Loving Ashe Page 7

“I can leave if you really want me to,” Ashe said. “But I’m perfectly fine right here with you.”

  Riley couldn’t help but blush at the way Ashe looked at her. His blue eyes seemed to appear darker, more intense, when he gazed at her, a mischievous smile on his lips.

  “Alright then. First things first,” Riley announced, gathering some of the toys that littered their playroom and faced the triplets. “Who wants to help me make mac and cheese?”

  The triplets all jumped up and down, raising their hands up to volunteer, and like the pied piper of Hamelin, she led them to the kitchen with Ashe following right behind them. When she saw his look of amusement — or was it awe — she decided to let him in on her secret.

  “I let them add corn chips to their mac n’ cheese as topping,” she whispered. “It’s like crack.”

  With the boys enjoying their dinner, Riley found some leftover roast chicken in the fridge and proceeded to make chicken salad sandwiches with almonds for her and Ashe, along with a light salad. He helped out with the salad and she was quite impressed with how he created his own ‘everything’ salad, adding just about every fixing he could find in the pantry — sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, almonds, just to name a few.

  After dinner, while she insisted she rinse the dishes and load up the dishwasher, Ashe helped the boys assemble the toy trains and the tracks around the playroom. He had removed his jacket shortly after Paige and Clint left, and by the time dinner was over, he was moving around the play room in his bare feet, on his knees putting anything he could find together while the boys climbed all over him, directing him what to do. By the third hour, the triplets were bored of their brand new train and insisted they watch Finding Nemo, but not before Ashe read them Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, complete with sound effects. Even Riley had been assigned the role of the grumpy narrator, much to her nephews’ delight, who laughed and giggled every time she made a grumpy face and lowered her voice.

  By the time Finding Nemo was playing they were all on the couch, exhausted, including Riley and Ashe, worn out from the triplets’ never-ending demands. They were actually more well-behaved than this, Riley told a yawning Ashe who brought his arm over her shoulders on the couch, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trey and Trevor were curled up on his opposite side while Thomas had settled under the crook of Riley’s arm. It was 9:30 and already Paige and Clint were running late.

  “You and your sister are like night and day,” Ashe said, shifting slightly on the couch so that Trey could lay his head comfortably on the pillow on Ashe’s lap. Trevor was curled on the couch the opposite direction, so that his feet was pressing along Ashe’s side. “How did that happen?”

  “She opted for security and status,” Riley replied. “She married someone much older and already successful so she could be whatever she wants to be and in Paige’s case – Miss Perfect. But don’t get me wrong — she loves Clint very much.”

  “And you? What did you opt for?”

  “Me? I chose a life of misadventure and uncertainty.”

  “Really?” Ashe looked at her suspiciously. “Working as a barista is a life filled with misadventure and uncertainty? Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

  “Well, that’s just my disguise,” Riley chuckled. “We all need something to hide behind, right?”

  Ashe was thoughtful for a moment. “I’m not so sure about that. I don’t think we really need to hide our mistakes — if that’s what you mean by misadventures. Sometimes it’s just part of your past, something that makes you who you are. As for uncertainty, life is always uncertain. Here today, gone tomorrow.”

  When Trevor yawned, Riley announced it was time for bed. She and Ashe marched the boys upstairs to their rooms, helped them brush their teeth, slip into their pajamas, and then tuck them all into bed. The boys were so worn out that within minutes, they were fast asleep in their beds. Then Riley and Ashe went downstairs and tidied up the house the best they could before collapsing on the couch.

  The TV was still playing the Disney movie but Riley turned it off.

  “So how was that for your first foursome?” Riley asked him as she sat on the couch a few feet away from him. “Was it everything you expected?”

  “I’m not so sure. For one thing, I never realized how foursomes can be so exhausting,” Ashe replied, shaking his head in mock annoyance. He was speaking in the way he’d read the story to the triplets earlier and Riley began to giggle as he continued.

  “Messy, too. And I can’t believe how demanding partners can be. How inconsiderate. They can’t even wait till you catch your breath for the next round. Always more, more, more. I don’t like this type of foursome. No, I do not. I do not like, Riley-I-am.”

  Riley was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes as she listened to Ashe speak. She had to make sure that she was laughing as quietly as she could, afraid to wake up the boys upstairs or they’d have to start putting them back to sleep all over again.

  “I’m just joking, by the way,” he assured her with a light pat of his hand on her thigh. “Though they do make me doubt about wanting any progeny — at least of the multiple kind. You were right about having protection.”

  When she was done giggling, she realized Ashe had moved closer to her. His face had grown serious, his eyes shielded by thick lashes. His gaze rested on her mouth.

  The way he was watching her made Riley nervous, in a tingly kind of way. She’d fantasized kissing Ashe ever since she first met him. She’d also dreamed of doing so much more after seeing a clip of him online — in GIF form, no less which meant it looped again and again — of a full frontal scene he did in one of his first films which had since been an art house favorite.

  “So what are you thinking of, Ashe-I-am?” She asked, hoping to shift the mood away from where it was heading, which was heading to the hot and bothered territory. He was watching her with a look that told her he didn’t mind being in hot and bothered territory at all. But for a few moments, he didn’t answer her, though when he did, Riley could have sworn he’d somehow appeared much closer to her than he had been.

  “I’m thinking of kissing you, Riley-I-am,” he murmured, his head dipping towards her before she could react, though he stopped, his mouth just inches from her lips. “Would that be alright?”

  “I don’t see anything wrong with that, Ash-I-am,” she whispered as her eyes closed in response to the feel of his lips against hers. There was nothing else she could do except that — close her eyes and savor the moment. He smelled amazingly good, the scent of sandalwood with a hint of vetiver mingled with his own sweat. It made her nostrils flare and she took a deep intake of breath that was his own, minty fresh.

  She felt his hand gently touch her face, his fingers molding along her jaw and her cheekbones, cradling her as he continued to kiss her. Her mouth opened and she felt his tongue slip between her lips, tasting her and taking his time as he did so. He was an amazing kisser, she thought, and every brush of his tongue made her insides feel like Jell-O. Riley felt herself melt as he kissed her, her arm circling him, needing to hold him and make sure that he was real, and that this was really happening.

  When his tongue slid along the top of her mouth, she trembled, feeling a rumble from deep within as her belly clenched and she almost whimpered. Riley pulled away, needing to catch her breath but also to stop herself from going any further. Was she really this desperate? She barely knew him!

  “Are you alright?” He asked, his eyes turning a dark shade of blue as he gazed at her.

  Staring at his eyes was a mistake so she kept her gaze on his lips, which in hindsight was also a mistake but her options were quite limited. She didn’t want to seem rude. But at the same time, if she’d look into his eyes, Riley knew she’d only drown in a sea of her emotions, and knowing that he’d soon be taken in by the publicity machine that was part of his work, she’d just be another notch on his bedpost if she kept going.

  “I’m…” Riley tried to find the words to te
ll him that she couldn’t do this, that she didn’t want to get hurt again. Why did she have to pick the handsome ones? The ones most likely to cause the most damage to her heart — her soul? The ones that made her tremble beneath their touch, their gaze, and their smiles? The ones who, when they would leave her, would shatter her completely, and this time, there would be no way to put her back together again?

  But something inside her roiled, wanting more of what it had just been given a taste of. Ashe had kissed her in a way no one else had ever done in a long time — not even Gareth – but that was only because it had been forever since they were together. It was time to move on.

  “Ah, hell,” Riley breathed as she leaned towards him, her whole body twisting to face him as this time, she initiated the kiss, wanting more — so much more. She had to start living, even if it meant getting hurt again. Who knows? Maybe she could do this just once. Just once — and then walk away. She could do it. But she had to start somewhere and so far, this was a nice place to do just that. A kiss surely wouldn’t hurt.

  Ashe pulled her towards him, so she was straddling him, her knees on either side of his thighs. He kissed her again, this time their tongues playing with each other, tasting each other. His hands held her face, before moving down to trace the curve of her neck, her back and lower along the swell of her hips. She was discovering him as well, her fingers tugging at his shirt, pulling it upwards so she could rest her palms against his bare chest.

  The only sound in the room was their breathing, heavy and laden with so much expectation. It was a heady mix that turned her on, blending with the sensations that teased and cajoled deep inside her, coaxing her out of her shell. It had been three years, Riley thought, three long years of being a good girl.

  His hand found its way under her vintage shirt, tracing a lazy line along the path of her spine, then along her side, towards her breasts. He cupped a breast, ensconced in a lacy bra, squeezing as his tongue probed deeper into her mouth before retreating, only to slip back in again, soft and delicious. Riley felt faint from the promise of what was to come, of hands that would unhook her bra and free her breasts, kneading them and teasing her nipples, of a hard lean body to lie above her, entering her as his eyes kept her trapped with his gaze. She knew she was getting way ahead of herself but what the hell — he could forget all about her by tomorrow, back to being the heartthrob he was to adoring fans.

  Riley had never needed molded bra cups to give her the illusion of a generous bust. Hers had always been perfect, the ones that girls less gifted in high school once teased her relentlessly about then, only to have to purchase their own pair later on. That was one thing that Riley had over her perfect sister, who had to buy her own pair of double D’s herself.

  Ashe pushed aside the lace of her bra. When his fingers brushed along her nipple, he paused and pulled his head away though his fingers remained where they were. He didn’t turn to look at what his fingers discovered. He knew what it was. His heavy-lidded eyes narrowed.

  “You are a beautiful and sexy woman, Riley,” he whispered, his thumb and index finger pulling on the barbell clip that graced her pierced nipple, causing her to gasp at the pain and pleasure that hit her.

  “I used to be,” she said. “But that’s not why I got it done.”

  He let go of her nipple clip and brought his hand back to her face. Riley leaned towards him, not wanting to talk about her past, nor stop whatever they were doing. She wanted more of his kisses. She loved the way he touched her, the way he breathed against her mouth, the smell and feel of his hands holding her face, touching her body.

  For the first time since Gareth left her and humiliated her so long ago, she wanted a man to love her again. This time, she thought, she would handle the rejection that would come after a lot better than she did then.

  “Why did you do it?” He asked, his baritone voice deeper than she remembered.

  Riley dragged her eyes away from him, focusing her gaze on his chin, where day old stubble cast its shadow.

  “Why?” He asked.

  She swallowed. “So I’d feel beautiful again.”

  Still cradling her face, he brought it up to face him, his blue eyes locking with hers. It was a thoughtful gaze, one that seemed to see right through her and Riley shut her eyes, hating herself for feeling so vulnerable.

  “You are beautiful, Riley, so beautiful you take my breath away,” he whispered. “You do know that, don’t you?”

  When she didn’t answer right away, he asked again. “Don’t you?”

  But Riley couldn’t answer him. In the foyer, the front door swung open, and Paige and Clint walked in.

  8

  Full Stop

  The moment Riley saw Paige’s face, she knew her sister was not happy. She scrambled off Ashe’s lap and did her best to smoothen her hair, which had come loose from its clip, and pull down her rumpled shirt, which had been partly raised to show skin just above her waist. She felt like a teenager caught making out with a boy on a school night, but as she and Ashe stood up to face Paige and Clint, anger filled her.

  They did nothing wrong, she thought. And she was also twenty-three years old — old enough to kiss any boy she liked.

  “Wow, a quiet house,” Clint said, seeming unperturbed by the growing tension in the room. “Thanks so much, Ri, and you, too, Ashe. I hope the boys didn’t give you too much trouble.”

  “No, they were little darlings. They were actually quite well-behaved,” Ashe said. ” Riley did a great job taking charge while I only managed to muck things up.”

  “Well, that’s usually the case, eh? Women are just so much better with children, I believe,” Clint laughed. “Anyway, I’m going upstairs to check on them. Thanks again. I need to get out of this tux before it suffocates me.”

  Paige didn’t move. She stared at Riley and then at Ashe, though her gaze was primarily directed to her little sister. She turned to face Ashe. “Thank you so much for coming over and helping Riley out. But it’s late, and I’m sure you have other better things to do.”

  “I’d love to walk Riley home whenever she’s ready.”

  “Actually, that won’t be necessary. I’ve got the town car still outside and Bob can drive you back to your hotel,” Paige said, her gaze hardening. “When Bob comes back, he can drop off my baby sister.”

  Ashe glanced at Riley, who lowered her eyes, her face reddening. It was clearly a get out of my house statement delivered in a way that only Paige could — with a sweet smile though her eyes were throwing daggers at Ashe.

  “I need to talk to my baby sister, Ashe, if you don’t mind,” Paige said, her voice growing colder. “I understand you just got back from Europe after two weeks of promoting your movie. The complimentary buffet must have been astounding at every stop — so much to choose from. And I don’t mean the food.”

  “You could say that,” Ashe said, frowning. “But just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to sample all of it — or at all.”

  “Well said,” Paige said, her eyes narrowing. “You must know Betty Forster of Chandler and Forster Public Relations? Soon to be just Forster Public Relations?”

  Ashe nodded. “Of course, I know Betty. I didn’t realize you were friends.”

  “We are. Anyway, I really need to speak to Riley and Bob is waiting outside. It’s up to you if you want to have him drive you to your hotel, but he’s there if you need a ride,” Paige said as she texted someone on her phone. “It was really nice meeting you, Ashe. Good luck on your career.”

  “Paige, Ashe and I were just-”

  “I know exactly what you were doing,” Paige said. “But right now, I need to talk you alone and Ashe here needs to give us privacy.”

  As if that wasn’t enough of a hint, Ashe turned to face her, his jaw tightening, though he managed faint smile. “I had a wonderful time tonight, Riley-I-am. Thank you.”

  Riley nodded, the words unable to come out of her mouth. Why did she feel so guilty?

  She waited till A
she stepped out and Paige shut the door behind him, just a little too hard. Paige turned to look at Riley, her hands on her hips, but before she could say something, Riley spoke.

  “What’s got your panties in a twist, Paige? You yourself said to me the other night that-” her voice lifted in a falsetto, “-if you ever get him in my bed-”

  “That was then, before I changed my mind about him,” Paige said. “It’s a bad idea, given that h and Gareth work together, for crying out loud. What will the press think? That you’re being passed around between costars?”

  “Gareth was three years ago,” Riley said. “No one even knew him then.”

  “So what? Anyway, do you really honestly believe that Ashe Hunter, Hollywood’s latest “It” boy, will call you back after he’s done promoting his movie in Asia two weeks from now? Because as far as I know, he’s got more press to do when his movie opens in Tokyo and then the rest of Asia. And where does that leave you?” Paige countered. “Once he’s done sampling everything they offer him during all the press junkets and the parties, he won’t even remember your name. You’re just a plaything right now, a distraction, and that’s the last thing you need.”

  Riley frowned, remembering how Ashe had looked at her and told her to her face what a beautiful woman she was, and that she took his breath away. “You really think Ashe is just like Gareth, don’t you? You really think he’ll dive into this buffet you keep talking about.”

  “God, Ri, are you really so naive? Why do you think Gareth forgot about you the moment he made it in Hollywood? And as for Ashe, of course, he’s going to sample the buffet, because if he hasn’t — all those women, the drugs, and the booze — then he’s crazy. Either that, or he’s a saint and he won’t last long if he doesn’t play the game. And don’t forget that he and Isobel are supposed to be an item, so he’s off-limits to you and to anyone else.”

  “Is this what Betty tells you?” Riley asked. “Do you really believe everything she says?”

  But Riley knew better than to ask about something she already knew about. She’d seen it with her own eyes when she flew to LA to be with Gareth even after he changed his mind about her following him, saying he was not ready, that he was in the midst of snagging a role in his first big movie and didn’t need the distraction. She’d walked into a mansion filled with gorgeous women, endless servings of alcohol and even lines of coke on the glass tables. Hell, she’d even participated in it, only because it was the only way she could think of self-destructing in front of Gareth – so he could see what his rejection was doing to her.