Loving Ashley Read online

  “Come on, baby, let’s go back to my place. I miss you.”

  Amanda and I have hooked up a couple of times but she doesn’t get that I prefer not to date or be attached to anyone. I like to play the field, but one day, when I meet the one, I will settle down then…maybe.

  “Not tonight, I’m tired and have stuff to do tomorrow.”

  “Come on, it will be quick,” she whines.

  “I said no, Amanda. Go home.”

  “Ugh fine, whatever,” she says, stomping off.

  Turning, I glare at Thomas, who is laughing at my misfortune. Flipping him off, I hop in and drive off.

  *

  I pull the covers over my eyes as the morning sun glares through my window. I really need to get blackout curtains. Working late into the night, I tend to sleep in the next day. We normally don’t get home until three thirty or four in the morning. Glancing at the clock, it reads nine a.m. Lying in bed as I slowly wake up, I scroll through the messages I didn’t check last night after I got off. There are a couple from Amanda, begging me to come over, even after I told her no. I don’t think she gets it, it’s time to cut ties with her.

  By the time I am up and moving, Thomas is in the living room, watching ESPN. Grabbing a cup of coffee, I sit down beside him.

  “What’s up, bro, you’re up early,” I say, taking a sip.

  “I know, couldn’t really sleep and want to get stuff done before we head back to the bar. What are your plans today?”

  “I’m going to head to the gym, then need to make sure we have enough liquor for tonight. I expect a bigger crowd with it being Saturday.”

  Once I finish eating and getting ready, I head out to the gym up the street. It’s only a mile away so I decide to run there. When I reach the gym, I’m surprised the place is mostly empty. Since I already did my cardio, I jump right into the free weights. While mid-workout, I see the one girl who takes my breath away. She’s going hard on the treadmill, so I don’t bother her. I continue to do my reps while watching her out of the corner of my eye.

  The short running shorts she has on, however, is making it difficult to concentrate on my workout. Deciding I should go talk to her, I make my way over there. As I approach, her eyes meet mine and she looks stunned. She slows down and pulls out her ear buds.

  “Hello, Ashley.”

  “H—Hi, Taylor.” She sounds flustered.

  “How are you?” I ask while trying to keep my eyes on her head and not travel down her body. But the best of me wins. My eyes travel down her body slowly; the perspiration on her tanned skin glistening in the light. Her firm breasts are pushed high in the tank top she’s wearing. Her legs are to die for; I can only imagine what they would feel like wrapped around me.

  “Good and you?” she says, bringing me back to now.

  “I’m good.”

  She moves off the treadmill and begins to wipe it down. Holy hell, she only comes up to my chest. I bet she would be fun in the bedroom. Knowing I need to make my move before she walks away since I don’t know when I’ll see her again.

  “Do you want to go out sometime?” I ask. Rarely do I ever have to ask girls to go out with me. They normally just throw themselves at me. But sometimes, that gets boring.

  “Nope, sorry, not interested,” she says, walking past me.

  “What? Why?” Finding it hard to believe that she told me no. That never happens anymore.

  “I saw the way all those women were hanging on you last night. You’re a player, and I don’t have time for that. Nice talking with you, Taylor, but I must go,” she says, walking away.

  I just stand there in silence; I have never been turned down. As much as it sucks, it also makes me want her even more. Watching her walk away is even better because her ass is fantastic. I can feel myself starting to get excited. Before I make a scene in front of everyone, I decide it’s time to go home.

  By the time I make it back to my place, Thomas is gone. I make quick work of my clothes and jump in the shower. I am still worked up from seeing Ashley in the gym. Needing to relieve myself, my hand finds my shaft. I begin slowly stroking the hard length up and down. Closing my eyes, I picture Ashley in front of me on her knees. I begin to stroke faster to the thought of her full pink lips wrapped around my shaft. Taking me deep in her throat. The tingle begins to form in my lower back. Knowing I am close, I brace my other arm on the wall and let go.

  To be honest, I haven’t jacked off in a long while. I normally just find a willing female to help take care of my needs. Maybe that’s what I need to do to get her out of my mind.

  As I get dressed for work, I resolve to do just that.

  Chapter Three

  ASHLEY

  These past couple weeks of summer vacation have been pure bliss, but to be honest, I’m getting bored. I’ve never been the type of person to just sit around all day; I’ve even contemplated getting a part-time job. We leave in a week for our trip to the Bahamas, and I’m ready to lie in the sand, drink, and relax. There is something about paradise that brings a sense of calm.

  I have let Nancy talk me into going back to Big T’s Tavern tonight. I have tried to avoid going there because of Taylor. He brings out feelings in me that I am not comfortable with. I have seen him a couple of times at the gym. We just say hi and that’s it. He hasn’t tried to ask me out again. I finally told Nancy about him, she says I’m stupid for not going out with him, but I don’t need another player in my life. Been there, don’t that. No, thank you.

  I told her that I would just meet her there, since I don’t plan on drinking too much. I have to finish my shopping tomorrow for our trip and I would rather not do that hung over. Grabbing my knee-high black boots, I sit down on the bed and zip them up. I have on a black, one-shoulder shirt with my dark skinny jeans and a light jacket.

  Grabbing my clutch and phone, I head out. Making my way inside, I spot Nancy, Jake, and Chance in the corner. Great, that’s just who I wanted to deal with tonight. Let’s hope Jake can keep his hands to himself.

  “Looking hot, Ash,” Nancy says while giving me a hug.

  “Thanks, you too. Who are you trying to impress?” I joke around with her.

  She doesn’t answer but I see her glance out of the corner of her eye. Following the direction, I see Thomas talking to a bartender. I keep scanning the surroundings, not looking for anyone in particular, or that’s just what I keep telling myself. And there he is, looking damn fine with yet another woman next to him. As if he can feel my eyes on him, he slowly lifts his head and our eyes meet. He looks surprised to see me here. I look down at the lady next to him, when I return my gaze to his, he just shrugs with a grin on his face. Rolling my eyes, I turn my attention back to the table.

  I am just finishing my second and last drink when Jake walks up and wraps his arms around me.

  “Come on, baby, let’s go dance.” I can smell the alcohol coming off Jake’s breath. It makes me want to gag. His hands begin to roam and become a little too friendly; he’s done this on many occasions since we met.

  “No, Jake. Go find someone else,” I say, turning around to face him.

  “Stop turning me down, you know you want this, plus it’s our last night here before Chance and I move away,” he says, advancing on me.

  Stepping back so he can’t get close, I hit what feels like a brick wall.

  “Is there a problem here?” Taylor asks. Oh great, this night couldn’t get any worse. When he places his hand on my bare shoulder, it feels like it’s on fire. Taylor and Jake stare at each other like it’s a pissing contest. I won’t stand for it. That’s my cue, I need to go home.

  “Nope, I’m just leaving.” I step out of his hold and make my way toward the door. I look for Nancy and signal for her to call me tomorrow. No matter how many times I tell Jake no, he never listens, he would have hit on me all night. And what the hell was with Taylor coming up to me?

  Realizing I forgot my jacket at the bar once I’m back home, I text Nancy.

  Me: I left
my jacket. Will you grab it and bring it to me tomorrow?

  Nancy: Sure.

  I go to my room and change into some boxers and an old T-shirt. Not even twenty minutes later there is a knock on my door. Who the hell is that? I told her to bring it tomorrow, not tonight. Looking out the peephole, I see Taylor standing there. Fuck! What the hell is he doing here? I glance down at my clothes, oh well, too late to change now.

  “Hello, Taylor,” I say after opening the door. “What are you doing here and how do you know where I live?” I ask while letting him in. I shouldn’t be letting him in but too late now. He looks around at the surroundings before bringing his eyes to me.

  “You left your ID in the pocket and I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” His gaze travels down my body and back up slowly. I almost feel naked in front of him.

  “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” Taking my jacket from him, I place it in the closet then make my way around him to go sit on the couch but he grabs my upper arm and pulls me in front of him. I stare at his chest, refusing to look into his eyes.

  “Because of that guy. You looked pissed off when you left,” he says while he lifts my chin so he can get a good look at me.

  “Oh, Jake. I can handle him. He doesn’t bother me.”

  We stand there just staring at each other, waiting for someone to talk. His eyes are saying so much—hunger, desire, and if I’m not mistaken, something else. He slowly lowers his head and his lips brush mine. Once then twice, testing my limits. When I don’t pull away, he molds his mouth to mine, licking my lips to request access for his tongue. I know this is wrong, but I’ll allow it just this one time. Because his lips on mine sends me into overdrive. He runs his hands down my back, and when he reaches my ass he pulls me firmly against him. I have to stand on my tiptoes just to be able to reach his head so I can run my hands through his dark, thick, silky locks.

  I fell his hard length pressed into my belly as my panties become wet. Knowing this is wrong, I push away from him. It takes us a minute to catch our breaths, because his kiss just rocked my world. I hate it, yet I love it.

  “We can’t do this,” I say.

  “Why?” He looks stunned.

  “Because you’re a player, and I’m not interested.” Okay, maybe I am just a little, but I won’t tell him that.

  “That’s a lie,” he says, moving closer to me. “Don’t tell me that if I didn’t stick my hand down your shorts you wouldn’t be wet. You might say you don’t want me, but your body sure does. I’ll give you time for them to get in sync, but don’t take long.” He places a kiss on my forehead and walks out my door.

  What the fuck was that? I stand in the kitchen for another five minutes before I lock up and head to bed.

  *

  I awake to my phone ringing on the stand next me to. Without pulling the covers down, I reach for the phone and bring it to my ear.

  “Hello,” I mumble.

  “I’m at the door, open up,” Nancy yells into my ear.

  I feel like I just went to sleep…what little sleep I got. All night I tossed and turned as Taylor crossed my mind.

  I open the door for her and she hands me a coffee. Oh, my lifesaver.

  “You look like hell,” she says, going into the kitchen.

  “Thanks, I slept like shit.”

  “I know Taylor brought your jacket over. Did you finally give into the sexy beast and go a couple rounds with him?” She can’t stop smiling over there. It makes me want to get up and knock that grin off her face.

  I begin to tell her everything that happened last night. “I don’t know, Nance; he brings these feelings out in me that I gave up on. He sets my body on fire. I just can’t explain it. But he’s a player; I don’t want to have to compete with all these other girls. I’m past that.”

  She sits there for a couple of minutes before she speaks. “Wow, if that were me, I would be finding out more as to why he makes me feel that way. Nobody says you have to jump into a relationship with him, but you could test the waters. Maybe he’s not the guy you think he is. Okay, yes, so he plays the field, but what good-looking guy doesn’t, Ash?”

  “I’m going to jump in the shower and get ready,” I say, blocking out the question.

  I know what she said is right. I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s obvious he isn’t looking for attention. Maybe I’m just a game to him because I told him no. Right now, I just want to focus on our trip next week and shopping for it.

  Chapter Four

  TAYLOR

  As I run back to my house from my workout, my mind is on that kiss I shared with Ashley the other night. It still pisses me off that she doesn’t give me the time of day. All she sees me as is the player. There is just something about her I can’t put my finger on. When she told me she didn’t want it, I knew it was a lie. I felt the way her body trembled in my arms from just one kiss. One kiss was all it took to shatter my world. One kiss was all it took to change it.

  I tried so hard to get her out of my system. I slept with girls that looked nothing like her, but yet when I was mid-fuck my thoughts drifted to her. I felt like such a dick for thinking of her while fucking someone else. That’s why I gave up all hope on getting her out of my system. Now I need to figure out what to do.

  Thomas is sitting on the couch when I walk in. We are supposed to be going over resumes and finding a new bartender. Grabbing a bottle of water, I take a seat next to him, picking up some papers.

  “So I was talking with Nancy the other night after you left. She said that Ashley might be looking for a part-time job. What if we hire her?”

  My arm that was bringing my water to my lips, stop midair. Did I hear him correctly? Hire Ashley? Could I work that close to her and not touch her?

  “Umm, I guess it wouldn’t hurt. We can do a trial run and see if she likes it.” I haven’t even told my own brother how much she has me up in knots.

  “Awesome, here’s her number. Give her a call,” he says, throwing me a piece of paper. I should have questioned him on how he has her number or even Nancy’s.

  Making my way to my room, I jump in the shower. I have to really think about hiring her. My brother seems dead set on the idea and he owns half the bar, so I’ll see how this goes. Grabbing her number and my phone, I sit on my bed and send her text.

  Me: So, I hear you want a job.

  Ashley: Who is this?

  Me: Taylor.

  Not even two seconds later, my phone is ringing, with her name on the screen.

  “Hello, Ashley.”

  “How did you get my number?”

  Wow, she sounds pissed.

  “Nancy gave it to Thomas, she said that you were looking for a part-time job. What was it you do anyway?”

  “Did she now? Well, I’m a teacher during the school months but during the summer it gets boring. So yes, I am looking for something, but just until school is back in session. So it will only be like a month.”

  “That’s fine, the job is yours if you want it.”

  “I’ll think about,” she says, hanging up the phone.

  Well, that was interesting. I would have never guessed her to be a teacher, but that’s hot if I have a say in it. Tonight would be good for us both to test this out since Fridays are decently busy. Glancing at the clock, I see I need to get to the bar and order the alcohol, but not before sending her another text.

  Me: If you want to try it out, be there tonight at seven. Uniform provided.

  Our ladies wear a short black dress that has the company’s logo on it. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see her in that dress. Heading out the door, I tell Thomas that she might take it. The ball is in her court now.

  I just got everything ordered when the bell rings through the sound system. Unlocking the door, I find Ashley standing there when I open it.

  “Well, well, well, look who we have here,” I say, letting her in.

  “I’m still thinking about saying no.” She has a smirk on her face, so I know sh
e’s joking.

  Taking her to the room where the clothes are held, I hand her a small and point in the direction of the locker room. I head back out toward the main bar and finish setting everything up. Hearing heels clicking against the floor, I slowly turn to see her approaching me. And, fuck me, she looks like heaven. Her toned legs look even more amazing in skyscraper heels. I literally have to look away because I feel myself getting hard.

  I bring her behind the bar and teach her what she needs to know. She’s pretty good at making drinks.

  “Have you done this before?”

  “I did a little while in college but haven’t in years.”

  Gosh her voice is so soft and sweet. It’s hard to be this close to her and not touch her, so when the other ladies come in, I hand her off to them. I go back to my office and begin to do some paperwork while I wait for Thomas to come in.

  “Looks like she is working out,” Thomas says, coming into the office, scaring the shit out of me.

  “Yeah, I guess she did it in college for a little bit, so she felt comfortable. I left her with Terri tonight, working the main bar.”

  “She’s a hot little thing, that’s for sure.” I swear I see red when he says that. Makes me want to get up and smack him.

  “Don’t,” I say, pissed off. I know he can tell by my voice that I’m serious.

  I stay in the office most of the night, mainly because I don’t want to see all the guys hitting on her. Knowing she is out there flirting for tips is not sitting well with me. Maybe having her take this job wasn’t the best idea.

  Deciding I can’t handle the what-ifs anymore, I make my way to the lookout in the VIP lounge, and there she is. Standing behind the bar talking with costumers. Her beauty stands out over anybody in this building. She looks up, smiling at me while talking with someone. I see a guy at the bar reach out and grab her arm. Oh, fuck no. I run down the stairs two at a time and reach the bar within a minute.

  “Hands off the staff,” I say in a stern voice. The guy lets her arm go, throwing his hands up.

  “No harm, man.”