“I need to get back to my office. I have a Zoom meeting with the company in Aspen. Is there a bathroom I can wash up in?”
He pointed to the door on the right. “There’s a shower too.”
Walking away, she giggled. “I’m impressed.”
Just as he pulled on his boots, the familiar notes of his phone’s ringtone filled the room. Reaching down, he retrieved the cell phone from the floor.
“Hello?”
“Smokey, it’s Zach. How are you?”
Instinctively, his gaze shifted to the bathroom door.
“Good. How’s it going with you and your family?” Smokey started picking up items off the floor and placing them back on his desk.
“We’re all doing well. I hear the campaign is starting out gangbusters.”
“Yeah, Ashley did a kick-ass job. You were right about her—she’s the best.”
“That’s why we’re going to make her a partner. She’s worked hard for the brass ring, and it’s paid off.”
Smokey clenched his jaw tight. He didn’t want to be responsible for holding Ashley back, but he didn’t want her to leave either. He inhaled sharply. I don’t even know what Ashley’s feeling about us. How the fuck did I let this happen? The truth was, Ashley was like a drug he couldn’t get enough of. The more he had of her, the more he craved. He never felt full. Fuck.
“Are you still with me?”
“Yeah. I have some stuff to do.”
“Gotcha. Let’s hope this campaign picks up more and more steam. Ashley thinks it will, so I’ll defer to her.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Ashley sauntered out of the bathroom, looking fresh and gorgeous, and his heart lurched.
“We’ll talk soon,” he told Zach before disconnecting the call. “That was Zach.”
She giggled. “He’d die if he knew what we just did. He sent me here because he said I wouldn’t fall for your charm.”
Walking up to her, he wrapped his arms around her. “How did that work out?”
“I failed miserably.” She kissed him passionately. “I have to prepare for the Zoom meeting.”
Nodding, he let her go.
“Are you going to a site today?”
“Yeah. By the way, I canned Sabrina’s ass.”
Ashley’s eyes grew wide. “How did she take it?”
Smokey shrugged. “She knew she got off easy.”
“I wouldn’t say losing your job is ‘getting off easy’. A part of me feels sorry for her, but when I think about how scared I was, I want to scratch her eyes out.”
“That’s my woman. We’re having dinner with my brother tonight at El Tecolote—the restaurant I told you about.”
He saw the tears that rimmed her eyes before she looked away. “I can’t wait to meet your brother.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why do you look like you’re ready to cry? If you don’t wanna meet Ryan, that’s cool.”
“That isn’t it—I do want to meet him. I’m just touched you want us to meet.”
Women are so fuckin’ hard to understand. I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about. “Okay, as long as you’re good with it.”
She laughed. “I am. I’m looking forward to tonight. What time?”
“I’ll pick you up around six-thirty.”
“I’ll be ready.” She kissed him hard. “You’re one special guy,” she whispered, and then she was gone.
For a long moment, Smokey stared at the closed door, wondering what Ashley was doing at that very second. Was she in her office, or did she go to the break room for a cup of café au lait? No matter what he was doing, Ashley was always on his mind. He rubbed his chin with the tips of his fingers. The unexpected and powerful emotions swirling inside of him were new to him. Smokey knew lust and desire, but this went way beyond that. It was like free falling: it was something he couldn’t stop, even if he wanted to. Ashley had come into his life, slowly at first, and then all at once. And it was one of the biggest and best surprises of his life.
Glancing at the wall clock, he grazed his teeth along his bottom lip as he headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. The rest of the day would be spent at one of his construction sites, and he was already looking forward to seeing Ashley again. He shook his head. I’m nothing but a fuckin’ pussy. Smiling, he closed the door.
Yeah … he was hooked.
Ryan sat in the back seat, prattling on about nothing, and Ashley’s questions and comments just egged him on more. Smokey was glad that his woman and brother were getting along, but after two hours of nonstop conversation at dinner, and now this, he was ready