turn around. “Hey, Shelby? Do you mind if we. . .?”
“Duck out of here and steal some time alone?” she says, finishing my question. She flashes us a smile and grabs onto her boyfriend’s hand. “I don’t mind at all.”
I turn back to Ash. “Wanna get out of here?”
He nods. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter 5
“Are you still in there?” Ash calls out from my bedroom.
“Yes,” I call back sarcastically.
“You’ve been in there for hours and I’m dying without you.”
I walk to my closet door and poke out my head, giving him a look. “It has been like three minutes, you big baby.”
Ash’s frown gets even more pronounced as he curls out his bottom lip and gives me a serious case of puppy eyes. He falls backward on my bed and the pillows bounce around his head. “This isn’t fair.”
“I’m just trying to look nice for you,” I say, closing the closet door and retreating back into my massive walk in closet to stand in front of my mirror. “You big baby,” I say again, but I’m not sure he can hear it.
After sneaking out of the track, we went back to my house where I promptly told him to wait on me while I changed clothes. I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror when I got home—I looked like a total bum. Ugh. But now my hair has been brushed and pulled into a cuter messy bun than it was before. My hair hasn’t been washed in a day so there’s not much else I can do to it. But I’ve changed into black leggings and a pink sleep shirt that looks sexy in an understated way. Now I lean over the mirror and apply makeup ninja-style, aka: as fast as possible. I only get one night with Ash before he jets off again and I’m going to look hot, dammit.
A few minutes later I open my closet door again, slowly, and deliberately so as to make an entrance. Ash is lying on his side, head propped up on his arm while he looks at his phone.
“Ahem,” I say, leaning against the doorframe in what is my best impression of being sexy.
Ash looks up and smiles, immediately shoving his phone to the side. “There you are.”
“Here I am?” I say, lifting an eyebrow. “I’m always here.” I walk across the room and place a knee on the foot of my bed. “It’s you that’s always gone.”
“I’m sorry, babe,” he says, reaching out his arms to me. “It won’t be forever.”
“Mmmhmm,” I say, but I can’t keep up the act anymore. I grin and crawl onto the bed, nestling myself next to Ash, exactly where I belong. “I missed you.”
“I’m here now.” He kisses the top of my head and puts a hand under my chin, bringing my face up to look at his. When he kisses me, I close my eyes and pretend that we can stay like this forever. I push away all of the sad thoughts about him leaving tomorrow and bury them under that little knot that hides in my stomach, taking up residence every time he leaves town again.
“Sometimes I forget how beautiful you are,” he murmurs, peering into my eyes as I trace the motorcycle logo on his shirt. “I mean, I’ll be missing you in California and I can tell people how ridiculously hot my girlfriend is and then I get home and see you and it’s like I was completely wrong. You are hotter than my memory tells me.”
“Ash,” I say, bopping him on the nose. “Flattery like that will get you anything you want.”
“Oh yeah?” He lifts an eyebrow and the suggestive tone in his voice, coupled with the glint in his gorgeous blue eyes sends a chill down my spine. “I have a lot more where that came from.”
I lean in and kiss him, then pull away and shake my head. “I don’t want to talk right now,” I say, sliding my hand up his chest and around his neck. “I just want to be with you.”
He smells amazing when I tuck my face into his shoulder and for a moment I can’t believe how lucky I am to have Ash Carter in my bed right now. He could have any girl he wants and yet he’s chosen me. I can’t help but smile.
Ash’s