“So is it business? Or Helen?”
His eyebrow arched. “Does it matter?”
She followed him to the door.
“She just seems to take advantage of your good nature.”
“My good nature? Most people think of me as controlling and hard to get along with.”
She grinned. “They don’t know you like I do.”
“I would think you’d believe that more than anyone.” He leaned in close and brushed his lips against her temple, sending tingles dancing down her spine. “At least the controlling part.”
She ran her hand down his chest. “Well, I do love that about you.”
He tipped up her chin and kissed her, his lips warm and enticing.
“But with Helen, you don’t seem to take control enough.”
He drew back and sighed. “Helen has problems. I know it seems like I’m too lenient with her, but she needs a special level of understanding.”
“You know she’s not a teenager anymore. But that’s how she acts. She just seems to want attention, and it seems she’ll do anything to get it.”
How did she tell him his stepdaughter was a spoiled brat?
“Look, there are things you don’t know. Let’s just leave it at that for now.”
They reached the door and he turned to face her, resting his hands on her shoulders, then gliding down her arms. “Now that we’re in a relationship I know we need to talk about this, but I can’t right now. I have to go.” He leaned in and kissed her. His mouth was warm and persuasive, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Her heart fluttered in excitement.
Then he eased back, his deep blue eyes reflecting her own need.
“I’ll call you later.”
* * *
Ashley sank onto her couch and dialed Jessica’s number.
“Hey, I was just going to call you,” Jessica said when she answered.
“Yeah? Well, I just got home from Dare’s.” Her voice sounded morose, but she couldn’t help it. She tugged at the tassel on the corner of the pillow beside her. “We were supposed to spend the evening together, but he got called away.” She leaned back and stared out the window at the darkening sky. “I assume it was because of Helen. He always puts Helen first.” She frowned, her heart aching at the feeling of rejection. “He’ll probably always do that.”
“Did he tell you he was going to see Helen?”
“No, but I asked him and he didn’t say he wasn’t.”
“Well, I don’t think he left this time because Helen called.”
Ashley tightened her hand around the phone. “Why do you say that?”
“Because Helen’s here with me. That’s why I was going to call you. I think you should meet us for a drink. She has something to tell you that I think you should hear.”
* * *
Ashley’s stomach clenched as she pulled open the door to the lounge where Jessica had told her to meet them. It was very much Helen’s taste. Trendy, upscale. And loud. The thrumming music pulsed through her as she walked past the dance floor to the back where Jessica had told her they’d be. Once she got there, she spotted Jessica waving at her.
“You’re kidding,” Ashley said as she sat in the small, curved booth, Jessica across from her and Helen around to the left. “It’s a bit loud here to talk.”
Leave it to Helen to suggest a place like this. It was better suited to hooking up than it was for conversation.
But she realized the volume wasn’t so bad once she’d sat down in the booth.
“It’s fine.” Helen sipped from the straw in her tall, ice-filled drink.
Jessica gestured to a pitcher on the table. “I got sangria. Thought you’d like that.”
“Sure,” Ashley said.
Jessica tipped the pitcher, ice cubes tinkling against the sides of the empty stemmed glass as she filled it, then pushed it toward Ashley.
Ashley locked gazes with Jessica as she sipped, wondering where this was going.
“So you were at my dad’s house tonight?” Helen asked.
“You already know that, Helen. Why did you want to talk to me?” Ashley asked.
Helen swirled her straw in her glass, sending the ice in circles, tinkling against the sides.
“I wanted to warn you about Adam Rawlins.”
Ashley’s eyes narrowed. “What about him?”
“I know you’re seeing him, too. And as much as I’d rather you be with him than with my dad—”
“Your stepdad,” Ashley corrected.
“Whatever. But as much as I don’t want you seeing Dare…” Helen frowned. “We were friends and I think you should know…”
Ashley glanced at Jessica and she shrugged.