lay?” she asked.
He shook his head from side to side. “Because I don’t think you have the guts. Ashley, you’re a damsel in distress trying to pretend that you’re not. I’m no goddamn knight, but I’ll gladly rescue you if that makes you feel better about wanting ten inches of Sebastian Stone inside you.” He leaned in at her retreat, then whispered more quietly, “You have my number. Call me anytime.” His lips curled into a grimy smile. “I’m really going to enjoy having you.”
“I don’t believe this shit! First Paul and now you!” she blurted out loudly and then looked around the quiet cabin. The woman seated across from them frowned and then whispered to a man sitting next to her. Ashley frowned back and then glared at Sebastian. “Unfortunately for you, Sebastian, I’m fresh out of tolerance for losers and jerks,” she snapped.
“I don’t know who Paul is or what he did to you, but he has nothing to do with me. You know what I want. I haven’t led you on, made false promises, or cheated on you. You’ll call me.” Sebastian stood. “Later, Ashley,” he said with a slow, deliberate drawl and then strolled back to his seat in first class.
Still asleep with earbuds shoved in her ears, Kerrigan hadn’t heard their whispered conversation. Ashley was pissed to the tenth degree. She shook Kerrigan violently until her eyes popped open.
“Kerrigan, you’ll never believe what that… that ass of a man said to me. I can’t believe him.”
Kerrigan rubbed her sleepy eyes. “What are you talking about, Ash? Who?”
“I’m talking about Sebastian! He’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever met.”
“Obviously I missed something. Are you talking about Mr. Handsome and Dangerous from the gift shop? What happened?”
She shook her head, still in shock. “I thought our conversation was going well until he said he wanted to take me out and fuck me.”
“What! He said that? Used those exact words?”
“Nearly verbatim. I can’t believe I let you talk me into going on this trip.”
“Ashley, forget about Sebastian.” Kerrigan reached for her friend’s hand.
“That creep lives in my building.” She gripped her stomach. “I feel sick to my stomach. As far as I know, he could be some crazed lunatic.” Ashley’s leg bounced up and down as she spoke. “He could be a stalker. What if he’s stalking me?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. He’ll move on. He knows you’re repulsed by his sleazy come-on.”
Kerrigan fluffed her pillow and returned to her nap. Ashley fidgeted in her seat, stewing over Sebastian’s audacious arrogance and exaggerated confidence. She pulled out her iPad and then put the tablet away. Even listening to music couldn’t distract her from the thoughts floating in her head. No one had ever spoken so blatantly about sex and dating. Making matters worse, Sebastian had been right. Ashley did want him. The minute she saw him, she fantasized about his naked body. His raw sexual masculinity left her moist between the thighs. Damn him.
Ashley stared at the phone number scribbled on the back of Sebastian’s business card. She flipped the card over to read the front. It read, Wooster, Holman, and Stone, Inc. Sebastian Stone had been printed on the card with no title.
She reached down into her coral-and-white-striped carry-on and pulled out her iPad to Google the company’s name. Wooster, Holman, and Stone, Inc. was a real estate investment firm. A quick search on Sebastian Stone revealed his picture and title, president and chief executive officer. Ashley’s stomach knotted. His high-ranking position made him believe that he could get away with treating women as objects. Infuriated and intrigued, inspiration struck her. She would teach this arrogant, entitled ass a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
Chapter Three
Almost instantly, as though her pull had drawn him, Sebastian reappeared, hovering again. He dipped into the empty seat next to her once more. Ashley
Douglas E. Schoen, Melik Kaylan