by Levine, Nina
She’s quiet, thinking. “I like that,” she murmurs.
I frown. “What?”
“I like what I can hear when you talk about your friend. You obviously care deeply for him because it’s right there in your voice.”
A horn blares, diverting my attention from the conversation momentarily. When I turn back to Lorelei, she’s smiling at me. Jesus, this woman could get herself into trouble while out drinking. Her beauty is intoxicating, and the way she loosens right up with some alcohol in her could lead men to try and take advantage of her. I make a mental note to keep track of her at all times going forward.
We sit in silence, each simply watching the other. When the light turns green, I miss it, but she doesn’t. “Light’s green,” she murmurs. My gaze lingers on her lips for a second too long. The car behind honks to express their frustration.
I finally drag my gaze away and concentrate on the traffic, which isn’t as bad today as I thought it might be. We arrive at the pub where Jack is within ten minutes. He’s waiting outside for us, leaning against the brick wall of the building. He eyes us instantly and stumbles across.
“Ashton never told me he had a hot date today,” he says to Lorelei as he spreads out across the back seat.
Facing him, she says. “And he never told me he had a hot-as-hell best friend either.”
I glance in the rear-view mirror. He’s watching her like he wants to fuck her, but I know he never will. Jack and I share the same taste in women, and we’ve shared one before, but it’s not something we’ll ever do again. Lessons from the past guarantee that.
“Do tell… how long have you two been seeing each other?” Jack asks.
“We’re not seeing each other. It’s more of a situation where Ashton thinks he’s going to get some, but he’s living in fantasyland.”
I raise a brow at Lorelei. “Me and fantasyland have never been friends.”
“Well, I think you’ve recently taken a detour.”
“It’s a dead-end there and I’m not looking at a dead-end right now.”
Her hand absently moves to her collarbone and she fiddles with the necklace she’s wearing.
Jack chuckles. “Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but from where I’m sitting you two are one step away from fucking.” He leans forward and shoves his hand at her. “I’m Jack.”
She shakes his hand. “Lorelei. And I hate to break it to you, Jack, but I don’t enjoy casual sex, so it’s not going to happen.”
“Ah, you’re more the commitment type?”
“I’m more the find-a-man-who-is-satisfied-with-one-woman kind of woman.”
“And you don’t think my friend here could be satisfied with one woman?”
“I’ve only just met your friend. I don’t know him well enough to make that call, but he’s smooth as hell and that makes me think he’s a pro at wining and dining women.”
“You might be pleasantly surprised, Lorelei,” Jack says. His eyes meet mine in the mirror. He always has my back.
“So I can hear a slight accent there, Jack. Where are you from?”
“I’m Aussie but I live in LA at the moment.”
She’s silent for a moment and I glance at her to find her squinting at Jack. “Are you that actor?”
I can hear the grin in his voice when he answers her. Jack’s ego loves recognition. “That would depend on which one you’re thinking of.”
She clicks her fingers as if the name is on the tip of her tongue. “Shit, I have it… help me out, Ashton.” Before I can reply, she exclaims, “No, wait! I have it. Jack Kingsley.” She swivels her body to look at him. “Am I right?”
“I think I should perhaps be a little offended that you’re still not absolutely sure.”
“Oh, God I’m sorry. It’s the damn alcohol. I never drink…. Well, clearly that’s not entirely true because this is the second time in a week I’ve been drunk. And let’s just say the last time ended up far messier than today.” It seems alcohol really loosens Lorelei. I have a feeling we’re about to learn more about her than she’d perhaps prefer if Jack has anything to do with it. He has a way of getting women to reveal their innermost thoughts.
“What does messy look like on you, sweetheart?” he asks, proving me correct.
“You do not want to know.”
“Try me.”
I glance at her again. Her hand covers her face as she remembers. Jesus, I need to know what it was if it’s causing this reaction in her.
“Let’s just say I embarrassed myself by agreeing to something that, in the end, I didn’t go through with. The next morning was one of the most mortifying mornings of my life.”
“And here I thought you don’t do casual sex,” Jack says, echoing my thoughts.
“I didn’t end up sleeping with him.”
“Ah, but you had the intent if you woke up with him the next morning.”
“I was so damn drunk I didn’t know what I was doing.” And that right there proves my earlier thoughts correct—Lorelei drunk is a recipe for disaster.
I’ve reached her apartment and pull the car into a space that is conveniently empty right outside the complex.
As I switch off the car, she says, “How did you know where I live? I didn’t tell you.”
Jack chuckles. “Lorelei, sweetheart, you and I need to sit down and swap notes on Ashton. If you don’t think he knows everything there is to know about you, you’re the one living in fantasyland.”
I exit the car and walk around to her side. She opens the door before I reach it, and I place my hand on her back to steady her after she stands.
Her eyes find mine. “I can manage on my own.”
“I’d rather make sure you don’t fall.”
“I might be drunk, Ashton, but I’m still capable of looking out for myself.”
“I have no doubt,” I murmur. My hand stays where it is as I walk her in.
Jack comes with us, clearly attached to Lorelei already. When we reach her front door, she fumbles in her bag for her keys. I take the bag out of her hands and locate the key for her, ignoring the irritation she levels on me.
She puts her hand out and says, “Can I at least open my own door?”
My lips twitch. Her fight turns me on more than I’ve been turned on in a long fucking time. I hold up the key and she swipes it from my hand. A moment later, she opens the door, and I step into an apartment that is as different to mine as you could get.
Lorelei’s home is colourful and cluttered. But not cluttered in a messy way; rather it’s immaculately tidy, just packed full with books, art, photos, plants, pillows on couches, candles, and more colour. So much colour.
She leads us into her kitchen where I discover more plants, along with recipe books. Large windows line one wall in here and a window seat scattered with cushions sits under the windows. Lights hang low over a long wooden island bench, and I can picture her cooking here. I imagine Lorelei to be an amazing cook from what I see.
Jack whistles as he takes it in. “When are you having us over for dinner?” At her frown, he adds, “Tell me this isn’t all for show. You do cook, right?”
“Oh, that…. Yes, I love to cook. Nothing for show here.” She looks genuinely confused as to why anyone would bother to put on a show in their home. She hasn’t met the people Jack and I usually associate with.
I track Lorelei’s movements while Jack wanders off and leaves us alone. She fusses for a few minutes, tidying the books and papers on the island bench.
When she looks up at me, I’m surprised to see uncertainty in her eyes. I’ve not seen this emotion in her—Lorelei always appears confident and sure of herself. “Thank you for lunch,” she says softly.
I close the distance between us. “It won’t be our last.”
She stills and her breathing slows. “I’m beginning to think you aren’t the man I assumed you were.”
“What did you assume?”
The uncertainty disappears from her gaze. “I thought you were an assh
ole. An arrogant asshole who pushed people around until you got what you wanted.”
My lips quirk. Her honesty is refreshing. Most women just talk dirty to me. I’m all for dirty but this is far more interesting. “And now?”
She cocks her head as she considers that. “Now I think you’re just a man who knows what he wants, and your laser focus on it means you don’t always realise the things you say or do brand you as an asshole.” She steps closer, which means our bodies are almost touching because we were already damn close. Her hand lands on my chest a second later, and I take a deep breath to steady myself. “I think that although the world thinks you’re this put-together man with more money than he’ll ever need, you’re actually a man with issues just like the rest of us who can’t actually use that money to buy the things he needs in his life.”
Our eyes lock. Those beautiful green eyes of hers see so much. I feel more exposed than I usually allow myself to be. “Do you want to know what I thought of you the first time I met you?”
That damn uncertainty flares in her eyes again. “Sure, knock yourself out.”
I shake my head. “Don’t do that, Lorelei.”
She frowns. “Do what?”
“Don’t doubt yourself.”
Her chest rises as she takes a breath. “I don’t doubt myself.”
“Yes, you do. But you have no reason to.”
“Ashton, the day we met was not a good morning for me, so I can only imagine what you first thought.”
“I’d love to see what you consider a good morning because what I saw that day was a sexy woman who stands up for what she believes in and who doesn’t waver from her convictions.”
She grips my shirt. I doubt she realises she’s doing it. “And now? What do you think now?”
I lean my face a little closer. “Now I want to get to know you a hell of a lot better.”
I dip my face so I can experience those lips of hers that have been driving me crazy in one way or another since I first saw them. I expect her to resist, but she doesn’t. Instead, she opens herself up to me.
I sweep my tongue across hers and she moans as her body angles towards mine. I slide my hand around her waist and pull her hard against me while deepening the kiss. When her hands move to my neck and then up into my hair, I groan into her mouth.
Lorelei’s lips are demanding. She can protest as much as she wants, but she’s in this as much as I am. She ends the kiss, breathless, and I know she’s full of shit when she says, “I don’t think we should get to know each other better.”
I hold her close when she attempts to step out of my embrace. “Bullshit. You want this just as much as I do.”
Her hands push against my chest. “I won’t deny I’m attracted to you, Ashton, and that kiss was something else, but I told you where I stand on casual sex.”
“You think that’s all I want from you?”
She pauses, confused. “Isn’t it?”
I tighten my grip on her waist and slide a hand down over her ass. “Lorelei, the last thing I want from you is casual sex. I can get that anywhere. I can’t get you anywhere. I want you in my bed just as much as I want you in my life.” I claim her lips again before adding, “I’m not taking no for an answer. You will learn that while I’ll allow you to fight me, I’ll never allow you to deny me when I truly want something.”
11
Lorelei
I am never drinking again.
Sliding my sunglasses on, I enter the markets and scan the crowd for Sienna. The sun is shining too brightly for me. I don’t have a hangover, but I don’t feel my best, and the sun is not helping.
“Lorelei!”
I turn at the sound of my name and find Sienna walking my way. “Morning,” I greet her. “Don’t even go there,” I mutter when she scrunches her face at my appearance.
Frowning, she says, “What happened to your face?”
“A face mask.”
“You had a reaction to it?”
“Yeah. I was drunk, though, when I put it on. It tingled, but in hindsight that was probably a burn I was feeling without realising.”
She stares at me in shock. “You were drunk?”
“I know, I know. So unlike me.”
She grins and grabs my arm. “Girl, we need to talk. Something has clearly happened here that I am unaware of and I wanna know what it is.”
A couple of minutes later, after pushing her way through the busy market, she finds us a table to sit and chat at. I dump my bag on the table. “I had lunch with Ashton yesterday and drank almost a full bottle of wine. After lunch, he took me home and kissed me. It was hot and that’s a whole other story, which I’ll get into in a moment. In my drunken state, I decided a facial would be a good idea after he left.” I point to the rash on my face. “And now I have this.”
“Putting Ashton aside for a moment, is your face sore? It looks it.”
“Yes, it’s really tender. I wasn’t game to even attempt foundation to try and cover some of the nastiness.”
She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. “What the hell possessed you to do a mask while you were drunk? Most people would just pass out or some shit.”
“I couldn’t pass out because my mind wouldn’t stop thinking about Ashton. The man kissed me!”
Sienna laughs. “You make it sound like he fucked you.”
“He practically did! You have no idea.”
Her eyes widen and she turns to look behind her for a moment. “We need coffee for this! I’ll be back.”
She’s out of her seat before I can blink. When she returns, her eyes hold excitement as she exclaims, “Now, tell me everything.”
“He’s different to what I thought. I mean, he’s not a complete asshole from what I can work out. And he has this awesome best friend. You can’t have a great best friend if you’re a dick, right?” At her nod, I continue, “So they took me home and walked me in. When Jack left us alone, Ashton kissed me after telling me he wants more than just a casual hook up. And let me tell you, that kiss was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
She holds her hand up. “Wait, I’m a little confused here. Jack is his best friend? And he was at lunch, too? How did this lunch eventuate?”
I fill her in on what happened yesterday, adding, “His friend is that actor, Jack Kingsley. You know him, right?”
“Oh, wow.” She nods. “Yeah, I’ve seen some of his movies. You know me, though, I’m not really up on movies or actors so the name is familiar, but I might not recognise him if he were to walk past us right now.”
“I didn’t recognise him at first, but that could be because I was drunk.”
“So this kiss? On a scale of one to ten, what would you rate it?”
“A twenty.”
“It must have been good. You’re a hard woman to please.”
“You have no idea. It wasn’t just the kiss… it was the way he touched me and spoke to me, too. Goodness, the man is lethal.”
She laughs. “This is gonna be fun.”
“What?”
“Watching you deal with a man like Ashton Scott. You’re no pushover, so for him to have you all worked up like this tells me a lot. When are you seeing him again?”
“We have no plans.”
“Right, well I want updates. I need to know the minute he calls you.”
I run my fingers through my hair and take a deep breath. “I’m totally out of my depth here, Sienna. I’ve never dated a man like Ashton. Hell, I’ve never met a man like him. Until yesterday, I didn’t want anything to do with him, but now he’s all I can think about.”
“What do you mean by 'a man like Ashton'? You dated Boston for three years.”
“He wasn’t anything like Ashton.”
“Sure he was. Well, except for the asshole bit, he definitely wasn’t that. But he was confident and sexy as hell.”
I shake my head. “Boston was many things, but he wasn’t as…. God, I don’t even know what the right word is. Ashton is so in your fa
ce. He’s—”
“Bossy?”
I laugh. “Yeah, bossy. But so much more than that, too. He’s the kind of man you can’t help noticing the minute he walks into a room. He’s powerful. I can’t do powerful.”
She grins. “Well, powerful can definitely do you.”
I drink some coffee before admitting what I’m truthfully scared of. “I don’t want to be consumed by a man. You know what I’m like.” I have this way of losing myself when I’m with a man and I don’t want to do that again.
“I do. Your inner hopeless romantic does tend to take over sometimes and lead you astray. But you won’t know unless you try, babe. I say give him a go. And honestly? I think you need a powerful man like Ashton in your life. You’re too strong and independent yourself to have anyone less. Boston walked away when he should have fought for you. I have no idea what is down the track for you and Ashton, but if you guys get serious, I could never see him giving up without a fight.”
“Oh, God, he’d just bulldoze his way through. That’s a whole other problem with him. I don’t want to be pushed into anything.”
“Okay, let’s calm down and be rational here. You’re thinking too much. Just have sex with the guy and see if you like it. He might suck in bed and then all this worry would be for nothing.”
I pull a face. “You seriously think Ashton would suck in bed?”
Her eyes sparkle with humour. “I’m not the one who he fucked with his mouth, so I have nothing to base my opinion on, but I’d say no, I don’t think he’d suck in bed. One has to test these things, though. Am I right?”
“You know I’m not a fan of jumping straight into bed. I want to get to know him first.”
She rolls her eyes. “Of course you do.” Her sarcasm fills the air.
“There’s nothing wrong with slowing things down,” I mutter. We’ve had this discussion many times. I’m pretty sure we’ll never agree on it.
“And there’s nothing wrong with taking a test drive.”
As I sit thinking about what she’s said, I wonder if she’s right. And the fact I’m even considering sleeping with him so soon stuns me the most. Ashton is already bulldozing his way into my life and I’m beginning to think I’m helpless to slow him down.