No Attachments

chapter 12: A surprise destination

Nathan

"Are you ready to go?" I asked, finally forcing myself to pull away from her delectable neck.

"Mmm-hmm," Ashton answered with her eyes still closed. She looked positively devourable standing there willing and ready in my hands. The urge to haul her to the nearest bed I could find and ravish her was almost more than I could take, but I resisted for now. I had plans for the evening that unfortunately did not include a bed until much later. It was only after I dropped her off earlier that I concocted the plan to give her an unforgettable evening considering my complete failure the night before. I told myself it was all part of the whole seduction plan. Charm her, screw her and then hand her over. I was a bastard.

My plans for the evening had come together relatively easy thanks to a few kind townsfolk and one of her best friends who had been very accommodating with my requests. By the end of the evening, Ashton would be putty in my hands, and I would finally be able to get her out of my system. As long as the weather held together, the night would be perfect. Unfortunately, my patience was being tested by low heavy clouds that had moved in over the horizon as the day progressed.

"We better head out," I said, dropping a quick kiss on each of her closed eyelids. "Hopefully, the weather cooperates," I added.

"Why, where are we going?" she asked, slightly confused. Her eyes were still cloudy with passion that tested my already shaky restraint. "I thought we were going back to my place," she added, sounding disappointed.

"I have something else planned," I answered, smiling at her disappointment.

"Oh, okay. Where are we going then?" she repeated.

"You'll have to wait and see," I said, dropping my voice so it would come out mysterious. I placed my finger against her lips when she tried to say something else. "It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises," she griped, climbing into the passenger seat.

"You're a chick, how can you hate surprises?"

"Because, you never know what's going to happen."

"Hence the word surprise," I teased.

"Why don't you tell me, and then I'll act surprised," she cajoled.

"Um, how about NOT," I answered, pulling onto the dirt road I had driven down just a few hours prior.

"I think you took a wrong turn. I'm pretty sure this road belongs to Mr. James and doesn't lead anywhere," she piped in as I continued to drive slowly over the ruts in the road, trying to avoid the tree branches on either side of the narrow lane.

"It's all good," I reassured her, lacing my fingers through hers.

"Oh shit, this is the time when you're finally going to add my boobies to your trunk."

"You got me. Surprise," I teased.

The trees surrounding the vehicle closed in tighter around us, scraping against the sides of the Range Rover in one last-ditch attempt to keep us out before opening up to a clearing with a large lake bordering the property. Ashton gasped beside me when she took in the sight in front of us. I had to admit, we'd done a great job creating the effect I wanted. The clearing was illuminated by multiple lanterns that hung from the low branches of the towering trees. Candles sat on the ground, flickering in vases and surrounded a large quilt that had been spread out on the ground. I smiled at the overall effect. Ashton's friend Tressa had outdone herself.

I'd been hesitant to employ her help, afraid she'd tip Ashton off on the surprise, but she'd proved to be a godsend. She jumped in wholeheartedly at the chance to help me surprise Ashton. Her ideas were sound, and I let her run with them.

"The clouds kind of screwed up my whole plan for a picnic beneath the moon, but you get the idea," I said proudly.

"What are you trying to do to me?" Ashton asked, looking awestruck at the scene before us.

"I figured I owed you for last night," I said, linking my fingers through hers so I could drag her to the waiting blanket and picnic basket perched on top of it. "This way we can knock two of those items off that list you have," I added as she looked completely transfixed by the lanterns.

"Two?" she asked with a catch in her voice.

"A canoe ride beneath the stars," I answered, pointing to the aluminum canoe I'd finally been able to track down. "I'm hoping the clouds will give us a break," I added wryly.

"This is too much," Ashton said, not looking ecstatic like I had pictured she would be.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" I asked, placing my hands on her shoulders.

She shrugged them off. "This," she said, pointing to the picnic. "And that," she added, pointing to the canoe.

"Why is it too much?" I asked confused. Sure, I might have gone a little overboard for this date, but the end result would make it all worth it. Somewhere between deciding not to turn her over to my client right away, and making her mine, I decided I wanted to get to know her better. I wanted to know why she had run. I had to know why her eyes occasionally clouded over with hopelessness, and what lurked behind the passion that flared up in those same eyes. She was like a rare treasure that begged to be discovered and explored.

"Because, we're not a couple," she said. "We're not even lovers yet," she added through gritted teeth before turning and stalking off for the vehicle.

"Hey, wait. I know we're not," I said, snagging her hand after she'd only taken a few steps. "But that doesn't mean we can't get to know each other and enjoy the time we have together," I said, cupping her face with my hands. "I just want to enhance what we have going on here."

"You're trying to make me fall in love with you," she said with trembling lips. She looked as if she was fighting back tears.

"I've already been down the heartbreak route, and have no plans to travel it ever again, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy what we have going on here. You yourself have to admit that the connection between us is more than lust," I said, pulling her closer. "I say let's explore it and just enjoy it. There's no reason we need to rush any of this. We can let the anticipation build up before we finally let it crash over us. I've taken the next few weeks off from work. Spend them with me," I pleaded.

"This was supposed to be just an affair," she said, her eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.

"And that's what it will be. That doesn't mean we can't have fun discovering each other along the way."

"What if you fall in love with me?"

"You keep asking that. Trust me on this. My heart is too hardened to ever love again," I said, running my hand up the side of her face. Pulling her close, I placed my lips to hers, probing with my tongue until she opened her mouth fully. Our lips caressed each other until the rigidness in her arms disappeared and she melted against me. "Tell me you'll spend the next few weeks with me," I said, pulling back despite her protests.

Her answer was a small nod before she brought my mouth back to hers.