Christy was quiet, shifting awkwardly at her feet. “Where are they?” she asked at last.
“They went into town to get some stuff for the repairs, I believe.” Margaret glanced up in surprise. “I thought you knew. He borrowed your truck. And didn’t you give him money for the repairs?”
She straightened up with anger. “I didn’t give him anything,” she let out sternly as she marched out the doors.
The wind howled through the trees, billowing the curtains of her living room as she threw open the front doors. Ashton had just pulled up the drive way, the headlights of her truck blinding her eyes.
“Mom?” JR said as he jumped out of the front seat.
“Get inside!” she shouted at him. “You should have had better sense to tell me where you were going before leaving like that!”
“I told Nan,” he cried. “And I went out with Dad. He needed me.”
She rubbed her temples with annoyance. “Just get inside, Ash.”
JR glanced at his father with hurt in his eyes. His mother had reverted to his old name and that could only mean she was angry.
Ashton nodded at him. “Go on, son. I’ll sort it out with your mother.”
JR looked indecisively at them and then scrambled indoors before his mother could scold him again.
“Don’t you think you’re being unnecessarily unfair on the boy?” Ashton growled.
“Unfair? You’re one to talk about fairness! What the heck are you doing fixing up my lodge? And why are you driving my truck?!”
“I’m trying to make sure that my son lives decently.” He minced. “Is that wrong?”
“No, but you should have at least told me what you were doing before you took the liberty to mend things however you wanted!”
“Margaret knew what I was up to and she didn’t mind it a bit. She’s the one who gave me the keys to your truck. I’ve changed the oil too. You can thank me later,” he said, walking away to the back of the truck without waiting for her to answer.
She fumed, racing after him. “Who do you think you are? You can’t just walk in here and start doing things as if you knew how to do them better! This is my home, my truck!”
“Yeah and a good job you’re doing at it too.” He grumbled sarcastically as he pulled out a bundle of timber from the back.
“Are you saying I can’t do my job? And what is that? What are you going to do with that?” she blurted, watching him gather the bundle and carry it on his shoulders.
He didn’t bother to stay and argue with her, instead walking on away towards the kitchen verandah.
“Ashton, I’m talking to you!” she screamed.
“You’ve got the wrong, Ashton. I’m your husband- not your son!”
“Husband?” She huffed. “Ex… ex-husband! We signed the papers, remember!”
“They haven’t been filed yet.” He threw behind him. “So until then, I’m still your husband.”
She stared after him in utter speechlessness.
He ignored her, laying the timber on the floor of the verandah.
“You had better have a good reason for leaving those in my verandah,” she growled.
“Your balcony rails need replacing. And if you don’t get them done soon, you’ll be facing some serious accident. And I’d be damned if it is going to be my son falling through them.”
“I…I…” she stammered. She knew he was right. But her pride was getting in her way of admitting it. “I was-”
But he was walking away again and into the lodge.
How dare he insult her like that?! She was not that seventeen year old anymore who would silently accept a tongue-lashing and then left to deal with the insult all on her own!
She chased after him, trying not to exude much of her wrath before her guests.
He strode into his room, slamming the door behind him.
She puffed angrily. This was her lodge! He couldn’t simply shut a door on her face!
She turned the knob and threw the door open. “I know you’re rude. You’ve always been that, and nothing seems to have changed in all these years. But while you’re staying with me, I expect some respect from you!”
“Close that door behind you if you don’t want to lose the respect from your guests as well.” He advised as he unbuttoned his shirt.
She didn’t bother to argue because he made perfect sense and obediently turned to shut it. But when she spun around, ready to rebuke him again for his behavior, she stopped short on seeing his bare torso.
“What are you doing?!” she let out, her face flustered by the tingling sensation he evoked inside her.
“You ask that a lot, don’t you?” He raised his brow as he undid his belt. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Well, put your clothes back on because I need to talk to you.”
“You don’t need my clothes for a talk. Unless…” His eyes scrolled down the length of her.
She clutched onto the placket of her shirt. “Stop that! You’re making me uneasy.”
“Why?” He edged closer to her. “If I mean nothing to you, why would I make you uneasy?”
“This is not about how you’re making me feel; which of course is nothing. It is just isn’t normal for a woman to have a decent conversation with a half-naked man.”
“You say that a little too vehemently for a woman who feels nothing for me,” he drawled seductively, now only a breath away from her.
She instinctively stepped back, slamming into the wall. “Ashton, step away. I’m warning you.”
“Or you will…?”
“I’ll scream.”
“Really? When every guest in this lodge knows that I am JR’s father. Don’t you think that’s a little suggestive?” He leaned into her, his hands on either side of her, blocking her escape. He glanced down at her trembling lips and he instantly knew he wanted to possess them.
He had only wanted to tease her- his little vengeance for her needless outburst. But he should have known he was playing with fire. The more he grew closer to her, the more he wanted to be burned by her flames. Her hands were bracing his bare waist, trying to push him away from her. But all he could feel was the heat her touch had fired through his veins.
He bent lower down to her, breathing in the scent of her flesh in the curve of her neck. Her hands travelled up his rib cage and he grew hard from wanting her.
“Ashton, stop…,” she rasped, her eyes captivated by his.
“Say please,” he whispered against her lips.
He lowered his head down and kissed her neck daintily. She pulled in a sharp breath, her fingers clenched, biting into his flesh.
His arousal stirred and he desperately needed her for some relief. He cupped her buttocks and pulled her roughly against him, pressing himself hard into her. She moaned and her sound burst his walls of restraint. His mouth caught the flesh of her neck, sucking it, nipping it; tasting it.
Euphoria swept over him as if he had been starved of taste for eleven years. He had been hunting her, searching for her- just to have this.
She writhed in his arms, her hands wrapped tightly around his back, pulling him into her.
He cupped her buttocks, his fingers desperate for the feel of her between her legs. And when he found her core, he pushed them deep into her through the thickness of her jeans. She bucked, her body arching into him.
He dragged her head back to him, his other hand roughly grasping her hair as he brought her mouth to meet his.
Christy felt her body grow limp, her cream now wet and dripping against her panties. She was helpless and completely at his mercy, unsure of what to deal with first; the fingers penetrating the hole between her folds, or the tongue that daringly pushed forward into her mouth, teasing it, taunting it.
He picked her up easily, carrying her at his hips. She wrapped her legs around him tightly, her lips still locked onto him, her tongue slithering into his mouth, fighting back.
He positioned her carefully so his hard arousal immediately met he
r moist slit and then began rocking against her. She let out a soft cry, her heart racing against her chest walls, her leg spread wider to get a better feel of his hot length inside her.
His mouth trailed wet kisses wildly down to her bosom. His fingers tugged at her shirt, trying to prop them out of her jeans, eager to feel the warmth of her naked skin against him.
She caught a reflection of their wild entwined bodies in the mirror across her and she grew hotter with desire.
Just a little more, she thought. One more minute won’t hurt.
“Christy.” His voice pierced into her thoughts. “I wanted you so bad. You don’t know what torture you put me through these past three days.”
Three days…, she repeated in her head. Had it been three days already? All she could remember was how she had almost dropped when she had first seen him in that coffee shop. He still wielded power over her just as he did when she was young. She had thought that she had been long over him, but the moment she had spotted him through the window of the coffee shop, her body had frozen. She had to take a stroll into town in a desperate attempt to muster courage to face him. And she thought she had until she stepped into that coffee shop. He had immediately taken her breath again… like he was doing now.
“Ashton,” she said aloud. “Ashton, we need to stop.”
He didn’t hear her, tugging the ends of her shirt, his hands weaving its way under it.
She caught her breath, her heart racing madly as she felt the hard tip of his cock press against her sensitive clitoris. She bit her lip hard, trying to prevent a cry from escaping her.
“Ashton.” She trembled. “Stop… please.”
She caught his hands before they could find their way to her breasts and pulled them away.
He looked up at her confusedly, his eyes still drunk with passion.
She slithered her legs down his body and he stepped back to give her room.
“What’s wrong, Christy?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern.
“Everything’s wrong.” She moved away from him. She needed to put some space between them. His nearness stifled her. And she never really could think clearly knowing that each time he’d touch her, she’d lose all control of herself. She palmed her forehead, her temples pulsing fast against it. “Ashton, you’re engaged. Isn’t that why you came to find me?”
He stared at her, slightly muddled. She had thrown a bucket of reality over him and he was still trying to emerge from it without looking like a sex-crazed idiot.
“I… yes.” He flustered. How could he have forgotten about Naomi? He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m… sorry.”
“When are you leaving?”
He cocked his head with disbelief. “What?” They had almost been on the verge of making love a second ago and now suddenly she was eager to have him leave? “You want me to go?”
“No! I didn’t mean to sound like that.” She shook her head with confusion. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say anymore. I should go.”
She strode quickly towards the door but he caught her by the elbow and swung her to him. He stood there briefly, holding her in his arms, relishing the feel of her body against him. His hand cupped her face, his cock stirring at the mere touch of her. He wasn’t ready to let her walk away.
But then he dropped his hand and stepped back from her. His life was in Philadelphia. He had a fiancée. This was nothing but a dream, a fantasy.
CHAPTER 8
She stood at her dresser, shaking uncontrollably. She pursed her lips tightly, trying to stifle her sobs.
How could he do this to her? How could he just reappear in her life and stay to cause such havoc? He should have left them as they were. She was fine without him. She and Ash would have been fine without him.
*****
He took off his shirt and wiped the sweat dripping down the side of his face as he studied the newly painted balcony rails above him.
“That looks very good.” Margaret nodded with approval. “Not bad for a man who spends much of his working hours in an air-conditioned office.”
Ashton grinned. “Thanks. Is that for me?” He pointed at the glass of juice she niftily balanced on a tray.
She smiled and handed it over to him. “Thought I’d show you a little appreciation after seeing you slave at those rails all morning.”
He clasped the glass gratefully, loving the feel of the cold drink against the palm of his hand. “Thanks.”
She shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at him cheekily. “You know, you can’t walk around bare-chested like that. This is a very family oriented place. We don’t want the women drooling over a half-naked man roaming the grounds and leaving their husbands in a very jealous fit.”
He chuckled. “I need to get some decent clothes to continue with work around here. I never actually had planned to get my hands dirty.”
“You’re intending to stay a little longer?”
“I can take an extra week off. I saw you needed your garden fence mended. The edges of the raised beds are also falling apart. I’ll head into town later in the day and get the materials needed. I’ll probably get some decent work wear while I am at it.”
She grew quiet, staring up at the balcony rails again. “It has taken a lot for Christy to turn around and become the person she is now. I remember she was so vulnerable when she first arrived at Lily Grove. She didn’t trust anyone at all. She was this frail thing who was always looking over her shoulders in case someone tried to hurt her.” She pulled in a deep sigh.
“I won’t hurt her, Margaret,” he said slowly.
She nodded and gently rubbed his arm. “I know. I know. But it’s not me you should be convincing.” She pointed at the rails. “You’ve done a good job on those rails. Why don’t you sit with me and help me design a new garden?”
He smiled. “I’d love to. Let me clean up this site first. Meet you in the kitchen in two hours?”
“I’ll see you then. In the meanwhile, I could chase Jane on the laundry.”
Ashton recalled the young, blonde girl who had naively let him into Christy’s office that first day he arrived at the lodge. “I hope she still isn’t feeling too bad about blowing Christy’s secret.”
Margaret waved her hands at him. “Don’t you worry about Jane. She gets over things so quickly. It’s a wonder she remembers anything at all. She’s a good kid though. A good worker too. She just needs to be pushed to get on to her tasks or she ends up in her own little fantasy world, day-dreaming about who-knows-what.”
*****
Christy watched them in the distance as she walked by towards the family quarters. They stood together laughing. She had already guessed that Ashton had won Margaret’s heart. But they still seemed too close for her comfort.
She didn’t know what she had been thinking when she had fallen subserviently into his arms last night. But she was certain now she couldn’t trust herself with him. She reminded herself to keep well clear of him. He never wanted to stay and he sure didn’t want to be riddled with a ten year old boy. She drew in a meditative breath, trying to calm her anxiety down. The man was engaged and clearly off-market. If Ashton couldn’t maintain an ethical distance, then it was her responsibility to ensure that he did. His life was back in Philadelphia. If she played it carefully, he might just leave them in peace.
Her eyes wandered over his naked torso, his body glistening in the heat. If Ashton had been unbearably handsome in his youth, he was deathly majestic as a man. Her eyes lingered delightfully on his well-defined form until she noticed some of her female guests do a double-take on seeing the lodge’s new handyman in his bare glory.
She frowned. She needed to have a word with Ashton on semi-nudity if he was determined to continue parading himself around the property.
“He sure is handsome.” Jane sighed, breaking into her thoughts. “I wouldn’t blame you if you fell for him all over again.”
“It won’t happen, Jane.” She huffed. “He’s engaged.”
Christy glared at her.
“Have you forgotten already that you’re the reason I have…him…,” she spat out. “Lingering about here?”
“I’m sorry.” Jane lowered her head apologetically.
Christy immediately felt remorseful about chastising the young girl for what had been an honest mistake. She hadn’t known that Ashton had no knowledge of JR’s existence.
She sighed. “No, I’m sorry. It was bound to happen sooner or later. And thanks to you, JR knows his father now.”
“I know, right!” Jane cheered up. “That’s what I think too.”
Christy rolled her eyes. Trust Jane to recover from her scolding almost immediately.
“Help me get the dry-cleaning laundry out of the SUV,” she said, hoping some work would get the girl busy and stop yapping anymore about the man who was dangerously on the verge of toppling her life over for the second time.
They strolled over to the vehicle and Christy pulled open the hatchback, leaning deep in to reach for the laundry baskets.
“You usually use the crew cab for the laundry.” Jane noted.
“Yep,” she replied, tugging at one of the baskets. “Unfortunately, someone else has taken captive of the truck. And until he leaves, it looks as if I would have to resort to this.” She lifted one heavy basket and passed it onto her. “You take this one and I’ll come back for the other two.”
“Four baskets only?” Jane perked her lips.
“It’s better than last week.” Christy shut the door. “We had only one then. That got me worried slightly. So, I’m going to avoid complaining about having four.”
They walked quietly towards the family quarters and into the living room.
“We have a few rooms empty as well,” Jane mumbled. “That is certainly fewer guests in comparison to the same time last year.”
Affairs & Atonements Page 7