Loving A Romano (6 page)

Chapter Seven

“Heather wanted me to remind you to call Maura.” Glancing out of the corner of her eye she saw him nod his head in acknowledgement. Indecision moved across his face like a shadow but he remained silent.

“I would have thought for sure David would be down by now. You know giving me the evil eye and dropping not so subtle hints that I need to leave.” His head was still lowered and all of his focus was on the coffee in front of him.

Had there been a hint of accusation in his voice or was it just Ashley’s own guilty conscious? She wasn’t sure. Her thoughts had been so crowded this morning she hadn’t allowed herself time to consider what must be going through his head since realizing David had been in the house last night. She glanced in his direction again. He refused to look at her.

“He left already.”

Could he have heard any of their argument? Her bedroom door had been open and he had been just down the hall. David hadn’t exactly been whispering. The neighbors across the street had probably heard him.

“I guess I’d better leave before he comes back then huh?”

She threw another quick glance in his direction. He just sat there taking slow sips of his coffee. He knew. She was certain of it.

“David won’t be coming back. We broke up.” No pain or remorse could be found as she uttered the words. Not even the slightest bit of disappointment that it was over. Just an odd sense of relief.

“Are you okay with that?”

Hmmm…. am I okay with it? No more arguing about the amount of time you spend at my house. No more making excuses for why my new boyfriend refuses to interact with my second family. No more endless conversations about what he was going to do after football. No more enduring boring lack luster sex.

“Yeah I’m okay with it.”

He paused as if trying to decide on his next words. Uneasiness settled in her chest making it hard to breathe. The tension between them was strained and palpable. “Did your decision have anything to do with what happened last night?”

There it was. The one question she had wanted most not to answer.

“I can’t deny that what happened last night caused me to deal with some things really wrong between me and David. Things I’d been avoiding.”

Long moments of silence followed her reply. Chancing a glance in his direction she noticed his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. She wondered what was going on inside his head.

“I heard you tell Heather you were off today.”

He wasn’t going to press the conversation. Ashley slowly released the breath of air she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

“I figured I owed it to myself to begin the weekend a little early. Besides starting Monday I’ll be putting all my focus and energy into the Blaze event that’s coming up in about nine months. I’ll be in overdrive until it’s done.”

Wade shifted on his stool bringing his leg in close contact with hers. All thoughts of the issues surrounding what had happened last night fled at the touch. In their place were only the memories and how much she wanted to do it again. She had to force herself to concentrate on breathing.

“Do you want to do something with me today?”

Man did she ever? What would he do if she just reached over and stroked his chest? Would he object if she gently tugged on one of those shiny rings piercing his nipples as she’d done last night? Her stomach muscles clenched. Ashley pressed her legs tighter together to prevent her juices from escaping the sides of her panties. Her body had been on a slow simmer since she’d collided with him in the hall and now it was almost at the point of boiling over. She attempted to pull her mind away from the path it was headed down.

“I don’t think so. But thanks for the offer.” She took another sip of her coffee.

She felt the heat of his gaze on the side of her face but refused to look over at him for fear of what she would see. It might be the undoing for the small control she maintained over her own desires.

“Not even if I agree to watch the TV all day?” he asked in a coaxing.

She turned a heated gaze in his direction. Just the two of them curled up on her couch under a blanket. There was no telling what wandering hands would find. Lord help her.

“You really shouldn’t look at me like that,” he said setting his coffee cup down before turning in her direction on his stool. “Unless of course you’d like a repeat of last night.”

Hell yeah. Repeat performance now please, her body responded. No, she tried to reason. But he did look good and oh how she wanted to grab his hand and head to the closest flat surface. She wondered if they could do it on the island. The thought brought her up short. It had been a long time since she’d felt so reckless about sex.

It felt kind of good just thinking about all the possibilities of having sex in every room of her house with Wade. He sure as hell had the stamina for it. Heat rose up her neck as she remembered exactly how much he had. She was surprised she’d had the strength to leave his room and go to hers before David woke up this morning.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she finally answered turning her focus once more on her cup of coffee.

He rose from his seat and he gripped her hips, turning her to face him. He spread her legs gently and moved between them. The imprint of his hardened desire pressed against her center.

“I think it’s a fabulous idea and so does my little friend here.”

He slowly moved against her. His hands lightly caressed her thighs through the material of her sweat pants. The intensity of his gaze held her captive. She couldn't look away. What he wanted from her was displayed clearly in his eyes and by the hard body pressed against hers.

She wanted it just as bad as he did but this was a new day. Last night she’d been overwhelmed by a need so great she couldn't deny it any longer. It had driven her to the room where his scent lingered in the air. She’d needed to be close to him. When she’d first noticed him standing there at the foot of the bed she’d thought he was a figment of her sex starved mind. But at the first touch of his hands on her skin, her first taste of him, she’d realized it was no dream. It was real. Her common sense had attempted to make a return but she’d pushed it to the back as she’d finally given in to a desire that had been riding her hard for years.

Ashley sighed in frustration over the impossibility of the situation she found herself in. If he were any other guy, she wouldn't have denied herself for so long despite their difference in age or race. But he wasn’t. This was Wade—Joey and Maura’s son and her best friend’s brother. They’d entrusted her time and time again with his care. She felt as if she’d already betrayed their trust last night. How could she allow it to happen again?

Wade placed two fingers beneath her chin forcing her to look at him. Her chest constricted and her stomach clenched at what she saw. There were storm clouds brewing. If she was going to find strength to deny them both what they so obviously wanted it was now or never.

“Wade.”

“Shhh,” he said placing a finger to her lips. “Let me just enjoy this for a little while longer before you bore me with all the many reasons why you don’t think we should be doing this.”

His thumb worried her bottom lip until they parted. Of its own will her tongue escaped and tasted him. Strong arms folded her gently against his chest. He placed a kiss softly against her neck before moving down to her shoulder where he pushed the material away so he could nibble the soft skin there. It was like fighting a losing battle. Her body was against her and the longer she allowed his touch the more muddled her brain became. Her breath came out in short gasps as his hands cupped her breasts through the material of her shirt. She felt his smile against her skin when she titled her head to allow him better access.

What was she doing?
She was supposed to be discouraging him not encouraging him. But it was hard to think through the fog of pleasure he was wrapping around them.

“You feel even better in the bright light of day,” he whispered against her ear.

His breath came out in shallow puffs of air against her skin. Ashley realized he was on the same edge she was on. His hands moved slowly down her back until he gripped her ass. Squeezing and pulling her closer. She wanted to scream. It was as if he had a road map of her body and all the places that could garner the best reaction.

Her body relaxed even more against his. Oh it had been so long since a man’s touch had made her feel like this. At some point between last night and this morning she’d made an effort to tell herself she’d reacted strongly to him because it had been awhile since she’d had sex. In the cold harshness of day the excuse no longer rang with even a hint of truth. When had he grown into this man with the power to turn her to mush? Where had her little Nicki gone? The thought brought home the reality of what she was doing.

“Nicki.”

She heard and felt his deep sigh. His head lifted slowly. Desire filled eyes bore into her.

“Don’t do this Ashley. Don’t deny both of us what we want. We were good last night. You can’t deny that.” The pleading tone of his voice demanded she be honest.

“No I can't that.”

“Then why dammit? Why can’t you just let this happen? Let it play out. See where it goes.”

If only it were that simple. The consequences were too high.

“Nicki it’s not that simple and you should know that.”

His body tensed against hers. His barely controlled anger was a tangible thing in the small breath of space separating them.

“You mean because of your friendship with Heather don’t you? You think she’d object to our getting together? What the hell am I saying? Of course she would. She’s never thought I was good enough for you or more accurately she’s always thought you were too good for me.” He ran agitated fingers through his hair as he appeared to be mulling over what he’d just said. Solemn blue eyes gazed down at her.

“And she’s right. You are too good for me. Always have been. No matter how much money I have in my trust fund it doesn’t change the truth. I’m nothing like the guys you normally date but I know that I can be a better person with you in my life. For you I can be better. Do better.”

A war raged inside of her and she felt trapped. Trapped between what her body was screaming at her to go for and what her head was telling her was impossible. Ashley had yet to see anything different of him than what she seen but her heart told her otherwise. She prayed for the blinders that had allowed her the strength to ignore her attraction to him for so many years to magically reappear. She didn’t want to know that no matter her course of action, either way things had changed forever between them.

“You shouldn’t have to change to be with someone. That person should want you just like you are. In all your trust fund glory.” A small smile came to her lips.

In that moment as she stood staring at the man in front of her, Ashley finally admitted the truth of what she had been hiding from for years. She wanted Wade Romano, wanted him with a depth of desire and need that frightened her. Her mind raced back over the last several years trying to figure out how she could have let this happen? Was it too late to stop it? Dammit she couldn't think with him pressed so close against her.

“There’s so much at stake. I think it’s best if we stop now before it has a chance to get too far out of control.” As the words left her mouth she realized it was already too late. Things had been out of her control for some time now and she hated it. She’d never been one to sit around and just allow life to happen to her. She made no excuses for the way she lived her life and went after what she wanted with everything she had. It was the way she had been raised. Before her was something she wanted more than her next breath and she was attempting to convince herself of why it couldn't be.

“Ashley I have waited for you to stop seeing me as that little chubby kid you first met. Just when it looks like you have what you want, you run in the opposite direction.”

A clear image of the little boy he used to be came to mind and an unexpected smile appeared at the memory.

“But I kind of liked that little boy.”

Strained laughter met her comment. He pulled her closer to him. Memories from last night replaced those of years past. His touch. The feel of his tongue licking up the inside of her thighs.

“I think you’ll like the grown up version even better if you’d just give him a chance.”

“But Wade what about ….”

He brushed his lips against her parted ones before thrusting his tongue between them to sweep the inside of her mouth. Her body tensed initially but as the sensual assault continued, she relaxed against him. Trembling hands roved across his smooth shoulders as he thrust his tongue deeper into her mouth. Strong fingers gripped her hips, pulling her closer. His hips began thrusting against her in a rhythm that matched the movements of his tongue into her mouth. Her legs opened slightly to allow him to get closer to where she wanted him to be.

Ring … ring …

Ashley jerked in response to the loud shrill tone, effectively ending their kiss. Not bothering to glance up to see Wade’s reaction to the interruption, she pushed against his chest and slid off the stool.

“Hello?” she answered hoping her voice came out sounding calmer than what she felt.