17. All Roads Lead to Her
Chapter 17
All Roads Lead to Her
Ash
S omeone is not in a good mood.
I wait for a beat, assuming Mina will spill some additional details about her boss’s whereabouts, but she remains silent, her eyes narrowed in aggravation.
“Do you know where she is?”
Mina shrugs. “Yes.”
Okay, I’m done with this schoolyard game.
“Mina, where the hell is Ori?”
She rubs her brow, releasing a noisy sigh. “She went home.”
Now we’re getting somewhere. “Perfect. How about you give me her address and I’ll get out of your way. I’m sure you’re beat after the festival today.”
Yes, I throw in the last bit for effect, because I’ve never seen Mina so hostile toward me and I know I have done nothing to provoke her.
“She’s not going to that party, so you might as well head over there alone. Not that you’ll stay that way for long.” Mina mutters the last sentence through gritted teeth, and it hits me I’m in the doghouse.
For what, I’m not entirely sure.
But I’m getting a bit tired of Mina serving as a sentry to her boss.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I clear my throat and swallow back the biting comment on the tip of my tongue. “What the hell am I missing here?”
Mina pulls the door open and waves me inside. I trail her to the front counter, where she pulls out her phone and dials a number. “Ori? Ash would like to speak with you. Hang on.”
Then she thrusts the phone in my direction before walking to the back of the store.
“Thank you,” I call after her, a low chuckle rising from my chest. Seems Mina needs a drink more than I do. “Hey, Ori.”
“Hey yourself.”
Damn, I love this woman’s voice—the way it wraps around every syllable, leaving a cloud of sparks, just like her tongue left sparks on my skin. “About this party tonight?—”
But Ori doesn’t let me finish my statement. “Yeah, after thinking it over, I decided against going. But have a great time. Thanks for asking me to tag along.”
Her words, by themselves, are innocuous, but it’s the tone that puts me on edge—sharp and to the point, as that honeyed whisper quickly morphs into a serrated knife.
Determined to lighten the mood, I laugh. “Did you find something better to do?”
“Yes.”
That one word, that single syllable dismissing our plans, sends my temper into the danger zone .
“I thought we were hanging out tonight,” I reply, desperate to wrangle my anger.
“I changed my mind.”
What the hell? I pace the area near the counter, my steps falling heavy against the floor. “Were you planning on telling me this or just standing me up?”
“It’s not like you asked me on a date, Ash. You and your friends will party until the wee hours of the morning. Sorry I don’t find that appealing. Besides, you really think you’d have a good time if you were stuck entertaining me all evening instead of … hanging out with them?”
“Didn’t answer my question.” Not that it matters. She’s given me the blow-off. I should let it lie and walk away, knowing Ori and I are a terrible idea.
But I can’t do that. Not yet anyway.
Because I was in that closet with her, and I felt her heart racing as I held her close. Tasted the desire on her skin as my mouth claimed her.
You can’t fake that. And we both felt it.
I can’t be wrong again. Not about this.
That thought careens my brain back to Lucille once more, and the way she played me for a fool. The way she walked away without bothering to ask if I could survive without her.
Most days, those memories remain safely under lock and key, but Ori’s sudden one-eighty has brought them all to the forefront—along with a bevy of emotions I swore I’d never endure again.
Ori’s voice cuts into my thoughts, only a tinge softer than before. “I’m not sure what question you think I’m avoiding. ”
“If you’re not spending time with me, what are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing special.”
Oh, this conversation is swiftly moving from bad to worse.
“You’re skipping out on hanging out with me to do nothing special? That’s pretty messed up, no?”
Ori sighs into the phone. “That’s not how I meant it. I’m exhausted and I would be a terrible addition to a party. Trust me, you’ll have much more fun without me.”
This keeps getting better and better.
Now, she’s covering her tracks in a desperate attempt to soften the blow. But I learned ten years ago to leave any place—or person—where I’m not wanted, and it’s apparent Oriana Thorne just joined that list.
Proof positive that falling for someone, in any capacity, is a horrible idea.
And now, my ego is the only thing I’m concerned with saving. “Trust me, I will have fun. Don’t you worry about that. It will be a night to remember.”
Do I sound like a pompous asshole? Absolutely, but I have every right. The woman I was planning to blow everyone else off for just blew me off—to do nothing special.
I rate below nothing special on her scale and I’m going to make damn sure she never rates on any scale of mine again.
Damn it, I hate this feeling. I swore I’d never come back here and now, here I stand, neck deep in it. Questioning what I said or did, or didn’t say or do, that turned Ori from my late-night dessert into a desert of feelings.
Screw this shit .
I’m moving on, starting now.
With a grunt, I toss Mina’s phone onto the counter and storm from the shop. Time for some liquid amber to soothe my frazzled nerves and pride, and I know just where Ori stashed that bottle of single malt.
Sue me, now I really need a drink. I’ll buy the woman a fresh bottle.
My boots echo against the basement stairs as I beeline for the whiskey. Then I take a swig and settle on the edge of the couch, my eyes perusing the dingy interior.
Hard to believe in a few months, this place will morph into my decades long dream—a little slice of the glitzy ’20s right here in Sparkwood.
I should be thrilled, right? This is what I’ve always wanted and here it is, within reach.
But everything is different now, ever since that fateful night with Ori.
A night she doesn’t care to remember and one I can’t seem to forget.
What the hell happened? Is she that mad about Raven’s comment? Enough to send me packing, too? It’s not like Raven called Ori a hideous toad. Besides, Ori is a smart woman. Damn smart. There’s no way she looks in a mirror and sees anything but a petite beauty staring back at her.
And if she hadn’t blown me off, I would have spent the night reassuring her of just how fucking desirable she is.
But she has nothing special to do, and that was more appealing than time with me.
A quick glance at my phone tells me the party is rocking and rolling at the hotel. I can hop on my hog and be there in thirty minutes. Within the hour, I can be balls deep in Raven, as we create our own porn drama .
The woman is the stuff of legends and let’s be honest, I have a similar reputation for providing pleasure.
Another sip of whiskey slides down my throat as my foot taps against the floor in an erratic beat.
I’ve earned a damn party and a happy ending. Raven wants to give me both with no strings attached. No promises of dinner and commitment the next morning.
It’s perfect. Surface level pleasure.
Because who needs Oriana Thorne’s company, right?
Not me.
Still …
“Fuck,” I groan, tugging a hand through my hair.
Home. Party. Home. Party.
Guaranteed sex or guaranteed sleepless night.
How is this even a question circling my brain?
“Oriana, you really are a damn siren.”
I take a final swallow from the bottle before tucking it back on the shelf. Time to get out of here.
My foot is on the first step when the door from the hallway yanks open, sending a shaft of light streaming into the basement.
Mina stands at the top of the stairs, arms crossed over her chest, that same belligerent expression coloring her features.
Seriously, woman, I am not in the mood.
“What’s up, Mina?”
“A woman is here, looking for you. She was banging on the door to Black Lotus as I was leaving. Said she needs to speak with you immediately.”
“Wonderful,” I mutter. “Did you get her name?”
“My name is Jade, and you’d better not claim to be too busy for me.” My cousin steps from the shadows wearing a wide grin.
“Jade, what the hell are you doing here?” I ask, rushing up the stairs to enfold her into a bear hug. “It’s been forever.”
“Tell me about it,” Jade giggles, pressing a noisy kiss to my cheek.
I pivot and catch sight of Mina, who is now glaring holes into me. “Mina, this is Jade—my cousin.”
The fury brewing on Mina’s face slides away, replaced by a genuine smile. “Oh, I thought you were?—”
“One of his many women?” Jade jokes as she shakes Mina’s hand. “No, although I fought quite a few of them off back in the day.”
“Nice to meet you.” Mina turns her attention to me, the smile wavering. “I have something for you.”
“Okay.” This should be interesting. “Jade, give me a second? I’ll be right back.”
I follow Mina into One More Page, wondering if I’m about to receive a second earful on my life choices.
Let me tell you, I’m a patient man, but after tonight, it’s wearing damn thin. And being cajoled by a twenty-five-year-old might be the tipping point.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Ori just called.”
Did she now?
I lock my arms across my chest and cock a brow at the tall blonde. It’s my standard, ‘this had better be good’ stance. “And?”
Mina grabs a book from the shelf and holds it out toward me. “She was researching books about speakeasies and found one she thought was perfect. It was a special order, and it arrived yesterday. She wanted you to have it.”
I take the book from her outstretched hand, noting the colorful tabs littering random pages. “What’s all this?”
Mina shrugs. “Ori went through it and tabbed the areas she thought might interest you. Certain styles and interiors she liked, and thought would be a good fit for your bar.”
Talk about an unexpected—and contradictory—development. She wants to help me, but she doesn’t want to be around me.
It doesn’t make any damn sense.
“Did Ori read the book already?”
“Yeah. That’s how she spent last night—curled up in bed with your book. Then again, isn’t that typical of a librarian type?”
A whispered curse flies from my mouth. Now we’re getting somewhere. I surmised Ori was angry about Raven’s statement, but I didn’t think she took it that hard.
One thing Oriana seems to possess in spades is gumption and a healthy self-confidence, which flies in the face of Mina’s intimation.
I meet Mina’s sky-colored gaze, noting the anger bubbling in their depths. Have to love how much she defends and protects her friend.
Come to think of it, I’m damn protective of Ori, too. Even if that’s the last thing Mina believes.
Running a hand over my brow, I heave out a sigh. “Your boss is a gorgeous woman.”
“Absolutely.”
“Raven’s comment wasn’t meant to insult her. Hell, she thinks Ori is hot as hell. We both do.”
“Come on, don’t play dumb. You and I both know your friend meant it as an insult. More importantly, Ori knows that, too.”
I reach out and grasp Mina’s sleeve. “Hey, I’ll talk to Ori and get this all straightened out.”
“Does it matter?” Mina shoves her hat on her head before tugging her keys from her pocket. “You got what you wanted.”
And once again, my back is up. “What does that mean?”
Mina turns and releases a noisy breath. “The speakeasy, Ash. The reason behind all of this .”
All of what? And then it dawns on me.
“Hey, Ash, are you about done?” Jade breaks into my conversation, her head peeking through the bookstore door.
“You’d better go. Besides, I’m tired and want to go home,” Mina replies, walking toward the exit.
But I need Mina to understand that the speakeasy, although the catalyst in my situation with Ori, is not the reason I’m still hanging around.
I need her to know … actually, I have no idea what to tell her because I don’t know what I’m feeling, and let’s be honest, I need to have this chat with Ori, not her employee.
Mina locks the door to One More Page before brushing past me down the shared hallway, her steps graceful even in clunky winter boots.
“Mina,” I call to her, waiting until she pauses at the exterior door. “That’s not why.”
“You sure about that? Goodnight, Ash.”
Scrubbing my face with my hand, I release an aggravated huff as the door falls closed and Mina heads toward her car .
At least now I’m getting to the crux of the issue, the real reason behind Ori’s icy facade.
She thinks I used her. Fucked her to get her on board with the speakeasy.
It’s a given that women think differently about sex than men. Most men would be fine with a gorgeous woman using them for a good time. Hell, I know I’m fine with the concept.
Or I am with most women.
But then there’s Ori, and it’s more than how amazing she is in bed and how perfect her body feels next to mine.
When she blew me off tonight, the first emotion I felt was jealousy, that another guy somewhere was getting what belonged to me. Standard emotion, with one caveat: I don’t get jealous.
It’s not that I think I’m so great or irreplaceable. Trust me, I’ve had my ego knocked down enough times to know that’s a crock of shit. And I guarantee there were a plethora of women in my past who used me for a myriad of reasons: payback, revenge, reassurance they were desirable—the list goes on and on.
But I didn’t care either way. Whether I saw them the next day or never again, it didn’t matter.
Until Ori.
I need to stay away from her. That’s the safest route. Return to my previous life and move ahead as scheduled.
I have a choice to make—let things lie as they are and allow Ori to believe what she wants about me and our night together or patch things up, thereby entering unknown territory with a woman for the first time in a decade.
Both ideas scare the shit out of me.
“Ash? ”
Jade’s voice cuts into my internal monologue, and I shoot her a rueful smile. “Sorry. Got a lot on my mind.”
“So I heard. You’re opening the speakeasy. That’s amazing. I can’t wait to see it.”
“You’re on the VIP list.”
She laughs. “I damn well better be. Don’t make me call your folks and pull the family card.”
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
Jade motions toward the parking lot. “I was out with a friend, and we got into an argument, so I bailed. But since he drove, I was without wheels. Can you give me a lift?”
“Do I need to kick someone’s ass?”
“Not unless you want to kick mine.” She shrugs and sighs. “I was a bit of a bitch, and I’ll apologize to him tomorrow. Tonight, I’d like to forget about it and walking three miles while freezing my ass off isn’t the way to accomplish that feat.”
“Can’t imagine it would be therapeutic for your mood.” Lifting the book, I gesture toward Black Lotus. “Let me put this inside and grab the spare helmet.”
“What’s that? A gift from one of your adoring fans?”
Dear cousin, if you only knew.
An embarrassed chuckle escapes my lips as I run a hand over my beard. “Not exactly. It’s from Ori. She owns the bookstore. It’s all about the Roaring '20s and speakeasy culture.”
“She tabbed sections for you, too?” Jade shoots me a knowing grin. “Someone has a crush. How very odd for you.”
An hour ago, I would have agreed with my cousin, but now I realize I’m probably deeper into feelings than Ori at this point .
And that is not a place I enjoy being.
I brush off her comment and duck into Black Lotus to grab the helmet. I pause by my office but decide against leaving the book. For some dumb reason, I want to keep it with me, thumb through the noted pages, and see the world through Ori’s eyes.
When I stroll back out, Jade chuckles and points to the book before putting the helmet on her head. “Change your mind?”
“I’m taking it home.” After stowing it safely in my saddlebag, I hop on the bike and glance at my cousin, still standing on the sidewalk.
But she’s not budging, and neither is her Cheshire Cat grin, visible even through the helmet.
“What?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
“Looks like someone does have a crush, and that someone is you .”
“Get on or I’m letting your happy ass walk home.”
Jade settles behind me, clasping her arms about my waist. “Deny it all you want, but I’ve known you since you were in diapers. I know all of Asher Hammond’s deep, dark secrets.”
“Are you done busting my balls?”
“Almost. One last thing. I want to meet Ori.”
I turn slightly, a perplexed look on my face. “Why?”
“Because she’s got you twisted up in knots, and I never thought I’d see that happen. I want to hug the woman for breaking the impenetrable wall around your heart.”
“It’s not like that with her,” I argue, although I’m not entirely sure what it is anymore.
“Oh yes, it is. It’s exactly like that, but I’d fix whatever you messed up before she slips through your fingers. ”
“For your information, an adult film star invited me to a private party tonight. One of the biggest stars in the business.”
My piss poor attempt to throw my cousin off my scent is futile.
“Thanks for proving my point,” she laughs.
“How did I do that?”
“The world’s biggest porn star invites you to a party and you’re going home to bed alone. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, starting the bike and easing onto the street.
But the truth is, I can’t deny Jade’s claim.
And I’m not sure that I want to.