For the Love of Ash Read Online Free PDF Page A

much else. The figure loomed over me despite the fact that he was behind me. My nerves tingled. I sat in my desk, right in front of the other empty and relaxed my shoulders.
    The hooded guy plopped down behind me—he didn't have much of a choice. I wanted to turn around and tell him that I could relate to the want of being invisible, but I wasn't the kind of person who just struck up conversations with random people. I leaned back in the seat, adjusting so I was sitting just on my left cheek. I pulled out my phone to check in.

    Me : How is Asher?

    Lisa was a great babysitter, and Asher really liked to hang out with her. She was only seventeen but very responsible for her age. She got straight A's, and luckily, she was old for her grade. She was a junior this year, so I had her for a full two more years. She had expressed interest in going to Stanford, which was half way across the country, so when she left I'd have to figure something new out.

    Lisa : We r good! C u l8r, Mags!

    Lisa responded almost immediately, and I felt my stress melt away. I had to admit I loved how fast kids responded to texts now. I never had to worry too long. Whenever Lisa texted me, it made me feel like an old lady. I was only twenty-three, decent with technology and social networking, but when I texted, I actually wrote a word out.  
    How much harder was it to type 'see' instead of 'c'? Whatever. That was just a pet peeve of mine that would never get resolved. I clicked the top button, shutting the light off, and tucked my phone into my jeans pocket.
    I turned to see the clock on the side of the wall, just above the doorway. When I looked back down, I was smashed in the head from behind with an errant hand. I could hear the guy in the seat behind me moving around, a paper shuffling and fabric swishing. I saw his arm raised from the corner of my eye. I leaned forward to get out of the way of his flailing hand. I glanced back at him.
    "Sorry," he mumbled. I was rendered mute.
    First thing I saw was his shirt riding up over his hips, revealing his perfectly toned skin. I leaned forward and craned my neck down, trying to catch a glimpse of his abs, when a low rumble emitted from his mouth, making me whip fully around. My face lit up on fire.
    "You like what you see, Sunshine?" His voice took me off guard. The low rumble sounded like he had just woken up from a night of heavy sleeping. It was sexy and daring and dark.
    "Not really," I said, trying to mask my instant attraction to him. His eyes captured me when I looked up at him. They were deep gray, almost like a storm cloud rolling with the wind. His light brownish-blond hair complimented his tanned skin, making his appearance even more appealing.
    At the tip of his hoodie, black lines curved along his collar bone, hinting at a larger tattoo somewhere beneath his shirt. I tried to focus elsewhere, but this guy was fucking perfection. His thick bottom lip, his nose that was a little crooked at the bridge. He had a fucking dimple!  
    "Luke," he said. He smirked, showing off his dimple as if daring me to lick it. Strangely enough, he had on khaki pants, tailored so well they looked professional. The khaki and hoodie combo was bizarre, and the difference in top and bottom was not lost on me.
    "Excuse me?" I asked back, remembering that he spoke, the fog dissipating, replaced with confusion.  
    "My name is Luke." His voice was light, not condescending or rude like I would've thought it to be. I frowned, glared, and then turned around in my seat without uttering a single word. He was being nice?
    A year ago, I would have jumped on this guy, dragged him to my bed and fucked him. I would have used my master manipulation skills to woo him, buttering him up so he could butter me up. But a lot had changed in a year. I found myself taking mental notes on how to make sure Asher didn't end up like him. I was so out of my league; I didn't even know where to begin with raising him so he didn't turn out of be a