“Well, that’s what we told everyone. The truth is I was the one who was driving. I was drunk, too, and we’d come up with some crazy idea of doing wheelies. I was right there in the hospital with Ash. I only had a few scrapes on me so they didn’t hold me. When Ash’s dad arrived, he was livid. I’d never seen him so angry and still haven’t since. He really laid into Ash and I expected Ash to tell him the truth—that I was the one who’d wrecked the car. I would have been dead if he had. My dad was a cop, too and we couldn’t afford so much as the ‘B’ in BMW. But Ash didn’t tell. Not even when his dad told him that he wouldn’t be getting a new car. He’d be getting a used one and he’d have to work for his dad to pay for that. And let me tell you, Ash was pissed about that because he had plans to spend the rest of the summer break in Cancun. He spent that summer and the next running errands for his father, but he never breathed a word of the truth.”
Ariadne frowned. “You said he was drunk. I hate to ruin your story, but are you sure he even remembers?”
Ted scowled. “Yes, he remembers. I felt guilty when I saw him driving around in that crappy old car without a working radio and no air conditioning. I told him I’d confess, but he told me not to bother. That night was a turning point for both me and Asher. I haven’t gotten drunk since and I’m pretty sure that he hasn’t either.”
Ariadne greeted Asher at the door with a hug. He tilted her head back and kissed her. “I missed you, baby.”
She rubbed her thumb over his lips as she studied his face. He was at once familiar and foreign. He was so handsome. She stared into his green eyes searching for the truth. “I missed you, too,” she whispered.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, it’s, um…” She viewed him differently after her discussion with Ted. Asher had been subtly changing over the years but she hadn’t noticed it. She’d been so busy ignoring and avoiding him. But now she was learning that he’d never been who she’d thought he was to begin with. It was time that she put the past behind her. Asher clearly had. “Ted stopped by to see me earlier.”
“Oh? What’d he want?”
“He came by to make sure that I wasn’t going to hurt you.”
Asher’s eyebrows rose and then he shook his head. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“I love you, Asher.”
His smile, while slow in forming, was nothing short of brilliant. “What the hell did Ted say to you?”
She shook her head. “He just kind of made me realize how biased I’ve been against you. I’ve judged you on your past and Ted pointed out that even that wasn’t always what it seemed. I love you and I have for a while. But I kept thinking about how many women you’ve been with and how I’m so different and boring in comparison.”
Frowning, his hands closed over her hips. “No, baby, that’s not true. Those women were nothing but diversions. I was never with anyone who could make me forget about you. I’ve tried so many times over the years to get over you. And the reason why there were so many women is because I couldn’t make the relationships last. When they realized I couldn’t offer them the type of commitment they wanted, things would fall apart. Marriage was out of the question. Hell, I couldn’t even tell them that I was in love with them-”#p#分页标题#e#
She didn’t need to hear anymore. She pulled him down for a kiss. Asher moaned and then he laughed. The sound rolled over her like a sensual wave. Would the man never learn? Well, at least now she could satisfy the urges his laughter evoked. With that thought in mind, she tugged his shirt from his pants. She undid his belt and opened his pants. Asher groaned as she cupped his cock and stroked. He grew hard instantly. Yeah, she’d really grown to appreciate his lack of underwear. She dropped to her knees before him. He was a truly beautiful man, even here. His cock was long and thick.
She swirled her tongue around the tip before sucking. She took him deep. Asher thrust into her mouth a few times before he drew her to her feet. “Not again,” he said. Then he added with a groan, “Okay, maybe after dinner.” He quickly divested her of her clothes, leaving her in her bra and panties. She wore a sensible black bra and a one of the lacy thongs that Sierra had suggested she buy. She hadn’t been quite bold enough to go around without a bra. Noticing the aroused expression on Asher’s face as he stared at the panties, she wished that she had. He insinuated a broad palm between her thighs. With one fingertip, he stroked between her folds, unerringly finding her clit.