Chapter Three
Evan
“So, are you here for business or pleasure?” the woman asked, her breasts spilling from the tight purple dress she was wearing, and I looked at them before lifting my eyes to hers.
She smiled, satisfied that I’d noticed what she wanted me to. How could I not?
“Business,” I said, watching as she sat down on the empty stool to my side, “but it could easily be both.”
“Oh? I’ll have what he’s having,” she said to the bartender before turning back to me. “Can’t have a man like you drinking alone, can we?”
I nodded, keeping my eyes on her. Usually I liked my women much less formal and direct, but the town was small enough as it was, and the bar was practically empty. If I was going to have any female company that night, it was going to be with her.
“It’s a strong drink,” I said as she received hers and brought the glass to her lips.
She took a sip and winced, causing her to laugh.
“I’m Ashley, by the way,” she said, holding her hand out to me. “And you are?”
“…Pleased to meet you,” I answered with a sly smile.
“I see. So what does a girl have to do to find out your name?”
I felt her hand on my thigh, and I watched her as she slid it further up. I was almost certain that she knew who I was. Women didn’t just come up to a stranger and put their hands all over him unless they were in Amsterdam.
I wasn’t a stranger to female attention nor was I adverse to sex, but I liked to be in control. It should have been my hand on her leg and not the other way around.
I turned back to the bar and drank some more of my drink, contemplating whether I should take keen Ashley back upstairs.
She was pretty—decent body, nice eyes… I knew she wouldn’t say no and could almost feel the heat from her panties from where I was sitting, but something just wasn’t right. It just wasn’t there.
“What do you say we go back to your room and talk for a bit?” she asked, leaning in to me. “I’ve always been told I have a way with words, but I’d like to interpret that as meaning I’m good with my mouth. What do you think?”
“I think you’d better show me,” I said, downing the rest of my drink and hers too.
“Looks like you have a big appetite…” She pointed at our empty glasses, and I nodded.
“I guess it depends on what I’m eating…”
She stood up from the bar stool almost instantly, and I followed, taking her hand, and together we walked through the dark bar and into the lobby.
I’d already mentally undressed her before we got to the elevator, and inside, once the doors closed, I pressed her against the wall and kissed her, running my hands over her body in that tight dress. Instantly, I thought of Ally’s new curves. I thought of her body in the black dress earlier and it made me pull back.
“Something wrong?” Ashley asked.
I shook my head and went to kiss her again, pressing my hardening erection against her hip.
I reached behind her and pressed at what I thought was the button for my floor, before kissing my way down her neck, and she let out a small moan as my lips brushed her collarbone—and again I thought of Ally. I thought of how long it had been since I’d kissed her, and as I took my lips away from Ashley, I pounded the wall behind her with my fist.
Why, after twelve years, was she still having such a hold over me? Why the hell had I jeopardized everything and turned up at the funeral knowing that she’d be there and knowing that seeing her would resurface any hard feelings and lack of closure that I’d tried so hard to bury for all that time?
The doors opened on my floor, and Ashley practically pushed me off her and got out quickly.
“Coming?” she asked desperately. “Which way? Which one’s your room?”
I got out slowly, still not sure if I wanted to have sex with her or not.
“Look, Ashley…” I began, but she put her hand up.
“I’ll stop you there!” she snapped. “I’m here, okay? I’ve come all the way up here for you, so the least you could do is not lead me on and take me to your damn room.”
I pressed the elevator call button and kept my finger on it, suddenly annoyed that she felt like I owed her anything, and any feelings of lust that had been lingering faded instantly.
“The night’s over now,” I said firmly. “Thank you.”
“Thank you?” She walked past me and through the doors, pressing for the ground floor. “You know, you’re an ass just like everyone says you are, Evan. You’ve got money, but you can’t buy respect for others.”
“So you did know who I was?” I asked, realizing I’d allowed myself to take a complete stranger up to my room without a second thought. I had so much to lose that I couldn’t afford the risk of women like her in my company.
“Of course I know,” she spat as the doors started to close. “Everyone knows you’re the jerk from the city who turned his back on his friends here.”
I didn’t get a chance to speak as the beige doors shut, and I watched the numbers count down to the first floor.
I waited for a moment until I knew she was long gone, but her words weren’t. They remained with me as I walked down the corridor back to my room where I lay back on the bed with my eyes closed, trying to work out my next move—all the solutions pointed to seeing Ally. I knew the only answer to getting past her hold was to speak to her, sort through what had happened and why, and only then would I be able to move on with my life and not have to look back. I’d finally be able to let her go for good.