by Lucy Score
“Do you happen to have a restroom in this hovel or is there a cozy outhouse in the woods?”
Jason pointed toward one of the doors on the wall opposite of the sitting area. “Through there.”
When she slid off the bed, he caught her wrist, tugging her back for a kiss. “I’m glad you’re here, Ashley.”
“Me, too.”
Still naked, she practically danced to the bathroom. And stopped in her tracks when her bare feet hit the warm slate floor. Of course his bathroom floor was heated, Ashley thought.
And the rest of the room was perfection, too. Dual vanities, topped in marble with glass tile backsplashes flanked the door. The shower was a tiled room with multiple heads and sprays that could easily hold eight adults. And then there was the tub. A sleek clawfoot centered in a large window overlooking nothing but forest. A fireplace was built into the wall at the foot of the tub with a candle-filled alcove filled above it.
She noted that none of the candles had been burned. Ashley wondered if Jason ever used the tub. Did he ever see the spectacular view anymore? Was it something someone could ever grow used to?
When she returned to the bedroom, she stood in the doorway and leaned against the frame.
“There’s only one thing that is going to make me leave this bathroom nirvana.”
Jason stirred on the bed and gave her a wicked grin.
“OK, two things.”
“Name it.”
“Food.”
“It looks like we were too busy for lunch today,” Jason said, checking the sun through the windows. “Steaks for dinner?”
Ashley dashed from doorway to bed and hopped on top of him. “You had me at steak.”
###
Of course there was an outdoor kitchen attached to the deck, what “cabin” wouldn’t have one? Ashley shook her head while she constructed the tossed salad and Jason was seasoning steaks on the counter next to the grill.
Hunger had her snatching carrots and cucumbers from the salad to tide her over. She ran the knife through a handful of radishes and relaxed in the moment.
Jason hadn’t wanted them to get dressed since they would just be taking their clothes off again and Ashley couldn’t argue with that practicality. So they decided on robes. He had magically produced a plush white robe in her size from the massive walk-in closet next to the bathroom.
Ashley wondered how many other women had wrapped themselves in that particular robe, but only for the briefest of seconds before dismissing the thought. She was here now, wasn’t she? That’s what mattered. She couldn’t control the past or the future. But today was to be savored. Like this carrot. She crunched enthusiastically.
Jason glanced up from the grill. “Steaks will be done in 10.”
“Salad’s just waiting for dressing. I can go in and throw the potatoes in the microwave so they get done around the same time as the steaks.”
“Perfect.”
Yes, he certainly was. Even — or maybe especially — barefoot and robed, he still drew the eye. Now that she knew what was under the robe she wanted him even more. Ashley pressed a kiss to Jason’s cheek as she passed him on her way to the kitchen.
He grabbed the belt of her robe, and she let him pull her closer. “I think we can do better than that,” he teased.
Ashley wrapped her arms around his neck and rose on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his mouth. Jason lifted her off the ground and deepened the kiss before setting her down gently.
“That’s better.”
She smiled as she walked toward the door. A man who wanted to kiss her before she left the room. What would that life be like?
She had expected the relief of release. Not the growing intensity she felt. She was going to have to be much more careful when it came to guarding her heart. This kind of feeling couldn’t possibly last.
In the kitchen, Ashley loaded two potatoes into the microwave. While they cooked she decided to check her phone. She had texted Steven hours ago with the lie that she had arrived at her parents’ house.
She thought it best that she let him think there hadn’t been a change of plans. It was ironic to think that she and her fiancé were both spending their weekend with their lovers.
Lover. What was Georgie going to say to that? Ashley laughed out loud at the thought of her friend’s response. She would call her on Monday.
There was a text from Steven.
Tell them I said hi.
And a text from Barbara at the store instructing Ashley not to check her phone for the remainder of the weekend since she had been working so hard and everything at the store was completely under control.
You deserve a nice, quiet weekend!
Ashley wasn’t sure if nice or quiet was the proper description for the toe-curling, angels-singing orgasms she had had so far. But Barbara probably didn’t need to hear those kinds of details.
Thanks, Barbara! You’re the best!
With things under control at the store, her parents out of the country, and Steven not expecting her back until Sunday night, she could afford to disconnect for a weekend.
The microwave timer beeped. Ashley put the steaming potatoes on a plate and returned to the deck where Jason was just pulling the steaks off of the grill.
“That smells amazing,” Ashley groaned, sniffing the air.
“You’d better hurry. I could eat both of these after that workout,” he warned.
“I will fight you for them. Don’t get between my empty stomach and a plate of medium rare Delmonicos,” she threatened.
They spent the rest of the evening eating, talking, and lounging. Jason put in a movie, and they missed the ending.
Ashley was beginning to wonder if proximity meant that they would always end up naked and sated.
Still straddling him, she pressed her lips to his neck. “I don’t know why I can’t keep my hands off of you.”
“Let’s hope that never changes.” He stroked his hand down her bare back.
Ashley cuddled closer. “Ending up naked all the time really restricts the public activities we could do together.”
“Mmm,” Jason said as his fingers streaked up her spine, drawing goosebumps to the surface. “No grocery shopping. No movies. No restaurants.”
Ashley laughed. “The people in the café would be scandalized.”
“We could never have children. The parent-teacher meetings would get us arrested,” Jason mused.
“I guess we’re just going to have to learn to control ourselves,” Ashley sighed.
“Let’s not rush it.” He tickled her ribs. “Maybe we can just become sex-obsessed hermits and never leave the house.”
“My orgasm count says we’re halfway there already,” she teased.
He pinched her. “You’re keeping track?”
“I like taking inventory, so I know exactly what I have.”
“Well, let’s see what we can do to get your numbers up.” He tossed her down on the couch cushion next to him and rolled to cover her.
###
Ashley snuggled deeper into the fleecy robe and wrapped her fingers around the cheery red coffee mug. She inhaled the scents of steamy caffeine and spring sunshine while enjoying the view from the deck.
It was perfect.
She felt relaxed, loose. At ease. Which was no slight feat, considering all that had happened recently. Her life was in shambles, but right this second it was all worth it.
If only she didn’t have to go back.
But of course she would. She would clean up the shards of the life that had been hers and move on. Ashley didn’t dare think of what the future would look like if Jason were in it. That was something she just wasn’t ready to consider.
Quiet weekends at the cabin. Long nights wrapped around each other, tasting, taking. Waking up to that perfect face every morning.
Ashley shook the thoughts from her head. Stop considering the un-considerable, she ordered. Underneath the perfection, Jason Baine was a man. A human one. And she kne
w so little about him. Could she ever settle again for a man who kept so much of his life from her?
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Ashley tilted her head back against the wood of the chair and smiled lazily. “Good morning, Romeo.”
Fresh from a shower, Jason leaned in for a soft kiss before helping himself to some of her coffee. His sweatpants sat low on his hips, drawstring untied, and his t-shirt looked like it had endured about a decade of wear.
He looked relaxed. Something Ashley hadn’t seen before.
“Two questions. How often do you work out, and how is it that my favorite creamer ended up in your refrigerator here?” she asked playfully.
“A couple of times a week and lucky guess?” He handed her the mug and leaned back against the railing.
“You would never leave anything up to luck. Do you have some kind of dossier on me?”
“A dossier?” He grinned.
“You know, a big, fat secret file with a list of my likes and dislikes.” Ashley stood, setting the coffee on the railing. She moved to stand between his legs and leaned into him. “Stuff like ‘loves hazelnut coffee creamer, dislikes lima beans and zombie movies.’”
“Likes riding me into oblivion?” Jason supplied, combing his fingers through her hair.
“That’s like saying ‘likes sunshine and puppies.’ Everyone would like that. And anyone who says they don’t shouldn’t be trusted.”
“In that case I love sunshine and puppies.”
“That’s very wise of you.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving. What time is it?”
“It’s 10:30. Do you want breakfast or lunch?”
“I’m hungry enough for both at this point,” Ashley said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Let’s go see what we can find in the kitchen before I ravage you again.”
“We’ve got to keep up our strength,” Ashley agreed solemnly.
They decided on sandwiches with bacon in a nod to breakfast and a tasty-looking pasta salad that Jason produced from the fridge.
“You certainly stocked up for this trip quickly,” Ashley teased.
“A motivated man always finds a way to get things done.”
“And what was your motivation?”
“Seeing you in nothing but that robe for 48 hours was quite the motivator.”
“Why Mr. Baine, flattery.” Ashley fluttered her eyelashes before turning her attention back to the cold cuts.
He laughed and heaped the pasta salad onto two plates. He looked almost human here. If humans had faces — not to mention bodies — that would make sculptors weep with joy at their perfection.
Ashley ran a knife through the thick, crusty sandwich bread and added them to the plates.
“Is this the only place you get to relax?” She handed him a plate and they walked through the doors to the deck.
“Sometimes. It’s usually more of a time issue than location.”
“I guess running the world is time consuming.” She eased down into a cushioned chair at the long wooden farm table.
“I’ve never had a reason to focus on anything but work before.”
Jason sat across from her, back to the view.
“You know you’re missing quite an impressive view,” Ashley said, stabbing at the pasta salad with a fork.
“You’re only saying that because you don’t know how impressive the view is from here.”
The blush tinged her cheeks as he watched her wolfishly. “Very smooth, Romeo.”
“Beautiful, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“You know, you’ve already gotten me into bed ... several times. You have me here for the rest of the weekend. You don’t have to keep the pursuit at full speed.”
He leaned across the table and brushed his thumb against her lower lip. “I’m just getting started.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
They decided to actually put on clothes and leave the house for a few hours so Jason could show her the lake. Ashley was glad she had gone with her instincts and packed sneakers and shorts. She also had a little black dress, bug spray, and a stain remover pen should the need for any of those items arise.
Ashley prided herself on being an organized planner. Things didn’t usually surprise her because she explored all angles and developed contingencies before moving forward.
However, the fact that she was spending a sunny spring afternoon hiking with Jason Baine was a bit of a surprise.
She was an hour into a hike on a narrow pine-needle-strewn trail that meandered around the lake. Everything was green, even the light that filtered down through the canopy of leaves.
She threw a glance over her shoulder at Jason who walked quietly behind her, carrying a backpack with snacks and water.
“It’s so peaceful here. Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he winked. “Take the next right at the Y.”
She humored him and followed his directions. Of course there was a plan, a destination. Jason wouldn’t do anything without an end goal in mind.
Another couple of steps, and the trees began to part.
The view stole her breath. She came to a halt on a large stone outcropping that overlooked the expanse of sparkling lake water below.
Jason rested his hands on her shoulders. “What do you think?
“I think that there’s no way this could possibly be real life.”
He rested his chin on the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Then we’d better enjoy it while we can.” He dropped a kiss on her hair. “Come on, let’s open the provisions.”
They sat on the rock and stretched out. Ashley laughed when Jason unpacked the “provisions.”
“Chips and a package of chocolate chip cookies?”
“It’s the hiking snack of champions,” he insisted.
“Champion teenagers maybe,” she teased, helping herself to a handful of salty chips and a bottle of water.
“Every man has his vices.”
“I would expect a man like you to have ... different vices.”
He handed her a cookie and took two for himself. “You’re talking about my dickie collection again aren’t you?”
Ashley nodded solemnly. “Yes, yes I am. You realize that as soon as I find it this torrid affair will be over.”
“I’ll burn them for you. Even the monogrammed ones.” He pivoted and laid his head down in her lap.
Ashley toyed with his hair. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do when this is all over?”
“When what is over?”
“What’s it going to do to your family when you have your stepsister arrested?”
“It’s going to make Thanksgiving dinner a lot more tolerable.”
Ashley pulled his hair. “I’m serious. What do your grandfather and father think about what’s happening?”
Jason sighed. “My grandfather worked very hard to make a place for Victoria, who never deserved one, in the family and his company. I think he was trying to make up for my father’s carelessness.
“He married Victoria’s mother, Sylvia, — presumably for her ex-husband’s money — and immediately began cheating on her. They were together for barely two years when he cheated on her with some widowed socialite with a coke problem. The divorce was messy. My grandfather put Victoria through college to make up for it. And then she guilt-tripped him into a job at the firm.”
“Who’s the bad guy in that story? Your father or Victoria?”
“Neither of them is an innocent victim.” He was staring off into space, a hard expression on his face. Ashley ran a finger over the line between his eyebrows to smooth it away.
His gaze returned to her and his face softened. “What are you going to do when Steven is out of the picture?” He tugged on a strand of her hair.
Ashley looked out over the vista. “I honestly don’t know. I ended up here because of Steven’s job, so without that restriction I could go anywhere. But
I love the store. I love what I do there. And the city feels like home. So I don’t really see myself packing up and leaving town.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Jason took her palm and brought it to his mouth. “I’m also hoping you’ll be interested in seeing what we’re like without them.”
“Hmm. You mean, keep all this?” Ashley gestured at the view. “I don’t know. It would be such a hardship.”
Jason reached up to tickle her ribs. “Smart ass.”
Ashley laughed and wrestled his hands away.
“Tell me you’ll still be here after this is over.”
“It’s going to depend on how emotionally scarred I am,” she teased.
He moved so quickly, she didn’t have time to defend herself. Ashley found herself flat on her back with Jason straddling her. He pinned her arms over her head easily with one hand. His other hand roamed her side. “Tell me or I tickle.”
Ashley squirmed under him. “I’ll scream!”
He grinned and began his assault. Ashley did scream, but to no avail. Finally, gasping for breath, she gave him his answer.
“OK, OK, OK! I’ll be here!”
“Promise me.” He dug a finger into her belly.
“Promise!”
“There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” he leaned down and kissed her. It was intended to be light, playful. But the second Ashley’s tongue met his, the urgency exploded.
Jason’s hands streaked over her belly and under her shirt. In his haste to touch her, he yanked hard on her bra, rending it in two.
She gasped against his mouth as his hand found her breast.
The growl that came from his throat was primal. Ashley fought against the restraint at her hands, but he merely tightened his hold. “I want you here, like this.”
She could feel him hard against her.
“Someone could see —”
He squeezed once, and then his fingers sought her straining nipple.
“There’s no one to see. This is my land.”
Jason tugged her shirt up. She felt the warmth of the sunshine on her breasts. And then his mouth was on her. Tugging and tasting. Ashley bucked against him.
His free hand moved to her shorts, unbuttoning them in a swift move. Ashley bridged up so he could pull them off. He freed himself from his own shorts before settling between her legs.