House Rules(45)

He took a seat on one of the couches against the wall. “I was. Didn’t stop me from getting a ring, though. A few nights ago she started talking about kids and families. When she said she wanted to have what her parents have, I knew she was ready and asked that night.”

“I’m really happy for you two.”

I sat there, rolling the glass between my hands, wondering about the one woman to set my blood on fire. I couldn’t keep my thoughts far from her. At night I dreamed about fucking her over and over again until neither of us could move, and every morning I woke, my dick hard as a rock, no relief in sight. Tess had thrown my suggestion back at me like I was some heartless bastard.

“Enough about our engagement. We can talk about that at dinner with Elena. You’re in a shit mood and I want to know why.”

“I haven’t gotten laid in a while.”

“What’s a while? Two days?”

“Try weeks.”

“Bullshit. You flash a smile at the bimbos in the club and they drop at your feet.” He leaned back in his seat, resting his arm on the back of the sofa.

If I hadn’t been so pissed off, I’d have seen the cunning spark in his eyes.

“I tried to take Tess home the other night, but she told me to go fuck myself.”

He shrugged. “It’s one woman. Find another. It’s not like you keep them around long, anyway.”

My head snapped up. “I don’t want another woman. I want Tess.”

The smirk rose up and I wanted to punch it off his face. Bastard had backed me into a corner until I admitted exactly what he said I would.

“Then tell her that.”

“I did. She told me to fuck off,” I growled.

Ashton narrowed his eyes at me. “She didn’t seem the type. Exactly what did you say?”

“I told her we were good together and we could meet up a couple times a week after work at my house for the night.”

“Jesus Christ.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re a dumb fucking asshole. You honestly believe she wants to run to your house a few nights a week for a quick fuck? You might as well have tossed the cash right at her. She’s not going to be your fuck buddy, or your whore.”

I stood from my seat and started pacing. “She made that very clear the other night. But I don’t have anything else to offer. I don’t do relationships.”

The deep bellowing laughter stopped me in my tracks. I whipped around to stare at the asshole sitting on the couch, laughing at my predicament. With an obvious effort, he pulled himself together. “You do now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve never wanted a relationship in my life.”

“If you want Tess, then that’s the only way you’re getting her.” He watched me for a moment. “But I think you already know that, and that’s why you’re pissed off. You’re not mad you haven’t gotten laid, you just don’t want to give up your lifestyle.”

There was a lot of truth in his words, yet my mind revolted against the idea of only one woman. It came down to two choices: I could have Tess and only Tess, or I could give her up and continue to sleep with different women.

My issue lay in actually bedding other women, though, because every time I compared them to her and ended up going home alone. Even if I didn’t want to recognize it, the decision had been made for me. I sunk back down onto the couch.

“I don’t even know how to be with only one woman.”

Ashton leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “You learn. You tell her upfront that you’re going to fuck up, and apologize when you do.”



She pushed up from the desk trying to move me off her. Lost in my thoughts, I moved back, letting her out from under me and watched as she reached for her clothes, trying to cover herself. Her shorts and underwear were destroyed. I bent and picked up my shirt, handing it over. She quickly took it from my fingers, hastily pulling it on, not bothering to button it, simply holding it closed.

“What did you say?” For all of the bravado she’d shown earlier, she looked lost, like she couldn’t trust her own senses.

I pulled her into my arms. If she was going to understand how I felt, she needed to see it first hand. At first she stood there stiffly, not moving an inch. I’d made her doubt me. God, Ashton was right. I was an absolute idiot. Being an asshole served me well in every business encounter I’d had, but it no way helped when trying to build a relationship with the woman in my arms. Instead it only pushed her away from me.

I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her face so her eyes met mine.

“I want to be so much more to you than an easy fuck at the end of a long day. I want to take you places and give you things. Don’t get me wrong, I want to fuck you in ways you’ve only dreamed of, but only after I’ve wined and dined you.”