by Susanna Carr
“What did you do?” Sebastian asked.
“I told my mother the unvarnished truth.” She closed her eyes and remembered her mother’s expression. It had been a gradual transformation from disbelief to shock. The pain had etched into her mother’s face and Ashley didn’t think it would ever disappear. “I had been harsh and I didn’t spare her feelings. I was the one who told my mother about his long-standing affair with her best friend.”
Sebastian showed no reaction. He wasn’t scandalized by her parents’ choices or her actions. Most people were and couldn’t wait to hear all the dirty details. Instead, he said, “That had to have been the most difficult moment in your life.”
“No,” she admitted for the first time. “It had been a relief. I felt we could have a new start. I wanted to end the drama and the fear. I never felt safe while I was growing up. I never knew when another fight would happen.”
She wasn’t sure why she was telling Sebastian this. Ashley had never shared this secret. She had destroyed her family and no matter how much she stayed on Inez Key and barred herself from the world, she would never find redemption.
But Ashley didn’t feel the need to hide this from Sebastian. If anything, she was compelled to share it with him. Her instincts told her that he would understand.
“I didn’t care that I betrayed my father,” Ashley said, rubbing her hands over her cold arms. “I felt like he had betrayed us a long time ago.”
“I take it that your father found out.”
“Yes, he shipped me off to college. I should have been grateful to get out of that toxic environment, but instead I retaliated.” She had been hurt and out of control. She didn’t think she had done anything wrong and her father should have been the one who was punished. “I should have stopped, but instead I told my mother about his other...transgressions. The ones that the tabloids hadn’t uncovered. My mother responded by shutting me out of her life.”
“Both your parents punished you for telling the truth.”
“A month later they were dead,” she said as the old grief hit her like a big wave. “Instead of protecting my family, I destroyed it. I caused so much pain.”
“You didn’t know that would be the end result.”
“I knew it wouldn’t end quietly. That wasn’t their style.” She walked past Sebastian, no longer able to face him. She had to get away and find somewhere she could grieve and suffer alone. “People always want to know what triggered the murder-suicide. No one has figured out that I’m the one who set everything into motion.”
“Ashley?” he called after her.
She reluctantly turned around, prepared to see the condemnation and disgust in Sebastian’s eyes. “What?”
“Whatever happened to the best friend?” he asked. She realized he had already figured out but was looking for confirmation. “The one who had an affair with your father?”
Only he would ask her that. He knew how her mind worked. It should scare her, but she felt he empathized. He knew she wasn’t as innocent as she appeared. What he didn’t know was that it was the last time she’d confronted and took action instead of running away and hiding.
“I wanted vengeance,” she said. “It was wrong of me. I should have let it go, but I couldn’t let her get away unscathed. She had pretended to be a loyal friend, but I made sure everyone discovered her true nature. She lost everything that was important to her—her status, her social connections and her husband.”
“We’re not so different,” Sebastian said quietly. “I would have done the same.”
Ashley silently walked to Sebastian and rested her head against his shoulder. She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. She wasn’t sure if it had been smart to reveal her darkest secret to Sebastian. He had used her confessions in the past. He had broken his promises.
If he wanted to destroy her completely, nothing could stop him from using this information.
* * *
The next morning Sebastian covertly watched Ashley at the breakfast table. Her tousled hair fell over her face like a veil and she wore his bathrobe that overwhelmed her feminine frame. She grasped her mug with both hands and stared into the coffee as if it held all the answers of life.
He knew she loved her morning coffee to the point that it was a sacred ritual, but this was ridiculous. She was hiding from him. Distancing herself.
And Ashley was too quiet for his liking. In the past he would assume the lack of conversation meant she was plotting his demise. Today he suspected she was uncomfortable about sharing her secret with him.
He was offended but he also knew she had a right to feel this way. He didn’t have a great track record when it came to Ashley Jones. When she told him about the loan with Raymond Casillas, he had used that information for his benefit. He had also used her sexual attraction to make her his mistress. A broken promise or two, and the possibility that he accidentally got her pregnant....
Sebastian swallowed back an oath. She was probably counting down the minutes until this agreement ended. He needed to show Ashley that he could take care of her in and out of bed. He had to honor his agreement and have her stay on Inez Key.
But would she still want to be with him? Or was she already distancing herself because there were only a few more days of their arrangement? Was it too late to prove to Ashley that he could be the man she wanted?
Sebastian hated this uncertainty. Most women were content with his attention and his lifestyle. That wasn’t enough to hold on to Ashley. For a moment he wished she were pregnant with his child. He had a blistering need to create a lasting connection with this woman.
There was one place he could start. “I have to go on another trip today,” Sebastian announced. “I want you to come with me.”
Ashley pushed back her hair. “Where are you going this time?”
“Inez Key.”
Ashley jerked with surprise. Her fingers shook as she set the coffee mug down with a thud. “You want me to go to Inez Key? Why?”
Because he wanted to make her happy. Give her everything she wanted. Find some kind of compromise that could even assuage the guilt that pressed against his chest. “The renovations are almost complete,” he said as if that explained everything.
“That was fast,” she said with a frown. “How did you manage that?”
“You can accomplish anything when you have money.” And he had thrown a great deal of money on the project. Everything had to be perfect in the main house. The grounds had to be exactly as they were twenty-five years ago. Nothing else would do.
“Why do you want me along?”
“You’re going to be the caretaker of the island,” he said as he took the last sip of his coffee.
Ashley dipped her head. “About that...”
His hand stilled as he listened to her hesitant tone. He thought she would be pleased. Excited to remain on the island. Grateful for the chance to stay.
“I have to decline the offer.”
“Why?” She had stayed with him for a month to gain the right to be on the island. Now she was throwing back his offer. “Isn’t that what you wanted all along?”
“I needed the island five years ago. It was my haven.” Ashley glanced up and met his gaze. “But I’m a different person now and I can’t put my life on hold anymore. It’s time for me to move on. I can’t do that if I’m at Inez Key.”
Sebastian struggled with the temptation to argue. He wanted to convince her that the island was the best place for her to stay, but deep down he knew it wasn’t true. It was the best thing for him if she stayed. She would remain on an isolated island with no single men and always available to him. He liked that idea far too much.
“What are you going to do instead?” he asked gruffly.
Ashley looked away. “I don’t know. I’ll think of something.”
She didn’t seem excited about this change in her life. She simply accepted it. But if she didn’t want Inez Key anymore, he had no hold on her. Unless he asked her to live with him.
Sebastian’s heart pounded hard against his chest. He wanted to extend the invitation, but he wasn’t sure what her answer would be. She had rejected him before, and that was before she discovered how he’d double-crossed her. Ashley knew what kind of man he was and she would not willingly choose to share her life with him.
“You should still visit Inez Key with me,” he decided. “It would be a good time to collect your things and say goodbye to your friends.”
“You’re right,” Ashley said softly. “I should have one last look and then move on.”
* * *
Ashley didn’t like staying in the antebellum mansion at night. There were too many memories and too many shadows to face in the lonely and quiet house. But tonight was different. The islanders had decorated the beach with torches and flower garlands for her. They danced to the beat of a makeshift drum, sang old pirate songs and drank rum.
The gathering felt more of a coming-of-age celebration than a going-away party. She felt the love and understanding from everyone. She was going to miss them, but she knew they would be thinking of her as she started this new journey.
“Thanks for inviting me to Inez Key,” Ashley said to Sebastian as she curled against him while they took the winding staircase to the master suite. “I’m glad I came.”
“The islanders are really going to miss you.”
“Try not to sound so surprised,” she said with an exasperated smile. “Everyone on Inez Key has been like family to me. Clea treated me as an honorary daughter. I’m not sure what she thinks of you.” Ashley’s smile dipped as she remembered how the older woman had stared intently at Sebastian for most of the party.
“She’s angry with me because I’m the reason you’re leaving,” Sebastian said as he opened the door to the master suite. “She may always see me as the enemy.”
Ashley stepped out of Sebastian’s arms as she stepped into the master bedroom. She blinked when she noticed the change. The heavy furniture and the four-poster bed that once dominated the room had been replaced. The colorful and modern furniture changed the feel of the room. Erased the oppressive feeling she had whenever she had stepped inside.
“I forgot,” Sebastian muttered. “This room had too many memories.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m right where I want to be.” She cupped Sebastian’s face with her hands and kissed him. This might be the last chance she had to touch him and lay with him. After her month was up, she no longer had a claim to him.
She broke the kiss and reached for his hand before she silently walked to the bed. She crawled onto the sumptuous bedding and reached for him.
Sebastian didn’t seem to be in any rush. He cradled her face and brushed his mouth against hers. His gentleness made Ashley’s breath catch in her throat.
He continued to kiss her slowly. Sebastian pressed his mouth against her forehead and her cheeks. His lips grazed the line of her jaw and the curve of her ear. It was as if he was committing her features to memory.
“This is how I would have made love to you the first time,” he said as he dragged the thin shoulder straps of her dress down her arms. “If I had known you were a virgin.”
“Our first night was special. Perfect,” she insisted as she tilted her head back and arched her neck, silently encouraging him to continue. “I don’t need a do-over.”
“I scared you off,” he reminded her as he kissed a trail down her throat.
“I scared myself,” she corrected breathlessly as her pulse skipped a beat. “It was too much, too intense. I’d never felt that way before.”
“You wanted to hide,” he said as he reverently peeled her flirty sundress from her body. “That’s why you had rejected my offer.”
“It was stupid of me,” she admitted as she dragged the buttons free from his shirt. She leaned forward and pressed her mouth against the warm, golden-brown skin she had just revealed. “I didn’t mean to come across as a coldhearted bitch.”
“What if I made that offer now?” Sebastian’s tone was casual, but she sensed he was not asking lightly. “How would you respond?”
Her heart lurched. “That depends,” she said huskily. “What is the offer?”
Sebastian shrugged off his shirt and lowered her onto the mattress. He stood before her, proud and male. “Come back to Miami with me.”
For how long? And in what role? The questions burned on her tongue but she remained silent. Would she be his occasional hostess or his arm candy? Would she be his hostess or his baby mama?
Ashley wanted to accept his offer immediately and not look too closely. Refuse to negotiate and dismiss any reservations. She loved him with a ferocity that bordered on obsession. She now understood why her mother had risked everything to be with the man that she loved. The only difference was that Ashley had chosen a good man. A man who would treat her with respect and adoration.
“Well?” Sebastian asked impatiently.
Ashley bit her lip. She wasn’t sure whether he was suggesting this because he thought she was pregnant. He had asked her every morning and it didn’t help that her period was late. Was he making a strategic move or was this invitation from the heart?
She stretched slowly against the mattress and watched Sebastian’s features tighten with lust. “No incentives this time, Sebastian?” she teased.
“I don’t have anything you need,” he said as he hooked his large fingers underneath the trim of her panties and slowly dragged the scrap of silk down her trembling legs.
She swiped her tongue along her bottom lip. “Don’t be too sure about that.”
“Tell me what you want,” he encouraged softly. “Ask for anything and I will give it to you.”
She wanted his love. Ashley knew she should look away before her eyes revealed the truth, but she was ensnared by his hot gaze. She wanted more than his attention or his heart. She wanted everything Sebastian Cruz had to offer. She wished to be part of his life, his future and his very soul.
“You.” Her voice croaked as the emotions gripped her chest. “I want you and don’t hold anything back.”
“And you shall have it,” Sebastian said as he crawled onto the bed and hovered above her. His strong arms on either side of her head as his hands pinned her wavy hair. She couldn’t move if she’d wanted to.
Sebastian crushed her lips with his mouth before he licked and kissed his way down her chest. He captured her tight nipple with his teeth and teased her with his tongue until the sensations rippled under her skin.
Ashley twisted underneath him as he caressed and laved his tongue against her flat stomach. She bunched the bedsheets in her fists. Her legs shook with anticipation when he cupped her sex with a possessive hand.
Sebastian held her gaze as he stroked the folds of her sex. Her skin grew flush and her breathing deserted her as he rocked her hips. He placed his mouth against the heart of her. Ashley moaned as her core clenched. She went wild under his tongue as he savored the taste of her.
Her climax was swift and brutal. Ashley went limp as her heart raced. She heard Sebastian remove his clothes and she slowly opened her eyes. Sebastian stood at the side of the bed, gloriously naked as he rolled on a condom.
He didn’t say anything as he parted her legs with forceful hands before he settled between her thighs. She watched the primitive emotions flickering across his harsh face as he surged into her.
Ashley’s gasp mingled with Sebastian’s low groan. She rolled her hips as he began to thrust. It was a slow and steady rhythm that was designed to make her lose her mind.
Her flesh gripped him tightly as he surged in deeper. Ashley wanted more. Wanted this to last forever. She wanted Sebastian forever.
>
“I love you.” The words tumbled out of her mouth in an agonized whisper.
Sebastian went still. Ashley closed her eyes and turned her head away. She hadn’t planned to reveal her final secret to him.
Sebastian drove into her. His rhythm grew faster. Harder. She didn’t dare look at him. Did he feel triumphant or annoyed? Was he amused or irritated by her spontaneous words?
The bed shook with each demanding thrust. It was as if he was branding her with his touch and making the most intimate claim. Another climax—harder and hotter—took her by surprise. She cried out just as Sebastian found his release.
He collapsed on top of her and she welcomed the weight of his sweat-slick body. There was no doubt anymore, she decided as she gulped in air. She belonged to Sebastian Cruz forever.
CHAPTER TEN
THE NEXT MORNING Ashley stood by the double doors that led to the balcony. It was a perfect day at Inez Key; hot with very little humidity. The ocean was calm and a vivid blue. The tropical flowers were opening under the brilliant sun.
But her troubled thoughts didn’t allow her to enjoy the view. Ashley glanced at the bed behind her. The sheets were rumpled and the pillows had been thrown on the floor at some time during the night. Yet this morning she had woken up alone.
Sebastian was avoiding her because she had told him she was in love with him. Ashley bit her lip as she recalled that moment. What had gotten into her? She was good at hiding her feelings, but she’d lowered her guard last night. She had been compelled to share how she felt.
And Sebastian didn’t say anything in return. In fact, he didn’t say anything at all.
Ashley rubbed her forehead and leaned against the door frame. It didn’t matter. She had said it in the heat of the moment. He wasn’t going to take her words seriously.
She saw a movement on the beach and leaned forward. Sebastian was walking on the dock as he spoke on his cell phone. She couldn’t hear his conversation but she knew from the smile and the way he dipped his head that he was speaking to his mother.
