Oh, dear God, are those tears in his eyes? Ash was turning in an Oscar-winning performance, and both Zoe and Paul were giving him looks full of sympathy. She could see Paul being taken by the act, but what was wrong with her best friend? This was her brother-in-law after all. She knew the man had done half the women in the state of Florida. She reached her foot out and nudged Zoe’s leg, effectively pulling her from her Asher-induced trance. “Now, Ash.” Dana fluttered her lashes at her fake boyfriend. “Honey bunch, you know why I have all these commitment issues.” Ash raised a brow as if he sensed something big was coming. Dana turned to Paul and summoned up some damp eyes of her own. “I was all ready to take the plunge, Paul. I was convinced that I had the real deal with Ash. Bu—but one night I came home early from work and . . .”
“What happened?” Zoe asked impatiently. Apparently her friend was still in some kind of dream world. How had she forgotten the whole thing was entirely bullshit?
“You remember, Zoe. I cried on your shoulder all night over it. I found Ash in the bed with—”
“That other man!” Zoe shouted out, causing the couple nearby to stare at them. Good grief, they really had to work on her inside voice. And what the hell?
Ash stiffened as he stared at Zoe in shock. “I think your memory needs some serious work, my dear sister-in-law. I can assure you that Dana has never found me in the sack with a dude.”
Dana wanted to go with it, really she did. But since Ash had made this mess, she might as well use it to send Paul the message that they could only be friends. Her having a serious boyfriend would accomplish that. So as much as she hated letting Ash off the hook, she found herself saying, “Oh no, Zoe, I said she looked like a man. I mean, she towered over Ash. She practically tossed him across the room when he told her to leave. I was afraid she was going to body slam both of us. I did think it was a guy at first—but it wasn’t.”
Snapping her fingers, Zoe nodded quickly. “That’s right. I got that all mixed up. She was the one with her wallet on a chain and those shit-kicker boots. I think he was terrified to turn her down. He was probably petite compared to her.”
Dana nodded, doing her best to look sad. “We’ve really been having to work on our relationship since then. But I’m doing better, right, pookie? Plus, those sex addict classes you’re attending have really helped. I was so proud of this guy for admitting that he had a problem. That’s the first step, you know. That he would do that for me was such a major breakthrough for us. It was even his idea for us to abstain from intimate relations until he was better. He didn’t want me to feel as if he wanted me only for that. So now we’re using all our free time in the evening to do fun couple things. Like last night we took a pottery class. Tonight it’s the book club. He’s even taking one on quilting. He’s already made the most amazing bedspread for me.”
Dana could barely hold her laughter back as Paul cringed and looked away from Ash. Apparently, her fake boyfriend had just lost serious man points thanks to her. Ash himself appeared vastly amused. She knew why when he piped up, saying, “Doodlebug, we’d do anything for each other. I mean, you know my tendencies, and since we’re both exploring each other’s worlds, I have to say that I’m so blown away that you’d agree to give swinging a try. It’s so important to my recovery to have a supportive partner. As long as it’s something we’re doing together, my therapist feels that it’s okay.”
Damn, he’s good. Dana felt her face flush as Paul turned and gaped at her. “Well . . .” she began, stalling for time. How was she supposed to respond to that? Even Zoe appeared to have been taken in by their lies once again. How could she be married to a Jackson and still be so gullible? Finally inspiration struck and Dana fluttered her eyelashes at Ash before giving Paul a huge smile. “That’s right, muffin. Now we just need to decide on a couple to experiment with. Paul, do you think that’s something you might be interested in? I’m sure there’s someone at the gym who could round out our foursome. Ash isn’t particular at all when it comes to that, so anyone would do.”
Inwardly wincing at Paul’s dismayed expression, Dana thought that she might have taken things a bit too far. The only comfort she had was that Ash no longer looked happy. In fact, she’d say “pissed” was a more accurate description. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was jealous of Paul. The fact that he’d come into the shop and immediately staked his claim on her was further proof of that. Now if she only knew why. It wasn’t as if they were really involved. There had been what she’d call sexual tension between them recently, but they’d never made a single move to act on it. So what game was he playing? Brushing up on his acting skills for the upcoming business dinner maybe? “Pumpkin,” he bit out, “remember that I agreed to try medication before we moved on adding other people to the mix. And it’s always better to go a little further from home for these things. I’m sure Paul isn’t interested in joining the party. But it’s nice to know where your thoughts are.”
Zoe was studying the pattern in the floor as if it were the most fascinating thing that she’d ever seen. While Paul gulped hard so many times Dana wondered if he’d swallowed his tongue. She was seconds away from thumping him on the back when he opened his mouth and said, “I—if you do decide to—you know, do what you were saying. Could you call me first? I’ve never tried anything like that but—I’ve always wanted to. And since we already know each other, Dana, it might be fun.” Paul’s face was as red as a tomato when he finished his awkward declaration.
Dana glared at Ash, who was giving Paul the same type of stare. Dammit, he’d started this whole mess. Not only hadn’t she let down Paul gently, but she’d all but promised the man a threesome. Even though she might not be able to do anything about Paul now, she could damn sure get under Ash’s skin. Giving her ex-boyfriend a brilliant smile, she touched his arm, letting her fingers trail over the bulging biceps. “Well, of course, honey. You’ll definitely be at the top of my list. Now, I do still have your correct phone number, right? You haven’t changed it on me, have you?” Even she wanted to cringe when she let out one of the fake giggles that she hated to hear women do in front of a guy.
Paul practically wrenched his arm out of the socket as he frantically dug into his back pocket and pulled his wallet out. “I switched networks not too long ago. Here’s one of my cards with the correct information on it. Hey, are you on Facebook? We could instant message. You can even do the live video thing.”
No way in hell. “Oh, sorry, honey,” she pouted. “You know how I feel about social media. Plus, Ash doesn’t like for me to reconnect with many of my old male friends. He’s so possessive, aren’t you, lamb chop?”
“You know me, sweet cheeks,” he ground out. “I don’t like to share my toys with anyone. It’s always been somewhat of a problem for me.”
Dana reached out to cup his cheek, rubbing a thumb over his lower lip. “I know, sparky. But you do realize a threesome would be me and another man, right?”
“Thanks so much for pointing that out, love,” he all but snarled. Someone wasn’t happy.
Dana was absurdly grateful when Zoe cleared her throat and pointed toward a group of women coming in the door. “I hate to break this up, but we’ve got the ladies from the tennis club arriving. They always swing by for coffee before going home. Although I’m sure they’d be riveted by this conversation, as I certainly am.”
“Me too,” Paul chirped. “But I should get back to the gym. Sorry we couldn’t have that coffee, but I’ll be in touch. If anything, um, changes before then, give me a call. I’ll make sure I’m available.”
“Sure thing, sugar.” Dana winked as he walked away. She noticed the way the new arrivals turned to gape at him as he strolled past. Much like Ash, Paul had never lacked for feminine attention. That’s where the similarities ended though as far as Dana was concerned.
Ash got to his feet and stomped out without saying another word to either of them.
&nbs
p; “What’s his problem?” Dana hissed under her breath as the first customer approached to place her order.
“He’s jealous,” Zoe murmured knowingly. “He was all fine and dandy until Paul made that crazy offer and you flirted with him. I swear, I could see steam rising from Ash’s ears from that point forward. And just now, he was livid. He didn’t even bother to say good-bye.”
Shrugging, Dana said, “Seems like the old Ash to me. That’s pretty much the treatment I’ve gotten for the last year. Maybe the nice part of his personality has worn off and the surly one has returned. That might be safer for me.”
“That’s not it at all,” Zoe insisted, after they’d taken all the orders. “This was different. And he kissed you. I mean, with tongue, right? That wasn’t faked for anyone’s benefit. You were both into it.”
“That was for Paul,” Dana pointed out.
“But why bother?” Zoe insisted. “It served no purpose at all. There was nothing to be gained. He wanted to warn Paul off. And it gave him the opportunity to do something he’s been wanting to do. Dylan’s not going to believe it. This is so not Ash.”
“I think you’re making far too much of it,” Dana insisted, although she felt a tiny flutter of hope at Zoe’s words. It was true that they had both been carried away when their lips had touched for the first time. She knew she wasn’t the only one who had felt it. Ash had moaned at one point. You didn’t do that unless you were lost in the moment. Was it possible that he might want her as badly as she wanted him? And was she brave enough to act on it? She didn’t want to make the first move and have him rebuff her. That would be beyond humiliating. Maybe she should play it by ear and see how he acted at the upcoming business dinner. If he was an asshole, then she’d give up and move on. But if the spark was there, then she was more than ready to fan the flames. One way or the other, she needed to get the man out of her system. And she feared the only thing that was going to do that was to hit the sheets with him. Hell, she wasn’t picky—the couch or a nearby wall would do just as well. Out of respect for Rosa, she’d refrain from peeing on his towels if he disappointed her.
“If you say so.” Zoe shrugged.
They worked side by side to fill the rest of the orders. Dana was grateful for the distraction because without it she feared that she’d make the mistake of buying into what Zoe had said. And if she ever let herself believe that Ash felt more for her than he did, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop herself from falling head over heels in love with a man who was a self-professed player.
Nine
Good luck with him tonight,” Rosa said as she ushered Dana into Ash’s home. “He’s been even grouchier than usual this week. I swear, I don’t care what the experts say, men get PMS just like women do.”
Dana laughed as she followed Rosa into the kitchen. “Are you handling the food for the party? I’m not much of a cook, but show me what needs done and I’ll attempt to help out. It would probably be better for everyone if I manned the microwave or handled the drinks.”
Rosa snorted. “Honey, the boy always hires one of those fancy catering companies for stuff like this. He’s afraid of what I’d say to the guests if they complained about my cooking. Plus, I sure as heck wouldn’t be doing all of the cleanup afterwards. Some people are pigs. Although those are usually just the women that he sleeps with and makes angry.”
“Where is he anyway?” Dana asked casually, hoping that Rosa hadn’t picked up on the fact that she’d been anxiously waiting for Ash to make an appearance. She hadn’t seen him since he’d stalked out of the shop several days earlier. He’d texted her that morning letting her know what time to arrive today, but that had been it. She hadn’t been expecting him to add some smiley emoticons, but he could have at least asked how she’d been.
“He’s dressing. He was late getting home from work, so he’s probably still in the shower.”
Don’t think about him naked, Dana silently reprimanded herself. She had the desire to go offer her assistance to help him wash those hard-to-reach areas, but she managed to control herself. Instead, she ran her hands nervously down the red sheath dress she was wearing. It was a bold color, but she knew she looked good in it. And tonight she could use all the confidence that she could get. If Ash was still being a jerk, then the possibility she’d stressed over all week would be a moot point. But if the sparks were flying, then her outfit might give her the boost she needed to close the deal—or the bedroom door—and have a night with the man she hadn’t been able to get out of her head. At that moment the doorbell sounded and the next several minutes were a blur of activity while the caterers arrived and began to set up. Rosa bossed them around, letting them know that all hell would break loose if they messed up anything. They were respectful and obviously used to dealing with demanding clients. Dana moved to get out of their way and found herself wandering around Ash’s apartment. She washed her hands in a nearby bathroom before continuing on down the hallway. The place was huge and elegantly furnished. She saw two spare bedrooms before stopping in her tracks. A nearby door opened and Ash stood there clad only in a towel that left little to the imagination. “Sweet Jesus,” she whispered shakily.
He smirked as he looked her up and down. “I like the dress,” he said in a voice that rolled over her like warm honey. “I assume it came from the hotel boutique. Remind me to congratulate them on their excellent taste.”
“I—er, thanks,” she managed to get out. “I’m glad you approve since you paid for it.”
“You look good enough to eat,” he purred as his eyes continued to devour her. “I’ll be the envy of every man here tonight having a girlfriend this gorgeous.”
Dana felt her core tighten. He was seducing her without a single touch. She was ready to toss herself on whatever surface she could find and beg him to do dirty things to her body. It was apparent that he’d gotten past whatever had pissed him off so much in the shop earlier in the week. And Dana didn’t know whether to be happy or sad over that fact. She had no defense against the man before her and he knew it. “Maybe you’re just hungry,” she replied, forcing herself to look away from him.
He stepped closer until she felt his firm outline against her stomach. He was hard—that much was obvious—and he wasn’t bothering to hide it. “Oh, you’re right about that. I’m starving.” She gulped for air, but still couldn’t manage a full breath. Then he put his hand on her arm and pulled her into what she now knew was his bedroom before shutting the door behind them. “I think I need an appetizer to tide me over until later.” That was the only warning she got before his mouth came down onto hers and his tongue slid inside. She felt his hands on her ass, urging her closer, as they feasted hungrily upon each other. “You’re fucking delicious,” he moaned as his lips slid down the curve of her neck while he kneaded her butt through her dress.
Dana wanted to scream in frustration when a loud noise had them both jumping apart. “Whatever you’re doing in there needs to be put on pause,” Rosa yelled out. “Unless you want your brother and his wife to join you. Because this is the only place they haven’t looked. I had to resort to locking them outside on the balcony.” Dana could hear the faint sound of someone knocking in the distance.
Ash cursed under his breath before dropping his hands away from her. Dana knew how he felt because she wasn’t ready for this to end either, but the timing was terrible. The other guests would begin showing up at any moment. She felt his stare burning into the top of her head, but she refused to look up. She needed a moment to gather her composure first. “I’ll, um—go rescue them,” she muttered before turning to make her escape.
Before she gotten far, he grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, “We’ll pick this up later.” She nodded probably a bit too enthusiastically and then opened the door to face an amused Rosa.
“The boy need some help getting dressed?” the older woman asked in a voice dripping with amusement.
“Oh, hush.” Dana rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you know the drill. You’ve worked for him long enough.”
“True,” Rosa drawled as they made their way toward the other end of the apartment. “But he doesn’t usually have women in there during the daylight hours. I thought for a while they must all be vampires until I figured out they were mostly whores.”
Dana burst out laughing at the sarcastic humor. His housekeeper reminded her a lot of herself. She’d never been one to sugarcoat anything, which didn’t always make her the most popular person. Dana could see Dylan banging on the glass panels ahead of them so she hurried in that direction and opened the door. Dylan led Zoe back inside before turning to glare at Rosa. “Care to tell me what all of that was about? You obviously knew my brother wasn’t out there.”
Rosa didn’t look perturbed in the least at Dylan’s ire. Instead, she stared back at him blankly before saying, “I’m just an old lady. Sometimes I’m forgetful. I was sure I saw him go that way earlier, but I must have been mistaken. Besides, it’s a nice evening outside and you had a view overlooking the ocean. A smart man would have taken advantage of it and had a romantic moment with his lady.”
Zoe giggled softly as she elbowed her husband. “I guess she told you, didn’t she, babe? If you hadn’t been so determined to murder Rosa, we could have fooled around.”
Dana was surprised to see Dylan shuffle from one foot to the other, appearing almost embarrassed. “I’ll remember that the next time,” he muttered before pulling his wife close. “In my defense, I didn’t know what in the hell was going on though. I thought maybe one of Ash’s crazy women was on the loose. You have no idea the kind of shit they do.”