If You Love Me Read Online Free Page B

with you, Amy?” Ashley asked.
    “Don’t
look now but Ross is on the other side of the room and I think he just spotted
us,” Amy replied with a grimace.
    “Oh, crap,
that’s all I need,” Ashley replied, rubbing her palms on her jeans as she
looked down. “Maybe he didn’t see us.”
    “Too late,
he’s heading our way.”
    The waitress
brought their drinks and Ashley took a sip of her beer she told Amy to talk to
her.
    “Just act
normal.”
    “How in
the world can anything be normal about this?” Ashley asked as she took another
drink.
    “Ashley,
Amy, how are the two of you? I can’t believe my luck, running into you here
tonight,” the deep, masculine voice said.
    “Hello,
Ross. What brings you back to Indy after all this time?” Amy asked in an
attempt to spare Ashley from having to speak.
    “I thought
it was about time I came back for a visit. Ashley, it’s good to see you, babe.”
    “Hello,
Ross,” Ashley replied in a low voice.
    “Mind if I
sit?” he asked.
    “Suit
yourself,” Ashley replied. She allowed her gaze to wander over his magnificent
features. Still muscled and tanned with hair bleached by the sun, she had to
wonder where he’d been spending his time and with whom.
    They
engaged in small talk, catching up on the happenings around town until the band
started to play. When a slow song began, Ross looked over at Ashley. “Dance
with me, babe?”
    Ashley
shrugged. “I guess one dance won’t hurt anything.” She wanted to know where
he’d been since he’d walked out on her. A dance would give her a chance to find
out without Amy, or anyone else, listening to the conversation.
    As they
walked onto the dance floor and he took her in his arms. “How’ve you been?”
    “I’ve been
fine, Ross. How about you? Where’ve you been hiding all this time?”
    He pulled
her closer. “I haven’t been hiding anywhere, babe. I’ve been in Florida,
surfing and soaking up the sun, running a surf shop on the beach. My kind of
life, you know. The old nine-to-five just ain’t my thing.”
    “How well
I know,” she replied.
    “I guess
you’re still sitting at a computer every day, crunching numbers? I don’t know
how you do it.”
    “I enjoy
my work. I always have.”
    “I hear
rumblings about trouble in paradise, babe. I know you didn’t waste any time
finding a guy to settle down with after I left. Has to make me wonder if it was
me you wanted back then or just any guy to marry.”
    “I wanted you back then, Ross. But when you made
your feelings quite clear that you didn’t want a life with me, I moved on. I
met a wonderful man and we got married because we both wanted to.”
    “Ah, but I
guess you found out I was right about the whole marriage thing after all, huh?
I mean…I heard you and Mr. Wonderful split. The whole happily-ever-after thing
isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, is it?”
    “Contrary
to any rumors you may have heard, my husband and I have not split. We had some
issues but it’s all going to work out.”
    “Ever the
optimist, aren’t you? I think you should just shuck the whole crazy idea of
staying married, leave the boring desk job, and come to Florida with me. We
could have the life, babe, living on the beach, doing what we want when we
want. You could help me run the surf shop.”
    “Maybe
that’s not what I want, Ross. You always seem to forget about what I want. It’s
always been about what you want.”
    He leaned
his face close to hers and as the song ended, he kissed her. “Tell me that
didn’t spark something.”
    She stood
in the middle of the dance floor and glared at him. “Don’t you ever do that
again, Ross Canter. I’m a married woman. I don’t go around kissing random guys
on the dance floor.”
    “I don’t
think you’re as married as you say you are and I don’t think I’m exactly a random
guy.”
    She walked
off in a huff. When she got to the table, she picked up her purse. “Take me
home, now, or I’m calling a