Текст книги "Be My Temptation"
Автор книги: Rachel Brookes
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
Ashlyn leaned in eagerly, and I watched my brother closely and with great pride as he got ready to say the words I had been anticipating for months.
“I’m going to propose to Eden.”
“Oh my god.” Ashlyn’s shriek caught the attention of every single person in the diner, as her eyes were overcome with tears. Abruptly her hand shot out and grabbed mine, squeezing it hard and completely taking me by surprise. I hissed when pain shot up my arm as she excitedly dug her nails into my now-throbbing hand. Fuck me, where did she get this strength?
“Josh, they’re getting married. Eden and Ky are getting married,” she cried, completely ignoring Ky, who looked on with sheer excitement.
“Fuck, Ashy! I need my hand to work.” I laughed, and she immediately dropped it as if I was burning her, then her eyes widened briefly in shock at what she had done.
How did she not know she grabbed my hand? I lifted my hand and placed it on her thigh, and her eyes flew briefly to me. The second I felt her fingers brush against mine, I took the silent invitation to entwine my fingers with hers and join our hands as one. There would be no standard hand holding; I was going to smother hers with mine, and wait until she was the one to break. She needed this, she just didn’t realize it. I couldn’t ignore that her eyes held everything she wanted to hide. Ashlyn was the type of girl who dreamt of a happily ever after, and the tears that swam in her eyes weren’t completely filled with joy and excitement for her best friends. There was the briefest sign of heartache that flashed before me, not because it was Ky getting married, but because she had resigned herself to a life of never getting this.
“Congratulations, big brother. I couldn’t be happier for you.” I held my free hand out and shook Ky’s in cheers.
“Now you two are coming ring shopping with me,” Ky declared. Then he pulled two twenties from his wallet and put them on the table.
He could not be serious.
“Don’t look so shocked, Josh. You’re coming with me. I need both of your opinions. Let’s call it a bonding session.” He looked at me expectantly.
“You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
“Would you joke about buying your girlfriend an engagement ring?” he asked.
“Well, I have no immediate plans on proposing to anyone, so I can’t really answer that.”
“There will come a time, little brother, and fuck me if I can’t wait for it, just so I can remind you of this exact moment.”
“Josh, get your head out of your ass. We have rings to look at, rings to try on, and a ring to buy,” Ashlyn demanded in pure sass.
Shit, her voice was getting high pitched again as her excitement levels rose. She untangled her hand from mine, pushed back on the chair, and joined Ky. Then they both looked at me eagerly. I was being ambushed, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. Usually in these situations, I’d at least have Eden with me, and we would mount a solid defense.
“Fine,” I pushed back on my seat and scoffed, as Ashlyn started bombarding Ky with questions about different cuts of rings and diamonds, and how he was planning on asking her.
Ky shot me a pleading look over his shoulder as the three of us walked out of the diner. So now he wanted my help? No way big brother.
A smirk was all he got.
I WAS DROPPING BOMBSHELLS like strippers were dropping panties. What’s that saying? Grab life by the horns, balls, or whatever. Well, that was exactly what I chose to do.
Three days ago, Ky dropped his own bombshell about his plans to propose to Eden. Do you know how hard it was to talk with her and not scream “he is going to propose?” It was like giving me chocolate and telling me to just look at it.
Now I had my own bombshell to drop on my friends. I was nervous, but the excitement of the unexpected was something I couldn’t resist. I was sick of fighting something that would be so good for me. It was time to start the final chapter in the reinvention of Ashlyn Hart, and it would be the biggest chapter to date.
My nerves ran rampant as I entered the restaurant, but I still had a spring in my step and a smile on my face. Earlier in the day, I sent Josh, Ky, and Eden a text and asked them to meet me at Joe’s Place, the Italian restaurant at the bottom of my apartment building, for dinner.
When I came into view, their eyes followed me as I crossed the busy restaurant. Josh gave me the once over, and shot me a questioning look. Considering he was the only one to know of the fuck up known as Lachlan Johnson, I knew my sudden change in attitude made him suspicious, so I offered him my first smile of the group.
“You look mighty pleased with yourself,” Eden stated with a hearty laugh.
My eyes instinctively dropped to her left hand, only to find it ringless. Damn it.
Josh pulled out the empty seat beside him, and I slipped in. Placing my clutch on the table, I sent a smile around the table and couldn’t hold in my excitement any longer. “So, I have news, and I wanted to share it with all of you first. Then hopefully I’ll celebrate with you.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve quit my job.”
A collective gasp resonated around the table. It wasn’t a secret what my job meant to me, and each of them knew the hours and dedication I put into it, so hearing that I was turning my back on it was shocking. My dream was to always work in fashion. I worked my ass off in high school for a scholarship to the best college in the United States to offer a course that would allow me to live my dream. It led me to New York, and had allowed me to engulf myself in the industry. Three sets of shocked eyes stared back at me, but there was one hint of a smile encouraging me and pushing me forward, and that was from Josh.
I focused on that as I began to explain. “You all know fashion is my life, but sometimes you just have to do what’s best for you. I’ve made some incredible connections in this industry, and I’ll be using them for my next venture. I’m starting my own fashion blog, and going out on my own. I already have some interested parties to work with me on a couple of things, which will cover startup costs. And word has gotten out, so I’ve been fielding emails all day regarding opportunities.”
Saying it out loud made it seem concrete. There was no turning back now. I waited with baited breath for their reactions. What they thought meant the world to me, and I fed on their support in so many aspects of my life.
“Wow, Ash! That is huge,” Ky replied, stating the obvious. “Really fucking huge. How did Alessandra take it?”
Alessandra De Solly was the high-profile, world-renowned fashion photographer that had hired me as her Head Stylist. It was a dream job. It saw me travelling the world, having a wardrobe that many people were envious of, and being able to wake every day to do something that I loved. My reputation and work ethic had enabled me to develop a great network in a highly-competitive industry, and it showed I was damn good at my job.
“She is super happy for me, and has asked that I do some commission work with her on the bigger shoots.”
“Have you got a name for your blog yet?” Eden asked, joining the conversation.
I turned my focus to her and smiled. “Not yet. I’m still waiting for the perfect name to hit me.”
“Stoked for you, Ashy,” Josh said softly, his eyes still firmly locked on mine.
“Thanks, Joshy. I’m feeling good.” I knew there was double meaning to my words, and I felt something flush through me knowing that only he and I understood it. “I have some other news, too.”
I lifted the glass of wine that Ky had placed in front of me and took a long sip. The blog news was nothing compared to what I was about to drop. I took a deep breath and allowed my eyes to glance over each of them, wanting to memorize them in a calm and accepting state.
“I’m also thinking of moving to London after the summer.”
There, I said it. It was now out in the universe, and suddenly it felt real.
You could have heard a pin drop. I sucked in a desperate breath, as I felt the air around me was being sucked out. Eden’s eyes shot wide, Ky’s jaw ticked, and Josh’s hands clutched onto his glass so tightly that I was waiting for it to shatter and send shards flying across the table.
“What the fuck?” Ky piped up, and it shouldn’t have surprised me that he’d be the first to comment. “Would you care to explain why you feel the urge to move across the fucking ocean to another fucking country?”
One thing about the Crawfords was they certainly didn’t mind using obscenities to get their point across.
“London has a huge fashion market,” I stated matter-of-factly. I matched his glare as my defenses shot up and my need to protect myself kicked in.
Ky leaned over the table toward me and lowered his voice. “So does New York, Ashlyn.”
I shook my head slightly. “There’s nothing holding me here, Ky.”
“That’s bullshit,” Josh scoffed, shocking everyone with his loud outburst. My head swung around to him and he scowled at me in frustration. “Bull-fucking-shit, Ashlyn.”
“You have no say in this, Joshua Crawford.”
“So now she uses my full fucking name,” he mumbled under his breath and tore his glare away from me in complete dismissal.
“What does Lachlan think of this? London is further from Australia than the states?” Ky asked with a lingering annoyance.
“Can you just support me on this? Is it really too much to ask for my best friends’ support? Yes it’s a big decision, but it’s my decision. I’m still here for another couple of months, can we just focus on that?”
I could feel Josh’s eyes burning into me at the mere mention of Lachlan. I lifted my glass to my lip and finished my wine as an uncomfortable silence fell between the four of us. After the waiter came to the table and took our orders, Ky and Josh spoke quietly about work while I fumbled with the napkin.
“I love the idea of your blog, babe.” Eden’s voice was sweet, and I looked at her and smiled. “Though I’m not excited about you leaving, I’ve always wanted to go visit London, and now I’ll have a reason.”
I decided to ignore the two men who were brooding over my decision, and concentrate on the one person who seemed to be supportive. “I was actually hoping to set up a meeting with you to discuss a few things for the blog.”
Her smile went wide. “Sure. I’ve got a shoot tomorrow, so I’ll pop over afterward.”
Once our meals arrived, I fell into quiet conversation with Eden. It seemed my news of London would not be discussed, but Josh and Ky seemed happy to talk about my blog. My excitement about London could not be diminished, though, and I spoke openly with Eden.
“So are you going to sell your apartment?” Eden asked as she twisted spaghetti around her fork.
“Yeah, I think so. Starting next week, I’m having some work done on it so I’ve reserved a room at The Grand Hotel, because I can’t stay at my place while they work on the bathrooms.”
“Do I not exist?” Josh asked, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, still pissed at his reaction about London. “Good to see you’re talking to me now.”
“Why would you spend money at a hotel when I’ve got a spare room?”
Me staying with Josh? That would be like giving me a flute of gasoline and putting it onto a simmering fire. We had a fiery relationship, that seemed to always simmer just below the surface, and it was only a matter of time before it was ignited. He frustrated me to tears, but he was also the one guy that wouldn’t leave my thoughts alone.
I stared at him, wondering if he understood my blatant reluctance. By the shift in his brow, as if he was silently saying “so,” I knew he had no clue.
“I don’t want to impose,” I replied, giving the most pathetic excuse in the world.
“Impose?” His lip quirked, and I knew he was getting ready to question every response I gave.
“You know, when you have all your hookups turning up, I don’t want to be a cock block.”
“You are so considerate of my cock’s needs, Ashy. No hookups will be turning up at my apartment. My apartment is a hookup-free zone.”
Ky laughed at his brother’s way with words, and Eden rolled her eyes while trying to halt the smile begging to show.
“So what’s your excuse now?” Josh smirked, arrogance beaming off him at the thought that he had won this argument.
“What happens if I want to have people over?” I asked, knowing I had to bring out the big guns. My brow quirked at the idea of what I was suggesting. His jaw ticked. It made me aware that my subtle notion was thoroughly understood, and that he was now thinking of me bringing men to his apartment. Not that I had any desire to actually do it.
Through gritted teeth, he replied, “We will cross that path if and when we come to it.”
Damn him to hell. I had nothing. What more could I really say? I grabbed my wine glass and finished the rest of my red, while glaring at him over the rim.
“You’re helping me pack then.”
“I knew you couldn’t say no to me, Ashy.” He shot a shit-eating grin at me, then went back to his pasta.
“Whatever.”
A week passed, and Josh was still firm on the idea that I would be staying in his spare room while the work was being done on my apartment. He even went as far as cancelling my booking at the hotel. We had a fight about that too, but he just told me to stop being stubborn, and that he would hardly be at his apartment anyway.
Seven A.M. came way too soon. My week with Josh started today, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking about it constantly over the past seven days. The unnerving feeling in my stomach when I thought about it wasn’t welcome. Don’t get me wrong, Josh and I were close, super close. He had the cockiness that did stupid things to my lady parts, and he had those damn back dimples that would taunt me when we went to the beach. He was a walking, talking, breathing, annoyance to my libido, and that was where the problem lay.
With a groan, I tugged back the comforter, threw my legs over the edge of the bed, and headed to the kitchen. I had an hour before the builder arrived, and I needed to eat and shower beforehand. As of this morning, I was officially no longer working with Alessandra, and the founder of a blog that still didn’t have a name. It was exhilarating, yet frightening, and I had plans to get a start today. The thought alone brought a smile to my face.
The front door burst open as I was standing in the kitchen eating a bowl of Lucky Charms, and Josh strutted in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that clung to his chest.
“Morning, Roomie,” he said, slightly breathless, before pulling open my fridge and grabbing a bottle of water.
“What are you wearing?” I stammered as I gave him the once over . . . actually, it was about the third over.
“I just went for a run,” he stated like it was the most obvious answer in the world. “I should be the one asking what you’re wearing.”
I looked down at myself. “Panties and a cami. I just got out of bed, give me a break.”
His tongue darted out and licked his lips, as his eyes roamed freely over my almost-naked body. “I’d have gotten you to move in years ago if I knew you’d be wearing that.”
“I’ll be sure to pack my onesie, because this body is going to be covered.” I laughed and nudged his shoulder as I walked through the kitchen and into the living room, as the sound of an incoming text message sounded. I spun around to look at the couch and grab my phone, and realized Josh had followed me in.
His eyes fell to my naked thighs and lingered over my hips, before gliding up my stomach, and landing on my boobs, which were straining against my camisole.
“Eyes up here, Joshua.”
A heated promise hit his eyes when they finally found mine. “You have a body that makes men want to sin.”
My breathing stammered, and heat flushed through my body. I was a confident woman. I knew my curves had served me well in the past, but having Josh make a comment like that and give me the look of complete worship made me feel more like a woman than any other man had before.
“He is a fucking idiot for messing around on you.”
He rubbed his hand over his face, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. The atmosphere had turned electric, and I needed to grab control. “I should go pack.”
“Here’s a key. I’m not sure what time I’ll be home tonight.” He placed a silver key in my palm and headed to the door. Just as he was about to step into the hall, he turned back and gave my body one more glance. “I’m really looking forward to having you around.”
Suddenly, my body was switched on once again, and chaos ran wild throughout me. Something told me that the unknown I was about to step into would be something I could never predict.
Three hours later, my bedroom was in chaos, and I was quickly gaining a headache from the builder banging away in my main bathroom. After Josh left me in a mass of confusing butterflies, I quickly showered, checked emails, and began the arduous task of packing. My suitcase lay open with dresses, jeans, and lingerie exploding out of it and covering my bed. I sashayed around my bedroom as I listened to Ellie Goulding, waving one of my scarves behind me. Usually, I could feel Josh in the room, but now I was oblivious. I froze when I caught him leaning against my bedroom door, watching me closely with his arms folded over his chest.
“You really need to learn to knock.” I threw the scarf back onto my bed.
“And where is the fun in that.” He stepped into my bedroom, and his gaze went straight to my walk-in closet. “I had an idea for your blog name.”
My interest piqued as I waited for him to continue. I took a seat on the edge of the bed and couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. Josh disappeared into my closet and returned a few seconds later, holding my strapless bandeaux red dress in one hand, and my strappy, black, very-expensive heels in the other.
“I want you to wear this and these,” he said, dropping the heels and dress in my suitcase. I looked between him and my suitcase, confused.
“One of my favorite things about you is your randomness, but this is taking it to a whole new level.” I laughed.
“You’ll be wearing this when we celebrate the launch of Ashlyn’s Closet.” He smiled and walked out of my bedroom, leaving me completely speechless and overwhelmed.
“Ashlyn’s Closet,” I whispered to myself. “It’s perfect.”
THE CONTENTS OF EDEN’S eager text message had been playing on my mind all day. Eden was known for her excitement, but there was something about this one that was crazy excited, even by her standards.
Joshy, we are going out for dinner and drinks tonight. Meet us downstairs at seven. Don’t be late. I have a massive surprise for you!!!!!
Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed dinner with my brother and Eden, but I never got so excited that I used multiple exclamations marks in my texts. Knowing that if I didn’t reply she’d be texting me all day, I tapped in a quick response informing her I’d be there, before placing my phone face down on my desk and turning back to the twenty-three unanswered emails sitting in my inbox.
As I finished responding to email number thirteen, a soft knock on my door startled me, and I looked up from my screen as Ashlyn walked in.
“Have you got a couple of minutes?” she asked hopefully. “I have the photos from last week’s shoot for you.”
Gone were the panties and cami that I had seen her in earlier, now she was in head-to-toe business attire. A black skirt, gray shirt, and red heels greeted me. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she had the juiciest looking lips I had ever seen, complete with blood-red lip gloss.
“You look good today,” I said after I feasted on her with my eyes. The words sexy, beautiful, and ball-achingly stunning had come to mind, but I settled on pretty.
“I got dressed up just for you, Joshua,” she replied with a wink, and handed me a white envelope. “Eden did an amazing job with the photos. If there are any issues, you’ll have to email Alessandra, and she will organize to reshoot. I am sure you’ll agree with me that the choice of location, model, and props definitely screams summer chic.”
“Take a seat,” I said.
She pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. I shot her one final smile before sliding my finger along the seam of the envelope and pulling out the A4 photos. Photo after photo showed exactly what was asked. Eden Rivers was a freaking genius. My future sister-in-law knew her shit.
“These are great,” I said, flicking through the photos. “However, I do have one pressing matter. It’s quite serious, and I would be very hesitant to accept these if it’s not rectified.”
She leaned over the desk toward me and attempted to look at the photo I’d halted on. I turned the photo to her, and the confusion that swept over her face was thoroughly amusing.
“What’s the problem? That photo is stunning. The model is beautiful, the outfit is smoking hot, and the lighting and location are exactly what you asked for. You cannot be serious.”
“My problem is that you do not own this outfit. I would suggest stealing the skirt the model is wearing.”
“Josh fucking Crawford, you had me panicked. Don’t do that.” She laughed with a shake of her head. “And who says I haven’t already stolen it?”
“You are a minx, Ashlyn Hart.” I laughed as I put the photos back in the envelope.
“Yep, a minx with a new skirt.”
Her eyes dropped to her phone as a text message came through, and a smile appeared on her face when she read it. “Eden’s text messages always crack me up. I see that we are all going to dinner tonight, and Eden is very excited about that fact.” She laughed as she quickly tapped in a reply.
“Maybe Ky has finally grown some balls and proposed, and they are going to tell us.”
She pushed back the seat and stood. “Maybe tonight we could celebrate Ashlyn’s Closet.”
“So you are happy with my suggestion?” I asked, pride swelling in my chest.
“I am ecstatic. It’s perfect.”
“Yep, we will have a drink tonight to celebrate your first day. But I have plans for just you and me to really celebrate it. I’ll surprise you one day, and that’s when I want to see the dress and heels, so that outfit better be in my apartment.”
“Um, the builders are starting tomorrow, so I haven’t moved my stuff yet. I’ll stay at mine tonight.” She walked to the door, but when she reached for the handle, she hesitated and looked at me over her shoulder. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“That you will.”
Seven P.M. rolled around, so I hurried around my apartment trying to find my keys and phone before I had to be downstairs. Eden’s cryptic messages hadn’t stopped all day, and I swore she had been drinking with the random shit she was texting. I was eager to find out what had caused her eccentric mood.
I stepped into the café and headed straight to our usual booth, then halted. Eden’s excitement became quite clear. Tori, her best friend from the West Coast, the same best friend I fucked when Eden first arrived, was sitting opposite her and Ky, and she was now staring straight at me. When Ky decided to become prince charming and buy Eden their dream house, Tori had moved into his apartment briefly. She returned to San Francisco due to work, however, and I hadn’t seen her since.
Ky’s attention hit me and, with a chin lift, he silently invited me to the table. I maneuvered my way through the other customers and stood at the end of the table with my hands jammed in my pockets.
“Josh, you made it,” Eden said excitedly as she slid out of the booth to give me a hug. Unfortunately, I couldn’t smell any alcohol on her, so drinking couldn’t explain her crazy mood. Yet in the pit of my stomach, I had a feeling she expected Tori and I to start up again. Matchmaker Eden was out in full force.
“Hey, pretty girl.” I returned her hug, and kissed her cheek quickly.
Eden moved back next to Ky and I turned to Tori. “Good to see you, Tori.”
“You too, babe,” she said, then leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips, completely shocking me in the process.
I slid in opposite Ky and Eden, and Tori immediately slid in beside me. What the actual fuck was happening?
“We’re just waiting for Ashlyn,” Eden announced cheerily, and silently I thanked God that this wasn’t some kind of crazy double date. We ordered drinks, and Tori chatted happily about life in San Francisco. Eden, more often than not, liked to bring up my single status, and the shock horror of Tori’s single status. I loved Eden more than anything, but she was as subtle as a brick. Ky sat across from me with a shit-eating grin, loving every second of my being uncomfortable.
The door opened and, like my eyes were magnets, they were drawn to whoever was about to step through. Ashlyn appeared, and when she met my gaze she smiled and rushed toward us. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Gone was the business woman attire, and she was now in bombshell mode. Her blond hair was now hanging over her shoulders in loose curls, and her body was wrapped in a dress that showed of her inhuman hourglass figure. Fuck, her curves were dangerous; the kind that would make you swerve and lose complete control, but be completely okay with it.
“Hey,” Ashlyn said with a smile when she got to the table. Her eyes danced over all of us and landed on Tori. “I didn’t know you were in town, Tori.”
“It’s a surprise,” Tori responded, and moved in closer to my side, until she was practically on my lap. “I wanted to surprise Josh.”
And surprised I was.
Dinner was ordered, and the drinks began to flow. Laughter soon took over the table, and I felt myself relaxing. Tori wasn’t afraid to show her affection for me, and as the night wore on I seemed to warm to her. Eden looked like she was in her element. She had planned this little get together and, in her eyes, it was becoming a huge success. Once we had eaten, we decided to head into the city to a bar that was owned by one of my closest friends from Los Angeles. Red Velvet NY was the sister bar to Red Velvet LA, which I frequented when I was in town. Charisma oozed from the boutique bar that gave you the feeling of stepping into the glitz and glamour of the 1950s. Low lights, soft music, and atmosphere thick with confidence greeted us.
The five of us moved toward the cornered-off section, and Ky headed for the bar while I stayed with the girls.
“Are you going to dance with me tonight?” Tori whispered and shifted toward me. She placed her hand on my chest, and her breath hit my ear. “We could have some fun. That’s why I’m here. You left me with very good memories. Memories I wish to revisit.”
Tori flashed me a look of heat after she stepped back, and I knew right then, whether it made me seem like a cocky asshole or not, that I could have her if I wanted. The question was, did I want to go back for round two with her? I didn’t want complication in my life, and that was what I was afraid of if I listened to my cock.
“Ash, your face just lost all color.” Eden’s voice penetrated the air, and I immediately turned my attention to Ashlyn, who was focused on her phone. Her head shot up, her eyes wide, and she looked at Eden before briefly turning her attention to me. Eden walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Everything is good.” She smiled, and immediately I knew everything was not good, because her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Are you sure?” Eden pressed, and I waited for Ashlyn to answer.
“Let’s go and dance. That’s why we’re here, right?” Ashlyn announced, completely redirecting the attention from moments ago. “Josh, you are on bag-minding duty.”
Three bags were thrust into my hands, and the girls disappeared through the crowd. I took a seat so I had a view of them, and my gaze centered on Ashlyn. Something was going on, and whatever she had seen on her phone caused her to immediately shut down. I had no doubt that whatever it was had to do with Lachlan.
Ky slid in bedside me and handed me a whiskey. We both moved our focus to the girls as we sat in silence. Every single man in the bar watched them with eager eyes, and Ky switched into protective beast mode. One wrong move and it wouldn’t take long for him to cross the bar and show every man exactly who Eden belonged to, and I knew I’d do the same, without question.
“Are you taking Tori home tonight?” he asked during the down time between songs.
“I’ll see how the night plays out,” I answered halfheartedly. “I kind of wanted a quiet night to get organized for Ashlyn moving in tomorrow.”
The shock on his face was immediately evident. “Are you telling me you are refusing the promise of pussy to get ready for your friend to come stay with you?”
“Just concentrate on your own cock and don’t concern yourself with mine. I get plenty.” I smirked and lifted my glass to my lips, then turned my focus back to the girls.
The next song started, and a low, sultry number played through the bar. Ashlyn’s hips moved against Eden’s, and they wrapped their arms around each other, completely oblivious to the pain that they would be causing all of the men that were watching them. They had absolutely no idea the effect they had. Ashlyn looked over Eden’s shoulder, and our eyes met. We fell into an intense stare. I lifted the whiskey to my mouth and watched her over my glass as she swung her hips and got lost in the music. I didn’t bother hiding the fact that I was watching her, since I’d watched her the exact same way since I met her; with intrigue, need, and the craving to wrap her in my arms and steal her away. Lust was the temptress that constantly made me question every decision I’d ever made when it came to Ashlyn. Temptation, though, was the seductive whore who made me lose the ability to see the difference between reality and fantasy.
When the song changed, Ky stood and made his way to Eden. His hands fell to her hips, and I knew that was my sign to look away. I glanced around the bar, taking in the other patrons and allowing myself to be absorbed by the atmosphere. There was a whisper of promise in the air that made the hair on my arms stand at attention. It was the kind of place that made you want to own up to every sinful thought taunting your mind, and every sinful thought I had revolved around a blond bombshell that would be moving into my apartment in less than twenty-four hours. I shifted in my seat and rested my head against the booth as I began to swim into dangerously tempting waters.
