She’s here.
I don’t know how, and I don’t know why she came back after she ran, but it doesn’t matter.
Ashley’s here, complete with tear-stained face, and I’m not letting her go again.
She holds her hand out and I take it, hauling myself up to stand in front of her. Without a word, I slide the other hand up to her cheek and pull her mouth toward mine. Fireworks go off in my head when our lips touch—a moment I’ve imagined over and over. Without warning she pulls back just a little, lets go of my hand and slides hers around my neck, a bit like she did in the VIP room.
“I could look directly at you for hours,” she whispers against my lips, and the words shoot straight to my heart. I gather her in my arms and bury my face in her hair.
“I’ve searched for you for months,” I confess. “Everywhere I could think of. It’s like you were a figment of my imagination.” I pull back and stare at her, brushing an unruly strand of hair off her forehead. “Promise you won’t disappear until I know everything about you. And have your number.”
We both laugh and our connection is just like I knew it would be. It’s like we’ve never been apart. An easy and companionable fit. Just like our first hours together.
“I promise. But only if you explain exactly how you got here.”
“Right back at you.” She frowns at my words and stares at my chest. “Hey.” I tip her chin up until she meets my eyes. “It doesn’t matter how you got here, just that you don’t have to do this anymore. I’m here now.” She blinks and a fresh tear slides down her cheek. “I’ve got you, Ashley. I promise.”
She nods and sniffs, then buries her face in my neck. She mumbles against my neck and I can barely make out the words. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Nope.” She pulls back and frowns at me as I voice my denial. “You don’t have to tell me anything right now. Nothing you say will change how I feel about you.”
“But—”
I put a finger over her lips and she stops. The look in her eyes says whatever she has to tell me is big news and my insides clench at the thought it could be bad. If there’s some reason she thinks we can’t be together, I don’t want to hear it. Maybe it’s the job she wants to explain. Maybe it’s why she’s been unable to be found. “Whatever it is, it can wait. Until next week. Can it wait until next week?”
“Not really.”
“Until after the weekend?”
She frowns but I just can’t bring myself to let her share. I pull her hard against me, our noses brushing while I look into her eyes. “Just until the morning, then? I was supposed to fly out in the morning. Will you give me the night with you? To love you. To make you remember.”
“I don’t need help to remember.” Her voice is husky, and tears are threatening again. “I remember every second, Kent. Every second.”
I squeeze her close and kiss her again. I want to crawl inside her skin and never leave. I want to introduce her to my friends, make babies with her, and plan our future together. And I want to do all that before the morning, when she’ll share whatever news puts that shadow on her face.
ASHLEY
Allowing Kent to wrap his arms around me brings back all the memories of our only night together. He acts like I’m the only woman in the world. Touches my hair, like he cares for me, even though we barely know a thing about the other and haven’t laid eyes on each other for almost a year. It’s addictive, and against my better judgement I let him silence the words I should share before this goes any further.
A year isn’t long for most people. For me, it’s been an eternity. The pregnancy. The falling out with my family. Losing my job. All those things changed me. I had to grow up. Fast. To cap it off, I gave birth alone in a birthing suite seven weeks ago, with only a nurse to hold my hand and offer encouragement.
Hildy promised to keep Zeke for the night if I needed her to, and tomorrow I’ll have to start the search for a new way to cover our expenses. I’m not coming back to the club tucked away behind this door, and my half of the two hundred dollars of tips won’t go very far. I can’t imagine I’ll be getting paid for lap dances I didn’t give.
So, why shouldn’t I have this one night to forget? One night to feel like my whole world isn’t falling apart would be a welcome panacea against whatever is to come.
Maybe Kent will take the news of his son badly. Maybe he’ll be thrilled.
Either way, one night to love him unburdened by any hard decisions or worries about the future is something I’m willing to steal for myself. Call me selfish. Call me delusional. I plan to let tomorrow take care of itself. If I’m going to be left broken hearted when he rejects us, this night together will be something to cling to until I get back on my feet.
“Stay with me tonight.”
His tone is sincere and his whole demeanour says he won’t let me go anytime soon. I lick my lips and stare into his eyes, fighting with myself about the right thing to do.
I should tell him.
He just said he’s leaving tomorrow, anyway.
If we sleep together and then he finds out, it could change how he feels about me. About us. If I tell him now, it could change the time we’re about to spend together. Maybe tonight won’t happen.
I need it to happen. I need it bad.
For a horrible few minutes I thought he was here to take Zeke. To claim his parental right.
Now it’s clear our meeting was pure chance. Just like last time.