Into The Fire - E. L. Todd Page 0,32
don’t want to be perfect,” he said. “Then I’d never be able to shake the stalkers.”
“There you go again…” I got my keys out of my clutch.
“You didn’t lose them this time?” he teased.
“I wouldn’t want to be stuck with you for the night.”
“Sure…” He wiggled his eyebrows.
I got the door unlocked then walked inside.
Uninvited, Ash entered behind me. “So, what do you want to do?”
“I want you to go home,” I said. “Our date is over.”
He eyed his watch. “It’s not midnight yet. I still get two hours of your time.”
Damn, I forgot. “Want to watch TV?”
“Sure.” He moved to the couch then plopped down. “This is pretty comfy.”
“Thanks.” I sat beside him and grabbed the remote.
“Where’d you get it?”
“Macy’s.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when I decorate my house.”
“What house?” I asked.
“The house in the mountains. You know, the one I told you about.”
“Oh yeah.”
“I think we’re making progress with my parents. They should give me the money soon.”
“What if they want you to get married first?”
“Uh…I sincerely hope not. That’s a little ridiculous.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“What would we do if that situation came up?”
“I can pose as your wife. I’ve done it before.”
“We don’t have to actually sign a marriage license?”
“Nope.”
“I guess that could work. And after they gave me back my money, we could stop the charade and I could give them the bird.”
“Like you ever would.”
He shrugged. “Even when they’re wrong, I can’t tell them off. It’s weird, you know? At the end of the day, they’re still my parents.”
“I know what you mean.”
“So, what are we watching?” He snatched the remote from my hand and clicked through the channels.
“Hey, why do you get to choose?”
“Because I took the remote.”
I tried to take it back.
He moved it out of my reach. “Too slow, sweetheart.” He put it on the sports channel. “Ooh…the Yankees are playing.”
“This is a rerun.”
“Whatever. It’s either this or some dirty movie.”
“I’d prefer the dirty movie, honestly.”
His head snapped in my direction at lightning speed. “You serious?”
“Well, I’ve already seen this game.”
“If you’re dead serious, I’ll change it. I’ve never watched porn with a chick before.”
“It’s just porn.”
“Alright.” He changed the channel and found a dirty movie. “Ooh…she needs to keep her job but she broke the rules. What will she do?”
I rolled my eyes. “Go out and find another one. That’s what I would do.”
“Shh…don’t ruin the movie. This is great acting.”
“Her tits are so fake.”
“Whatever,” he said. “Real or fake, they feel the same.”
“They do?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yep.” He turned toward me and winked. Then he turned off the TV.
“What did you turn it off for?”
“You want to keep watching?” he asked with a grin. “Because I’d rather talk to you.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” He put his arm over the back of the couch. “So, you never spend time with your folks?”
“Christmas and stuff…”
“Any reason why you aren’t close?”
“No, not really. We just aren’t. They don’t care about me the way your parents do.”
“They don’t?” he asked in surprise.
“I know that sounds weird but it’s the truth. They just had me and let me do whatever I wanted. Like a puppy or something.”
“That’s lame,” he said. “At least you turned out perfect.”
“Perfect?” I asked with a laugh. “That’s a strong word.”
“It suits you.” He had a serious look on his face. “I don’t hang out with people unless I really like them. Women, in general, talk too much. But I like hearing you talk. You have a nice voice.”
“Thanks…” I felt his gaze and my body tensed. The mood shifted as we stared at each other in the limited light. Only the kitchen light was on, and the rest of the apartment was cloaked in semidarkness.
Ash stared at me without blinking, his thoughts written all over his face.
I swallowed the lump in my throat because I suddenly felt nervous. My hands were cold and clammy, and my thighs burned in longing. I wanted to wrap them around his waist and squeeze.
Ash watched me like he was reading every emotion in my heart. I felt like a canvas on display at an art show. Then he slowly leaned toward me, the intent written clearly in his eyes.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t stop it.
I didn’t want to ruin where it might lead.
His hand moved to the back of my neck slowly, and when he had a good grip on me, he pressed his lips lightly against mine.
The second we touched, I felt the burn. My lips were on fire, as was everything