Page 6 of Ash
ChapterFour
Lainey
“And then he said he was crazy about me and…” I frowned as I caught sight of my friend’s reflection in the mirror. She was doing her best to hide it, but her lips twitched at the corners. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because he finally told you, that’s why?” Laura didn’t even turn around as she swiped the pink gloss across her lips. “No one thought he would ever admit it aloud.”
In shock, I stared at her back. “How can he be crazy about me? He doesn’t know me. we have barely said three words to each other …” I wilted under the stare she was throwing my way in the mirror. Laura had become a good friend to me over the last few months, although we had worked with each other for years. Never in all of that time had she looked at me like she was.
“And whose fault is that Lainey? You never gave him the time of day before although,” her eyes crinkled in the corners. “I might have suggested a conversation first instead of wiggling around on his lap for twenty minutes and then going to his room when he’s changing.”
My mouth opened and snapped shut again. When she said it like that I could understand why he might have gotten the wrong idea but it was still preposterous to think that big hunky Ash had any sort of crush on me. “I didn’t wiggle around on his lap.” I pouted.
“Sure, you didn’t.” Laura rolled her eyes. “No one noticed the sudden sexual energy at all.”
“If there was sexual tension it was because of you and Oz.” I countered. “Can you guys keep your hands off each other for more than an hour?”
Finally, she turned towards me, and her lips curved up into a full toothy smile. “God, I hope not.” Her eyebrow wiggled suggestively, and I found myself smiling along with her. In all the years I had known her, I had never seen her grin as much as she had done since meeting Oz. He made her happy. and that was a good thing.
I wasn’t jealous at all.
Like she could read my thoughts, Laura leant forward. “Ash won’t be able to keep his hands off of you either. If you just give him a chance. You will see.”
I spluttered. “Ash? I don’t want a relationship with Ash.”
My friend's face fell. “Oh well, maybe you two can just fool around a little and see how it goes…”
“No.” I cut her off quickly. “Not going to happen. I can’t even think about relationships and dating right now. My head is all over the place and … Laura will you stop smirking at me like that. I don’t like Ash or any of your fellas’ friends like that. So, stop trying to set me up with them.” I huffed loudly.
“Ok.” She held her hands out in surrender, palm outward. “My mistake, I just thought you might be interested in him. what with watching him undress and stiff?” The smirk was back tugging on her glossy lips, and I frowned. “Now what were you telling me, what did he say after you know the crazy about you bit.” There was a knowing glint in her eye, and I had a sneaky suspicion she already knew what had been said. Maybe Ash had told Oz and he had passed it on. Although it did seem very quick for gossip like that to go around.
I took a deep breath trying to settle the butterflies that had suddenly taken flight in my stomach for no reason what’s so ever. I couldn’t understand my sudden nervousness. There was no need for me to be. Same as there was no need me for to lower my voice because it was just me and Sarah in the room. But I lowered it anyway.
“He said he wouldn’t kiss me because I wasn’t there yet,” I whispered and Sarah leaned in close so she could hear me. her eyes widened in shock, but the smile was still on her face, “And stop smiling. It's not a smiling matter. It’s….”
A noise from out in the hallway caught my attention. Not the sound of heavy booted feet, it was quieter than that. The door banged open, and Oz appeared. Looking larger than life and as handsome as a movie star. He didn’t look around to find his woman. His eyes landed on her straight away, almost like he had known exactly where she would be standing.
Ash was behind him and the nerves I had been feeling only seconds ago suddenly made sense. I had been nervous because he was outside. I didn’t know how I had known he was, but I had. It was kind of unnerving how in tune with him I was. and what was even scarier was the fact I was pretty sure he knew it. Leaning against the door jamb with his arms crossed over his chest, he let his megawatt smile wash over me.
The sound of Oz and Sarah kissing like horny teenagers faded into the background. There was nothing but Ash’s smile. It washed over me, as tender and erotic as if he was running his fingertips over my skin.
What would it be like to have his hands on my body for real? I already knew he would be…. I shook the thoughts away as Ash’s smile grew. It was knowing. From behind me, Oz made a choking sound that he tried to hide in a cough. I whirled around, my face a mask of embarrassment. My thoughts had been private, and a little R-rated but it felt like they both knew what I had been thinking.
“Come on mate. Time, I had you to myself for a while.” Oz chuckled. Ignoring her squeals of protest, he lifted her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing at all. I couldn’t help but watch them go, silently pleading with Sarah to come back. To not leave me alone with Ash.
“Mate?” I parroted back as they disappeared down the corridor. I had heard that term used amongst them before. They threw it around like it meant something important. “Did Oz just call his girlfriend mate, like she’s one of the boys?” I asked when I couldn’t take Ash’s silence any longer.
“It means a lot more than that.” Slowly he lifted himself to his full height and I was floored again by how tall and well-built he was. I wasn’t a small girl, but he made me feel tiny. “But we should go and join the others Kings cooked up a storm I can smell it from here.”
I frowned. Smell it? All I could smell was him and the lingering flowery scent of Sarah’s perfume. I sniffed again, louder this time. “I must be getting a cold or something because I can’t smell anything at all. But I could eat….”
“Well then, allow me to escort you down to the best ever cookout you have ever gone to… King is the master of meat.” Ash offered me his arm with a wink, and I laughed before I could help myself. Whether he meant his words to sound dirty or not I didn’t know but he laughed right along with me. Right until the moment I took his arm.
“You must have a really good sense of smell,” I said to change the subject.
Ash nodded. “Yeah, my senses are pretty sharp. I can smell a lot right now…” His eyes flashed as he looked down into my face. “The food, your shampoo, your arousal.”
I swallowed hard. My arousal? Had he just said that? Was that even possible? Could men smell when a woman was aroused and horny around them? God, I hoped not.
Ash chuckled breaking the spell and I let out a sigh of relief. He had been joking, of course, he had been joking. Only a fool would have taken him seriously.
“It’s a good job, we are friends Ash.” I squeezed his forearm a little. “We are mates, aren’t we?”
Something darkened his eyes as he nodded. “Oh, we are mates alright Lainey.”
