by Thayer King
“That’s not true,” she gasped. “I didn’t bring you down because…well, I saw the mansion you grew up in. The modest house my parents owned isn’t even as big as your pool house.”
Stephen scowled. “That wouldn’t have mattered to me.”
She shrugged. “Still….”
He took a deep breath. When he’d acknowledged the futility of finding Ashley in an unfamiliar town, he’d checked into a hotel and proceeded to get drunk. It was the one and only time he’d been drunk in his entire life prior to this past week when he’d lost Ash again. He’d called Jeremy, crying his heart out. Jeremy arrived the next day to drag him home. “I didn’t talk to my father for a year, I was that furious with him for taking you from me. Looking back, I can tell that Mom was angry as well. I travelled for a while. Jeremy was happy to accompany me whenever I went somewhere tropical. I didn’t reconcile with my father until Mom called me to tell me that he’d had a mild heart attack and was too weakened to go to work.”
“Leaving you wasn’t easy, Stephen. I cancelled my phone plan because I knew if I heard your voice that I wouldn’t be able to stay away. Some days I didn’t feel like I could breathe because I missed you so much.”
He nodded. “I understand that feeling completely.” He stopped and raised her hand to his lips. “Please see this from my side for a moment-”
“Stephen, I’ve done nothing but give you allowances. If you can’t forgive me, then you should have said so from the start.”
“I know that. What I want you to understand is what I was going through so that you know…how deeply I loved you. As deep as my love went, that’s how much the betrayal hurt. And…and I wanted to hurt you back. I’m sorry. I was an ass. Can you forgive me? Can we try again?”
Ashley closed her eyes and clasped his hand to her chest. Her lashes were wet and spiky with tears. She inhaled deeply and bit her lip.
Stephen dropped to his knees in front of her, unmindful of the wet sand dampening his jeans. “I’ll do anything,” he rasped, giving her the vow she’d given him.
Her eyes snapped open. Laughing and sobbing at the same time, she cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips to his. “Yes.”
He wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheek. “You won’t regret this, Ash.”
***
After some consideration, they decided to stay at Ashley’s beach house for a week. Stephen hadn’t taken a vacation in years so he was long overdue. It would give them the opportunity to get to know each other again without the distractions of his job or social obligations.
They spent much of their time lazing about on the beach reminiscing about old times and discussing the intervening years. They did go on a few outings. Stephen rented a boat and they spent a day on the water. She’d forgotten how much he actually loved boats. Building ships wasn’t just the family business. Stephen was passionate about them. And, of course, they went for long aimless drives. On one such drive, they ended up dining on the pier at The Oasis as the sun set.
Each night they retired to their separate bedrooms. And each night, Ashley was sorely tempted to invite him into her bed, but she needed to keep her wits about her. She couldn’t do that if she was sleeping with him. They would part ways at her bedroom door, but not before Stephen kissed her until her knees were quivering and she had to bite her tongue so that she wouldn’t beg him to make love to her. He didn’t pressure her for more even though she could feel his thick arousal grinding into her belly.
“I’ve been wondering how you got into creating apps,” Stephen said as they reclined on lounge chairs on her back porch Saturday evening. They’d eaten dinner outdoors and cleaned up the kitchen. They’d returned outside with glasses of wine to enjoy the sunset. They were returning to Virginia on Monday so they only had two more evenings to savor the view.
“Well, I told you that I went to a workshop. I wanted to be involved in shaping young minds. If I couldn’t do that in a classroom, I could still be involved in other ways. Honestly, I enjoyed teaching, but I didn’t enjoy the paperwork! At first I was experimenting with apps to help in my classroom, but when I was laid off, I decided to sell it. I was surprised at how popular it was. I knew the app worked.” She smiled. “A few friends allowed me to test it on their children and it was a real hit. But even I was surprised when I got such a generous offer to buy it.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Ash,” he said with a smile. His eyes were warm and loving. It was a look that had been missing from their time together at his home. It never failed to make her breath catch in her chest. Though he couldn’t really be called handsome, he was an edgy sort of sexy that made him irresistible. His smile widened to a grin. “What are you thinking about?”
She dropped her gaze to his throat and found herself mesmerized by bit of skin visible through his open collar. Ashley took a deep breath. “I think you know.”
“I’m not the one holding out on you,” he replied. “I’m available anytime you want me.”
Ashley leaned over and picked up her wine glass off the deck and took a big gulp. She had to remind herself why she wasn’t sleeping with him. She bit her lip.
Stephen groaned and shifted in his chair. “Have I never told you how much it turns me on when you do that?”
“You might have mentioned it a time or two.”
“You know, it’s inevitable. Why are we waiting? I think this week has gone well. Don’t you?”
She nodded. “Yes.” But she still wasn’t sure. She’d approached him before with blinders on, certain that they could take off where they were before she left. But she’d underestimated how much she’d hurt Stephen.
“But you’re not ready.” Sighing, he emptied his own glass. “That’s okay.” Grimacing, he adjusted the notable erection tenting his shorts. “I’m willing to wait.”
She was very close to changing her mind and inviting him into her bedroom when the doorbell rang. Frowning, she stood. “I wonder who that could be.”
Stephen stood as well and gathered up their wine glasses. He placed them on the kitchen countertop as they passed through and followed her to the door.
Ashley peered through the window and gasped. She flung the door open and was quickly enveloped in the arms of her parents. She hadn’t seen them since she took off her with plans of winning Stephen back. She kissed both their cheeks before drawing back. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Surprising you,” was her mother’s laughing reply.
“It’s been over a month. I missed my baby girl,” her father said. “We thought we’d stay the night before heading home.”
“But I don’t understand.” Ashley ushered them inside, helping with their luggage. “Last I heard you were in Puerto Rico.”
Her mother waved her hand. “Instead of going straight home, we visited with some friends in Georgia. Then we thought, what’s one more day? So here we are!” Maybelline stopped suddenly at the sight of Stephen. “Oh! Hello.” She held out her hand and Stephen shook it.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. White.” He turned to her father. They shook hands as well. “And you, too, Mr. White.”
“Mom, Dad, this is Stephen. He’s…um, an old friend of mine.”
Maybelline’s eyes widened. “We’re not interrupting, are we?”
“Of course not,” Stephen replied quickly.
Ashley glanced at him and was glad to see that he was not resentful of the intrusion upon their last days alone together. She gave him a grateful smile before turning back to her parents. “I want to hear all about your trip to Puerto Rico.”
Chapter Twelve
Stephen leaned on the railing and sipped at his coffee and stared out at the ocean. The sun shone over the water in a vibrant display. The house behind him remained quiet. Ashley and her parents had stayed up late catching up on details of their trip to Puerto Rico. After a while, he’d left them to it though it was nice to have finally met her parents. He could tell that they were a close-knit family.
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?”
He turned to see Ashley’s mother stepping out onto the deck. She held a mug of steaming coffee as well. She came to stand beside him at the railing. “Yes, ma’am.”
She smiled. “Call me May.”
“May,” he nodded.
“I’ll be making breakfast in a bit. Any special requests?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m sure whatever you prepare will be delicious.”
She placed her coffee on the railing and bit her lip. It was a gesture so like Ashley that he couldn’t help seeing the resemblance between the two women. Their skin tones were similar. Maybelline was shorter. Her hair was closely cropped to her head and was liberally sprinkled with gray. There was a certain spryness to her. Even in temperament, she reminded him of Ashley. Listening to her last night discussing their travels, he could tell that Ashley got her impulsive nature from her mother. Earnest White was quiet and seemed content to pamper the women in his life. “I’d like to thank you,” Maybelline said at last.
Stephen’s mouth twisted in self-derision. “Thank me?” Ashley evidently hadn’t told her mother about how he had mistreated her in the last few weeks.
“Yes. Thank you for forgiving Ashley.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know how much you know about what happened before-”
“I know that Ashley came home from college devastated. She wouldn’t say why. She told us that you gave her the money to help us, but then I couldn’t understand why she seemed so unhappy. I knew how much she loved you.” Maybelline sighed. “Our family doesn’t like to share bad news. The only reason I found out that she’d given you up was because I heard her crying in her bedroom. And if you know Ash, you know she never cries. I encouraged her to get in touch with you, to give the money back, but she wouldn’t hear of it.” Maybelline shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “It was so awful to see my baby so miserable and not be able to fix it. She was never quite as happy. She tried to move on, but it was never the same.”
“There was Shane,” he pointed out, barely managing to keep the irritation out of his voice. He desperately wanted to believe what she was saying, that Ashley had loved him as much as he had loved her.
Maybelline rolled her eyes. “I never liked that boy. He’s charming and nice on the surface, but he’s weak at his core. Unfortunately, Ashley could never see anything beyond his resemblance to you.”
“Meeting him was a shock.”
She chuckled. “I can imagine. But it goes to show you how much she loved you.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m so happy that the two of you managed to work out your problems.”
“Thank you,” he said. He didn’t bother explaining that Ashley had yet to make a definitive decision on whether or not they were actually together. She hadn’t even admitted she loved him since finding that folder on his desk. She had agreed to return to Virginia with him because he couldn’t vacation forever and she could work from anywhere. But they weren’t sharing a bed. If Maybelline noticed that they weren’t sharing a bedroom, she didn’t say anything. She probably thought they’d slept separately to avoid any awkwardness. Although, her parents had to know that Ashley wasn’t a virgin.
“Earnest and I will be hitting the road after breakfast. Ashley tells me that the two of you are heading back to Virginia tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am—I mean, May.”
She patted his hand. “Just so you know, when the time comes, you have Earnest’s and my blessing,” she said with a grin.
Over the course of breakfast with Ashley’s parents Stephen learned more about Ashley’s childhood. Finding out that when she was three that she’d liked to run around the house naked didn’t entirely take him by surprise. He’d grinned at her while she hid her face behind her hands as her parents revealed one cute tidbit after another about the woman he loved. Because there was no doubt. He’d never stopped loving Ashley. She was an amazing, dynamic woman. He’d immediately been smitten by her in college. She was so different from the women he usually associated with. He’d never met anyone like her before or since. Prior to Ashley, he’d dated plenty of shallow women who had only wanted him because of his family’s wealth and position in society. She was bold and brash, but so selfless and kind. She was so authentic and genuine that he’d never doubted her feelings for him—until she left him. The shock and pain of it had been debilitating.
Stephen took a deep cleansing breath of ocean air. He had to let go of the pain and resentment or he’d never be able to move on. Dwelling on the past wasn’t getting them anywhere. Learning that Ashley had left him to help her parents really shouldn’t have come as that much of a surprise to him. It’s just the sort of self-sacrificing thing she would do. Yes, it had hurt him, but it had hurt her as well.
“I’m beginning to think that you’re just staying with me for the scenery,” Ashley said as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder.
Stephen blinked, bringing the world into focus. It was a beautiful day with bright blue skies but he hadn’t been admiring the view. After breakfast, they had all pitched in and helped clean up the kitchen. After, Ashley had walked her parents to their car. He’d retreated to his spot on her back deck to clear his head.
He covered her hands with his. “I’m sorry for being such an asshole to you, Ash.”
She tensed before releasing him. “Could you turn around, please?”
He turned so that his back was to the railing. He pulled Ashley into his arms. She cupped his face. “I think I finally understand what a difficult position you were in. I just wish…that you’d talked to me before you made any decisions.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I wanted to talk to you. And I definitely should have. I’ll never make that mistake again. Things could have been so different. I’m so sorry, Stephen, for all the pain I caused you.”
He gripped her wrists. “I wasn’t alone in my pain though, was I?” She shook her head and tears slid down her cheeks. “Oh, Ashley,” he groaned. Even without a bit of makeup on, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He covered her mouth, crushing her soft, full lips beneath his. He nipped her bottom lip with his teeth before sucking it. She moaned and opened to him. Unable to resist the temptation, he thrust his tongue deep in search of her flavor. She curled her fingers into the fabric of his t-shirt and sucked upon his tongue, making his dick go hard in an instant. Stephen released her wrists to cup her bottom. He ground his cock into her belly.
Gasping, Ashley broke the kiss. “Stephen, I-”
Before she even spoke, he knew that she was going to try to deny him again. But it was well beyond time that they placed the past behind them. He wanted a future with her. “I love you, Ashley.”
“Oh, Stephen, I love you, too.” She peppered his face with kisses. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”
He laughed. “I think I have some idea. It’s probably about as much as I missed you.”
She wiped her cheeks. Trailing her fingers up his arms, she linked her hands behind his neck. She bit her lip and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Lately, I’ve been missing-”
“I’m yours anytime you want me,” he interrupted quickly.
“You’re so easy,” she rebuked.
“For you, I am.” He arched his hips into her so that she could feel how much he desired her.
“You didn’t say yes when I offered you anything.”
“I didn’t say no either. Every instinct I have told me to say no, but I couldn’t.” She was the only woman that he’d never been able to refuse. Unable to deny his physical need for her, he’d attempted to distance himself emotionally. He’d wanted to fuck her, to simply use her, and toss her aside, but fighting the urge to hold her and cherish her had been wearing on him. With Ashley, his need was more than physical. He could have sex with anyone, but only with Ashley could he make love. “I love you, Ash.”
�
�I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to hear those words.”
He squeezed her tight, overwhelmed with guilt for purposely withholding them from her. Well, no more. He’d make it up to her by making sure he told her every day for the rest of their lives. “Let me make love to you, Ashley.”
***
Ashley led Stephen into her bedroom. He glanced around briefly before pulling her into his arms and covering her face with tiny kisses. Only when he got to her mouth did he linger. He kissed her slowly, deeply, and so tenderly that tears burned beneath her eyelids.
He was gentle as he removed her clothes and laid her on her bed. He tore at his own clothing before joining her, pressing kisses to her temples, down her jawline, and her neck. He cupped her face as though she were the most precious thing in the world to him. When his lips covered hers again, she slid her fingers into his hair and slid her tongue into his mouth. Groaning, he sucked it. They kissed for long moments, his hands sweeping down her body to cup her breasts and tease her nipples. Their legs tangled together.
Stephen lowered his head to her breasts and she happily lifted into his mouth. She moaned as he suckled her nipples, moving from one to the other until she was shifting restlessly beneath him. He slid one broad palm between her thighs, his fingers parting her wet folds and stroking over her clit. When he pushed one finger inside, she bucked beneath him. “Oh, God, Stephen, please, make love to me. I can’t wait any longer.”
“Just a little longer, baby.” He pushed her thighs apart and kissed her mound. He licked between her lips before taking her clit into his mouth and sucking. At the same time, he added a second finger to her pussy and thrust deep.
She splintered apart calling his name.