Page 57 of Smokey's Distraction
Ashley pressed her lips together and met his gaze. “I don’t want to be another notch on your work belt.”
“I told you I don’t fuck my employees.” He held up his hand just as she started to reply. “And you’re just doing a gig for my company, so you’re still Zach’s employee.”
“So if Ivy, Georgia, Sabrina, or Katrina were just doing a gig, you’d be all over them?”
Scrubbing his face with his hand, he shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t be. I’m not interested in them.” The muscle in his jaw tightened as he looked away, then back again. “I’m not like you’re dad. That’s the real problem with you—you think I spend all my time chasing tail. I bet you think every guy’s a cheater.”
Winding the end of her ponytail around her fingers, she tugged on it lightly and released it. She stepped back and folded her arms across her chest.
“How many serious relationships have you had?”
He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “None.”
“I didn’t think so.” Lifting her chin, she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder.
“Don’t be so fuckin’ smug about what youthinkyou know about me. When was your last relationship?”
“I’m trying to make partner, okay?”
He rocked back on his heels. “That isn’t what I asked. But I’m guessing the answer is either a long time ago or never.”
She fought against her anger, pissed that he could see right through her. But most of all, she was mad for revealing too much about herself to him. The anger she carried inside had been boiling beneath the surface for a long time.How could I have let my defenses down?
“I have to go.” She turned away and walked toward her bicycle.
“You can keep running, or you can face your demons head-on. I bet you got a few more you didn’t share with me.”
After attaching the backpack to her bike, she looked over her shoulder at him. “I’ll see you at the office on Monday, and we’ll discuss the marketing campaign.”
“Fuck, Ashley, you’re so tightly wound. You need to relax.”
“I’m fine.We” –she whirled around and waved her hand between them—“aren’t going to happen. The sooner you get that, the sooner I can finish up this project and get back home.”
“No worries, baby—I got it. Just make sure you don’t have a meltdown before I get my money’s worth.”
“Ialwaysdeliver. And stop worrying about me—it’s annoying as hell.” She jumped on her bicycle and took off down the road.
Twenty minutes later, the rumble of Smokey’s motorcycle filled the air just as she turned into the Visitor Center’s parking lot, where she caught a glimpse of his hard profile as he sped past.
Putting her bike on the rack, she sat down in the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel, and swallowed hard against the bile that rose in her throat.That’s what I wanted—to have him treat me like everyone else.
Then why did she feel hurt and slighted that he’d ignored her when he rode by?
A frustrated sigh pushed past her lips.Enough already! I have to get my life back on track.
Ashley pulled out of the lot and glanced at the time. She wanted to make it back to the house before the handyman and his weird sidekick left.
And more than anything else, I have to stop thinking about Smokey.Mr. Sexy was too much of a distraction. She had to distance herself emotionally from him, and she had to stop kissing him. Period.
Easier said than done.
Ashley rolled down the window, cranked up the radio, hit the gas, and headed back to town.
10
Bud’s Grillwas a Pinewood Springs landmark that drew in locals and tourists alike. Located just south of downtown, the iconic restaurant dated back to the late 1940s, when burgers were slung from behind the counter for fifteen cents apiece. Since its inception, the family-owned eatery had served the same menu for generations: hand-crafted burgers, fresh, hand-cut fries, and milkshakes—hand-dipped, and individually whipped the old-fashion way. With its ancient sign propped up on a slightly lopsided roof, Bud’s Grill was a Pinewood Springs institution. A few tables with brightly-colored umbrellas dotted the front and sides of the eatery, and the interior had the wood-paneled, comfortable vibe of a much visited spot.
“This burger is amazing,” Nicole said before taking another bite.
