Face to Face (4 page)

Now what, genius?
She knew Ash was probably thinking she
had a room at the local hotel. How would he react when she pulled into her
driveway?

As
she pulled out of the parking lot and turned left
heading to the house, she couldn’t stop tapping her fingers on the steering
wheel. Her nerves were getting the better of her.

The
drive to her house didn’t take as long as she would have liked. She had to f
igure out how to tell him the truth fast. Her driveway was
just ahead on the right.

Will he hate me?
His disappointment was one of her
biggest fears. She hoped she hadn’t lost his friendship. The turn signal chime
sounded loud in the small confines of her
car when
she flipped it on, showing Ash where they were going.

*
* * *

“Jess,
where are you going?” He wondered if she was lost until he saw her turn signal
flash.
This is the Cramer place. She must be
renting it while she’s here.
He’d always enjoyed th
e quiet of
the property at night when he’d spent time here as a kid. The
Cramers
’ son was his best friend during school.

He
climbed out of his truck when Jess parked in the garage. Once he reached her
car, he opened her door and watched her jump. “Easy the
re,
hon
, it’s just me.”

“Shit,
Ash, I almost punched you. Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Her nervousness was
evident in the tense way she held her shoulders.

He
couldn’t wait to hear her reason for not telling him about her coming to town.
He thought he
meant more to her than this. Maybe he
was wrong about her after all, not like that would be anything new. He was
normally wrong when it came to women and relationships, but doubting her wasn’t
sitting right with him. She’d never done anything to him to ear
n his distrust. She certainly wasn’t like the women from
his past. He would give her the chance to explain before he jumped to judgment.

He
was almost afraid to touch her, afraid she wouldn’t be real. Reaching out to
her, he waited for her to take his hand
. “I don’t
bite,
hon. Well, not hard anyway.”

Her
small smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Once he had her hand in his, her
fingers were like ice. As she stood up, he pulled her into his arms and inhaled
the clean scent of her coppery-brown hair. “You really are here.” Having her in
his arms seemed su
rreal, something he dared not even
dream about. He pulled back and took in her oval face, prominent cheekbones,
and slightly upturned nose. This time the smile reached her beautiful eyes. The
warm shades of amber with flashes of gold made him think of Jack
Daniels on the rocks.

“Yes,
I’m really here. Let’s go in where it’s warmer.”

Not
wanting to let her go, he retained hold of her hand as she led him toward the
house. He was in no hurry to release her, though he needed to. She pulled her
hand and he let h
er slip from his grip when they
reached the door.

Following
her inside, he asked, “Are you renting while you’re here, or did the company?”

“I
bought it.” She turned her back to hang up her coat.

“I
don’t understand. Why would you buy a house here?” He move
d up behind her, nudging her shoulder to turn her back
around to face him. She slowly turned to face him again, obviously having a
hard time looking him in the eyes. Instead, she dodged him and laid her phone
on the coffee table before turning to look at h
im.

“I
don’t think you real
ize
that
when I asked you
about meeting last month, it wasn’t just to see if we could have a
long-distance relationship. The job was a done deal and I was coming out here
anyway.”

*
* * *

The
pain that flashed in Ash’s eyes was
too obvious to
ignore. Jess knew she’d hurt him by keeping the move from him, but she’d dealt
with the situation the best she
knew how
at the time.

“I’m
sorry, Ash.”

Without
saying a word, he turned and walked back out the door, slamming it as he
disappea
red into the dark garage.

Jess
was too stunned to move. The sound of his truck revving up and pulling out of
her driveway had her mouth snapping shut and her body on the run for the door
Ash had stormed through.

As
she hit the center of the front yard, all
she could
see was the red glow of his taillights disappearing down the road. The
realization he might very well have walked out of her life for good had her
dropping to her knees in the damp grass.

“Now what?”
Tears came fast, unbidden, and hot.

She
had n
o idea how long she’d been kneeling there. All
she knew was Ash had left her instead of letting her explain. Now her legs were
wet and cold where her pants had soaked up the moisture that had collected on
the lawn from the temperature change as the night d
eepened.

Stumbling
to her feet, she made her way back into the house, which seemed a whole lot
emptier once Ash had been there, only to walk back out. Locking the door behind
her, she sat at her desk, still crying, debating whether to turn on her
computer.
Will Ash be online or should I text him
an ‘I’m sorry’?

Unable
to find the energy to reach up and turn on her computer or the courage to see
that Ash wasn’t there, she sat staring at a blank, black monitor. The clock in
the kitchen ticked off every passin
g second. She
never looked at the timepiece hanging on the wall, just sat li
stening to the seconds tick
away.

The
passage of time became unimportant. Nothing mattered at the moment
. She should have handled the move better, told him she was
coming, even if he didn’t want a relationship.
But
would he have thought I did it on purpose? That I moved out here to push him
into a relationship he didn’t want?

Her
phone ringing and vibrating
across the coffee table
interrupted her agonizing questioning of the choices she’d made. She knew the
ringtone,
Shiftwork
by Kenny Chesney, the one she’d picked
specifically for Ash. The song fit him perfectly.

Sitting
down on the couch, she reached for th
e phone. The
screen lit up with Ash’s picture. The smiling image of him on her cell phone
screen was almost too difficult to look at. Without further hesitation, she
slid her thumb across the green handset symbol, answering his call.

“Hello.”

There
was no
reply. She heard music in the background as
she waited for him to say something.

“Ash,
I know you’re there. You had the balls to call, the least you can do is say
why.”

“Jess,
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run out on you like I did.”

“No,
you shouldn’t have.
”

“Let
me make it up to you.
Dinner and a
movie on Saturday?”

“Only if you come here.
We need to talk this out.
The sooner the better.”

“Deal.
I’ll bring dinner, you pick the movie. How about six
o’clock?”

“Sounds
like a plan.
Any preferences in
movie?”

“None.
The movie doesn’t matter, Jess. I think you know that.”

“I
do. I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Good
night, Jess.”

“Sweet
dreams, Ash.”

Chapter Three

At
six o’clock on the dot, she heard the rumble of Ash’s truck pulling into her
driveway. Finally, h
e was here. The week had dragged
on so slowly she thought tonight would never get there.

With
one last look in the mirror, she headed to the door.

Pulling
the door open, she said, “Hi!
Nothing
like being punctual.
What did you do, wait down the road until
almost six?”

“Something
like
that.” Ash looked a bit flushed, as if
he wasn’t feeling so well.

“Are
you okay?”

“Just a bit nervous.
My manne
rs have been quite lacking the p
ast few times we’ve talked. I have a lot
of apologizing to do.”

“I
haven’t helped
the situation much. Come on in. We
can’t get anything settled standing in the doorway.”

He
entered with several grocery bags dangling from his hands.

“So
what’s for dinner?” She took a few of the bags from him, the ones he allowed
her to take, anyway.

“I
figured we could start with a small salad while we
cooked a couple steaks and baked potatoes. Hope you don’t
mind
us fixing dinner here instead of
ordering in or going out.”

“I
think it’s a great idea. I have a new convection oven, and the top has a grill
insert we can give a try.” She removed
the items from the bags and put
things away to make space for
everything else he’d brought. The salad was a baby spring mix all ready f
or the other vegetables and toppings. He’d thought of
everything, all the salad toppings she could think
of
sat on her counter. “I can’t believe
you remembered I love a good
ribeye
.”

“Jess…”

“Yes.”

“Can
we talk this out before we cook? I don’t really want
any
distraction
s
, so we can get this over with and move
on.”

“Sure.
Let’s go in the living room where it’s more comfortable.” She led him to the
couch.

Once
he was seated, she walked back toward the kitchen. “Would you like something to
drink? I’m going to
make a quick glass of liquid
courage. I have Jack, if you’re interested.”

“Sure,
better make it a double,
please
.”

She
could feel his eyes on her as she moved around the kitchen. Grabbing the
glasses from the cupboard and opening the freezer, the sound of
ice pinging against glass interrupted the silence that had
settled over the room.

This
explanation was going to be tough. She sucked in a breath gathering her courage
before she took him his drink.

“Why
didn’t you tell me you were moving here? I could ha
ve
helped,” he said immediately.

“You
didn’t sound enthusiastic about meeting, so I assumed asking for help would be
encroaching on boundaries a bit.” She sent up a small prayer he wouldn’t see
her hand trembling as she passed him his drink.

“I
told you wh
y I acted like an idiot. So why not tell
me after I explained my reaction?”

He
grabbed her wrist with his left hand, pulling her down onto his lap as she
released the glass into his right hand.

“I
already had the movers hired. Everything was organized and
ready to go.”

The
silence loomed heavy between them.

“Forget
it,
Ash,
I didn’t do it to push you. I’ll keep to myself, anytime
you want to
talk,
you know how to get ahold of me.
Remember I love you, no matter what. The only thing holding you back is you—”

His
voice boomed in the large room, cutting off her speech as his arm tightened
around her waist, keeping her in place on his lap
when she tried to get up
. “Hold on a damn second, woman. I’m
just trying to understand why you thought you needed to hide your
move and why in the world you want to be with me.”

His
grip
around her waist
loosened
, but he didn’t completely release her.
She was so tense he probably feared she’d snap if he moved. Leaning his
forehead on her shoulder, he said, “Jess, please relax. Y
ou act as if we’re strangers. You know more about me than
anyone, besides maybe my mother. You’ve told me yourself, I know more about you
than any other man ever has.”

“Twelve
years of my opinions and needs being ignored any time I brought them up taught
m
e not to even bother opening my mouth about things I
want. I guess I was afraid of another rejection, to be honest. To hear you
weren’t interested when I would be in the same town as you would have been
awful. You’re about as perfect as a man can get, at l
east
for me.”

The
smooth sound of Ash’s laugh warmed her chilled soul. She had wanted him for so
long, she was afraid to hope her plan would come together.

“I
stand behind my previous
statement,
you are great for a man’s ego.”

She
grinned and shifted to fa
ce him as much as she could
without straddling his lap. That might have been a little much at this point.
She would let him lead this dance. “I’m not stoking anyone’s ego, just speaking
the truth I see and feel.”

Waiting
to see what he would d
o,
she
gazed
at him as he
gently palmed her cheek. H
is blu
e eyes sparkled as he smiled
,
t
iny
streaks of green radiated from the pupils.
The color was
quite fascinating.

The
warmth of his touch had her leaning into his hand. Dreams of this moment came
flooding back to h
er. None of them came close to the
sensation the reality stirred in her. Desire filled her as they gazed at each
other.
Will he run or explore what we could
have together?

“Jess,
you’re thinking too hard. I can actually hear the gears in your brain turning
. Stop thinking and just feel.”

Ash
hesitated a moment before he pulled her in close, his gaze never leaving her
face. When all she could see were his blue eyes, his lips grazed hers, almost
too light to truly be called a touch.

She
closed
her eyes to savo
r the light brush
of his lips against hers. As she sighed
his lips
slid across
hers again. The action caused a flutter
in her chest and small tremors of pleasure to course up and down her spine.

Her
tension faded away as he deepened the kiss. Tilting his h
ead, he took complete control of her mouth. The once light
brushes of his lips became heavy, demanding, desperate caresses.

The
air in the room carried a sudden charge of energy that ran across her skin. Her
pulse raced and her breathing quickened to match
the
rhythm he’d set when he took command of body and soul.

She
slipped her arms around his neck, running her hands up his neck to his hair.
The ponytail holder was easy to pull out as she gripped the soft strands in her
hand. The fantasy had finally
become reality. His hai
r was as lush as she imagined when
she ran her fingers through the long
locks, letting them spill out around them.
A moan rumbled through him as
she grasped a handful near his scalp.
Thinking she could get the upper hand, she pushed
the
kiss a little further. He had a different plan. He slid his tongue into her
mouth. No hesitation, no sen
se of insecurity, it was a full-
on, sensual attack on her senses.

The
spicy scent of his cologne stirred her hunger while his tongue dancing with he
rs had her clenching her thighs together.
God,
I need him, need this.

Pulling
back, she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and caressed it with a glide
of her tongue. After a small suck she released him, leaned her forehead against
his, asking, “Why d
id we wait so long?”

“Because I’m an insecure jackass.”

She
pul
led back to look him
in the eye
.
“I can’t find an argument for that one at the moment.” She couldn’t completely
hide the small laugh that worked its way out.

His
hand flew up to cover his heart
.
“Ouch, so much for being good for my ego.
I don’t blame you, I screwed up, but
you should have told me the whole truth. Seeing you the other night floored me.
I should be beyond pissed at you for not telling me everything.”

Suddenly
serious again, she cl
asped the hand over his heart.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to think I was pushing myself on you. The move,
the new job, and your rejection when I first asked about meeting all left me
struggling to find the right words to tel
l you.” Her eyes burned with
forming
tears.

Ash
wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. With her head resting on his
shoulder, his scent and cologne once again overwhelmed her. He smelled fresh,
like rain mixed with newly ground spices. The knot that had grown in her
stomach s
ince she moved loosened the more he rubbed
her back and whispered several apologies for his behavior in her ear.

“You
need to stop apologizing. We are both at fault here. I should have come right
out and told you instead of testing the waters, so to speak.
”

“I
don’t think I gave you much choice with the way I’ve handled—or not
handled—things in the past.”

Hugging
him tightly, she said, “No more talk of the past. This is a new beginning, we
need to grab the chance and run.” She
gaz
ed
into his eyes. “Don’t lo
ok back or we’ll make the
same mistakes we always have.”

Ash
released a breath he’
d
apparently been holding, leaned down, and captured her lips in a slow,
leisurely kiss, nothing like the one before. This one was more relaxed,
enabling them to simply enjoy
each other.

As
her need to get closer rose, she found herself pressed up against his chest. If
she could have become his second skin, she would have at that moment. The flex
of his muscles as he moved against her sent her desire spiraling higher. She
turn
ed the tables this time by sliding her tongue
into his mouth to circle his. The muscles in his back beneath her palms
twitched.

Ash
pulled back enough to break their connection and took a breath. “Damn, you make
it hard for a guy to be a gentleman.”

“Who
s
aid I needed a gentleman right now? I asked you to
be yourself.” She managed to find the strength to not beg him to fuck her hard
and fast.

“My
mother raised a gentleman, Jess. You have no idea how bad I want to throw you
down and ravish you, but I was tau
ght to treat women
with respect.”

“
Aw, the
idea of letting you have
your way with me sounded pretty good.”
She got a smile out of him with an exaggerated pout. “But ravishing
someone isn’t always disrespectful.
Sometimes a woman wants a man to want her so
much he
can hardly control himself. But I understand and appreciate your honesty.”
Somehow she was able to keep the
disappointment from her voice.