by Rena Manse
Ashley’s head snapped up at him. “Aaron.”
Matt laughed, gaze slipping to their joined hands. “Didn’t I see Jade draped all over you earlier?” He smiled down at Ashley and caressed a finger on the elbow of her bare arm. “Like I told you, we could blow this party. We’ll be on our own island resort by the time you wake up tomorrow.”
“Careful.” Aaron curled Ashley’s fingers into his fist. He held the solid circle of a ring in his right pocket, and twirled it around his index finger. “That’s my future wife you’re talking to.” His smile wasn’t meant to cheer. He moved away with his fiancée in tow.
Heads turned as they passed, and Ashley’s hand wiggled for release the entire time. When he turned to face her, he clamped down. The cacophony of conversations died in waves when Richard helped Val mount a two-foot square platform near the back of the room.
“Thank you,” she said with a bow of her head. “Tonight is a special night. This is not your ordinary party.”
Aaron peered at Ashley. “Kiss me,” he whispered. He slipped her the band.
Shy eyes flashed reserve as she clumsily shoved the ring on while the rest of her fingers still fought for freedom. “Aaron, we’re…”
Can’t say it? “In public,” he finished. “Our engagement party. When Valerie’s done I want you to kiss me, and I mean it.”
He returned his attention to Val beaming with pride. “...to announce the engagement of my grandson, Aaron Gilyard to the darling Miss Ashley McKenny.”
Aaron lowered his eyes. All night he’d been longing to touch Ashley’s lips, and as everyone stood stunned, happily surprised, or disgusted, he wasn’t about to waste the moment. She fixed her eyes on him. A red flare screamed ‘Caution!’, but he squeezed her hand and lowered his head.
He’d said to kiss him not kill him. As deliciously giving and taking as her kiss aroused him, another sensation engulfed his attention.
Manicured nails dug savagely into his palm. Aaron released her to discreetly massage his flesh, and pulled back trying to keep a straight face. Cheers and clinking champagne glasses faded to the background. Ashley smiled at him like the tasty meal he envisioned he’d be under different circumstances, and brushed her hand over his cheek.
“I know how to act for the audience, Mr. Gilyard.” She stepped close as if having an intimate cheek to cheek. Her distant voice sent chills down his spine. “You treat me like a possession again, you can forget about setting a wedding date.” She turned to smile and wink at Val.
Who is this? His chance to respond evaporated when well-wishers squeezed in. Congratulations and questions merged into one, but Aaron dared not take his eyes off Ashley. You’ve baited the wrong shark, lady. He gripped her wrist, and excused the two of them through the crowd to usher her well down the shadows of an out-of-bounds hallway.
“What was that about?” he whispered, spinning her so her back hit the wall before he threw her wrist away. “Are you backing out? Trying to blackmail me?”
“I don’t do blackmail, that’s your glove.”
“What did you mean back there?” He took note of his threatening stance towering over her, and gave her space. Could he have been wrong about her? Did she want to dig her nails into him figuratively as well? “When have I ever treated you like a possession?”
“You order me around like I’m your slave. I know what to do, thank you very much. What you said to Matthew Parsons in there was—”
“Matt Parsons is a jerk!”
“You grabbed me like an object, like picking up your car keys. Paraded me behind you like some trinket.” She turned her head, acting more hurt by his hand-holding method than he imagined anyone could be.
“I’m sorry. It was unintentional.” He nodded, dumbfounded that she chose this as her topic of contention. “That’s it?”
“What do you mean ‘that’s it?’ Like it’s no big deal? Take me seriously.”
“I am.” The woman truly was going to render him insane. “I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about, so fill me in so we can get back in there.”
“In there? To Jade?” Ashley’s whispering rose to a squeak. “And all those other—”
“Be serious.” He hissed the words at the pesky fly, and she nailed him with a look that shrieked terror through him. If she backed out of their deal now, he’d lose more than his company. He stared back. “You honestly think I’m going to walk away from my own engagement party with one of those women?”
“How can you ask that when you just left, and nobody cares. Look, nobody misses you.” She waved an arm in the direction of the party around the corner.
“Nobody cares, because half of them only came here for a good party. And—oh, yeah—you’re my fiancée!”
“Or they’re excusing your expected behavior. What if I wasn’t there to make sure you were on the up-and-up?”
Her checking up on him? That was rich. He hadn’t been the one walking around a stranger’s party trying to get drunk three weeks ago. “You just said it. You were in there. If I wanted any of the others, trust me, you wouldn’t be standing here wearing my engagement ring, being all wobbly in your decision right now.” He waved his hands in the air, being trite and didn’t care.
“You’re so condescending.”
“I’m a bottom-line man waiting for you to get to the root of this problem so we can fix it.”
“Your libido. That’s the problem. And every time I turn around I—”
He smacked his hand against the wall above her head and leaned over. “You what? You’re jealous? ’Cause anything short of jealousy and we shouldn’t be having this conversation. No? Good. I haven’t approached a woman all night. Nor have I struck up a conversation that’s fodder for any of these guests to circulate in the gossip columns. Honestly, Ash. You expect a man’s past to just disappear overnight? Wake up.”
He spun away, exasperated, and turned back to see her catch her breath for backfire.
Their voices had grown louder, and she looked down the darkened passageway before returning to her fierce whisper. The fact that she still stood up to him when another woman would cowered down, gave her words more power. “My dignity has nothing to do with jealousy. If you want me to go through with this, you play by the rules. I refuse to be a love-struck hussy while you parade around with your girlfriends.”
He raised his hands to hold—or strangle—her, but balled his fists instead. Knowing he’d only want to kiss some sense into her, he backed up. He’d blown it. No, something in her head had blown. If only Matthew hadn’t mentioned Jade to remind her. If only he’d moved away from Melina instead of letting her play with his hand. If only she wasn’t so paranoid.
And people asked why he hated parties.
“That’s it for now.” Ashley’s eyes grew glassy in the shadows as she bucked her back against the wall and folded her arms sternly under her breasts. “An eye for an eye. I won’t marry you if you make me look like a fool with other women. That’s only fair, isn’t it?” She blinked then narrowed her eyes. “Well?”
Aaron realized he’d been staring for a good minute. When he snapped to, he noticed her on the verge of tears. Aw, come on. Not the tears. Was he being irrational and insensitive? “Ash.” He reached out, but she struck his arm away.
“According to you, business is just that; business. And as far as your girlfriends are concerned they all fall under that umbrella.” She poked a finger at him. “Don’t you talk to them again until I’m gone.”
She’d rejected him before, and he’d taken it for fun and games, but now he needed her respect. “The ax swings both ways, sister.” Visions of Jonathan snuggled in her neck burrowed deeper than he wanted to sink into his brain.
Ashley had taken a couple of steps toward to the party. “I didn’t mean—” She sniffled and headed in the opposite direction. “Fine. I’ll be in my room. I’ll join you later.”
Aaron watched her dark figure journey down the hall and waited until she was out of sight and
sound before grunting his way to his office. He slammed the door behind him. So far in his plan to win her over, he’d gone from barely being liked, to total freeze out.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Ashley stared at herself in the mirror. Red, swollen eyes. Argh. Moving away, she dabbed at the tears, blew and cleaned her nose, and fanned her face. The lights had been off. Aaron wouldn’t have seen her cry.
She flopped sideways onto the bed and prayed he wouldn’t question what she’d said. It bordered on reasonable, didn’t it? Because she didn’t know where the words came from that flew out of her mouth. Couldn’t believe her jealousy had pushed her to demand his fidelity. How else could she remain the only woman in his life?
She’d seen him with Jade, seen how the woman’s hand had run down his chest and he did nothing to stop it. Then she’d witnessed them hurrying out to the front hall. Ashley didn’t stand a chance. Particularly in a setting like this.
Ashley rolled onto her back and moaned. Countless modelesque beauties shouldn’t exist in one place. Not in their fifties, sixties and seventies. She’d thought Essie’s party of young celebrities had been bad. Every one of them must have been under Matthew’s plastic surgeon’s knife.
Rolling off the bed, she took in her reflection again. Puffy eyes had reduced, redness watered to pale pink. Better. Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t the answer. She shouldn’t have left Aaron to field questions of her absence. After a quick touchup she peered at the face in the mirror. It didn’t matter how many people had told her she looked beautiful, Aaron hadn’t said a word although she’d witnessed him compliment others.
Rejoining the party, what little confidence she’d recovered in the mirror waned. There were near two hundred guests, but after the second person asked Aaron’s whereabouts, she knew he wasn’t in the room. Had he left because she’d abandoned him? They’d announced their engagement. They were stuck with each other now.
She muddled through a few conversations. Received only one disapproving glare from a woman who’d probably wondered what she possessed that turned Aaron into the marrying kind. Two parts dire straits, and one part shaky past, honey. Don’t wish to be in my shoes.
Valerie approached, hand quaking on the cane. “Ashley, my dear, where have you left Aaron?”
If he hadn’t given an explanation to Val…she didn’t want to think of the nefarious reasons. “I’ll find him. He’s probably taking care of business.”
Nodding at Richard, she retired Val to his care and took on the role of hostess, all the while worried sick a very attractive blonde hadn’t left the party alone.
“Aaron’s found himself a fine woman.”
Speaking of very attractive, Matthew Parsons’ darker tresses fell onto his forehead as Ashley turned and met his amazing green eyes. “Thanks, Matthew.”
He glanced over the crowd. “Where is the great man anyway?”
“He’ll be back.”
“You don’t sound convinced.” Matthew stepped into her three feet of personal space and watched her as he drank his champagne.
“Aaron and business. Can’t separate the two.”
“You’d be my only business.” He made a show of glancing down her form, and Ashley snatched up a sparkling white grape beverage from an offered tray.
She scanned the room again. “Have you seen Essie?”
“In a rush to get away? If you’re not allowed to talk to strangers, I thought we took care of that earlier.”
She met him square in the eyes. “You were engaged to Jennifer Mundy. What happened?” Narrowing her eyes, she dared him to lie, but he took it with a smile.
“You certainly can play hardball with the rest of them. Jennifer and I split on mutual terms.”
“I’ll bet.”
“You’ve never met Jennifer, have you?”
“No,” she admitted, which took off of her offensive edge.
He nodded as if he understood. “I didn’t think being with a woman who wants to spend the first two years of marriage as a doctor in a God-forsaken African hut was favorable.”
She twisted her lips to eat the guilt she felt for trying to beat him over the head. “I know you have a growing practice. I’m sorry your relationship didn’t work out.” She wondered what the great humanitarian, Jennifer Mundy, was doing right now.
Matt was handsome; unruly sun-lightened brown hair, good build, easy smile. No indication he’d been a recipient of his field of work. And wouldn’t need it. He’d broken the ice easily enough in their earlier conversation, but as she followed his lead searching the clusters of guests void of her fiancé, she stiffened.
“Time to think about your future,” he said. “The engagement is the thinking period. Did you know that? You and Aaron didn’t set a long breathing term, something I wouldn’t recommend.”
“Speaking from experience?” She shook her head. “With some people there’s no question.”
“In this neighborhood, question everything. Consider your options.”
“Which are?”
“Who are. I could lay it out for you, Ashley.”
A nervous laugh pushed out of her. “Matthew, I have no intention of ditching Aaron to marry you.”
“Marriage.” He chuckled. “Not what I had in mind. You had a whirlwind romance, are you sure you’ve crossed everything off your list before you decided to settle down? A body like that, I doubt it.”
Disbelief and shock heated their way up her neck to her cheeks.
“A face like that.” His gaze intensifying, he smiled—something stroking amusement—making the heat engulf her face. “Your bashfulness is very attractive.” He studied her face. “I can see what turns him on.”
She looked around. Did anyone hear any of this? “Maybe where you live this—”
“Around here, bored housewives are a dime a dozen. Look at the women your future husband works with day in, day out. Do you honestly think he’ll be able to keep his hands off? Not make a detour on the way home? He may start working later and later, maybe tell you he slept at the office.”
Ashley tried a poker face. “I’m worth coming home to.”
“No argument there. Though I doubt he’s focused enough to know what he has. What man leaves you alone at a party? Come talk to me about it sometime...” Matthew angled his head and inhaled as though taken by her perfume. “My door’s always open to you, Ashley.”
She wouldn’t be more stunned if someone slapped her. “I’ve never known anyone to so boldly solicit an affair in all my life. This is my engagement party.”
He grinned. “You’ve never been to The Hamptons before, I take it.” He moved about two inches closer, two inches too close. “Let’s just say I took notes from Jennifer when she told me how Aaron did it.”
A gong went off somewhere. The world turned onto its side before images came into focus. Aaron moved in on any territory. He announced marriage yet stole away with Jade. His attempts for a physical relationship with her came only after his knowledge of her and Jonathan. Even an engaged woman had been prime opportunity. Did he fool around with Lynda while she was involved with her boyfriend? Pursue unavailable woman to avoid commitment?
A strange, dry laugh came from her throat. “Matthew, good luck in the future. I hope you find someone to make you happy, but it won’t be me.”
Matthew’s tiny smile didn’t deflate one iota. “Oh, baby,” he breathed. “Aaron’s neglected you already. When are you going to see it?”
Bubbles of doubt exploded at his every word.
“I’ll give you until next month.”
“Excuse me?”
He glanced over the undiscerning crowd before bowing to whisper in her ear slow and definitive. “I’ll give you until next month. I’m on your radar now.” She nearly dropped her glass when his teeth caught her gold stud earring. “There are a lot of things I can fix.”
Out of her element, Ashley set down her drink and moved away, unable to breath. She didn’t know how to play in their circles. How had he
managed—why did she allow him—to get so close in a room full of spectators? The odd thing was, she doubted his actions stemmed from retribution of a spurned love. He didn’t seem angry with Aaron. Matthew was in it for illicit fun.
The impulse to change her clothes into something grungy gripped her. She didn’t want to look good for anyone except Aaron. Hating him she wanted to look good for him. Oh, she was sick.
She perched her trembling body at the open door to the garden, and let the warm breeze cook to her charred ego. Her line of site strayed to Matthew to see if he’d followed. Joined by friends, he raised his glass to her. Confident, focused, bedroom eyes made her blush with whatever images occupied his mind. She tore her gaze away.
He knew Aaron’s penchant all too well. It obviously came as no surprise to those who knew him that Aaron had no real interest in her. Ashley laughed in derision. She didn’t even want to know the name of the floozy whom he had his expert hands on right now. Who was being bathed all over by his reckless, impassioned kisses.
Warm hands gripped her shoulders. Lips melted into her with each contact along her cervical vertebrae. Yet she felt spineless. Managing a shallow breath, it caught when his hand crept to her middle and drew her to the well-muscled wall behind her.
“Smile, darling.” The deep voice pleased her in an uninvited way.
Her indecisive heart skipped a beat while at the same time settled in assurance, and moved to her back where it filled in the missing thumps of Aaron’s. She wondered if he too felt them both. Hot breath skirted her bare neck before he turned her around.
Remembering the reason for banishing herself to the corner, Ashley reached up to preen his tieless collar. “I’m too angry to smile. I feel like strangling you right now. Where were you?”
“Concerned?”
“I just warned you about other women, and the minute I turn my back you’re with someone else.”
“Is that why you had Matthew sneaking peaks down your dress and trying to find respect in your ear?” She caught the irony in his eyes before he looked over her head. “I don’t want you talking to him. I know all about his free consultations.”