by Ava Moore
The figure turns sharply in my direction and stands up straight, facing me as I continue hustling. “Tricia!”
I slow in my stride as his words not only pierce the air, but they pierce deep into my soul. The frequency of my heart rate paired with the overwhelming emotions is all too much for me and I become weak on my feet. My eyes fill with tears, which are only disguised by the rain as I press forward, trying to reach him.
“Tricia!” he runs forward, against the sheer force of the rain and the moment he meets me, he picks me up and twirls me around, pulling me in closer, as if to make his body apart of mine. “Tricia.” His voice is softer, and he says my name with a sense of relief. He sets my feet back down on the pavement, even though I still feel as though I’m floating and doesn’t loosen on the grip he has on my body.
“How long were you out here?” I ask him, connecting my eyes with his through the downpour.
“I don’t know. I lost count. There is no reception here but I couldn’t leave in case you came home or left. I couldn’t miss you or lose you. Not again.”
I’m so overwhelmed and overcome, I start crying but it’s mixed in with giggles. “Can I tell you something?”
He nods, concerned, his arms still wrapped around me tight. “Of course.”
I hesitate but I have to confess. “I don’t live here.”
He pauses for a moment but then starts to laugh, hard. “Oh god,” he laughs harder and turns his face towards the sky in disbelief. “Of course.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to impress you in case it got back to you where I lived,” I feel terrible for making him wait outside of the wrong apartment for Lord knows how long but it’s where I knew I would find him if he felt as strongly for me as I believed he did.
“I still would have waited hours for you. I’ve waited for you my entire life so what’s another day or two?”
The words come out of me without pause. “What happened at your apartment? Why did you shut down?” It’s the question that has been lingering in my mind endlessly.
He takes in a deep breath. “I was scared. I was falling for you and I didn’t know how to react or how to deal with it so I did the dumb thing and I shut down. I’m sorry.” We both pause and soak in the other’s gaze, deeply and wholly. “I’ve just never felt so strongly for someone so quickly and it was overwhelming for me.”
I nod in agreement, as I feel exactly the same way he does. “And what about Samantha?”
“Another PR move,” he shakes his head. “They are controlling me and dictating my every move, like I’m some kind of a puppet. I hate it.”
It worries me. The fact that he has a whole team of people behind him controlling him like this and making him act so out of character makes me fear for the worst if we do have a future together. “I’m worried…”
He interrupts me. “I won’t let anything happen to us. I promise. They can’t stop my heart from loving you. Nothing can come between that. We’re unbreakable.”
The L word catches me off guard and he can sense it. He pulls me in tighter, if that’s even possible and nearly smothers me with his enormous stature, protecting me from the rain and anything else that might hurt me. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe. “I love you, Trish. I’ve loved you from the first moment I’ve laid my eyes on you.”
My lips begin to form the words to reciprocate to him that I feel the exact same way and more, but I can’t. I’m too overwhelmed and the emotions weigh too heavily on me. I can tell that he knows though and that’s all my heart yearns for. The stare we share locked on each other speaks volumes and communicates everything our hearts need to say and more.
“Is it impolite to kiss in public?” he asks, coyly with the biggest smile on his face and despite the rain, tears forming in his eyes. The same words he recited at dinner and the same words that made me swoon the first time. I turn my attention briefly to the window of my apartment, barely able to make out Cris in the windowsill due to the downpour. With her hands clutched to her heart, I can see her and I can feel her beaming.
I smile at him. “Never, now kiss me.”
He doesn’t wait for another second and presses his luscious lips against mine, sending fireworks cascading throughout my entire soul. There’s something special about kissing in the rain, especially for the first time. Your body is chilled to the bone from the cool wet air but the interior of your being is pulsing with warmth. He tastes sweet, like honey, no, better than honey and envelopes my lips in his, protecting every part of me with his own. I fall limp in his arms, but he pulls me tighter and can’t help but flick up my heel, just like a scene from the movies with Hollywood’s leading man. The rain continues to drench us but we aren’t bothered and continue enjoying the passionate kiss that will forever be engraved in our minds and hearts.
I pull away, slightly, the question on the tip of my tongue and I take the plunge, “It’s not going to be easy with us, is it?”
He cups my face with his warm hands and lowers his head towards mine, allowing our foreheads to touch and our eyes to gaze into each other deeper, “I don’t know, but what I do know is that it is going to be worth it.”
I bring my hands up to his face as well and press my lips passionately onto his again. It’s the truth; I don’t know what the future will hold, hell, I don’t even know what the next twenty-fours are going to be like but with him, I’m willing to find out and I’m willing to take that chance.
The story continues in ASHTON CROFT EXPOSED, the sequel in the ASHTON CROFT series. Stay tuned to Ava Moore’s website www.bad-girl-books.com for upcoming chapter previews, the cover release and the big release date itself!
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THANK YOU
Thank you for purchasing my first new adult romance novel, ASHTON CROFT CONFIDENTIAL! I hope you enjoyed it and if you did, I hope that you will pass it on to your friends and consider leaving me a review for it on Amazon or on Barnes & Noble.
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Always,
Ava Moore
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ava Moore is a full-time writer from Alberta, Canada. She is used to writing non-fiction for a living so it is a welcomed change for her to start writing about her true passion, new adult romance fiction for women.
In her spare time, Ava is working on her goal of becoming a professional cat lady, she hates cleaning and likes spending her Sundays in front of the TV watching football with a beer.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE