Page 18 of Work and Play
My eyes find Ashley, who sure enough is swaying in her seat, smiling at something Paige just said. She seems happy, and it looks like she’s been a part of our group for a lot longer than a few weeks.
“You good to get her home?” Ethan’s voice brings me back.
“Yeah. It’s fine,” I answer gruffly. Standing up, I chuck a few bills into the middle to cover my part of the tab, then make my way down to where Ashley is sitting.
“Come on, princess. Time to go.”
“Ooh, are you my chariot?” She looks up at me with those wide eyes, lined with something that gives her an extra layer of sexy tonight. Not that she needs it. I’d have to be blind not to be attracted to her physically. That’s the fucking problem. Without even trying, this woman gets under my skin.
“Sure. Whatever. Just don’t expect a white knight. Let’s go.”
I know I’m being a lot less charming than I normally am around women, or hell, around anyone. But I can’t let her get to me. I also can’t be that much of an ass, my mama would smack me if I was, so I hold her jacket out and help her get it on.
“Thank you,” she murmurs. We say goodbye to everyone else, and walk out to my car together. The night is cold, but thankfully dry. Ashley seems sober all of a sudden, as if the impact of us leaving the bar together isn’t lost on her, either. But then she stumbles in the parking lot and lets out a loud curse before clapping her hand over her mouth and giggling.
“Pretend that didn’t happen, okay, mister tall, dark, and scruffy?” she says in a sing-song voice before smacking her head with her hand again. “Oh my God. And that.”
“Mister tall, dark, and what?” I say, feeling a smile creep across my face as I reach a hand out to steady her. She’s adorable, stumbling around like a baby deer just learning to walk or something.
“Nothing. I said nothing.” She mimes zipping her mouth shut. “You heard nothing. Got it?”
Shaking my head, I decide to let it go. Not like I could let things go anywhere, even if flirtatious Ashley is proving to be almost more than I can handle. “Right. Nothing.”
We reach my car, and when I walk to the passenger side and open the door for her, Ashley stares at me for a second before smiling and placing her hands on her chest. “My hero.” She giggles as she climbs in, and I close my eyes in exasperation. She’s not making this easy. When I get in and turn the car on, her head lolls to the side so she’s facing me with a happy grin.
“You’re nothing like my ex, you know? He wouldn’t open doors for me.” She snorts indelicately. Apparently, drunk Ashley is a chatty Ashley. I shift in my seat and start to pull out of the parking spot, hoping she’ll stop oversharing.
No such luck.
“I guess I should have known he’d cheat on me.”
Wait. What?
“I just can’t believe he found another woman willing to fuck him. He suuucked in bed. Like seriously sucked, and not in the good way.” Ashley dissolves into giggles and rolls her head to face out the window. She’s quiet for a moment, and when she starts to talk again, the laughter is gone from her voice. Funny how I sort of miss it. “I always wanted a boyfriend who would open doors for me. Seems so simple, but it means so much. Thanks for giving me that experience at least once.”
I’m rendered speechless. Truly, where the fuck do I even start with the shitload of confessions she just dumped in my lap. Thankfully, she takes my silence as a cue to stop talking and the rest of the drive home is devoid of conversation. I probably shouldn’t feel so affected by what she told me, but the thought of some asshole cheating on her, hurting her, is enough to make me tighten my grip on the steering wheel to avoid touching her.
When we get back to the Airbnb, she climbs out on her own before I can even get around to open the door. Fine, I won’t try to be polite. But when she starts rummaging through her purse, searching for keys, I gently shift in front of her and unlock the door myself. We head down the short hall to the bedrooms in silence.
“Thanks for the ride,” she says quietly at her door.
“No problem. I can take you back to get your car tomorrow if you want.”
She looks up and shakes her head, then fuck me if she doesn’t bite her lip again. “That’s okay, I’ll walk. Something tells me the fresh air might be a good idea tomorrow.” A slight grimace covers her face just before she yawns widely. “Okay, I’m pooped. G’night, Finn.”
She opens her door, and like the obsessed moron I am, I stand there watching as she walks in, kicking off her heels in the process, and drops down face first onto her bed, letting out an adorable groan. “Thanks for the ride, Finn,” she mumbles into her blanket. Seconds later, faster than I would have expected, seeing as she’s fully dressed, quiet snores reach my ears. If I hadn’t seen her whole body relax into the bed, I’d wonder if she’s faking it. But I’m pretty sure she isn’t, so I give in to temptation and watch her for a second, imagining if I was climbing into bed beside her. I’d slowly undress her, tuck her in against my body, and let those cute sounds she’s making lull me to sleep.
Fuck. Who the hell am I right now, talking about falling asleep to a woman’s snores? Good Lord.
Turning around, I go to my room and grab a couple things before making my way back down the hall. She’s managed to curl up on her side, her hands tucked under her face. I quickly cover her with the blanket at the foot of the bed, and leave the things I brought with me on her bedside table before quietly turning off her light and shutting her door.
Then like the sad piece of shit I am, I go to the bathroom, lock the door, and turn on a very, very cold shower.
Chapter ten
Ashley
Why am I in bed fully dressed?
