“Joshy, I was told you were hiding in here.”
My eyes slammed shut at the sound of Tori’s voice. I turned around as she stepped into the kitchen and her eyes locked onto mine. “Where did you disappear to last night? I was expecting to have some fun with you.”
The fridge slammed shut, and Tori jumped and swung around. Ashlyn’s glare flittered between me and Tori before she stepped up to the kitchen island and placed the creamer beside the two mugs.
“Ashlyn, babe, I cannot believe that Lachlan cheated on you, and to hear he did it more than once,” Tori said without a drop of compassion.
She had to be fucking kidding. Why the hell would she bring that up? Ashlyn’s face dropped and her eyes flashed to mine briefly before she offered Tori an unenthusiastic smile.
“Sometimes people are just born to be an assholes, I guess. People do and say things they shouldn’t all the time.” Ashlyn shrugged her shoulders.
Silence fell between the three of us, though Tori didn’t hide the fact that she was looking at me with fierce intent. Awkward wouldn’t even begin to describe it.
“We will be out in a minute, Tori. I’m just talking to Ashlyn about something work related,” I said, desperate for her to leave.
“As long as we catch up later, Joshy. How about I head up to the city tonight?” she said, and raised a suggestive brow. “Text me, I’m sure you have my number on speed dial.”
With one last roving gaze, Tori turned and left the kitchen with extra swing in her hips. Once she disappeared, I turned to Ashlyn and found annoyance taking over her features.
“That’s my name for you. How dare she call you that? I call you Joshy, and you call me Ashy. Everybody knows that,” Ashlyn hissed in disgust, her eyes still locked on the door Tori had just disappeared through.
I took a step toward her, and my sudden movement grabbed her attention. Her eyes softened with each inch that I closed in. When I reached her, I grabbed her hand and pulled her against me until she wrapped her arms around my waist and fell into my hug. “Forget her,” I whispered.
“Joshy, we are nearly ready for breakfast.”
Both of our heads snapped up at the sound of Tori’s voice yet again. She had stepped back into the kitchen and was, once again, looking directly at me, clearly ignoring that I had Ashlyn in my arms. Ashlyn stiffened against me, and with a heavy sigh, she unwrapped herself from my waist and stepped away. Tori shot me a wink and left . . . again.
“Seriously, is she blind? Do I need to rip down your pants and give you a blow job for her to realize I’m here?” Ashlyn muttered under her breath.
I coughed at her brazen declaration and the thought of her taking my cock in her mouth. The idea of having those plump lips devour me caused me to groan as a shot of want shot through me.
“The thought of my cock in your mouth is something I shouldn’t be visualizing just before I’m about to sit down to breakfast with my family. How about we talk about blow jobs some other time?”
“Talk to Tori about blow jobs, she wouldn’t even care about your family. She’d probably choose your cock over breakfast and get you to whip it out while all of us ate our eggs.”
This girl was too much. I threw my head back, and my laughter soon echoed around the kitchen. Ashlyn put her hand on her hips and gave me a you-know-it’s-true look. Was she jealous? Was the annoyance in her tone and her fierce stance because she didn’t like the thought of Tori anywhere near me? Fuck me, the thought alone made my cock ache, and I wanted her to claim me, to use me, to do whatever the fuck she wanted to get the point across. My laughing died down and she still looked like she was bubbling with annoyance.
“Breakfast is getting cold. Get your asses out here.” Ky stuck his head around the door before disappearing just as quickly.
“Let’s go. I’m sure Tori has saved a seat for you.” Ashlyn rolled her eyes and stepped out of the kitchen before stopping and turning back to face me. “Don’t leave her waiting, it wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of you.”
I stopped just in front of her, and lowered my voice. “Two for you, zero for her. Just remember that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Orgasms received last night. It’s your body that’s still humming, not hers. That’s what you need to remember.”
I didn’t wait around for a response. Stepping onto the back deck, I groaned when I found the only seats free beside Tori. I chose the one at the end of the table, which would mean that Ashlyn would be sitting between me and Tori. Breakfast was full of chatter and listening to Ky and Eden talk all things weddings. I had never met anyone that planned things like Eden. The more she spoke, the higher her voice seemed to get. It was around the time she started talking about flowers that her voice reached optimum levels.
Soon, conversation changed to a topic I wished never existed. I shifted in my seat and focused on my breakfast, wishing for a spontaneous case of deafness.
“So when are you planning on going to London? That’s very exciting, sweetheart,” mom asked Ashlyn in an excited voice from across the table. “We will miss your beautiful face around here, though.”
I had been silently struggling with the thought of her fucked up idea of moving to London, and I wasn’t afraid to admit that the thought alone made me sick to my stomach. There was no way she was going. Yes, that made me sound incredibly cocky, but I was making it my mission to erase even the thought of packing up her life and leaving. I had a future planned, and it involved her, whether she wanted to acknowledge whatever was happening between us or not. I dug into my eggs and met Eden’s gaze briefly across the table. Her big blues narrowed slightly, and darted to Ashlyn before falling back to me, as if she was silently analyzing things. Something I didn’t need her doing.
“It’s only an eight-hour flight, so I’m sure I’ll be travelling back when I can. You’ll have to come over and visit. We can hit up the stores,” Ashlyn replied softly.
“Will you go and visit, Josh?”
I looked over at my mom and found hope staring back at me. Beside me, I felt Ashlyn’s eyes burning into me, but I kept my gaze locked firmly on mom. Placing my fork on my plate, I offered the weakest smile I could. “I guess it just depends.”
Mom nodded and her lips fell into a brief frown. There was no way she’d let me off with that response, but for the time being it seemed she would accept it. Conversation resumed around the table and, as Ashlyn spoke of her plans and answered questions, I remained silent, just finishing my eggs and coffee.
“You okay?” she whispered once conversation moved from her.
I lowered my coffee cup and turned to her slightly. “Yep.”
“Now who’s lying?” She frowned.
I shook my head slightly and moved my attention to Mom. “Thanks for breakfast. I’m going to head upstairs and start packing. Duke is coming over to watch the game, so I’ve got to head back soon.”
I pushed back from the table and grabbed my plate, then headed to the kitchen. I was in a foul mood, and needed a moment to sort through my thoughts. I headed upstairs to my bedroom, and pulled my phone from my pocket. I needed a distraction, and decided returning Savannah’s earlier message with a call would do just that.
“Can I start calling you Rocky, seeing as how you seem to like boxing a little too much?” she said in greeting after answering my call.
“You can call me whatever you like, Sav.”
Her laughter shot down the phone. “Always the flirt. So you’re a modern day Prince Charming, rescuing girls from idiot ex-boyfriends, I hear? Ashlyn’s lucky to have you.”
I paced my bedroom, picking up clothes and putting them in my bag.
“He is a motherfucker,” I growled. “But I don’t really want to talk about it to be honest.”
Savannah immediately changed the subject, and talk turned to what she loved best—my non-existent love life, and finding out about the women I’ve been with. I swear it was like a sickness to her. She craved gossip of my time between the sheets. I’d swear I was chatting to one of the guys most of the time.