Ashton Scott

by Levine, Nina

  Totally not what I expected.

  Luke’s hand wraps around my wrist, and he leans close so he can say against my ear. “Stop thinking, Callie, and wait for me to explain.”

  I suck in a deep breath. “You better hurry up and start explaining, Luke. I’ve had enough surprises to last me a long time.”

  A little boy, who looks to be no older than four or five, rounds the corner and rushes down the hall towards us. Luke lets me go so he can put his arms out for the boy to run into.

  “Daddy!”

  Luke lifts him up into his arms, and a huge smile spreads across his face. I stare because it’s all I can do. Luke hardly ever smiles. Like, I could count the number of times I have seen him smile in the last year on two hands.

  “You okay, little man?” he asks the child and my ovaries explode.

  Boom.

  I. Am. Done. For.

  He just keeps on peeling back layers and all I can do is fall a little further with each reveal.

  The boy loops his arms around Luke’s neck and presses his mouth to his father’s. “I had more of my puffer while you were gone. Paris looked after me good, so you don’t have to worry.” My heart cracks a little at his words. I can’t help but be affected by a child reassuring their parent that they don’t have to worry about them.

  Luke continues to smile at his son, but I see the twinge of regret in those beautiful green eyes of his. “Paris will always look after you if I’m not here to do it, okay?”

  The child nods and Luke appears to relax a little.

  “Sean, I want you to meet a friend of mine,” he says as he turns to glance at me with a smile. “This is Callie.”

  As Sean shifts his gaze to me, a young woman walks down the hall towards us and I'm overwhelmed. After a year of Luke holding me at a distance, he’s introducing me to his life all at once. I love that he’s doing this, but at the same time, I am the kind of person who struggles with change. Conflicting emotions rush at me, and I take a deep breath in an effort to contain them.

  Luke takes hold of my hand and gently squeezes. “Callie, this is Sean,” he says, his voice softer than usual. Our eyes meet again, and the smile I see in his gaze reassures me.

  He’s got me.

  I shift my attention to his son and smile. “Hi, Sean. It’s so good to meet you.”

  Sean grins, and it’s all Luke.

  He looks so much like his father.

  “Hello.” He only gives me one word, but that word means so much to me. It holds a welcome I’m fairly sure his father needs to move forward with whatever this is between him and me.

  While Sean and I continue to smile at each other, Luke says, “And this is my sister, Paris.” He gestures between us and adds, “Paris, Callie.”

  The petite, brunette woman standing in front of me, who looks so much like her brother, gives me a huge smile. She is younger than Luke, and first impressions tell me she is nowhere near as closed off as her brother. “Hi, Callie. I’m so glad to finally meet you.” She says “finally” as if she’s been waiting a very long time and it sets butterflies off in my tummy.

  I return her smile. “I’m really glad to meet you, too.” I’m not really sure what else to say. I only knew that Luke had a brother, Tyler.

  Her eyes narrow at me before she quickly turns her gaze to Luke. “He never told you about me, did he?” And then, turning back to me, she rolls her eyes. “My brother likes to keep shit to himself. I’m his half-sister. Same dad. We weren’t close until about five years ago when my mum passed away, and I went to live with Dad. I was a few months off turning eighteen, and he insisted I stay with him rather than on my own. And then when he died last year, Luke took me under his wing, and I moved in here.” She smiles at Luke before adding, “Mind you, I’m not sure if he took me under his wing so much as took advantage of me for babysitting duties.” I’m guessing from the smile passing between them that they adore each other.

  Luke’s brows rise. “As I recall, you begged me to let you take on extra auntie duties.”

  Paris reaches out for Sean and takes him off Luke. “Come on, little man, you should have been in bed ages ago.” Looking at me, she adds with a grin, “I do remember begging for auntie duties. I mean, who wouldn’t with this little one? He’s so adorable, and he gives the best hugs.”

  Luke says goodnight to his son and after watching Paris leave, turns to face me. Silence consumes us for a few moments. I guess we’re both figuring this out as we go—this unexpected turn in our friendship.

  “I don’t think we should have sex agai—”

  He cuts me off. “If you think I’m buying that, you’re kidding yourself.” Bossy Luke.

  God.

  God.

  How does he do this to me? This curling of my insides until they’re in a knot of desire and confusion and frustration that he’s been doing to me for the entire year I’ve known him.

  I square my shoulders. “If you’d just let me finish what I was going to say… I don’t want to be a woman who sleeps with a married man. When I asked you if you were getting a divorce, you didn’t say yes. I need to know what that means before I can even contemplate something happening between us.”

  He listens intently to what I say and then scrubs his hand over his face. “Come in.” With those two words, he places his hand on the small of my back and guides me down his hallway to the living room.

  Luke’s home is luxurious, and again I’m struck by the fact I didn’t realise how wealthy he is. The house is a double-storey home with high ceilings and open living spaces from what I have seen so far. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open up onto a large deck enclose the living room. It looks like Luke must spend a lot of time in his garden because it appears to be beautifully landscaped. The deck and backyard are lit by fairy lights, so although it’s after nine at night, I can see how stunning it is outside.

  He leads me to a large, L-shaped cream sofa and indicates for me to sit before taking a seat next to me.

  Too close.

  He is sitting way too close to me if I’m going to have any hope of keeping him at a distance. I might be telling myself over and over that I won’t go there—that I won’t sleep with him again until I know for sure his marriage is over—but I’m no saint. A girl can only do what she can do, and I’m fairly sure my vagina is in charge here, not my brain.

  I shuffle across the sofa to put some space between us, ignoring his frown. “I can’t be trusted,” I mutter.

  “I can,” he says, but his voice is gruff as if he’s fighting for control of himself.

  “So, you have a son with your wife,” I blurt out. I need this conversation to hurry up; I need Luke to somehow give me something, anything, that will make this relationship okay for me to pursue.

  I want him, but I won’t take him off someone else.

  “Yes. And he’s the reason I had to leave in a hurry last night. Sean has asthma, and he had a bad attack. Paris texted me while I was with you to say that she’d taken him to the hospital.” He pauses for a moment, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’ve been with him most of today.” I know what he’s saying without actually speaking the words.

  “And that’s why you never called me today,” I say softly, remorse filling me that I thought bad thoughts about him today.

  He nods and we sit in silence for a few moments before he speaks again. “I am getting a divorce, Callie. It’s just a long and difficult road down that path. That’s all I meant when I said it was complicated. It does my head in most days, and you just caught me on a bad day.”

  I want to throw a party. I want to scream my joy to the world, but I know the words “long, difficult road” probably don’t even scratch the surface of what Luke’s been through. To discover the woman you love—the mother of your child—is a murderer and has lied to you for years must be devastating. I can’t even begin to imagine how that must have felt. So, although he’s working towards a divorce, this isn’t as easy as simply leaving the person who betrayed
you.

  I bite my lip. I’m stalling because my heart is at war with my head and I don’t know which way to run.

  Luke knows me better than I realised. “You think too much.” He closes the space between us, and my tummy flutters when his leg brushes against mine. When he cups my cheek, I suck in a breath. His touch is too much, but I’m helpless to stop him. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he says, his face inches from mine.

  Those lips, though.

  My gaze is drawn to his mouth, and I trace it in my mind.

  I want those lips on me again.

  “Callie…”

  I drag my gaze back to meet his. So much pain in those eyes. How have I never seen that before? “I’m thinking so many things… That I want you, but that goes against everything I’ve ever believed in. I don’t do married men, and I don’t break up families. And then I think maybe we could just stay as friends while you finalise your divorce, but spend way more time together than we have so we can get to know each other better.” I sigh. “And then I think about how much I loved last night and how much I really, really, want to do that again…” I take a deep breath. “I know I think too much, Luke, but there’s a lot to consider here.”

  He rubs the pad of his thumb gently against my cheek and his eyes glaze a little like he’s lost in his thoughts. I wait silently for him to say something, wishing I could take back everything I said. Except for the part about sleeping with him again. That, I want. But I can’t take any of it back because everything I said is the God’s honest truth.

  Finally, he speaks. “I want you and I’ll have you. One day. Until then, we’ll run this how you want and do this friend thing.” His voice grows growly when he adds, “But you need to know this is going to be fucking hard. Having you in my life, but not in my bed.”

  The thrill of having a man who clearly wants me hits, and I can’t help myself—I smile. Big. Huge.

  I open my mouth to say something, but Luke beats me. “I take it that smile means you’re good with this.”

  “Yes, but Mr This-Is-Going-To-Be-Fucking-Hard, I need you to know that I feel you. I mean, hell, you’re talking to the girl who just broke her three-month freaking drought.”

  His jaw tightens, and he leans close. His lips brush across my cheek, and he murmurs in my ear, “You’re not the only one who’s come out of a long drought.” And then he stands and takes a few steps away from me. He rubs the back of his neck, and I sense how on edge he is.

  I stand and move to him. His back muscles tense when I place my hand on his shoulder. “I want to get to know everything about you, Luke Hardy,” I say, and he spins around to face me.

  His eyes search mine. “You already know the important bits.”

  “No, I don’t.” I rest my hand against his chest. “I don’t know the secrets you keep locked in here. They’re the important bits.”

  His intake of breath is sharp, and he wraps his hand around mine. His other hand slides around my waist, and he pulls me close.

  Oh, shit.

  No.

  Too close.

  But his lips brush across mine before I can move out of his embrace. His hold is tight, and his message is very clear—he’s in charge here, and if a kiss is what he wants, a kiss is what he will have.

  He surprises me, though, and angles his face away from mine. Still keeping hold of me, he says, “I know we’re doing the friends-only thing for a while, but a man’s got needs, Callie. If you put your hands on me, you better be prepared for the consequence of that.”

  I’m pretty sure my eyes almost pop out of my head. I knew Luke was bossy—oh, boy did I know—but this is a whole new level of bossy. His deep voice vibrates along my skin, scattering goosebumps while his eyes penetrate my soul. Those intense, green eyes of his will do it to me every time. They’ll cause me to forget everything I’ve ever said or thought and just cling to him for the ride.

  He dips his face again, and his mouth finds mine. The moment our lips connect sparks of need burn through me. I’m so damn hot for him, and I can’t control myself. I push my body hard against his and open my mouth to him.

  He tastes like whisky, and I make a note to buy some just so I can remember this moment forever. I’ve never loved whisky before, but it may just be my new favourite drink.

  This kiss will forever live in my mind. Luke doesn’t simply kiss—he possesses. He takes me mind, body, and soul.

  In this kiss, I find hope.

  Hope that he will fight for me.

  For the us we both want.

  Any doubt I had that he wants me is put to rest.

  When he ends the kiss, I stand in front of him with my head spinning, trying desperately to get my wits together. “I think I better go,” I mumble. Because otherwise I might jump your bones.

  He nods. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” The husky tone of his voice lets me know he’s as affected by that kiss as I am.

  Grabbing my bag, I say, “Is there anything else you needed to tell me? After tonight, I’m all out of being able to cope with surprises.”

  His eyes hold mine. Unwavering. “No more surprises, Callie.”

  Thank goodness.

  If Luke were to throw anything else my way, I might just lose my shit completely.

  Chapter 5

  Luke

  I brace myself.

  She enters the courtyard and walks my way. No smile, so I can’t pick her mood. I rake my fingers through my hair and wait in my seat for her, hoping like hell she’s good today. We don’t need another day like we had the last time I came.

  As she slides into the seat across from me, her hand reaches for mine. “I’m sorry about the other day, Luke. I was a bitch, and you didn’t deserve that.”

  I grit my teeth and nod. She doesn’t look great; she appears sick almost, and I wonder at her new haircut. Whoever did it completely fucked it up. Where her brunette hair used to be long, it’s now shoulder-length and uneven. It looks like someone hacked at it with blunt scissors.

  Pulling my hand back, I say, “Sean’s asthma has been playing up so I couldn’t bring him today.”

  “Is he okay?” She appears concerned, but I don’t know whether to buy it.

  “Yes, he’s fine.” I shift in my seat. “We need to go over some stuff that the investigator wants to know.”

  She stares at me for a moment, pursing her lips. “You’re not even going to acknowledge what happened the other day?” Her voice is tinged with defeat. I can’t figure out why she’d even want to go over what happened again. As far as I’m concerned, we both said what we wanted and I’d rather move forward than look back.

  “What’s the point, Jolene?”

  Her eyes widen. “What’s the point?” she snaps. “I’d say the fact I’m your wife, and we’re trying to work stuff out is the point. If you truly want us to move past what’s happened and rebuild our marriage, we need to dig deep and be as honest as we can be.”

  My hands clench and I do my best to contain my emotions. Not an easy fucking thing to do when you’re in the predicament I’m in. “When I told you I wanted to give this another shot and try to put things behind us, I didn’t mean I wanted to dredge up every fucking problem we’ve ever had. Jesus, Jolene, the level of shit our marriage was in before all this happened was almost impossible to deal with.”

  “So, what, you just expect us to be able to forget all that and move forward?”

  “For Sean, yes. He needs a mother and a father. Together.”

  She takes a deep breath and looks around the courtyard we’re in. Prison visits are the low point of my week and today’s visit is the absolute worst. I didn’t want to come, but it had to be done. The courtyard is full of families today, and the noise is almost chaotic, but I’ve learnt to block it out. I’ve figured out how to get through hell each week and survive, albeit a little more lost each time.

  Blowing out the breath she took, she turns back to me. “I can’t be in a marriage with two people, Luke. Your mother inte
rfered so much that I thought I would suffocate from the pressure that put on me and on us. I meant what I said the other day about her needing to back off. If she doesn’t, I can’t do this anymore. I won’t.”

  I stare in silence at her for a long moment before leaning forward. “You do realise she’s the one paying for your lawyer and investigator? Without her, we can’t afford them.”

  Tension settles between us like an old friend. Jolene taps her fingers on the metal table as a rush of cold wind prickles ice over us. Or maybe it’s just our history that does that. Her eyes avoid mine while she thinks about what I said. I count the minutes of our frigid silence and pray a prayer I doubt will do any good that she is moving one step closer to giving me what I need to be able to put an end to this maddening dance we have to do every week.

  “I don’t understand you anymore,” she finally says. “After you stopped believing in my innocence, I thought we were done, but I held out hope you’d come to your senses, and you did. It broke me when you cut me out of your life, and it’s been hard for me to trust in us again. I’m trying hard and working at this. But you? It’s like you came back here and told me you wanted us to be together, and yet you act like that’s the last thing you want.”

  I can’t contain myself anymore. I push up out of the seat and pace in the spot behind it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I try like hell to process every thought ramming its way through my mind. Impossible to do, because there are a lot of fucking thoughts rushing through. A lot of conflicting thoughts that I don’t know what to do with anymore.

  Coming to a standstill, I give her my gaze. “I do want us to be together, but like I said, we weren’t in a good place for a long while, so this is going to take some time to get back on track. We need to focus on getting you out of here first and to do that the investigator needs some information from you. Can we just go over that today?” My voice is snappy, which is not helpful, but I can’t manage anything more than this. Not today when I’m feeling irritated as fuck that I have to be here.

  Her lips press together, and she flinches. “I love you, but I don’t like the man you’re becoming, Luke.”