summer fling. When I decide to be with someone, I want it to be special…with the man I love and want to stay with the rest of my life.”
At first, he didn’t say anything. How did he feel about her declaration? He respected the fact she wanted to wait until she was married, but was insulted she would assume he wouldn’t understand or respect her values. She walked toward the door.
“Ashleigh, wait.” He grabbed her arm before she opened the door. Turning her to face him, he stared into her eyes. “It’s okay, Ashleigh. You’re right, I have casual flings and move on. I like to have fun. But I would never hurt anyone. I’m always honest about my opinion on relationships.” He ran his hand through his hair. “It’s different with you. I feel something for you that I’ve never experienced with another woman. I want to get to know you.” Her eyebrows lifted, and he could see his own surprise mirrored in her eyes. “We could go slow. I would really like that.” He held his breath, waiting for her to walk out.
“I would really like that, too.” Her smile was radiant, and relief rushed over him.
“Come on, can you spare a few more minutes? There’s something I want to show you.”
“Sure.”
He took her hand and led her out of the cabana. They walked hand in hand to the back deck, to where he had first laid eyes on her. They leaned on the rail and gazed out to the broad expanse of ocean. Cole put his arm around Ashleigh and pulled her close just as the sun first peeked over the horizon to color the sky with early morning light.
Chapter Six
She slowly opened the back door, careful not to rattle the keys. She should have known tip-toeing in the house wouldn’t matter, her mother was always up at the crack of dawn, no matter how poorly she’d slept the night before.
“Hi, Mom. How was your night?”
“Good, Savannah only woke once and she went right back to sleep.”
Ashleigh sat on the nearest chair, exhaustion taking over.
“Can I get you something to eat?”
“No, thanks, Mom. I’m going straight to bed. I want to get at least a few hours of sleep.”
“Don’t worry about Savannah. I’ll get her up and give her breakfast.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Her mother put two slices of bread in the toaster, and then turned to Ashleigh. “Are you all right? It looks like you were crying.”
Ashleigh could see worry in her mother’s eyes, and was sorry for having put it there. “I’m okay.” She smiled in an attempt to lighten her mother’s mood. “I have a date tonight.”
“It’s about time,” her mother said.
“Everyone says I should go out more often, but how am I supposed to do that? They don’t understand how often I work. I don’t have time to date.” Frustration was evident in her tone, but she was too tired to try and hide it.
Her mother placed a glass of orange juice and a couple of slices of toast with jelly on the table in front of Ashleigh. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. You do the best you can. You’ve taken on so much these past few years, you deserve a bit of time for yourself. Now, tell me about your date. Is he anyone I know?” Her mom’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Stop that.” Ashleigh laughed. “No, I just met him today. He was cleaning the pool at the Bronson house.”
“I’m sure he’s a nice guy.”
She shrugged. Nice guy didn’t really describe Cole adequately. “He’s not like the men I usually date.”
“Ashleigh, let’s be honest, you don’t date. You go out with men you’ve known since you were a kid. You have a casual dinner and come home. Then you wait until the next time everyone starts bugging you to go out and you do the same thing again.”
Ashleigh couldn’t argue, but the truth stung.
“I don’t have much free time so why should I go out with strangers when I can go out with friends?”
“Honey, it’s okay to date. I understand your desire to wait until you’re
At first, he didn’t say anything. How did he feel about her declaration? He respected the fact she wanted to wait until she was married, but was insulted she would assume he wouldn’t understand or respect her values. She walked toward the door.
“Ashleigh, wait.” He grabbed her arm before she opened the door. Turning her to face him, he stared into her eyes. “It’s okay, Ashleigh. You’re right, I have casual flings and move on. I like to have fun. But I would never hurt anyone. I’m always honest about my opinion on relationships.” He ran his hand through his hair. “It’s different with you. I feel something for you that I’ve never experienced with another woman. I want to get to know you.” Her eyebrows lifted, and he could see his own surprise mirrored in her eyes. “We could go slow. I would really like that.” He held his breath, waiting for her to walk out.
“I would really like that, too.” Her smile was radiant, and relief rushed over him.
“Come on, can you spare a few more minutes? There’s something I want to show you.”
“Sure.”
He took her hand and led her out of the cabana. They walked hand in hand to the back deck, to where he had first laid eyes on her. They leaned on the rail and gazed out to the broad expanse of ocean. Cole put his arm around Ashleigh and pulled her close just as the sun first peeked over the horizon to color the sky with early morning light.
Chapter Six
She slowly opened the back door, careful not to rattle the keys. She should have known tip-toeing in the house wouldn’t matter, her mother was always up at the crack of dawn, no matter how poorly she’d slept the night before.
“Hi, Mom. How was your night?”
“Good, Savannah only woke once and she went right back to sleep.”
Ashleigh sat on the nearest chair, exhaustion taking over.
“Can I get you something to eat?”
“No, thanks, Mom. I’m going straight to bed. I want to get at least a few hours of sleep.”
“Don’t worry about Savannah. I’ll get her up and give her breakfast.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Her mother put two slices of bread in the toaster, and then turned to Ashleigh. “Are you all right? It looks like you were crying.”
Ashleigh could see worry in her mother’s eyes, and was sorry for having put it there. “I’m okay.” She smiled in an attempt to lighten her mother’s mood. “I have a date tonight.”
“It’s about time,” her mother said.
“Everyone says I should go out more often, but how am I supposed to do that? They don’t understand how often I work. I don’t have time to date.” Frustration was evident in her tone, but she was too tired to try and hide it.
Her mother placed a glass of orange juice and a couple of slices of toast with jelly on the table in front of Ashleigh. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. You do the best you can. You’ve taken on so much these past few years, you deserve a bit of time for yourself. Now, tell me about your date. Is he anyone I know?” Her mom’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Stop that.” Ashleigh laughed. “No, I just met him today. He was cleaning the pool at the Bronson house.”
“I’m sure he’s a nice guy.”
She shrugged. Nice guy didn’t really describe Cole adequately. “He’s not like the men I usually date.”
“Ashleigh, let’s be honest, you don’t date. You go out with men you’ve known since you were a kid. You have a casual dinner and come home. Then you wait until the next time everyone starts bugging you to go out and you do the same thing again.”
Ashleigh couldn’t argue, but the truth stung.
“I don’t have much free time so why should I go out with strangers when I can go out with friends?”
“Honey, it’s okay to date. I understand your desire to wait until you’re
Similar Books
The Remarkables (The Remarkable Owen Johnson, part 1)
A. D. Elliott
Weird But True
Leslie Gilbert Elman
The Hunger
Janet Eckford
A Wild Swan
Michael Cunningham
Exist (Vampire Assassin League Book 30)
Jackie Ivie
Chocolate-Covered Crime
Cynthia Hickey
Hard Evidence
Roxanne Rustand
David Lodge - Small World
Author's Note
William Monk 13 - Death of a Stranger
Anne Perry