in.
