by L. P. Dover
“Of course I can, but I want you. We can have secret meetings in here if you’re still embarrassed to be seen in public with me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not embarrassed. You’re you, and I’m a respectable member of society.”
He burst out laughing. “Okay, I see how it is.”
“I just don’t want the publicity,” I added. “You can understand that, right? You of all people should know what it’s like not to have privacy.”
His smile faded. “You’re right, I do, but it’s my life. I can’t change who I am.” My body shivered with the intensity of his stare. “For once, I thought I’d found someone who wanted me for me and not my money or fame.”
Guilt racked my body and I sighed. “Okay, I give in. I can see you tomorrow, after I get out of the spa. Maybe we can order in room service.”
Eyes twinkling, he went over to the door and opened it. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
Before I could walk out, he stood in my way, body close to mine. “I’m going to break through that ice wall of yours, sunshine. One way or another.”
I batted my eyelashes in an innocent matter. “Good luck with that.”
Chapter Eleven
Lucas
Once Ashley left, I stayed in for the rest of the night and watched TV. I couldn’t believe I’d told her about my mother. It was the first time I’d talked about her death to anyone other than my brother or Noah. Aiden was already downstairs getting us a table for breakfast. No one had heard from Noah, so I decided to stop by his room. Before I could knock, it opened and Harper rushed out and ran right into me.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry.” She ran a hand down her green tank top and shorts before looking back at Noah who stood at the door, laughing with only a towel around his waist.
“It’s okay,” I told her. “In a hurry for something?”
She blew out a sigh and nodded toward the elevators. “Yeah, breakfast with the bridesmaids from hell. We’re getting a quick bite before our tee time.”
Noah grabbed her hand and pulled her back for another kiss. “See you tonight, babe.”
Harper smiled and winked at him. “We’ll continue what we started last night.” Then she turned to me. “I would stay and chat, but I’m running late.” She started down the hall.
“I’m almost ready,” Noah said, opening the door wider.
I held up my hand. “Meet me downstairs.” Then I took off after Harper and jumped into the elevator with her. She was my only lifeline to Ashley, and I wasn’t about to let her get away.
Her eyes widened as she laughed. “I heard you blackmailed Ashley.” She pressed the button to the lobby.
I grimaced. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
“Oh, I know. Noah said you’re pretty hard up for her. A word of advice though.” Her blue-eyed stare bored right through me. “I’m glad you’re interested in her because, my God, she needs some excitement in her life. However, if you’re planning on messing with her heart, you need to back off. She just went through that with her ex.”
The elevator doors opened, and I followed her out. “Her ex. What happened?”
We walked together to the hotel restaurant. “Long story short, he was a douche and cheated on her.”
“Fucking prick,” I grumbled.
We stopped at the host stand and she smiled at the waiter. “Table for five, please.”
The waiter grinned wide when he saw me and stuttered his reply. “S—sure, follow me.” Aiden was already at a table and I waved, mouthing the words be right there. Harper sat down, and I sat across from her.
“I’m not messing with Ashley,” I said outright. Hopefully, Noah hadn’t mentioned the bet to her. I didn’t even care if I lost the money at this point; it didn’t matter anymore. I looked around to make sure none of her group was coming, especially Ashley.
“Did you two have a good night last night?” she asked curiously.
Chuckling, I could still feel the needle prick on my right butt cheek. “Oh yeah, she stabbed me with a needle. Fun times.”
Harper slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her cries of laughter. “That is too funny. I can’t believe she actually did it.”
“You knew she was going to do that?”
She waved me off. “Of course I did. We had it all planned out.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” I said, laughing.
The waiter came over and gave us both a glass of water. She took a sip and winked. “We girls stick together.”
“Speaking of girls, what’s the story with you all. Ashley doesn’t exactly tell me anything personal.”
Harper slid her glass of water to the side and leaned on her elbows. “Let’s see . . . Ashley and I are bridesmaids for her brother’s fiancée, Olivia. The wedding is next weekend.” Olivia had to have been the one who came to Ashley’s door the morning after our hook up.
“Does Ashley have a date for it?”
Her lips tilted slyly. “The owner of Tryst asked her. Of course, she hasn’t given him an answer yet.”
I groaned. “Olivia thinks it was him she was hiding in her room the other morning. I can’t let that happen.”
“I don’t know, Lucas,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Rhett’s been after Ashley for a while. As far as trust goes, she’d put her faith in him over you.”
“How do I change that?”
“Simple.” She leaned closer. “Show her she’s the only one you want. That means no flirting or putting your driver where it doesn’t belong. Don’t give her any reasons not to trust you. If you work hard, she’ll come around.” A sad smile spread across her face. “Trust me, she’s not always an ice queen. Underneath those barriers, she’s the sweetest, most caring woman I know. All she wants to do is help people.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the information. I’ll make sure to kick Noah’s ass if he hurts you.”
She scoffed. “Please, I don’t need help with that. I can do it myself.”
We both laughed, until she stopped abruptly, as something over my shoulder caught her attention. “We have incoming. If you want to prove yourself to Ashley, now’s as good of a time as any.”
I turned around and there were three women walking toward us, all of them grinning from ear to ear. Ashley caught up to them, and her eyes widened the second she saw me. I stood, and the three women crowded around me. I recognized them from the first night at the resort. The dark-haired one was Olivia, and the other two were the bridesmaids from hell, as Harper had put it.
Olivia stared at me in utter shock. “I’m sorry, I think I’m at a loss for words. It’s so nice to meet you,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Olivia.”
“Lucas,” I said. “And same to you. I hear some congratulations are in order.”
“Yes, thank you. I’m getting married next weekend.” I shook her hand and let go, only to get grabbed by one of the other women.
“I’m Sophia. One of the bridesmaids.” She cleared her throat. “And also, single.”
Ashley rolled her eyes and her tense jaw muscles didn’t escape my notice. Jealousy was a good sign. Maybe I still had a chance with her. I didn’t bother with a reply to Sophia’s remark. Instead, I shook the last bridesmaid’s hand. “And you are?”
Smiling seductively, she didn’t want to let go of my hand, but I pried it away. “Allie. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” I turned to Ashley and smiled, realizing that to my right, Sophia steadily moved closer to me. “And you are?”
Her eyes narrowed, but then she smiled. “Ashley.”
Taking her hand, I pulled her closer, so she stood between me and Sophia.
“What brought you by our table?” Olivia asked curiously.
I focused on Harper. “Harper here was telling me all about the golf course. I wanted to play a round today, but I think the tee times are all booked up.”
Olivia gasped. “Why don’t you join us? We could play teams.”
&
nbsp; Ashley held out her hands. “Oh no, Olivia. I’m sure Mr. Montgomery doesn’t want to play with us amateurs.” She glared up at me and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Actually, I think it’s a great idea. My brother and best friend are over there. I’m sure they’d love to play too.” I pointed to my table and their smiles grew more excited.
“I’d love to have them,” Sophia said happily.
Harper shook her head, mumbling, “Yeah, I bet you would.”
“What time do we tee off?” I asked Olivia, ignoring Ashley, who was currently trying to stare a hole into the side of my head.
She glanced down at her watch. “Thirty minutes.”
“Great. I’ll be ready.”
Teeth clenched, Ashley smiled up at me and muttered, “Outside.” To the others, she held up her phone. “I’ll be right back.”
I nodded at them all. “It was nice meeting you. My guys and I will see you on the course.”
Ashley was all the way over at the elevators waiting on me, so the others couldn’t see. She smacked me in the arm. “What the hell are you doing?”
A chuckle escaped my lips. “Spending time with you anyway I can. I saw an opportunity and I took it.” Leaning in close, I whispered in her ear. “See you on the course.”
Chapter Twelve
Ashley
The guys made it outside first, but that was only because Sophia didn’t want to appear desperate. If she only knew. They waited for us, along with four golf carts. Noah winked at Harper and it didn’t go unnoticed. It was clear to everyone, he was off the market. I liked it when men made it known they were taken.
“Are we ready, ladies?” Lucas called out.
Olivia jumped up and down and clapped. “More than ready. Maybe now I can find out your golf secrets.”
Lucas waved a hand toward Aiden. “If you want to know my secrets, you should partner up with my brother. He’s the one who coaches me.”
She gasped. “That would be awesome.”
Aiden hopped out of his cart and secured her clubs into the back with his. He glanced over at Allie and I could tell he wanted to be partnered with her, but he smiled and started talking golf with Olivia. Even Allie appeared to be miffed about it.
Noah raised his hand. “Harper’s mine.” He hurried over and grabbed her clubs, winking at me in the process.
“You took my partner,” I grumbled.
He shrugged. “Sorry, babe. I got dibs.” Harper mouthed the word sorry to me and hopped into their cart, giggling as they took off.
That left me standing with Sophia and Allie. Lucas walked over to us. “Guess it’s my turn to choose a partner. Who here is the best?”
Sophia raised her hand excitedly. “I am, by far.” I looked over at her like she’d lost her mind. Olivia and I were the best out of the whole group, even if Sophia did do better than me earlier.
Lucas held back his laugh and walked past her straight to me. “All right, great. You partner up with Allie, and I’ll take Ashley. I have a feeling this one might need my help.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him. But on the inside, I was laughing at Sophia’s expense. The shock of rejection hit her hard and she stuttered, “Actually, I’m the worst. I can pay you to give me lessons.”
Lucas lifted my golf bag. “But you just said you were the best? I’m pretty sure you’re not as bad as this one. I watched her hit a guy with her ball yesterday.”
The glares I got were priceless. But Sophia needed to be put in her place. She thought she was God’s gift to men.
Lucas chuckled when we got in the cart. “Did you see their faces?” he asked low.
I glanced back at Sophia and Allie, getting loaded up in their own cart. “I did. And as much as I hate saying this, they needed to be brought down a notch. So, thank you.”
He chuckled again. “I could tell. I saw you all together that first night in the hotel. It’s obvious they don’t like you.”
I shrugged. “I’ve never given them a reason not to like me. I mean, Olivia did pick me to be her maid of honor, but that’s only because she’s marrying my brother. Other than that, I don’t know what I could have possibly done to earn their wrath.”
He leaned in close. “It’s obvious, sunshine. You’re successful and sexy as fucking hell. Any woman would be jealous. You’re the full package.”
Hearing him say it made me smile. “Thanks. And just so you know, I’m not a bad golfer. I can’t help it you were in the way when my ball hit you.”
“Keep telling yourself that. You know, if you want, I can give you some lessons . . . free of charge.”
I waved him off. “The wedding is next weekend. All I have is this week, and then I’ll be going back to my life at the office.”
“There’s always time to hit the course after work. Just because you won’t be here after next weekend, doesn’t mean I don’t want to see more of you.”
Aiden and Olivia started toward the first hole and we followed behind them. “The more time we spend together, the more people will see. It won’t be a secret forever.”
“There’s nothing I can do about that.” He looked over at me and then back to the cart path. “What’s so bad about it though?”
“I’ve already told you. I don’t want the craziness in my life. I have a job and other priorities. I can’t drop everything just to follow you around like other women might do.”
Slamming on the brakes, the wheels screeched as we arrived at the first hole. It was a par five that curved around to the green. Voice low, he slipped on his glove. “Why are you being so obstinate? I would never ask you to do that.” He hopped out and grabbed his driver. “Looks like we need to get to know each other better. If I birdie this hole, you owe me dinner tonight.”
I had no doubt he could do it, but I had a plan of my own. “Deal.”
The guys stretched and made their way up to the white tee boxes. Aiden and Noah hit first, their drives powerful. When Lucas stepped up to hit, everything went silent. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to see how he played in person. He lined up his shot in the perfect stance. There was a confidence about him, but then again, as one of the best golfers in the world, he’d earned it. Of course, his drive went so far, I couldn’t even see where it landed.
Grinning smugly, he put his driver away. “How was that?” he asked, only loud enough for me to hear.
“Not too bad.” We rode down the path to the women’s tee box. Aiden joined Olivia and gave her some pointers before she hit her bright purple ball. She was an excellent golfer.
I fetched my driver and stretched while the others hit their balls.
Lucas joined me in the tee box and teed up my pink ball. “Grip it softly, not hard. A lot of people like to kill the ball, but that’s not what makes it fly. You might get distance, but no control in where it goes.”
“Any other advice?” I asked with a laugh.
He shook his head. “Go for it.”
I got into position, but then stepped back. The others were too far away to hear us. “Wait. How about I make another bet?”
His grin brightened. “I’m listening.”
Focusing on the ball, I kept my head down. “If I birdie this hole, it trumps your birdie, and I don’t owe you dinner.”
He chuckled. “Is that how it’s going to be today?”
“Yep. Do we have a deal?”
“Deal. Let’s see what you got, Locke.”
Taking a deep breath, I concentrated on the ball and let her fly. It landed perfectly, right in the middle of the fairway. Now it was my turn to grin smugly.
Lucas looked at me like he’d never seen me before. “I’m in trouble now.”
Turning on my heel, I hopped back into the cart. “You sure are.”
By the end of the eighteenth hole, I’d given Lucas a run for his money, but he still scored a dinner with me. I knew I wasn’t going to win against a professional. A part of me didn’t want to win, but I also wanted him to know I w
as pretty good on the golf course. We, at least, had a love for the sport in common. Luckily, no one other than Harper suspected anything going on between me and Lucas.
While Olivia and the others talked by the immense water fountain, Lucas and I returned the cart keys to the clubhouse. “Once you’re done with your spa massage, how long should I give you before I show up at your door?”
There was too much going on in those gray eyes of his. He enjoyed our interactions. Hell, I was beginning to enjoy them too, but I wasn’t about to let him know that.
“Six o’clock,” I said.
We slowly made our way back to the others. “I’m assuming we’re ordering room service for dinner tonight?”
“Or we could meet in the hotel restaurant,” I added.
He shook his head. “Too open. You’re the one who doesn’t want to be seen with me in public.”
I slapped a hand to my chest. “You’re right. I mean, who’d want to be seen with a celebrity.” Nudging him in the side, I laughed. “Don’t act all wounded. I’m protecting myself and my integrity. If you didn’t have such a bad rap, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”
“Basically, you’re saying I’ll never get invited over to meet the family,” he stated, all humor gone.
“Hold your horses, cowboy. That’s a serious step. You and I both know you’re not ready for that.” I had no clue what my family would say about it. I knew one thing, I sure as hell wasn’t ready.
Stopping mid-step, he turned to me. “I’m trying to figure out ways to get you to trust me, Ashley. Can you at least try to be openminded? People do change, especially if they want something badly enough.” A sly smile lit up his face. “Who knows, you might be worse than me? I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“You really do love to turn things around, don’t you?” Olivia and the others saw us and walked closer.
“All I want is a promise that you’ll try to get to know me.” He looked at the others. “Better hurry, they’re getting closer.”