Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ashley
I was too warm and comfortable to move.
I breathed in deeply and held it before I let it out again. This did not smell like home. It smelled like…
Chase.
My eyes popped open. Sunlight slanted through the window. The blinds were open slightly.
Yep, this was definitely not my place. For one thing, I didn't have a stunning view of Lowball Bay through my bedroom window.
Shit.
I sat up and found myself alone in a large room. In a large bed. Naked.
I spied a chair across the room. Someone had gathered up my clothes and placed them there. Had I done that the night before? I might have. I couldn't remember. I was too caught up in him.
I started to smile at the memory but caught myself. Sleeping with Chase wasn't anywhere on my to-do list. It was written in the margins, sure, but the list itself consisted of working and not doing something stupid, which would ruin a perfectly good friendship.
I rubbed my forehead. What the hell was I thinking last night?
Was I thinking? It seems not. If I'd taken a moment, just a moment, I would have gone home and eaten soup for one while I watched a movie.
"Crap. Crap. Crap," I said under my breath. I glanced at the clock on the wall and tried not to swear again. I had to be at work in two hours.
I darted up and across the room. The bathroom door was open, but Chase wasn't in there. Good. I might stand a chance of sneaking out without having to face him.
I dressed as quickly as I could, in everything but my shoes. Those I held in my hand while I opened the door.
I stepped out just as an older woman appeared out of another doorway.
She blinked, then cleared her throat. "Good morning," she said pleasantly. Either she was used to seeing strange women in Chase's home, or she was good at covering it.
"Um, hi," I said awkwardly. "I was just…leaving."
"Ah." She nodded. "Would you like some breakfast?"
My stomach then chose to rumble, but I shook my head. "No, thank you. I really should go."
"Okay then." She stepped aside. "If you're sure. Chase would be down in the basement working out, if you wanted to say goodbye."
"No," I said too quickly. "I mean, thank you, but I'll catch up with him later.
" If he was still talking to me. This was a complication neither of us needed.
A mistake. It would be better if we stayed away from each other.
At least until the end of time, if not longer.
Nothing could come of this. I knew it. He knew it.
I should just stay away from men entirely. It would be easier than being hurt again.
"Okay, I'll let him know you're expecting a call," she said. "Miss…"
"Ashley," I said. "Just Ashley."
She nodded. "Bernice. I keep house for Chase. Apparently I just got upgraded to secretary. That better come with a hefty pay rise."
I grinned. "I'm sure it will, but there's no need to tell him anything. I mean—" Great, now I sounded like I was only here for a one night thing. "He has my number," I finished lamely.
"And I'll make sure he uses it," Bernice said. "That last chick strode around in his shirt like she owned the place. He could do better."
She eyed me as though trying to decide whether or not I was like that. "She hurt him real bad."
"I know," I said softly. "The last thing I want is to hurt him." Or myself.
Bernice nodded.
I sensed I passed a test of some kind.
"Good. He's a nice kid, but he lets people walk all over him sometimes. Head too full of football to see what folks are really like." She tapped the side of her head. "He'd forget to eat if I didn't have a timer set every night."
I blushed. "Right." I remembered. It went off while we snuggled on the couch. We'd eaten quickly and gone to bed for another round. Or two. "He's very focused on work. He'd hate to let the team down."
"That he would," she agreed. She cocked her head. "The music just turned off. He'll be up here shortly."
She must have super hearing, because I hadn't noticed a thing.
"I should go," I said. "Um, tell him I said hi, and sorry I missed him. I don't want to be late for work."
"Okay then." I had the impression she'd waylaid me until Chase was done working out if she could. If I hesitated any longer, she'd succeed.
I flashed her a smile and hurried to pick up my bag from where it spent the night, beside the couch.
I almost ran for the door and slipped out as Chase's voice came from somewhere in the house.
Bernice answered him, so I assumed he wasn't calling out to me.
I pulled out my keys and hurried to my car. Outside all of these huge, opulent houses, many with massive iron gates, my car looked even more the crap heap it was. I should look at getting a loan for a new one. Or a motorbike like Chase's. Well, not like his. His cost more than my apartment.
I slid into the driver's seat and turned the key. Thank goodness the car started the first time. Sometimes it just…didn't.
I put my foot down and backed out of Chase's driveway. I waited for an enormous SUV, a Porsche and a classic mustang to pass before I was able to pull out onto the road. Any of those cars would have cost twice the value of my apartment. Rich people had to spend their money on something, I supposed.
I drove home as quickly as I could, which wasn't very fast, given I caught every red light all the way.
I could squeeze in a quick shower and change of clothes, but I'd still be late for work. It couldn't be helped now.
I checked my messages in the elevator on the way up. Two were work related, one about a trip to Paris in a few weeks. One was from someone I didn't recognise and the last was from Chase.
Should I open it? I imagined what it might say. 'Hey, about last night, big mistake, C.' Or maybe, 'Worst night ever, regrets. C.'
I shook my head at the last one. He wouldn't be so mean, even if it was true. Which I didn't think it was. He certainly seemed to be having a good time. I certainly had. Several times.
Okay, cold shower it was.
I put the phone down, message unread, and headed for what ended up being a warm shower, to relax muscles I hadn't used in a long time.
I dashed on my favourite tropical body wash. I thought it was supposed to make me want to be on a beach somewhere, drinking a cocktail made by a hot server in tight white shorts and a straw hat.
That was very specific, but a girl can dream, right? Anyway, it smelled like some kind of flower which probably didn't exist outside the factory.
I avoided looking at a clock while I dried and dressed. If I did, I'd panic. That would slow me down even more. The fact I had nothing to wear was bad enough.
Okay, you know how it goes, I had plenty to wear, really, but I wasn't feeling any of it. In the end I chose black pants, a white blouse and a soft pink mohair sweater with a deep V-neck.
I pulled on socks and black boots with a zip down the side and all but ran out the door.
I moved so fast I almost missed seeing Harvey Danbury, who stood on the other side of the road from my car.
He gave me a finger wave.
I wanted to flip him the finger, but I shot him a smile instead and hurried away.
Please, please don't let him have seen me leaving Chase's, I begged to whatever in the universe might be listening.
Was he going to follow me around for the rest of my life?
Or just until this story of his went cold and people stopped caring?
The sooner that happened, the better. Surely there were a bajillion more interesting people to write about than me.
I was as dull as they came. At least, to me I was. To Kris too, I supposed.
I frowned to myself. I hadn't thought about him in hours. I certainly wasn't thinking about him last night. Or Brandi, or any of it. It was all about Chase and me and nothing more.
Now, I felt a pang of guilt big enough to bring down an elephant.
Kris and I weren't on right now, but he wanted us to be. What would he think if he knew I slept with Chase? He'd be mad, I was sure of that. He'd call me a hypocrite, even though the situation was different.
Was it though? Chase and I got caught up in the moment the same way Kris and Brandi had. All thought went out the window.
I stopped at yet another red light and rested my head on the steering wheel. Complicated didn't start to describe this mess. Tangled, confused web, would work better.
Stupid, stupid, stupid me. I should have called Chase and told him about Brandi and Harvey's article. Chase was a big boy, he could deal with it. The last thing he needed was me throwing myself at him.
He initiated the kiss, but I was the one who started pulling off clothing.
The beep of a horn behind me made me jump. My head flew up and I saw the light had turned green.
Oops.
I sent a mental apology to the driver behind me and drove through the lights.
I glanced at the clock and wished I hadn't. If I was any more late for work, they'd assume I quit, or was too sick to call.
"Crap," I said to myself. I should have called in sick. I could have spent the day in bed, with donuts and a movie marathon. I was far too distracted to make good choices today. I would have to pull myself together before I ordered a few dozen crocheted men's shorts in mint green.
Yes, they're a thing, but the less said about them, the better. If a few boxes of those turned up, I'd be fired the moment the first one was opened.
No, I'd actually quit if I did anything like that. I promised myself I was done with doing dumb things.
From then on, I had to make better choices. That meant staying away from Chase McKinney, or any of the Humpbacks. It meant staying away from Kris too.
Strangely, that hurt a lot less than it should. Less than the idea of never seeing Chase again. That made my heart ache more than anything Kris ever did.
For a long moment, at yet another red light, I wondered why. Was it that he was a nice guy and a good friend? Was it the mind-blowing sex? Was it the mutual admiration for hamburgers?
I knew the answer to all of those questions. I mentally ticked box D, 'all of the above.'
Somewhere, some time during the last few weeks, I'd let my guard down without knowing. My defensive line was off on the sidelines, not watching who had the ball, and where they were going with it. While they looked away, Chase scored a touchdown.
I sighed. I shouldn't, the timing was terrible, the situation was worse, insurmountable, but I felt what I felt.
In spite of everything, I'd fallen in love with Chase McKinney.