by Melody Anne
He was pretty dang handsome, but Savvy hadn’t noticed before now. It was hard for her to look beyond Ashton, even if she told herself to do it.
“I’m Cassie, Trenton’s wife,” a pretty blonde said. “I wish I weren’t nursing — parties suck when you can’t drink alcohol. Never mind me, Savvy, have an extra for me. Now give us the scoop on Ashton. We’ve heard rumors that the Wicked Witch of the West — or is she from the East? — is long gone.” She grinned happily as she said that.
“If you … um, mean his fiancée, I don’t know. I believe they’re still together,” Savvy stammered.
“Oh, come on. He’s been so different since a pretty brunette has been hired to work for him,” another woman said.
Was it genetically impossible for one of the Andersons or their brides to be ugly? Savvy was beginning to think so. “I’m Kyla,” the woman added as an afterthought.
“I just work for him,” Savvy told the women, shifting on her feet as she looked down. She wasn’t exactly lying. She did just work for him … when she wasn’t allowing him to strip off her shirt and run his tongue along her skin.
The mere thought brought a blush to her cheeks.
“Yeah, we heard Richard and his brothers set up the job interview,” Amy Anderson said. Savvy recognized her.
“Yes, Richard was at a job fair at my school,” Savvy told them, not thinking anything strange about it.
“That’s how it all starts,” Emily said. “I met Joseph that way, and he offered me a cooking job. I just didn’t know it was for his amazingly hunky and very single son Mark,” she said with a giggle. “But I am so grateful to the man because I love Mark and our children so much.”
“Surely he wasn’t trying to match you up,” Savvy gasped.
“Of course he was. That’s what the meddler does. Then his brother George moved home, and they did the same with his kids. Now, they’ve found Richard and the fun continues,” Jessica said with her own laugh.
“That’s not at all why Richard suggested the job,” Savvy told them. There would be no way Richard could think she was good enough to marry his son.
“You can think that if it makes you feel better,” Amy said, smiling. “But you’ll go through a lot of heartache in the meantime.”
“I’m not hurting,” Savvy assured the group of women.
But all the women in the group wore a knowing smile that had her worried.
Still, she found that after a few minutes with them, her nerves were beginning to calm. This large, wealthy, famous family was acting like any other family she’d had the privilege of spending time around. And they were all welcoming her.
They were nothing like what she’d have thought. She was a bit jealous, in fact, to see that a family could live this way — full of love and laughter and gossip that wasn’t meant to hurt anyone. What an incredible life they shared together.
The kids ran around together, collecting shells, dipping their feet in the water and roasting marshmallows at the fire while squealing in delight when one of their parents would chase them all down.
But the second Ash spotted her as the crowd parted, she watched as he made a beeline for them. She had no chance of escape unless she planned to dive into the ocean. And to judge from previous experience with the man, she had no doubt he’d dive in after her.
Her nerves took over, and she missed the last thing Amy said to her.
“Ah, Ash is on his way over,” Emily said with a chuckle. “I was wondering how long it would take for him to figure out you were here, Savvy.”
Richard reached them right before Ashton did.
“I’m sorry, darling. I got to visiting with my brother. Can I bring you anything?” he asked politely.
“I think a six-foot-plus hunk would cure her thirst,” Jessica said beneath her breath, making Savvy’s cheeks flood red.
Thank goodness it was dusk.
“Don’t worry, Savvy. We’ve all been where you are right now. We’ll give you some privacy,” Amy told her.
And much to her horror, the women and kids slipped away, leaving her standing with only Richard, and Ashton just about there.
“I was hoping my father would bring you back here,” Ashton said.
She couldn’t read his expression. But maybe she didn’t want to.
“I didn’t know you were the one behind all this.” She spoke in measured tones. She wanted to shower him with just enough disdain to show him what she thought of him and his tactics, but without seeming like a complete … wench in front of his father.
“I wasn’t exactly behind it,” he told her. “I just mentioned to my father that you enjoyed sunsets.”
“Well, I’m enjoying your father’s company, so you’re free to leave us now,” she said through gritted teeth. She really hated being manipulated.
“Do you prefer older men now, Savvy?”
She gasped at the outrageous comment.
“I can’t believe you would embarrass Savvy this way, Ashton,” Richard told his son in the scolding tones of yesteryear.
“You’re right, Father. I apologize,” Ash said before giving her a once-over that had her on edge again. “You look very beautiful tonight, Savvy.”
She tried to find the undertones in his compliment, but there weren’t any that she could spot. “Thank you,” she finally mumbled.
“I must say, though, that I preferred what you were wearing when we woke up.”
Savvy’s cheeks flamed painfully as she looked to the ground in utter mortification. How could Ashton say that in front of his father? Did he have zero respect for anyone? Richard must think she was a complete trollop now. And she liked the man — his opinion meant something to her.
“That fire over there looks like it needs some more fuel, Ash. Why don’t you go add some, and maybe trip into it while there?” she told him so sweetly it took Ashton a moment to realize what she’d just said. But instead of the anger she’d hoped for, she saw his lips twitch upward.
“It looks like you don’t need me here,” Richard said with a twinkle in his eye, and then the man abandoned her. She decided that all the Storm men were traitors.
“Are you having a bad day, darling?” Ashton asked her. “You seem slightly hostile.” Before she was able to stop him, he was winding his arm around her back. “Maybe I can make it better.”
“I’m not your darling,” she snapped. “Let go of me.”
“But I like holding you. I can see it becoming an addiction.”
“Oh, Ash! I forgot, but I promised Savvy a beautiful sunset,” Richard called out from about twenty feet away. That loud announcement made several people turn in their direction, and Savannah wanted to find a hole, jump in, and let the sand bury her.
“Then that’s what she’ll get,” Ashton called back. He finally took his arm off her back, but offered her no freedom. The arm went around her waist and tugged her to his side. “Let’s go watch it. I have a perfect place in mind.”
Savvy bit her tongue until they were out of hearing range of the crowd. Then she yanked against Ashton’s determined hold on her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He wasn’t letting go. That was for sure.
“It’s a beautiful night. The sun is setting and I’m with a spectacular woman. Do I need to put a definition on what it is?”
“That’s not what I mean. Why are you acting this way? Why are you mauling me? We aren’t a couple, and I don’t want your family to start thinking we are.”
He led her up a small hill, where a private bench was set back from the beach, offering privacy while still giving a great view of the water and the colors splashing across the sky.
“Maybe I’ve decided I’d like for us to be a couple,” he said, shocking her. He helped her to sit down — all this touching! — and sat right next to her.
“You have a fiancée,” she growled.
“I’m rethinking that situation,” he told her.
“But right now, right at this moment, you’re engaged
to be married. I’m no poacher.” She was at her starchiest, and was sitting there stiffly beside him. “I’ll add that even if you were single, I wouldn’t accept a date with you after all your uncouth behavior.”
“Aw, come on, Savvy, I was just poking some fun.”
“I wasn’t amused,” she told him. “I’m still not.”
“Then I’ll just have to find other ways to enthrall you,” he said.
What was the point of even talking? He wasn’t listening. So she stayed silent for several heartbeats as the sun continued to set in the sky, but for once the colors weren’t inspiring any peace inside her. She had to speak again.
“We have nothing in common, Ashton. Besides that, you are my boss, making this completely inappropriate. And, as if we need another reason not to date, I start back up at school in about two months. Even if you were going to be free, I’m not looking at getting into a relationship right now.”
But his hand was resting on her thigh and damn if she didn’t like having it there.
“Ah, Savvy, those are all just excuses and ways to hide from the world. If a person wants to be with somebody, he — or she — won’t let anything get in the way.”
“Maybe I want those things in my way, Mr. Storm.” And maybe using his last name would send a clearer message.
“And sometimes these obstacles are what make us stronger, braver, and more able to see all possibilities.”
“Ha. You’re not looking for anything more than a good time in the sack.” She wasn’t born yesterday.
“You don’t know what I’m looking for — unless you can suddenly read minds,” he said.
Savannah reached for his hand, which was still on her thigh, and she dug her nails in. She had to drive him away — his touch was too confusing. But her tactic didn’t work. He simply flipped his hand over and gripped her palm before lifting it to his lips and kissing it, sending tingles throughout her body.
“I know you once had a reputation for being a playboy, for changing women as often as you changed clothes. And that still seems to be the case, because you keep forgetting about the woman with your ring on her finger. I have no interest in being with a man who can dump his fiancée because he suddenly grows bored.”
“Hmm. You’ve been checking up on me. I like that,” he said, making her want to scream in frustration.
“Ugh. I’m trying to tell you that we would never be a good couple. We are much too different for that ever to happen!”
“I disagree, Savvy. As I’ve said before, I think we’re surprisingly alike. But besides that, isn’t the reason behind dating to get to know each other? Then if two people find they don’t like what the other has to offer, they go their separate ways. My take? I have a feeling we’re not going to find things about each other that we don’t like.”
How couldn’t she be exasperated? “You don’t know me!”
“I know what I want to know. You’re smart and funny, a hard worker, and sexy as hell. Your smile is the brightest thing I’ve ever witnessed, and your touch — hmm, your touch takes my breath away.”
“Ashton…,” she began with a sigh and then stopped talking. She didn’t know what to say next.
“Just admit that you liked what we did this morning, Savvy, and not just the touching. You enjoyed the talking as well. We click in a lot of ways. There’s nothing wrong with liking each other or saying so out loud.”
She didn’t want this. She wanted to be mad, upset, disgusted. That protected her from the games he was obviously playing. She’d lived through enough misery in her youth, and as God was her witness, she’d never be vulnerable again.
“If I listen to what you have to say, will you leave me alone?” she asked with a huff.
“I might agree to that,” he said.
“Fine. Then speak. I’m all ears,” she told him, only a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“Good, Savvy. I’m glad you’re finally being reasonable.”
Now, she was going to explode. “Reasonable? Reasonable? You are the most irrational and ill-bred ass I’ve ever met in my life, and that might be including my worthless father.”
“You’re so cute when you’re mad, Savvy, doll. We had a good time this morning. I’m man enough to admit that I want you more than I want my next breath. We’ve already tested the water, so why not get to the finish line? We’re both adults, consenting adults, and we’re not hurting anyone by getting into a relationship.”
“We’re hurting your fiancée, Ashton.” She kept herself from screaming, but just barely.
He brushed his hand in the air as if Kalli were no more than a gnat he was soon going to squash. If Savvy got into any sort of relationship with him, she would soon be the woman he was swatting away. No way! No how!
“It’s over except for the Dear Jane letter, Savvy. You know that.”
“I’m delighted, Ash. Forgive me for what I said before. You’re clearly the soul of reason.” Did she sound a bit ironic? “ But I think I’ll pass on the relationship.”
“Why?” He looked confused, but men weren’t known for reasoning ability.
“I’ve already told you why, but since you don’t seem to be listening to me, something you’re very versed in not doing, I’ll add that as a reason as well. I would never enter into a relationship with someone who doesn’t know how to listen to what I need and want — who doesn’t actually hear a word I’m saying.”
“I listen,” he spluttered. “I just don’t like what you’ve been saying so far.”
“I’m not going to sleep with a man because I’m the most convenient person around for him to get his jollies off with. Love the one you’re with and all that crap.”
“You weren’t protesting this morning, Savvy. You can’t hide how you feel when we touch. And you were on fire.”
“I believe in relationships, Ashton, not casual sex. I don’t sleep with a man for the heck of it. I have to love him first.” He could mock her all he wanted for having morals, but she wasn’t going to allow him to make her feel bad about it.
“How can you fall in love if you don’t have chemistry?” he challenged her.
“If you’re in love, you will have chemistry,” she shot back.
“It’s a really lonely road, the one you’re taking. You can have all the morals you want, but if you fight what you want, what you need, that doesn’t make for good bedfellows. It doesn’t keep you warm at night and it doesn’t soothe the ache your body feels.”
“I can soothe my own aches,” she snapped.
When those words registered, her cheeks flamed absolute crimson. No, she hadn’t bought a vibrator yet.
But he guffawed. “Trust me, doll. It’s always much better to have someone else doing the soothing than to do it on your own.”
“You know that wasn’t what I meant. I just don’t need another person in my life to make me feel okay about myself.”
“That’s good for you. But I’m not giving up. I won’t force you, Savvy, but I have a feeling you’ll come begging soon enough.”
He leaned closer to her as he whispered these last words, the added darkening of the sky the perfect backdrop to this unreal night.
He leaned in to kiss her, and she suddenly got some of her brain cells to fire in the right direction. When she brought her hand up to deflect him in the nick of time, Ashton wasn’t taken aback. He kissed her palm, which still felt good, but at least he didn’t make contact with her lips.
This time when she tugged against him, he released her. Smart man. Her next gouge of the nails was going to end up in a place that he wouldn’t like at all.
“I’m going now, Ashton. Maybe if you ever learn how to listen to what I’m actually saying, I will take seriously, or somewhat seriously, what you’re spouting off. Until then, don’t bother talking to me.”
She began walking away, but he quickly followed her.
“Explain what that means,” he demanded.
“It means that suave lines, threats, and facetious comments a
ren’t the way to gain my respect. If you really want to get close to me, that’s something pretty dang valuable to know.”
She walked away again. This time he let her. It didn’t take her long to find Richard, and thankfully, he was willing to give her a ride back to the docks. She’d had enough of Ashton Storm for one day.
Chapter Sixteen
The water underneath her boat had been lulling her into a sense of peace. But Savannah was now sitting up with her phone pressed against her ear and her spine ramrod straight.
“No way!”
“Don’t be a wuss, sis,” Alexa said. “You promised me, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean that I’ve agreed to go out on random blind dates,” Savvy told her.
“You don’t need to yell. And I adore this man. I’ve known Darren for a year now and I showed him your pics and he was all over taking you out.”
“If he’s so great, why in the world aren’t you going on a date with him?” Savvy asked.
“He’s your type, not mine,” Alexa said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s not an insult, Savs. He’s just supersmart like you, but I promise he’s also a total babe.”
“I’m not doing this, Lex. Absolutely, positively, one hundred percent NO.” Savvy needed to stay firm.
“Please, sis. If you don’t go, he’ll think I’m a big liar.” Alexa was now using the voice she’d always used while they were growing up. That pathetic wheedling voice she used to get her way, with hints of impending tears. Fake tears.
Dammit! It was working. But Savvy had to fight this off.
“Last weekend, weren’t you telling me that I needed to go for it with my boss?”
“Well, nothing is happening on that front,” Alexa said, “and I don’t want you to die an old maid.”
“I’m only twenty-four, Lexie. And old maid is an outdated and hopelessly sexist term, useful now only if you’re playing cards in a family setting.”
“Would you prefer spinster? I know, I know. But it’s just one date, Savs. If you hate it, you can yell at me for a full two hours tomorrow. Promise.”
It was a Friday and Savvy was sick of sitting around and doing nothing in her little room. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to go out with this guy. What was the worst that could happen? Okay, a lot of worse things could happen. But on a positive note, the night could be fun. And if not, she got a free meal, didn’t she? That was always good on a tight budget.