Ash: A Beckett Brothers Novel Book 2 (The Beckett Brothers)

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Huffing out a breath, she looked away from him. “I was asking, but I would think it’s obvious since I’m waking up in a parking lot and not remembering how I got here.”

  Ash chuckled. “You must have been tired. You snore, ya know.”

  She gasped. “I do not!”

  “No, you don’t, I was just teasing,” Ash said then laughed when she narrowed her eyes at him. He threw his door open. “Come on, let’s check in then get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  “Why didn’t you stop?”

  “And wake sleeping beauty? It’s fine. We can eat here.” He watched her open her door and reach into the back for her suitcase.

  After lifting his duffle bag out, he walked around the truck and took her suitcase from her then jerked his chin for her to precede him into the lobby.

  Chapter Five

  Cassie followed Ash to the registration desk and stepped up beside him. The woman behind the counter glanced up then did a double take when her eyes landed on Ash. A big smile lifted her lips.

  “Hello, welcome to the Camelot Hotel,” she said then glanced at Cassie and just as fast, dismissed her, returning her attention to Ash. “Do you have a reservation?”

  “Yes, ma’am…two rooms…one for Porter and one for Beckett.” Ash pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

  “Two rooms? Are you Porter or Beckett?”

  “Beckett. This is Cassidy Porter,” Ash said as he handed her his credit card.

  The woman took the card, finished the transaction and handed it back to him then gave him his keycard. She then looked at Cassie and raised an eyebrow in obvious impatience. Cassie flattened her lips, handed the woman her credit card, and waited. Once completed, the woman gave her the card back along with a keycard to her room. The woman smiled at Ash again, and Cassie watched his lips lift in a slow smile. Men!

  “Have a nice stay with us, Mr. Beckett.” She glanced at Cassie. “You too, Miss Porter.”

  “We will, and what makes you think it isn’t Mrs. Porter?” Cassie clenched her fists when she heard Ash chuckle and saw the woman shrug. She leaned down to pick up her suitcase, but Ash beat her to it then flung the duffle bag over his shoulder and leaned toward her.

  “Meow,” he whispered then laughed when she elbowed him.

  They walked to the elevator together and stepped inside. When the doors closed, she turned to face him. His eyebrow lifted as if in question as they stared at each other.

  “She didn’t care that we could have been together. She just flirted with you in front of me anyway.”

  “Well, since you gave her the impression that you might be married, what does it matter?”

  “It doesn’t, but she didn’t even consider that we could be having an affair.”

  Ash laughed. “True.”

  “Some women are just so bold. Do men like that?”

  Ash leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his broad chest. “If it’s just for a one-night stand…sometimes…otherwise, I like to do the chasing.”

  “You smiled at her. I’m sure she thinks you’re interested.”

  “Cassidy, I’m not married, and we’re not here together as a couple. What do you want me to say? What is all this anyway?”

  Cassie shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s just that…I could never do that.”

  “Good. You shouldn’t. You’re not that type of woman.”

  “What type am I, Ash?”

  “You’re a good woman. You’re not the kind to have one-night stands.”

  “Maybe I should,” she murmured.

  Ash straightened up. “No. You shouldn’t. You’re not that kind of woman and why would you want to be? Those women are nothing but a lay for a man. Something you’re not.”

  “How do you know what kind of woman I am?”

  Grinning, Ash stared at her. “Cassidy, you were married for how many years?”

  “Almost eight.”

  “Eight, and how many men have you had sex with?”

  “That’s none of your business.” She folded her arms across her chest and stared up at the numbers above the doors.

  “One? Two, maybe?”

  “Two,” she muttered.

  “And one of those you married. I’ll bet the other was someone you were in love with. Am I right?”

  “Yes. I was seventeen. It lasted a year. I thought we would get married but then he went off to college, and we drifted apart. I met Ross when I was nineteen. We married a year later.”

  “See? You’re not that kind of woman.”

  Neither said anything more while the elevator stopped on the second floor where two elderly women stepped in, and smiled at them. Ash put his fingers to the brim of his hat.

  “What floor are you on?” Cassidy asked him and he looked at his keycard.

  “Third. You?”

  “Fourth. In four twenty-one,” she said and laughed. “Do you think she did that on purpose?”

  “I doubt it. It’s just the way the reservations were set up.” The elevator stopped on the third floor, and the doors opened. Ash turned to look at her. “Do you want to go to the arena this afternoon to get a look at the horses?”

  “Yes. We can meet downstairs in fifteen minutes.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see you then, and we can grab a bite to eat there.” He gave her a nod, acknowledged the two ladies with a farewell nod as well then stepped out.

  ****

  Cassie sighed as the doors closed behind him. She noticed the two women were looking at her. She gave them a smile.

  “If I were about thirty years younger, I’d definitely go wherever that man wanted me to,” one of them said as the doors opened on the fourth floor.

  Cassie couldn’t help but laugh as she followed the two ladies out of the elevator. It seemed that Ash appealed to women of all ages.

  “You ladies have a wonderful day.” She started to walk down the hallway when one of them stopped her.

  “Wait. You look familiar. Do I know you?”

  “Do you read romance novels?” Cassidy smiled.

  “Yes! You’re Cassidy Marlowe, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Oh, honey. Now I see where you get those hot men in your books. That cowboy walked right out of those pages.”

  “I haven’t known Ash that long, but I do agree he could fit the bill. Have a good one.” Cassie smiled then headed to her room as the women walked on down the hallway in the other direction.

  Finding her room, she inserted the keycard then entered her room. Tossing her suitcase onto the bed, she opened it and got clean jeans and a T-shirt out. She needed to wash her face before she met Ash downstairs. Entering the bathroom, she turned the faucet on then scrubbed her face. Glancing into the mirror, she wondered if she should wear makeup. Shaking her head, she wouldn’t bother with it. Ash had seen her without it anytime she was around him so if she suddenly started wearing it, he might get the impression it was for his benefit. She didn’t want him to think that. Although, if she were honest with herself, she’d love to be the type of woman who could let a man know she wanted him.

  Sighing, she walked out of the bathroom and changed clothes. The room was nice with a queen size bed, large dresser, small table and chair, and a TV hung on the wall. Sliding glass doors led to a balcony. The plush blue carpet felt good under her bare feet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled socks on then tugged on her boots. Standing, she picked up her keycard, dropped it into her purse, flung the strap over her shoulder then walked out of the room to meet Ash downstairs. Her belly fluttered as she thought of seeing him again, even though she’d just left him. The man was sexy as sin, and she’d love to be sinful with him.

  When she entered the elevator, the two women were in there again. Cassie smiled at them.

  “Ms. Marlowe, if we get copies of your book, could you sign them for us?”

  “Of course, and please call me Cassie.”

  “I’ll ask about a bookstore once we get
to the lobby. Mable and I are on vacation. We’ve always wanted to see Montana. I’m Gladys,” she said and stuck her hand out to Cassie.

  “It’s very nice to meet you both. I’ll be at the horse auction a good bit of tomorrow, but I’ll be free after five. Perhaps we can meet in the lobby, and I’ll sign your books for you.”

  “Wonderful,” Gladys said, smiling.

  “The hotel put you and that hot cowboy on separate floors, huh? Just like Mable and me. I requested adjoining rooms, but they didn’t have any available.”

  The elevator doors opened, and the women stepped into the lobby. Cassie glanced around and frowned when she saw Ash talking with the woman who had checked them in. No doubt, she was trying to make a date with him. Bitch!

  “Oh my! Honey, if you let that she-devil get her hands on your man, you’re crazy,” Gladys whispered.

  “Ash is not my man,” Cassie whispered back.

  “Really? Well, for a man not belonging to you, he sure couldn’t keep his eyes off you earlier.” Mable nodded in agreement with her friend’s observation.

  “And if he isn’t your man, what the hell are you waiting for?”

  “I just went through a divorce.”

  “All the more reason to grab onto that hot cowboy. I bet he can make you forget all about your ex,” Mable said then glanced at Ash and back to Cassie. “I love a man who can fill out a pair of jeans.”

  Cassie burst out laughing since it was something she could definitely agree on when it came to Ash. “You ladies have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you tomorrow evening here in the lobby at six.”

  “You have a good day too, but then why wouldn’t you? Look who you’re spending it with. Bye honey.” Mable and Gladys both waved and walked away from her.

  Mentally shaking her head, Cassie made her way to Ash. The receptionist gave her the evil eye then marched off. Ash turned to look at her, and she lost all coherent thought. Yes, the man was so hot. He’d changed from his black T-shirt to a blue one that really emphasized his eyes. Her gaze traveled down over him, and she bit her lip to keep from groaning. His jeans fit him like a glove. They were faded and soft looking. On his feet were his well-worn cowboy boots. His straw cowboy hat sat low on his forehead, but she knew his eyes were on her. Smiling, she walked up to him.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi yourself…are you ready to go?”

  “Yep. Let’s do this, cowboy.”

  Ash’s eyebrow rose. “Anything you say, darlin’.”

  Cassie laughed and walked to the doors leading outside, and then out into the bright sunshine. Glancing up, she saw the blue cloudless sky. The sun beat down hot though and by the time they reached the truck, Cassie could feel sweat between her breasts, shoulder blades, and on her upper lip. She pulled her sunglasses out of her purse and stopped by the door of the truck. Ash pushed the keypad to unlock the door but before she could open it, he did it for her. Smiling, she climbed into the pickup then watched through the windshield as he strode around the front and got in behind the wheel. He looked over at her and winked then started the vehicle and pulled out of the lot. She glanced into the side mirror.

  “You unhooked the trailer. When?”

  “A few minutes ago. I didn’t want to pull it around until I needed it. The hotel said it was fine where it was sitting.”

  “Oh, is that what you were talking to the receptionist about?” she asked in an innocent voice.

  Ash laughed. “No.”

  Cassie waited, but he didn’t say more. “Were you setting up a night together?”

  “She was trying. I told her I wasn’t interested.”

  “Really? She’s beautiful.” Cassie nibbled on her bottom lip.

  “Yes, but I’m really not interested. She’s too…fake. I prefer women who are more…natural.” He glanced over at her then back to the road.

  Cassie could feel the heat pour into her cheeks. Did he mean her? In her heart, she wanted him to mean her but in her head she knew it was better if he didn’t. Her life was in such a shambles right now. She knew Ross would show up eventually to try to convince her to give him one more chance. Only there were no more chances to give. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Not only twice but three times and she knew it would never end. Cassie needed to stay away from him but he knew where she’d gone. That part of her life was over, and it hurt. She’d been such a fool, and she prayed she never would be again. She needed to keep a clear frame of mind and certainly didn’t want to drag anyone else into her messed up life.

  Glancing over at Ash from under her lashes, she ran her eyes over his biceps. The sleeves of his T-shirt stretched tight around them. Moving her eyes down his chest, she could make out his pecs beneath the cloth. Her gaze dipped down to his flat stomach and the zipper of his fly. Damn, he had a body and a half. Ash was a big man, and by the look of his fly, he was definitely a big man. Ross had never filled out his jeans like Ash did his.

  She snorted then coughed when Ash glanced over at her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes.” She squeaked out, trying not to laugh. If he knew his crotch was the topic of her thoughts, he’d be shocked.

  “If you say so. Here we are,” Ash said as he pulled into the fairgrounds parking lot.

  Cassie sat up and looked around. “It’s packed.”

  “Yeah. A good many folks will be here to check out the horses. Make notes on which ones you’re interested in.” Ash found a spot and shut the truck off. “Let’s find some food. I’m starving.”

  “Me too, and I can smell it which makes it worse.”

  “Cotton candy, hot dogs, hamburgers, and popcorn.”

  “I’ll take one of each,” Cassie said and laughed.

  She reached for the door handle but whipped her head back around to look at him when he announced, “I’m going to look for some chocolate.”

  He was already stepping out of the truck. His door closed, and she watched him walk around the front to wait for her. Biting back a smile, she joined him, and they made their way to the concession stand to order food.

  As they headed toward the barns where the horses were, Cassie pulled pieces of the cotton candy off and stuffed it into her mouth then licked her fingers to remove the sticky, sugary stuff. She looked over to Ash to find him staring at her. She paused with one finger in her mouth. Ash groaned, shook his head, and strode toward the back of the barn where the horses were. Shrugging, she jogged to catch up to him and caught him at the last stall.

  “This horse is so thin,” she said and blinked tears from her eyes as she stared at the mare.

  “Yes, and she probably won’t get adopted because of it.”

  “Well, I’m adopting her,” she stated with determination. She knew she was a sucker for someone or something in need.

  Ash shook his head. “I had a feeling you were going to say that.” He leaned against the gate, folded his arms, and stared at her. “Why are you here to adopt anyway?”

  Cassie shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to have a few horses of my own. Mom and Dad don’t care at all about me keeping them at their place. Even if I moved away from the ranch.”

  “Away from the ranch? Meaning what? Going back to your husband?”

  Cassie was surprised at the anger in his tone. “No. I meant getting my own place. I will never go back to Ross.”

  Ash stared at her then gave a nod. “Good. Come on. There are plenty more to look at here. Write her number down, although I seriously doubt you’ll have any competition on that bid.”

  “All right. I only want a few.”

  “You do know my brother has an equine rescue and sanctuary, don’t you?”

  “No. You mean Gray rescues horse?”

  “Not Gray. Brayden does…in memory of his late wife. Maisy always wanted to do a rescue, so he did it for her.”

  “How many brothers do you have?”

  “Four and one sister.”

  “Good heavens.”

 
Ash grinned. “I’ll tell you all about them later. Let’s look around.”

  A few hours later, they were heading back to the hotel. Cassie had numbers for three horses, including the skinny mare and she couldn’t wait until tomorrow for the auction. She was tired. The long day and long drive were catching up with her even though she’d slept the entire way to Butte.

  When Ash pulled the truck up in front of the hotel to let her out, she looked over at him.

  “What time will we leave in the morning?”

  “Around nine. The auction starts at ten.”

  “All right. Thank you, Ash.”

  He nodded. “Do you want to get together for dinner later?”

  “I think I’ll just order room service.” She smiled then climbed out of the truck and closed the door. She heard him drive away to park the truck as she entered the lobby.

  ****

  Ash drove around the parking lot then backed his pickup to the trailer and climbed out. He decided to hook it up now rather than wait until morning. He was a little disappointed that Cassidy didn’t want to get together for dinner. It looked like a long, dull evening stretched out in front of him. Unless he called that hotel clerk, Debra. Shaking his head, he knew he wouldn’t. He wasn’t interested in her at all. He’d much rather spend the evening with a gray-eyed redhead.

  Sighing, he finished hooking the trailer up then strode across the parking lot. He passed several women who smiled at him. He put his fingers to his hat in salute, but kept going. It seemed like Cassidy was going to ruin any chance he had of getting laid anytime soon. It had been over a month since he’d had sex, and he was fucking horny as hell. Damn it!

  Hell, maybe he should call Debra after all. She’d given him her number even as he’d said he didn’t want it. Blowing out a breath, he stood at the elevators and waited for the doors to open. Stepping in, he leaned against the wall. The doors were about to close when a woman quickly slid between them. Laughing, she looked at him.

  “Phew! I almost didn’t make it,” she said with a big grin.

  Ash grinned. “Almost.”

  She leaned on the opposite wall and stared at him. When he raised an eyebrow, she giggled. Actually giggled. He nearly rolled his eyes.