Page 10 of The Lie That Stole Christmas
Ashley lifted her chin.“I can do it.I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself.”She crossed her arms over her chest.“I’m sure there are people here I haven’t met yet.”
“Yes, but a lot are the same, just older.”
“And you are doing what job now?”
“Estate manager.”He paused, swallowing hard.“When my dad passed, your grandfather offered me the position.”
“I heard about your father, and I’m sorry.He was a good man.Was always kind to me.”
“He adored you.”
Ash’s expression faltered, her gaze flickering away as if his words cut deeper than he meant them to.She shifted, hugging herself a little tighter.
“I assumed your dad was the reason you stayed at Winterridge.I didn’t know it was permanent.”
“A lot of things became permanent after you left.”
Ash’s brows drew together, and hurt flashed across her face before she buried it beneath an angry glare.“You say it like I didn’t ask you to come with me.Let’s not be mistaken here.I’m not the villain in this.”
“If you need me to be the villain, then fine.I’m the villain.But the truth is, you left, and it’s been eight damn years since you’ve returned.”
“You didn’t give me a reason to come back, and my family was a fucking disaster.I did what I had to do to protect my peace.You knew where I was.You could have called.You could have come to me.You didn’t.”
The accusation landed like a punch to the gut.She wasn’t wrong.Every excuse he’d clung to for keeping his distance suddenly sounded hollow.For a moment, neither of them spoke.Faint sounds of Christmas music floated up from the great hall.Carter’s pulse pounded in his ears as he took another step toward the woman he had never forgotten.
“I stayed away to protect you.”His voice was rough, filled with years of regret.“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret it.”
Ash sucked in a breath.Her eyes flew wide and locked on his.He chanced it, reaching up and running his finger along her arm.A shiver broke her stoic façade.
“Don’t,” she whispered.“Don’t touch me like that.”
His hand stilled against her skin.“Like what?”
“Like you care.”
“Does it remind you that I did?”
Her throat moved as she swallowed.His eyes focused on the long curve of her neck.So many times he pressed his lips to the soft skin, inhaled her orange blossom scent.He thought she was about to close the slight gap between them, but instead of moving forward, she stepped back.
“Keyword.Did.”She recrossed her arms over her chest, closing him off.“And I question if that’s even true.”
Something cracked in Carter’s chest.His hand fell to his side, his fingers curling into a fist.“You don’t get to rewrite history just because you don’t like it.You know damn well what we had and what it meant.”
“I was convenient for you.”She tilted her nose up at him as if daring him to deny it.“Someone to play with your cock when I was here and someone you could forget when I wasn’t.”
Her words were like a knife, swiping and slicing with no mercy.He ate the distance between them, pushing into her personal space until she had to tip her head to look at him.
“Don’t you fucking dare.”His voice was a ragged whisper scraping through his throat.“Don’t you dare tell me what you meant to me.”
His jaw clenched, his eyes blazed, and she matched his intensity.Years of unspoken words and tension hung between them.
“What the hell is going on here?”Gabe’s voice shattered the silence, and Ash froze.
Ash moved away from him, smoothing a hand over the front of her sweater before forcing a smile.“Nothing,” she said.“I’m just going to the kitchen to introduce myself to the new staff.Apparently the new baker makes fantastic cookies.I’m going to ask her to whip up a batch for the family since we’re stuck here.”
“We’re already starting with the lies?”He looked at his Rolex.“We’ve been here for not even an hour.So let’s try this again.Why do you look like you want to rip his head off?”Gabe didn’t even bother to throw a glance in Carter’s direction.
Ash grabbed Gabe’s arm and smiled.“I appreciate the overprotective brother thing, but please stay out of it.”
