by TARA GALLINA
I open the front door and step out first, avoiding eye contact with Ainsley, certain it will lead to unwanted questions. Did you kiss her back? Did you want to? Why didn't you stop her? Do you like her? All my life, it's been that way.
"I wish Harper hadn't touched you," Ainsley says in a sad voice.
I turn to find her standing in the open doorway. "Why?" I hold her gaze, willing her to admit if she's attracted to me.
Indecision passes through her eyes. "I don't want you and Nathan to be in a fight."
Nice try at deflection, Ainsley. Just tell me you want me. I think she does, even though she can't admit it. "Nathan and I are fine. Was there another reason?" I flash her a knowing grin.
"Nope." She steps around me and heads for the driveway.
I close the door and follow her to my car parked by the garage. Coach lights illuminate the golden strands of her hair. Since when did I become obsessed with hair? Since her.
Before she drops the work laptop in her arms, I open the passenger door for her.
She pauses, seeming surprised, then says, "Thank you."
I close her in and round the front of the car before climbing into the driver's seat. I start the car, loving the purr of the engine.
"This is nice," she says in her sweet voice.
"It's Italian. My father only buys Italian cars." I back out of the driveway and pull down the brick street.
"Did he pick it for you?" she asks.
I glance at her from the corner of my eye. Perceptive or a good listener, or both? "Everything but the color. He prefers black. He told me to get black." Ordered me to.
"But you chose blue." A smile sounds in her tone like she's happy I went with a different color.
"Yeah, I did." Pride that I usually keep hidden fills my voice.
"I like the blue. It fits you." She stares at my profile.
"You think? Because I'm starting to prefer the color light green." I glance at her pretty eyes and flash her a sexy grin.
"Does it come in light green?" she asks in earnest.
"No." I chuckle, amazed at how she missed my compliment about the color of her eyes.
Too quickly, we reach the Winter Park apartment complex where she now lives. I only know Harper has a loft here because of Nathan.
"How do you know where Harper lives?" Surprise and maybe worry shows on her face.
"Nathan."
"Right. Duh." She rolls her eyes to the roof, although it's not half as annoying as when Harper does it. "Thanks for the ride. I hope your week with your dad goes by fast."
Has anyone ever cared enough to say that to me before? "Me too."
"Well, I guess I'll see you on Sunday."
I nod, not taking my eyes off her. She's stalling, and I don't know why.
A few moments pass. Finally, she opens the door and plants one foot on the ground.
Before she climbs out, the urge to flirt with her once more has me leaning my upper body over the console until my face is near the back of her head. In her ear, I murmur, "Ainsley?"
"Yes?" She glances over her shoulder, her eye luminous in the light of the car.
"Thank you," I whisper, hating myself for this idea because I want to kiss those plump lips more than I want my next breath.
"For what?"
"Being you."
She shivers, and I have to grip the gearshift to keep from cupping her neck and pulling her to me for that kiss.
I wait until she's inside the building before pulling away. Her sweet scent lingers in my car and I drive to my father's house with a smile on my face. It occurs to me then how much Ainsley relaxes me. She excites me too. My dick wants a personal connection with her, which I'll have to deal with somehow. I don't foresee me having sex with Ainsley. She's not that kind of girl. She's not the kind of girl I should be attracted to. I never have been before but then I've never known anyone outside of my protective social circle, partly built by my father, and partly built myself. That small group includes Nathan and Riley, with an extension to Marcus and Aiden. Those two are better friends with Nathan than they are me. I trust them though, which says a lot.
Ainsley is beyond anyone or thing I've ever known. She inserted herself into my life and I allowed it, accepted her and want her in ways that aren't attainable. She's a complication, a dream, and a relief from the stress of my life. If I were less selfish, I'd push her far away, into an employee-only zone where we have little contact until she finds another job.
I'm at my father's house before I know it. Damn, that girl monopolizes my thoughts too often. I park the car in same place as earlier and enter the quiet estate. Stepmom number four strolls into the kitchen, wearing heels, a black lace bra and thong with a long sheer robe flowing behind her.
Her deep auburn hair is piled on top of her head with loose curls hanging around her made-up face. She carries a glass of red wine. It's not the first or last time I've seen her like this. My father's entire detail has, because she's nothing more than a trophy to him.
"Sebastian." She gawks at me as if surprised. "What are you doing here?"
As if she doesn't know. I stop by the island where a bowl of fruit that wasn't there earlier now sits. "I was summoned by my father for the week. I assume the same is true for you."
She smirks and takes the corked bottle of wine from the marble counter. "I told Roberto to put this in the wine fridge." She scoffs and shakes her head. "Is it so hard to follow simple instructions? I swear, it's impossible to find good help."
I snort. "Help? You do know he's a bodyguard not a maid." My father hired him to keep watch over Veronica. He's part of the detail and has guarded every wife my father has had since my mother's death.
She tries dislodging the cork and fails. Pouting her lips, she stomps her heel and holds the wine bottle out for me to open for her. "Be a dear and help me out."
I sigh and open the bottle for her, setting it back on the counter.
"Thank you." She bats her lashes and flashes me her version of a coy grin.
The first time Veronica hit on me, she invited me to have a threesome with her and my father. All I had to do was mention Marina was my girl and she backed off, started sweating even. Veronica is a year older than me and was part of Marina's clique back in high school.
She literally hides when Marina is around, well aware my father won't stand up for her in regard to Marina. She's too valuable to his future, much more than Veronica.
Doesn't keep her from flaunting her nice body.
"I'm going to bed." I start for the hallway. "You should to." I glance over my shoulder.
My father doesn't require a lot of sleep, especially when he's Coked up—an old favorite of his. When he returns, he'll expect me and Veronica to be as alert as he is.
Veronica will help herself to some blow to accommodate him. I gave that shit up after a month of partying with it three years ago. The mood swings were a bitch.
"I'm not planning on going to sleep," she says, and I imagine a pirate smile on her face. "Roberto?" she calls out. "I need you."
We pass each other in the grand living room.
The middle-aged man is dressed in a suit, a requirement of my father's like the rest of his detail. "Coming," he calls to her and rolls his eyes.
I laugh and keep onto to my assigned bedroom on the second floor. The room isn't personalized. It's a generic guest room with a soft bed.
I strip out of my clothes, missing the faint scent of Ainsley on them and take a quick shower. Well, I mean for it to be quick, but thoughts of Ainsley's lips have me hard in an instant. Since it's too late to call for a hook-up, I relieve myself with images of her sweet little body writhing underneath mine and come harder than I have in weeks.
Once in bed, I regret jerking-off to Ainsley. My obsession with her has to end. As I drift off to sleep, I tell myself I'll call Sasha or Kaylee for a hook-up tomorrow and use one of them for the rest of the week if I need to—anything to get my mind off Ainsley and keep it off.
; Chapter 15
I don't call Kaylee. I couldn't. My father invited Marina over two nights in a row, hoping I'd take her to bed. I also couldn't stop thinking about Ainsley.
Marina was all over me the second night. I thought about letting her suck me off. She was more than willing, but I stopped her before she could get her dirty lips on my cock.
Too bad for me, I was hard and had been imagining Ainsley about to take me into her sweet mouth. Even though I said I wouldn't, I jerked-off again in the shower to images of the little blonde haunting my mind.
"Are you going to call Ainsley or what?" Nathan brings me a beer, which I happily accept.
My father leaves for New York today. Good-fucking-riddance.
Nathan sits across the table from me. Riley is in the kitchen making several different kinds of shots for the party tonight. Marcus and Aiden play video games on the flat screen in the adjoining family room, bellowing and cheering.
"Yo, Riley?" Marcus calls out. "When are you going to be finished with that next batch? I'm ready for taste-test number three."
"Soon. Cool your panties," Riley shouts to him without taking his eyes off the counter. It's littered with bottles of alcohol, blenders, and trays lined with plastic cups.
Marcus laughs. "Speaking of panties. Your mom left hers at my house last night."
Riley snort laughs.
I do too.
Nathan chuckles and says to Marcus, "Funny, I got a pair of your mom's panties up in my room."
Marcus sobers immediately and glares at Nathan. "Don't you be talking about my mama like that. She's a saint."
"A saint who wears a G-string," Nathan adds with a laugh.
Oh, fuck. I clutch my beer and eye Nathan. "You're asking for it. You know how he gets about his mom." The dude worships her, but then she's all he's ever had.
"What was that?" Marcus asks over Aiden whooping about a score.
"Nothing." Nathan twirls his bottled-beer on the table. "I was talking to Sebastian." He winks at me.
With my back to Marcus, he can't see me silently cracking up. I touch my beer to my lips and tip my head with a long swig.
"You better have been," Marcus warns, but we all know he wouldn't do anything. He must return his attention to the game because he starts grumbling about a foul play.
Nathan nods at my phone on the table. "Call her, already. You know you want to."
"And you know I shouldn't." I shouldn't have asked if she was coming when he told me about Harper. While I was gone, they worked things out. Now they're friends with benefits and a bit more. I knew he liked her. And since I never ask about girls, he knew something was up when I mentioned Ainsley.
"Too late. You already hired her. You're going to be around her more and more. And you fucking want to be. I don't know why you're trying so hard to be good to her. She's not your girl. She can't be."
"Don't I know it." I take another sip of beer.
"So work out some tension with her. Let your hands wander, let your mouth roam, just don't stick your dick in her. She's in college and friends with Harper. Virgin or not, she knows how things work. And she's dated guys before."
I tense, fighting the urge to lean forward and demand who. If I learn who the guy is, I can't promise I won't kick his ass until he forgets her, which is none of my damn business. "When?" I ask in as calm a voice as I can manage.
"A while ago. Last year or something." Nathan gives a pointed glance to my fist clutching the beer bottle. "Like I said, release some of that tension with her, just don't lead her on."
I stop myself from saying, she can't get into a fight with Harper over this if Harper gets jealous. If Harper is with Nathan again, it shouldn't be an issue. It's not like Harper wants me for anything more than a good fuck. Again, I try to understand how Ainsley can be friends with someone like her.
He eyes my phone for a second time. "Ask her if she's coming tonight. Harper said she was, but you can pretend like you don't know. Make some shit up, you're good at that."
I scoff, hating that he's right. "Fine." I grab the phone and walk toward the hallway for some privacy.
She answers the phone on the third ring. "Elite Auto Body. This is Ainsley. How can I help you?"
I called the work phone? Shit. "Don't mention your name in your greeting," I say, anxious that she's been answering the calls like this. Her name with her voice equals attention. Attention could lead to talk and talk could reach my father's ears.
"Um … okay." Nervousness sounds in her voice.
I hate that I put it there. "It's not bad, it's just not necessary. You don't want the people calling to know anything personal about yourself."
"And my name is too personal?"
"These aren't the kind of people you want to be friendly with."
"Are you trying to scare me? Because it's working."
I force a laugh to help her relax. I don't want to stress her out or make her think it's a big deal, even though it is. "I'm trying to keep customers from asking questions about you. That's all."
"Why would they do that?" Her voice is still tight.
Time for some humor. "I believe Nathan already pointed out you have a voice made for phone-sex."
A shy giggle sounds through the phone. "He was serious? I thought he was just hitting on me."
"He was, I'm sure. It was a compliment and a fact."
She's quiet for a moment. "What if a customer asks for my name? Should I lie or make one up?"
"That's a great idea." It really is, solves a lot of problems and it was her idea. "Pick something ugly and old sounding."
"For real?"
"Yes. The older and uglier the better, like Myrtle or Emogene. That way they'll think your sweet little raspy voice is from years of smoking."
"Have you been pondering this idea?" she asks in an amused tone.
"No."
"It's coming naturally to you?"
"Yes."
"Interesting," she murmurs.
I'd pay a hundred thousand dollars to know what she's thinking right now. "Why did you answer the phone?" I ask as a distraction to my frenzied thoughts.
"It rang."
"But you're not scheduled to work past six-thirty." I keep my tone light, even as mild panic forms inside me. Is she working overtime and I'm not paying her?
"I know. But it rang, and I didn't know what to do. No one has ever called after hours and I wasn't sure if the call would go to voice mail, so I picked up in case it was important."
Her dedication to such a meager job impresses me. "It is important," I say, my mood turning playful, a common occurrence when it comes to her. "I wanted to hear how you were on the phone, make sure it's professional. You got another A."
"Easiest A's I've ever made." A smile sounds in her voice. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." I smile in response. Damn, how this girl affects me.
Nathan calls my name from where he sits at the table. I glance over my shoulder to him through the hallway. "What'd she say?"
"Do you need to go?" she asks.
"Hang on a second," I tell her and press the phone to my chest as Nathan walks over.
He grins with suspicion. "I've never seen you look so … happy."
"Sure you have."
He shakes his head, that grin widening. "Not like this."
I roll my eyes and give him a shove. "Get out of here."
He chuckles and stumbles back a step. "Ask her if she's coming."
I give him a look and lift the phone to my ear, feeling like a teenager in high school. Since Nathan is the cause I decide to put him in the spotlight. "Nathan wants to know what time you and Harper are getting to the house tonight?"
"I didn't know we were coming over?" she says sounding genuinely confused.
"No?" I raise my brows to Nathan, who's still standing here. Did he set me up? Fucker.
"Nope," she says.
"Hmm? Well, Harper told Nathan you two were coming to the party."
Catching on, Nathan
nods and mumbles, "She did. I swear, dude."
"Maybe she meant she was. I haven't talked to her much this week. She's been in and out a lot, never mentioned us going out tonight."
I mute the phone. "What the hell, man? She doesn't have a clue about this. Said she hasn't talked to Harper a lot this week and that Harper never mentioned they were coming here tonight."
He shrugs with a smug grin. "She hasn't been around a lot because she's been with me. But I swear she said they were coming tonight."
"She said Ainsley?" I ask.
"Yeah. She was all excited about the toga party. She's never been to one. And she's not the kind of girl that would come alone. Harper needs a buddy. She's bringing Ainsley. I promise."
I unmute the call and bring it to my ear, as Nathan adds, "I just got off the phone with her like two hours ago."
To Ainsley, I say, "Harper confirmed with Nathan this afternoon you guys would be here."
"I don't know." She sounds unsure. "I'll have to text her, I guess. Does Nathan know I fell asleep in your bed when I was there?"
Why did she have to bring that up? Now, my head is filled with images of her naked on my sheets.
"There isn't much Nathan doesn't know about my life and what goes on in this house." My tone is light.
"Can he see the video feed from your room? He could tell Harper," she adds in a panic. "If she finds out or already knows—"
"Ainsley. Stop worrying. Nathan keeps bigger secrets than that for me. And only I have access to the camera feed in my room. No one else." Why is she still worried about this? Does she not know Harper and Nathan are together?
Her breathing blows softer. "Will you be at the party tonight?" Her sweet tone sends a rush through me.
"Depends. Will you be stripping in the kitchen again?"
"I wasn't stripping. I was hot."
"I agree. You were hot as hell in that red bra, but no, I won't be at the party." Not at first, and if my father doesn't leave as scheduled, not at all. "I have some stuff to take care of."
Nathan told me to pretend my father left already. If he knew the man as well as I do, he'd know it's better to assure he leaves without a hitch then assume he will. And was that a groan of disappointment I heard Ainsley make.
