Drake and Ashley: The Complete Story

by Noelle Stevens

  “Uh, maybe not so much.”

  He laughs. “Yeah.”

  “Do you want to build another one?”

  “No. I want to have a snowball fight.” Then he dashes off.

  I find a large tree and decide to make it my home base, then build a small arsenal of snowballs. I peek around the trunk, trying to see where he’s gone, but there’s no sign of him. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I know I’m being watched. I spin around but there’s no one there. A moment later a freezing snowball smacks into the back of my head and I cry out in surprise. My head swivels in the direction the snowball came from and I see Drake peering around a tree.

  “Gotcha!” he yells.

  I scoop up three snowballs and take off after him. He dashes out from behind his tree and I throw a snowball with all my might, but it sails right past him. “Dang it,” I shout. He goes behind a tree and I get the next snowball ready to throw the moment he reveals himself. I’m fully exposed, but I don’t care as I’m determined to get in a few good hits, even at the expense of getting beaned myself.

  I’m silent as a mouse, and fifteen seconds later he pokes his head out. I’m ready and I throw the snowball before he realizes I’m there. He pulls his head back behind the tree, but not before my snowball hits the tree and showers his face with cold snow. Though it’s not a full-on hit, it’s something, and I’m elated.

  I sneak up to the tree, but the crunching of the snow gives me away and Drake dashes out from behind his hiding place, a snowball aimed at me. We throw at the same time, and I manage to duck when his snowball flies towards me. He misses me, but I miss him too. I run back to my home base and load up for another assault, but this time I stay behind my tree, waiting for him to come to me.

  I don’t know where he is and the anticipation that he’ll appear out of nowhere stretches my nerves tight, and I’m reminded of the games of shark that I used to play with my brothers in the pool. One of them would be the shark and the rest of us would try to avoid getting caught as he would swim toward us. Though I always knew it was just my brother coming at me, the tension of being caught would always make my heart race.

  That’s how I feel now as I listen intently for the tell-tale crunch of snow that will announce Drake’s arrival. A few moments later I hear it, and I freeze, my heart pounding. My ears are straining to tell exactly where he’s approaching from, but then the crunching stops. Is he right there? I can’t tell.

  After an agonizing ten seconds, I can’t stand it anymore and I poke my head around one side of the tree. I see his shadow and know he’s nearly on me. I creep around the side of the tree, a snowball in each hand, and come up behind him. Euphoria pounds through me as I throw both snowballs at once, making a direct hit. “Yes,” I scream in triumph.

  He spins around, obviously surprised that I’ve bested him. The look on his face makes me laugh, and I forget that he’s still armed. A moment later snow crashes into my face and body and I fall backwards, knocked off-balance by his powerful throw. I lay there, feeling schooled.

  “Ashley, are you okay?” Drake asks as he comes over to where I lie on my back.

  I look up at his handsome face and see genuine concern in his green eyes. My resolve to keep him at a distance begins to melt, just a little. “Yeah,” I say. “You just surprised me.”

  He laughs. “Look who’s talking. You totally got me.”

  I laugh as I push myself to a sitting position. “Yes, I did. I got you good.” The sun is shining and the heat of the rays warm my face. “It’s such a beautiful day.” I glance around. “Do you ever go on hikes around here?”

  “Oh yeah.” A grin grows on his face and he squats next to me. “Have you ever been snowmobiling?”

  I shake my head. “Not much opportunity for that in Las Vegas.”

  “How would you like to try it?”

  “Now?”

  He stands, then holds out his hand to help me up. “Yes, now.”

  I take his hand and allow him to pull me up. “Sure.”

  “Make some hot chocolate and put it in a thermos while I get the snowmobile ready.”

  Excitement at a new adventure slides through me. “Okay.” Drake heads to the garage while I go into the kitchen. I find a tall thermos and make hot chocolate, then put together sandwiches and some other snacks.

  A short time later we’ve loaded everything into a daypack, and Drake helps me put on a helmet. He climbs on the snowmobile and I get on behind him.

  “Hold on tight,” he says.

  I wrap my arms around his waist and feel the strength in his back, then vividly remember the night we spent together. Desire pulses through me and my attraction to this man grows. A moment later we take off.

  Thirty-Three

  ASHLEY

  Drake takes us through gorgeous country and I am in heaven. Besides the beauty that surrounds me, I am pressed up against the hottest man I know. I can feel the strength in his body as we race forward, and I feel completely secure and safe in his care. We snowmobile for a good forty-five minutes before Drake comes to a stop on a ridge overlooking the valley. We climb off and stand side by side, taking in the magnificent view.

  “What do you think?” he asks.

  “It’s breathtaking,” I say with wonder in my voice as my gaze sweeps the valley.

  “Yeah,” Drake says, then he puts one arm around my shoulders.

  Energy flows between us and I wonder if he’s ever brought Rachel up here. I turn my head slightly. “How often do you come up here?”

  He glances at me. “Not as often as I’d like.”

  “Thank you for sharing this with me.” I pause a beat. “Do you bring people up here often?”

  He smiles at me. “You want to know if I brought Rachel up here, don’t you?”

  I nod. “Yeah.”

  He laughs. “She’s not much for this kind of thing.”

  I take that as a No, and I’m immensely pleased that I’ve shared something with him that is so obviously important to him—something that Rachel has no desire to share with him. “I guess it’s her loss,” I murmur.

  He laughs softly, then takes his arm from my shoulder. “How about we eat some of that food you packed?”

  I want his arm—both arms, really—back around me. “Sure.”

  He takes a small tarp out of a compartment and spreads it on the snow, then gestures for me to sit. I do, and he sits beside me. We face the view as a gentle breeze flows over us, but the bright sun keeps me from being chilled. I pull off my gloves, then hand him one of the sandwiches. We eat in silence, enjoying the beauty of nature.

  “You’re bad for business, Ashley,” Drake says.

  I look at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”

  He laughs. “I should be working right now, but when you’re around I find I just want to play.”

  His words thrill me, especially when I compare them to what I witnessed the day before. He worked nearly the entire time Rachel was there. Clearly, she doesn’t inspire his playful moods like I do. “My car will be fixed tomorrow,” I say. “Then you’ll have all the time in the world to work.”

  He’s quiet for a moment. “Yeah.”

  My gaze goes to his profile and I notice he’s not smiling. Does that mean he’s going to miss me? The thought makes me happy.

  We finish our meal, then pack up and head back to his house. After we put away his snowmobile, we carry the daypack into the kitchen.

  “I’m going to get in the jacuzzi,” Drake says as he helps me unload the daypack. “Would you like to join me?”

  “Uh . . .” Uncertain if I want to open myself up to being that close to him, I hesitate.

  He stops what he’s doing and looks at me with a half-smile. “Come on, Ashley. It’ll feel good after that cold ride.”

  Get over yourself. His girlfriend was just here. He’s not asking you to sleep with him. I relent. “Okay. Sure.”

  “Cool. See you out there.”

  Watching him leave t
he kitchen, I wonder what I’ve agreed to. I head up to my room, glad I have my luggage this time. I have several bikinis, so I can wear an actual swimsuit this time. I put on my favorite one, pull on the too-big robe Drake’s loaned me, then head downstairs.

  When I reach the door that leads outside, I hesitate. Then I remember how it felt to have his arm around me as we stood on the ridge earlier, and how much I liked the feeling of security his closeness gave me. I think about his comment that when I’m around he just wants to play, and I smile. I know he likes me, but is that enough of a justification to let things go farther again? Because I also remember how eager he was to get me out of his house two days earlier.

  A new mantra fills my mind and I repeat it over and over. If he comes on to me, I will resist.

  With new resolve, I open the door and step outside.

  Thirty-Four

  ASHLEY

  Drake’s turned on the heaters and the space feels cozy and warm. My gaze goes to the jacuzzi and I see he’s already in it. His arms are resting on the edge, and when I remember the feel of those strong arms around me, a pulse of heat rolls through me.

  “Are you just going to stand there?” he asks, grinning.

  A blush rises on my face as I realize I’m staring. “Uh, no.” I walk toward the jacuzzi, the robe tied snugly around me, then stop.

  “Come on, Ashley. Get in.”

  Slowly, I untie the sash. He’s watching me as I slide the robe off of my shoulders, then lay it over the back of a chair, and my body responds to him of its own accord. Trying to tamp down the waves of desire pounding through me, I climb into the jacuzzi and sink into the steaming water. It feels wonderful, and I briefly close my eyes as I let the warmth envelope me.

  Drake is sitting on the bench across from me, and though I can’t see him through my closed eyelids, I know he’s watching me closely. The thought makes me feel powerful. I know he wants me, and I know it’s completely up to me whether or not he gets me.

  My eyes open and I meet his gaze.

  “How’d you like our ride?” he asks.

  “I loved it.”

  His eyebrows rise. “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you’d do it again?”

  “Oh yeah.” I laugh. “As long as it’s not snowing.”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t take you out in a snowstorm.”

  We’re quiet for a minute. “So,” I begin. “Who would you say won that snowball fight?”

  “Hmm. You did a lot better this time, but I think I still got more hits in. So I’d have to say I won.”

  “Oh you would, would you?”

  “What? You think you won?”

  “I got you at the end, remember.”

  He laughs. “But who ended up on her rear?”

  I smile. “Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that.”

  “Uh-huh. I think that clinches it. I won this time.”

  “Okay, okay. I guess you’re right.”

  Drake closes his eyes and rests his head against the edge of the jacuzzi. I stare at his face and decide it’s time to get some answers. I played at being his housekeeper while Rachel was there. Correction: I actually did all the work of a housekeeper. I kept his secret—that he’d cheated on her. Now I want to know more.

  “How long have you known Rachel?” I ask.

  His eyes snap open and he gazes at me a moment. “I don’t know. A couple of years, I guess.”

  That’s quite a while. “How long have the two of you been dating?”

  His eyebrows bunch. “Why do you want to know?” Then, “What about you and your boyfriend? How long have you been dating?”

  Now I’m caught off-guard. My boyfriend and I broke up right before I left Vegas, but Drake doesn’t know this. He thinks we’re still dating, though not serious. “Uh, just a few months.” Which is true. We dated for a few months. We’re just not dating now. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “We’ve been dating for about a year.”

  A year. Wow. That seems kind of serious. “Oh.” I decide I don’t want to know anything else about Drake and his relationship with Rachel. I close my eyes and lean my head back. I hear Drake moving in the water and wonder what he’s doing, but when his leg brushes mine, I jump a little in surprise.

  I concentrate on keeping my eyes closed, not wanting him to know that his closeness is having any effect on me. Then my earlier mantra comes to mind. If he comes on to me, I will resist. Trying to be subtle, I scoot over a couple of inches, but almost immediately I run into the barrier of a higher bench and I’m forced to stop.

  Drake drapes his arms over the edge of the jacuzzi so that his right arm is behind me.

  I pretend like I don’t notice, but in reality I’m hyper-aware of his closeness. Powerful desire surges through me, but my mantra is flashing in my mind in neon lights.

  Deciding to put a stop to this, I turn my head slightly and ask, “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like?” Then his lips brush my cheek.

  A surge of energy flows from his lips right to the heart of me, and without thinking, I turn to him. The next thing I know, his lips are crushing mine and my arms have snaked around his neck.

  His lips devour mine and I find it hard to breathe.

  “Drake,” I murmur against his mouth, then I open my eyes to see him watching me. All at once I remember that twenty-four hours earlier he was sitting in this jacuzzi with another woman, and I feel wretched. I push him away before facing forward.

  He cups my chin and turns my face to his. “What’s wrong?” His eyes show sincere concern. “Ashley,” he says, not releasing my chin. “Talk to me.”

  Gazing into his eyes, I find my thoughts in a muddle. I so enjoyed our time together today—the snowball fight and the snowmobile trip. We seemed to connect, and I want to build on that. But what about Rachel? Before when he told me he had a girlfriend he wasn’t serious with, she was just some faceless, nameless creature. Now I can picture her face. Okay, I don’t like her, and I think she’s a complete witch, but she’s still a flesh and blood woman, and I’m not the kind of girl who breaks up relationships. At least I’ve never been that kind of girl in the past. “What about Rachel?” I finally say, giving voice to my concerns.

  He lets go of my chin, but holds my gaze. “What about her?”

  “How can you do this with me when you’re dating her? I mean, you’ve been dating her for a year.”

  He sighs. “I told you. We’re not serious.”

  “I know,” I murmur as my gaze drifts to the surface of the water. Then I look at him. “But she was just here.”

  His eyebrows rise. “Uninvited.”

  A thought occurs to me. “You must care what she thinks or you wouldn’t have lied to her and told her I was your housekeeper.”

  His jaw clenches. “Look, Ashley. You’re you, and Rachel is . . . well, she doesn’t always give me what I need.”

  My brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

  “Yes, we have similar interests, but there are a lot of things I love to do that she has no interest in.”

  I’m beginning to understand. “Like the snowmobiling. And the snowball fight.”

  He nods. “Those are two examples, yes.” He pauses, as if he is wondering how much to share with me. “But there are other interests that she shares with me. And I do enjoy her company most of the time.”

  “But?”

  He smiles. “But with you I feel like I can let myself go. You know, have a good time. Not be so serious.”

  I think I understand, though I’m not sure why he has such a difficult time being less than serious. In any case, I’m thrilled that he’s discovered that he enjoys my company.

  “I’m not sure I should tell you this,” he begins, then hesitates.

  “What?”

  “It’s just that I don’t know how far my relationship with Rachel can go.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think that’s any of my business.” That’s something
between the two of them.

  “Sorry,” he says. “I guess I just want you to realize why my relationship with Rachel isn’t serious. I don’t know if it ever will be.”

  Is that supposed to make me feel better? It kind of does, but I still wish I’d never met her. “Okay.”

  “She and I aren’t engaged. We’re just dating, and quite frankly, I date other women.”

  I’m not sure if I’m surprised by this or not. “Does Rachel know that?”

  “I haven’t flat-out told her, but I think she knows.”

  “Is that what you were fighting about last night?”

  He moves to the seat across from me and I wonder if I’ve gone too far.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” I say.

  He frowns. “It’s okay.” After a short pause, he says, “She accused me of lying to her about you.”

  “Which you did,” I say, my eyebrows raised.

  “Yes, which I did.” He sighs. “The only thing you need to know is that I’m not seriously dating anyone.” He stares at me a moment. “What about you? How serious are you with the man you’re dating?”

  “Uh, well, I’m not serious at all.” My voice catches and I fear I’ve given myself away.

  His eyes narrow. “Do you even have a boyfriend, Ashley?”

  “No, okay? No. I lied to you. My boyfriend dumped me right before I left.”

  Drake laughs.

  The fact that he’s laughing at my pain really annoys me. “What’s so funny?”

  “The fact that you told me you have a boyfriend.”

  I roll my eyes. “Well, I don’t. Are you happy now?”

  He moves next to me and his voice softens. “Well, yeah. But I don’t want to see you upset.”

  His words warm me and I’m drawn to him again. “I’m over him, so it’s okay.”

  He slides an arm around me and I let him pull me against him. “It’s not okay. The guy’s an idiot for letting you go.”

  I rest my head on his shoulder. “Thanks.”

  Thirty-Five