“Duh, he’s a doctor.”
“Well,” Ariadne trailed off. She supposed she should be wishing them well, but she didn’t. She strongly suspected that they were both going to get exactly what they deserved. And she simply didn’t care to waste another minute thinking about either of them. “Goodbye, Janice. See you…next year.” She was sure they would both be on the yacht to witness the fireworks, but she had high hopes that they wouldn’t have yet another encounter.
Chapter Eight
“We’re home.”
Ariadne roused slowly. She stretched and then groaned. She’d fallen asleep after only an hour of the drive back to Greenville. The fireworks had been spectacular. Asher had held her in his arms while they watched the sky light up. Even better, her luck had held and she’d had no more run-ins with Janice or Daniel. After the fireworks, everyone had said their goodbyes. Those who lived farther away or had small children returned to the lodge for the night with plans to make their trip home in the morning. Others like herself that lived within driving distance had left for home.
She slid her feet back into her strappy gold sandals. She was still blinking when Asher came around to open her door. “Why don’t you go get out of that dress while I bring in our bags?”
She nodded. It was almost one o’clock in the morning. She wished she’d remembered to leave on the porch light. It was dark and she fumbled to get her key into the lock until Asher approached. He activated his cell phone’s screen so that it illuminated the doorknob. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He followed her upstairs and placed their bags by the closet. “Okay, if I unpack this tomorrow?”
“That’s fine. I’m beat. I just hope I don’t fall asleep in this dress.” She walked into the closet and grabbed the first oversized t-shirt she found on a shelf. When she reentered the bedroom, Asher had already removed his shoes and his jacket. The buttons of his shirt gaped open to reveal his chest.
Ariadne stopped short. He didn’t think he was sleeping in here with her, did he? She bit her lip. “Um, Asher….”
“Yeah?” He worked open the cuffs of his sleeves and shrugged out of his shirt. He tossed it over the end of the bed. Bending, he removed his socks and then threw them down next to her bed. When his hands went to his pants, she knew she had to stop him or he’d be naked in a second.
“Ash, wait! What are you doing?”
He frowned. “Getting ready for bed,” he said as though it should have been obvious to her.
“Yeah, but why are you in here?”
Holding her gaze, he undid his pants and let them drop. Ariadne swallowed. “Ariadne, we can’t go back. We both know that what we shared isn’t over.”
“Don’t you think it would only complicate our situation more if we continued along this vein?”
He shrugged broad shoulders and pulled back the comforter and sheet on the bed. “I don’t want to stop.” He yawned. “I’m exhausted. Perhaps we can talk about this in the morning?”
Her eyes dropped to his cock. He was semi-erect. “Just sleep,” she said. She wasn’t in the mood for an argument and she was too drowsy to win a battle of wits against an opponent as sharp as Asher.
Asher nodded. He gestured at his penis. “Ignore him. He’s got a mind of his own.” He slid into bed. Stacking his hands behind his head, he watched her.
Ariadne frowned. She still had to change out of her dress. “Close your eyes.”#p#分页标题#e#
He grinned. “Really? After last night?”
“Humor me.” Shaking his head, he did as she requested. Ariadne struggled a moment with her zipper but finally got it undone. It spilled to the floor and she draped it over the edge of the bed. She quickly slipped on her t-shirt. The hem fell to her knees. “You can open your eyes now.” She gathered up his clothes and hers and took them into the closet. Since she’d napped, she wasn’t as tired as he was. She could afford to spend a few extra minutes picking up their clothes. She hung her dress and his tux. Monday she would take them to the cleaners.
Reaching beneath her shirt, she removed her strapless bra and tossed it into the hamper. She turned on the bedside lamp and then crossed to cut off the overhead light before climbing into bed. Asher lay on his side facing her. He was the personification of any woman’s erotic fantasy. Long dark lashes accentuated his pale eyes. His strong jaw was shadowed by stubble. Ariadne fisted her hands to resist the urge to run her fingertips over the rough hair. His shoulders were wide and his chest was well defined. Recalling his nude state, she kept her gaze strictly above his waist even though he had the sheet draped over his lean hips.