Hollywood Flirt - Alexa Aston Page 0,6
removed the battery. She couldn’t let him know where she was going.
Would she ever be able to get away from Wake?
CHAPTER 2
Dash DeLauria opened his eyes and knew something was wrong as his curtains automatically opened on the set timer. Warmth hugged the side of his body.
Someone was in bed with him.
He glanced down at the woman snuggled close, her long, blond hair spilling across his bare chest and arm. Dammit. Why hadn’t Ashley left like he told her to?
He didn’t trust women. Any of them. Because they did all kinds of dumb things. Like this.
Dash sat up and pushed Ashley over. She groaned and shoved her face into the pillow. He shook her. Hard. Reined in his anger.
“You need to leave. Now,” he said, his voice flat.
She rolled over and stretched. “It’s the middle of the night. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are.” He stood and glanced around, spotting her silky gray dress tossed across a chair. A black thong rested on top of it. Dash picked both up and threw them at her.
“Get dressed,” he ordered.
“I don’t get you, Dash.”
“You don’t have to.” Not anymore. He wouldn’t say that until she was heading out the door.
Ashley tossed back the covers and stood, arching her back as she stretched. She had a banging body. He’d admit that. But she was past the sell by date. She’d spoiled everything by sneaking back after he’d told her to leave. He’d trusted that she would and had jumped into the shower after their lengthy bout of sex. She must have waited until he climbed into bed and fell asleep before she came back and got in bed with him.
Gritting his teeth, he opened a drawer and pulled on gym shorts and a tank as she lifted the barely-there dress and shimmied into it. It fell past her hips and landed mid-thigh. She slipped into the thong and reached for her gladiator sandals. While she laced them up, he put on socks and cross training shoes. His trainer would be here in a few minutes, and Dash would never keep Leo waiting.
Ashley finished putting on her sandals and gave him the sexy pout that had graced fashion covers around the world.
“You never stay over at my place. You never let me stay here. I just wanted to be close to you, baby.” She ran a manicured fingernail down his arm.
Dash pulled away. “Time to go.”
He latched on to her upper arm and escorted her from his bedroom, down the hall and to the front door.
As he opened it, she purred, “Want to get together tonight?”
“Nope. Not tonight. Not any other night. We’re done.”
Confusion crossed her face. “What do you mean?”
“Exact what I said, Ashley. It’s over. I told you when this started that there wouldn’t be a future. We had some fun. Now it’s done.”
“I don’t think so, Dash.” Her eyes sparked in anger.
He sighed. “I don’t care what you think. I don’t want to be with you anymore. We had a nice ride. You got a lot of good press being seen with me. If you want something permanent, find someone else.”
She hurled a ton of expletives at him, shouting words he’d never heard a woman use before. He nodded, nudged her out the door, and then shut it and threw the deadbolt.
Not all his relationships ended this poorly—because most were one-night stands. Every now and then, he dipped his toe into the dating pool and stayed with the same woman for a few weeks. Or a couple of months, at most. But he had no intention of settling down.
Ever.
Dash started toward the kitchen and saw his brother coming down the hallway. Herc rubbed his eyes.
“Hey, buddy.”
“I heard shouting, Dash.”
“Yeah, I flipped on the TV and the volume was turned up way too loud. I muted it. Why don’t you go back to bed?”
Herc yawned sleepily. “Is Leo coming?”
“He’ll be here soon and then we’ll work out. Want me to wake you when we’re finished?”
Herc nodded. “Leo gives me protein shakes. Leo counts my jumping jacks.”
“Leo likes you, Herc.”
“I know. You like me, too.”
“I do, buddy. Go back to bed. I’ll get you up in a couple of hours.”
“Okay, Dash. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Herc.” He held his hands wide. “This much.”
His brother grinned and opened his wider. “No, this much.”
Dash laughed and stretched his arms as far as he could. “This much,” he countered. “Go to sleep.”
Herc stumbled back down the hall. Dash waited until Herc made it to