Chapter 14 #2
“I’m glad you think so.” He paused. “I don’t want to sound like a jerk, because I am happy for him—for both of them. Hell, I’ve lived long enough to know that what they seem to have doesn’t come along every day. It’s just that she’s younger than I am, you know?”
“It’s weird for you.”
“A bit. Yeah. See? I sound like a jerk.”
“No, you don’t. Maybe he could ask Buddy to stand up for him.”
“He could, but he won’t. He’ll ask me, and I’ll do it because it’s him asking.”
“But you won’t really want to.”
“No,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t want to.”
“Maybe you should tell him that before he asks you to spare you both the awkwardness of it.”
“I could never say that to him. It’s hard to explain what we’ve meant to each other over the years.
My mom died such a long time ago. Our family was me and him, with the Longstreets thrown in there, too, of course.
Since everything happened the first time with Kate, I’ve often wondered if I would’ve been pissed no matter who he ended up with. ”
“Probably a little. You’d had him all to yourself for a long time.”
“Yeah.”
“Want to know what I think?”
“I really do.”
Jill smiled at his earnest tone. “You’ve already been very supportive of a relationship that once caused you a lot of pain. You wouldn’t be out of line to draw some boundaries if you need them.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He drove into a parking lot in the middle of a cluster of townhomes. “Here we are. Home sweet home. Stay there.” He got out of the car and came around to open her door.
“There’s a lot to be said for dating a Southern gentleman,” Jill said, charmed by his manners.
“Guys up north don’t open doors for their ladies?”
“Not with any level of reliability.”
“Then they weren’t raised right.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re right about that.”
“Kate used to live over there,” Ashton said, pointing to a building across the parking lot from his.
“I remember her saying you guys were neighbors.”
“Yeah, she moved out as soon as she could—probably because I was here. I like the place, so I stayed put.” He led her into a nicely decorated home that was clearly occupied by a guy, with leather and chrome and a gigantic flat-screen TV in the living room.
“I have my needs,” he said when he caught her staring at the TV.
“Football, baby. Lots and lots of football.”
Jill wrinkled her nose at the mention of a sport she’d always hated. “That might be a deal breaker.”
He seemed stricken. “No… You probably need a better understanding of the game so you can appreciate it.”
“I understand the game just fine, and I’ll never appreciate it.”
He honestly looked like he might cry. “I thought you were the absolute perfect woman for me, but now I’m not so sure.”
Jill bit her lip to keep from laughing. “If it’s too much for you,” she said, backing toward the door, “I could leave now before this goes any further.”
“Or,” he said, following her with intent in his eyes, “you could think of some way to make it up to me.”
“Make it up to you?”
“You are the only girl I’ve ever dated who doesn’t like football as much as I do.”
“Is that right?” By now she was backed up to the door and he had surrounded her with his arms propped over her head.
“Uh-huh.” He pressed his body against hers, and Jill had to restrain herself from pulling him even closer.
“So whatever will we do about this significant difference of opinion?”
“I suppose,” he said, dipping his head to kiss her neck, “we’ll have to come to some sort of compromise.”
Jill tilted her head to give him better access. “You don’t have to give up football for me. Really, I’d never ask that of you.” The next thing she knew, she was hanging over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs. She let out a squeak of surprise and protest. “Put me down!”
He dropped her with an ungraceful plop in the middle of his big bed.
“That was very undignified.”
“I like you this way—with your hair all messed up and ruffled.”
Jill started to fix her hair, but he required her full attention when he came down on top of her, propping himself on strong arms. “Did today feel very, very long to you?”
Jill nodded and raised her hands to grip bulging biceps. “Very long.”
He never broke eye contact as he brought his lips down to claim hers in a deep, sweeping kiss full of pent-up desire. “I was thinking,” he said when he came up for air, “since Kate is going to be cutting back, you might have some extra time on your hands. Maybe you could come to work with me.”
She stared at him, agog. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious. You’re extremely good at what you do, and I have other clients who’d benefit greatly from what you’ve learned running Kate’s career.”
“But you and me, working together?”
“Why not?” He kissed her again, scrambling a brain that was trying to focus on his offer.
She turned her head to break the kiss. “Don’t toss out something like that and then try to distract me.”
He nudged at her belly with his erection. “I like distracting you. And if we worked together, I could distract you whenever I wanted to.”
“And that’s supposed to be a selling point?”
“I thought so.”
“Rather full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I’m rather hoping you like me as much as I like you. I’m rather hoping that this is the start of something important for both of us. And I’m rather hoping you might want to be my partner at work as well as at home.”
Flabbergasted, Jill stared up at him.
“I can see that I’ve taken you totally by surprise.” He moved off her and put his arm around her, urging her to turn on her side to face him. “Stop looking at me like I just told you I believe in aliens.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, but you did catch me by surprise.”
“It must seem like I’m moving way too fast since we got together, but I feel like I’ve waited such a long time for you, and now that I have you…”
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“I want everything, and I want it now.”
“God, you don’t mess around, do you?”
“Never.”
Jill knew there was a world of sincerity behind that single word, and she appreciated the double meaning. “I…um… I don’t know what to say. I don’t do things like this. I’m not impulsive. I’m a planner. I make lists and spreadsheets and more lists.”
He smiled indulgently as she described herself. “Can I ask you something I have absolutely no right to ask this soon?”
“Okay…”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I suspect I have for quite some time.”
“That’s really good, because I love you, too. I have since that first day you walked in the room and wiped every reasonable, logical thought right out of my head just by walking in the room. I knew right then and there that you were the one for me, and you hadn’t yet said a word to me.”
Overwhelmed by the torrent of emotion his sweet words aroused in her, Jill had no idea what to say. “Ashton…”
“I know I wasn’t in your plans or on your spreadsheets, but I hope you can make some room for me, Jill.”
She reached for him. “I can definitely make room for you.”
He put his arm around her and held on tight. “Will you think about the job offer?”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure Kate will still keep me plenty busy.”
“I’m not being entirely altruistic with this offer. I’m reaching the point where I’m going to have to take on a partner anyway. I choose you.”
“You’re serious.”
“Hell yes, I’m serious.” He nuzzled his favorite spot on her neck again. “I’ve waited such a long time for you. My whole life. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“You’re overwhelming me.”
“I’m sorry.” He leaned his forehead on hers, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t mean to. I don’t want to mess this up.”
Sorry to have caused him distress, Jill caressed his face, following her hands with kisses. “You’re not messing it up. I need some time to think about what you’ve offered. It’s not in me to jump in with both feet and think later. I think first.”
“Don’t think too hard.” As if the control he’d been clinging to had suddenly given out, he moved quickly to get rid of their clothes, found a condom in the bedside table and was inside her while she was still processing everything he’d said.
The second he entered her, however, she stopped thinking about anything other than how amazing it felt to be loved by him.
“Nothing that feels this good can be bad,” he whispered in her ear.
Jill wrapped her legs around his hips, which seemed to make him a little crazy.
“God, Jill.” He kissed her ravenously, as if he might never get enough of her.
She hoped he never would, because he was right. Nothing had ever felt quite like this, and she wanted to hold on to it forever. With that in mind she put her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his thick hair.
He met her gaze and held it, slowing the movement of his hips and driving her crazy with slow, deep strokes that took her to the edge of climax.
Shuddering, she gasped. “Ashton…”
“What, honey?”
“I need… I want…”
He kissed her softly as his chest hair rubbed against her nipples. “What do you want? Tell me.”
“I need to come.” She felt her face heat with embarrassment. She’d never spoken so bluntly to a man in bed.
As he swelled and throbbed inside her, he smiled and kissed both cheeks. “Don’t ever be embarrassed to tell me what you want.”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“No, it’s sexy.” He began to move again, faster this time.
When he pressed his fingers to her core, she went off like a rocket. She might’ve even screamed from the pleasure that shot through her. Opening her eyes, she found him watching her intently and realized he was still hard and still moving inside her.
“Very sexy,” he said, kissing her again.
“Did I scream?”
His smile was full of masculine pride. “Yep.”
She gripped his backside and made him gasp. “Your turn.”
“Do I get my choice of how I want it?”
“Um, sure. I guess.”
Before she knew what hit her, he’d turned them over so she was on top without losing their connection.
“Nice move,” she said.
“You like that?”
Nodding, she rolled her hips, drawing a deep groan from him.
“Yes.” He combed his fingers through her hair. “You’re so beautiful. I wish you could see yourself the way I do.”
“Ah, no thanks.”
He laughed and moved his hands lower to cup her breasts.
Jill’s head fell back as she gave herself over to the power they generated together.
She couldn’t believe it when another orgasm swept over her without warning, taking him this time, too.
She slumped down on top of him, his arms around her and his lips brushing over her hair as he whispered sweet words of love that she could barely hear.
She didn’t need to hear exactly what he was saying.
He’d shown her, repeatedly, how devoted he was to her, and she wanted everything he’d offered—and then some.
“I want to work with you,” she said.
“What about your plans and your spreadsheets and your checklists?”
She propped her chin on his chest and met his gaze. “The best-laid plans go out the window when the right one comes along.”
His eyes widened with surprise and his lips pursed, as if he was going to say something.
Laughing, Jill said, “Did I finally render you speechless, Counselor?”
“Yeah,” he said, framing her face with his hands. “You take my breath away, Jill Harrington.”
Deeply moved by his softly spoken words, she said, “Do you think I still will when we’re working together?”
“I know you will.”
Jill cuddled into his embrace, completely content for once to throw the best-laid plans out the window.