“I like driving stick because you can feel the car purr. See?”
He grabbed my hand and placed it on the stick. The touch felt like electricity. He put the car into another gear, and I could hear the engine purring. I wrenched my hand away.
“I think I’ll stick to automatic, thanks,” I snapped.
He laughed. “Someone looks nervous. Why is that?”
Damn him. How could he tell? “I’m not nervous. I just had a long flight, and I really want to see my mom,” I lied.
I lied about not being nervous. I missed my mom incredibly. Even though she was more of a friend to me than anything else, I loved her dearly. I felt like she needed me—she needed me to make sure she was okay. Sometimes, I felt more like the mother and she was the carefree child, always down for the next ride.
“My dad is taking good care of her. Don’t worry.”
“You mean she’s taking care of him? She’s too independent to let anyone take care of her,” I answered with a cool tone.
“True. She’s a talented businesswoman. I mean, her bed and breakfast is pretty badass,” he said thoughtfully.
“You’ve seen it? I’ve only seen pictures so far.”
“Yeah. It’s a nice old Victorian house. I had to fix some stuff for her. The boiler was a mess,” he said, furrowing his brow in thought. “But I’m good with my hands, so it wasn’t a huge issue.” He winked at me.
I wanted to bury my head in my purse to avoid looking at him. I was so turned on. No one had ever had this kind of an instant impact on me before. He was such an asshole, but there was something so attractive about it. Damn him. I was quiet the rest of the ride.
We pulled up to a medium-sized, paved driveway, and the large, white condo came into view. He pulled into the driveway so quickly that my seatbelt tightened in response, almost injuring my shoulder.
“Here we are. Home sweet home,” Ashton said.
I glared at him and got out of the car, slamming the door behind me. The property was tree-lined, and Gary had put up a cliché white picket fence at my mom’s request. This was her American dream. Ashton popped the trunk, and I walked back to get my bag.
“No. I’ll get it,” he said. I was surprised he showed any kind of gentlemanly behavior. “You’re tiny. Don’t want you to break a nail,” he teased.
“Ugh,” I mumbled. I turned around, refusing to argue with him anymore. My mother appeared at the door, and her face was tanned and happy—cheerful like always. I instantly forgot my anger at Ashton. “Mom!” I cried, running to her.
She opened her arms to me, embracing me tightly. She rocked me back and forth in her arms and took a step back, smoothing my shirt. “Hi, sweetie! Welcome home!”
Gary appeared behind her, carrying a tray of lemonade. He looked so relaxed in a white button down shirt and slacks. I was used to seeing pictures of him in suits, and when I had met him briefly, he had been wearing a suit as well.
“Hi, Gary,” I greeted.
He gave me a warm hug. “Welcome,” he said. “We are so glad to have you!”
Ashton was behind me. I felt him graze my back, that electric touch radiating through me again.
“Hope Ashton didn’t scare you too much on the ride over. He always drives like a madman,” he said with a dark chuckle.
ASHTON
My dad knew me far too well. He taught me how to drive, after all.
“I was careful with her,” I grumbled pleasantly.
The first time I saw her, I held on to my composure, but she was so hot. I needed to catch my breath as I put her bag in the car at the airport. I towered over her, and damn, did I have a thing for short girls. Her mother, Emma, was a lot taller, but I could see the resemblance. Emma was a good-looking lady. My dad had made a good catch, but her daughter was like nothing else.
The whole ride had left me with a raging hard on. She was so damn beautiful. There was also something innocent about her, about the way she spoke. Her voice was slightly timid, and her eyes were always filled with curiosity. When our hands touched at that brief moment in the car, I knew I wanted to fuck her.
“Why don’t you show Amy her room?” my dad asked.
She didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, she looked down, her face turning red. I was good at telling if a girl wanted me, and she definitely did.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Emma said.
“Okay,” Amy replied in her soft, sexy voice.
“I’ll take this upstairs, then. Follow me.” I felt bad about being an asshole before, but I couldn’t help it. I was sometimes like that. Most girls seemed to like it, but she was hostile as hell.
“We will have brunch ready when you come down,” Emma said.
“Can’t wait. You’re a great cook,” I said politely. I was used to having Emma around, and I liked her a lot more than my dad’s other girlfriends from the past.