Dune Road (3 page)

She frowned and for a minute seemed to second guess her actions. He held his breath until her smile returned. “What can I get you?” The rush of heat returned when she gazed at him from beneath the thick, dark, lashes that framed her deep blue eyes.

“How about a date?” He hoped she’d change her mind about going out with him.

“How about a beer?” She laughed and stirred his composure to mush, which he didn’t understand and wasn’t prepared for.

Cole grinned. “Sure, sounds good.” He knew better than to drink heavily. He had to keep a clear head. Bob was already furious with Cole over insisting on coming to the club, if he pushed his bodyguard too far, he might find himself back home. Bob would think nothing of knocking Cole out and carrying him out of the bar if that’s what it took to keep him safe.

He watched Ashleigh work the bar, moving easily from one group to the next. Her movements were quick and efficient. She was quite skilled, not only behind the bar, but with people, as well.

“Here you go, sir, this one’s my treat.” She handed him a mug of beer.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

The bar was too crowded for Cole to talk with Ashleigh, but that was okay. He was content to sit and watch her—and examine his feelings. He’d have to decide on a new course of action, since it was becoming increasingly obvious she wouldn’t go out with him.

Turning his back to the bar, he surveyed the room. Bob was on the dance floor, not far away, with one of the female bodyguards. Bob called in not only the usual guards, but a number of extras, as well. This was a big job. If anything happened to Cole, Bob and the others would have to answer to Cole’s father, and no one wanted that. Confident that Bob had everything under control, Cole turned his attention back to Ashleigh.

She was laughing with the other woman bartender. Her laughter slid through him like lava pouring through his veins, wrapping him in a cocoon of warmth. He was afraid to move. He didn’t understand the feelings she brought out in him, emotions he had no experience with. Surprisingly, he actually enjoyed them, reveling in a sense of wonder, discovery, and peace he didn’t quite understand, but wanted to feel more of.

Cole spent the next four hours watching Ashleigh interact with her friends, casual acquaintances, and strangers. She was friendly, but guarded. He was easily able to pick out the people she knew well by the warmth with which she spoke. To anyone unfamiliar, she seemed to hold a shield in place. Cole desperately wanted to be someone she was comfortable with.

A guy sitting at the far end of the bar ogled Ashleigh, and Cole’s blood pressure shot up. Instead of throwing the sleeze out on his butt, Cole went to hang out with Bob and some of the other bodyguards.

Sometime during the night, Cole came to a startling realization. He was lonely. He had a ton of friends, bodyguards, business associates, and acquaintances, but he was missing that close familiarity and comfort he witnessed between Ashleigh and what were obviously her close friends.

As the night wore on, and the crowd began to thin, he was drawn toward the bar. Ashleigh looked tired. Dark circles ringed below her eyes, her smile held a little less enthusiasm than it had earlier in the day, and she moved sluggishly as she wiped down the bar. He was surprised, once again, to realize he desperately wanted to cradle her in his arms, carry her off to bed, and curl behind her while she slept. By the time she approached him, his stomach was twisted in knots.

“Last call. Can I get you anything else?”

“How about that date?” He figured he may as well try one more time. Maybe she was too tired to argue and would just say yes. He smiled with hope and waggled his eyebrows.

“Okay.” She shrugged.

Cole’s breath caught. He’d been expecting her to say no. Was it the exhaustion that had her agreeing to go out with him? Her eyes went wide and he realized she might possibly be more stunned than him by her acceptance.

Chapter Four

How could she have said yes to Cole? What was she thinking? Exhaustion battered her. She’d been up all night with Savannah, got up early this morning and worked all day. No wonder she couldn’t think straight. Her mother texted earlier to say Savannah seemed to be sleeping well tonight, so far. Maybe they’d all get some much needed rest.

“Are you really going out with me?” His eyes widened with surprise, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I really am.” Why not? It’s not like she was going to make a habit of dating men like him. What was wrong with having a little fun now and then?

“Is tomorrow night good for you?”

She thought of her schedule. She would spend the day at the beach with Savannah, and was off tomorrow night, but she still had to get the Bronson’s cabana cleaned. As long as she didn’t stay out too late, her mother would watch Savannah. Her mother would probably be happy to see Ashleigh go on a date. It had been a long time. “Tomorrow night sounds great.”

“What time works for you?”

“Around six would be good. I can’t really stay out late though.”

“No problem, I’ll pick you up at six and bring you home whenever you want.”

Once they confirmed their plans, she gave him her number and address before he left. She then joined Lindsay to finish cleaning behind the bar.

Of course, Lindsay had noticed the exchange and was all over her the minute Cole walked out. “Are you really going out with him?”

“Sure, why not?” She shrugged. “Isn’t everyone always telling me to have fun?” Her thoughts sobered. “I worry about Savannah. She’s had such a hard time. I worry about my mother too. She has to watch Savannah so often while I’m working. I hate to ask her for more. She’s tired, Lindsay. It’s very hard for her.”

Lindsay’s eyes held only sympathy Ashleigh knew was sincere. “Why don’t you let Savannah stay with the boys and me tomorrow night? Then you have one night where you don’t have to worry. Just go out and enjoy yourself. Summer has just begun, Ashleigh, and at the rate you’re going, you won’t make it through…and neither will your mother.”

She couldn’t argue. Lindsay was absolutely right. But, Ashleigh wouldn’t have given in if it wasn’t for the reference to her mother, which of course Lindsay had known when she’d made the offer. Ashleigh still wasn’t completely comfortable though. “Savannah’s still having nightmares.”

“It’ll be all right, Ashleigh. Savannah is like a daughter to me, you know that. Besides, Kevin will be home if I need help.”

Lindsay’s husband was great with Savannah, with all kids really. He was like a giant teddy bear, the one all the kids gravitated to when they had a get together. Savannah would be fine with Lindsay and Kevin, and she loved spending time with the twins.

“Okay, I guess. Thank you, Lindsay. I really am tired and need a break.”

Lindsay tucked a stray strand of hair behind Ashleigh’s ear. “I know. Why don’t you go and get some sleep? Kyle and I can finish up here.”

“I think I’ll stop by the Bronson house and clean the cabana before I go home.” Lindsay put her hand up as if to protest, but Ashleigh anticipated the argument and cut her off before she had the chance. “I know, I know. It will only take me about a half hour, an hour tops, and then I can go home and crash. I won’t even have to set the alarm clock. I can sleep as late as I want, and then go to the beach.”

“Well, get out of here then.”

Ashleigh didn’t have to be told twice.

****

Cole sat on the beach, watching waves crash against the shore. The moon was bright with a sky crystal clear and filled with stars. He lay back on the sand, clasped his hands behind his head, and stared at millions of tiny pinpoints of light dotting the immense blackness. Although he knew Bob and a few of the other bodyguards were watching him from various vantage points along the back of the house, Cole could at least enjoy the illusion of privacy, if not the actuality.

Visions of Ashleigh filled his mind—her smile, the flow of her long hair, the sadness in her eyes.

“Boss.”

Cole was annoyed at having his dream interrupted. “What’s the matter, Bob?”

“Your lady friend just entered the cabana.”

Cole jumped up. What would she be doing there at this time of the night? “Is she alone?”

“Yes, sir. She appears to be cleaning.”

“What?”

“I said…”

“I heard what you said. Stop being a smart ass, Bob.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “I don’t understand why she would be cleaning at this time of night.”

“I don’t know. Would you like one of us to approach her and ask? It wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the Bronsons to have security in place. I wanted to check with you before we intervened.”

“No, thanks, Bob. Leave her be. I’ll take care of it.”

Cole brushed the sand from his pants and walked up the dunes toward the house, as Bob faded back into the darkness. Light poured out of the cabana as he climbed the stairs to the walkway that led to the deck. When he got closer, he spied through the window and saw her moving around the room. He leaned his elbows on the railing, standing where he was, watching her clean the house, imagining what it would be like to come home to Ashleigh every night.

Wow, where had that thought come from? Cole had never, ever entertained the idea of having a woman to come home to. He enjoyed his privacy too much. Ashleigh had him confused as hell. What was she doing to him? He breathed deeply to slow his rapid heartbeat.

He pushed from the railing and continued to the cabana. He didn’t want to startle her, but at three o’clock in the morning, he didn’t know how to approach her without doing so. He knocked twice and pushed the door open. He realized his knock went unheard when he was met with the hum of the vacuum. He studied Ashleigh for a minute doing such a domestic task, making him think of them curled together on the couch, cocooned in the warmth of the flames from the fireplace with the aroma of cookies baking in the oven.

He choked on a laugh. His crazy fantasies were getting out of hand. He turned to leave, but her scream brought him up short.

Chapter Five

Ashleigh’s heart stopped. She had just finished vacuuming, turned to pull the plug and get ready to go home, when she spotted a man standing in the doorway. Startled, she screamed. Her heart stuttered and then raced so fast and hard, she thought it might jump out of her chest. She gasped for breath.

“It’s okay.” Cole held his hands out in front of him, palms toward her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Are you crazy? What are you doing here?” Upon recognizing him, she had initially been relieved, but should she be? Maybe he was stalking her. The sudden realization that they were alone, in a deserted beach house, in the middle of the night, started her heart pounding even harder.

When he began to step slowly toward her, she took several steps back. “Please, don’t be scared. I’m so sorry. I went for a walk on the beach when I left the club. I was sitting by the water when I saw the lights. I thought I’d check on the place.”

His excuse sounded plausible, but she was still nervous. When he stepped closer, she continued to step back until she hit the bar. Her heart raced. Cole reached for her and she froze, unable to take a breath.

“I’m sorry, Ashleigh. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

She laughed, hesitantly at first, but increasingly hysterical until she couldn’t catch a breath. She stared into Cole’s eyes, saw nothing but confusion, and laughed even harder. Unbelievable. This whole incident was ridiculous. Exhaustion had finally driven her crazy.

“I’m sorry.” That was all she could blurt out as she gasped for air.

“Are you okay?” He frowned.

She shook her head and inhaled a deep breath to gain some semblance of control. “I guess I’m overtired. I really am sorry.” She sighed and leaned against the bar.

Cole didn’t move. He just stood, staring into her eyes, seemingly transfixed by something he found there.

“Cole? Is there something wrong?” She wanted to reach out to him even though uncertainty stopped her.

“I don’t honestly know, Ashleigh. You do something to me I don’t understand, make me feel emotions I can’t explain.”

Surprised by his admission and unsure how to respond, Ashleigh stayed silent. Truth be told, she didn’t understand her attraction to him either.

When he reached for her hand, she didn’t shy away. He brushed a finger along her cheek as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The moment his fingers gently caressed her face, an electrical impulse of goose-bumps danced across the surface of her skin. She never had an immediate reaction like this to a man before. There was something different about Cole, something exhilarating that made her want to throw caution to the wind. He had her thinking about dreams and possibilities—things she hadn’t thought of in a very long time.

“What are you doing here so late?” He squinted as if trying to gather his own thoughts.

“I figured if I finished cleaning the cabana tonight, I could have the whole day off tomorrow.” She shrugged. “I obviously need a day off.” The initial adrenaline rush she had when she started cleaning had worn off and left her completely exhausted. She had to get some sleep. If she continued at such a hectic pace, she was going to end up sick.

“You look tired.”

That’s exactly what she wanted to hear from the man who made her see fireworks just by brushing a finger over her cheek.

“I am tired, Cole. I’ve been working since early this morning. Well, yesterday morning actually.”

“Are we still on for tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

Cole inched closer. He cradled her face between his hands and leaned forward. His lips softly touched hers, hesitantly, as if waiting to see if she would respond.

Her first instinct was to push away, but before she could act on it, her body melted into his embrace. A heated fire rushed through her, filling her with a desire that was foreign. She wanted to surrender all her pain, sadness, exhaustion, and just get lost in this one moment—in Cole’s arms.

The kiss grew more urgent, more demanding. He moved one hand down to settle at the small of her back, and supported her head with the other as he deepened the kiss. She couldn’t get enough of him. As if guessing her thoughts, he molded his body to hers until it felt as though they were one. Their hearts pounded in a combined frantic staccato, their breath came in short gasps, and…