Page 10 of One Night Rendezvous

"But I need something for myself, Ashley. I need to be Ford the man, and not Ford the father. Felicity needs me to have a life outside of her as much as I do too. Will you help me find who I am now?" I question quietly, my voice intense and low enough for only her to hear me.

"Ashley." Gina's voice comes from the office. "There are people waiting. You should conduct your business in your own time, don't you think?"

The way her face falls pisses me off. It's obvious that Gina gets off on this, she likes to be the one who's in control and lording over others. I don't move, standing my ground. "I'm a paying customer, Gina. Don't forget that. If you'd like for me to give you my money, you'll let me finish having this conversation, and don't forget, I know where David got the money for this place."

She shuts her mouth and goes back to her office. Ashley gasps. "What the hell do you have on those two?"

"You don't wanna know, but tonight after nine, come over. I'll be done with our nighttime routine, dinner will be eaten, and Felicity will be asleep. We'll get the time together I'm needing, maybe if we're lucky we'll learn a few things too." I toss a five on the counter and head out of the store.

I've cleaned the counters twice, made sure our leftovers are put away, checked my clothes, and washed my hands three times as I wait for Ashley to show up. When I'm about to give up on her, there's a soft knock at the door. Yanking it open, she’s standing there, smiling at me both like a siren and also someone who has absolutely no idea how intriguing she is.

"Hey." I give her a grin. "Fee's asleep, and we should be good to go. No triggers or anything, so fingers crossed."

She ducks under my arm holding the door open and I get a whiff of her berry scent. "You know it doesn't bother me. It's a part of her story, and she can't help it, neither can you. I will never think bad about you because you need to drop being romantic to be a father. It's hot as hell, Ford." She turns with her back to my wall. "That being said, I'm nervous. I know of you, but I don't know you, and I tend to know people I'd like to sleep with."

I close the door and head in, sitting on the couch. "This town seems to think I'm an open book, Ash. Go on ask me a question or two, and I'll do the same for you."

I watch as she pulls her lip between her teeth, her eyes shining in the dim light coming into the living room. "That trailer your daddy had over on the hill—did it really just catch fire, or was it arson? It was a meth lab, right?"

I normally don't entertain any of these questions because I don't need the judgment, but I want to be honest with her, really want her to trust me, so although I shouldn’t, I'm going to answer it. "Please know the truth could get you hurt. You sure you wanna know?"

"Trust me enough to tell me, Ford," she presses, sitting so close I can feel the edge of her hair brushing my forearm.

I bring my palm up to her face, cupping her jaw, pulling her as close to me as I dare. "It was a meth lab, and it was arson, but they'll never be able to prove it,” I whisper.

She inhales deeply, nose flaring as I lean in and take this kiss. Digging my fingers in her hair, I scrape my nails against her scalp and kiss her deeply. Strong, passionate, and full of something I've never given anyone else.

The benefit of the doubt, and my trust.

NINE

Ashley

My God, this man can kiss. His mouth is on mine—hungry and insistent. He’s gently biting my lower lip, and the whole time, his hands are moving constantly from my shoulders, down to my waist, my hips and then further until he grabs my ass and hauls me against him. The hard ridge of his dick is pressing against me. It’s hot as hell, knowing just how much he wants me.

But doubt creeps in. He’s been single for a while. Single and not able to mingle, so to speak. Does he really want me, or does he just want to not be alone anymore? I’m not opposed to us being a little bit of anesthesia for one another. I just need to know going in so that I can protect myself. Heartbreak might seem romantic when you’re a stupid teenager, but when you’re a grown-ass woman whose life is a virtual shit show, the last thing you need is something else going wrong.

“Are we gonna pretend we’re just hanging out?” He asks the question, his breath hot against my neck.

“Are we … just hanging out?”

“If that’s all I wanted, Ashley, I could get that elsewhere. I wouldn’t have brought you into my home where my kid is,” he says. “I don’t bring women here who don’t matter.”

That scares me as much as it excites me. “Take me to your bedroom,” I tell him.

He steps back, but he keeps my hand in his as he pulls me toward his room. Luckily, it’s on the other side of the living room from Felicity’s.

When Ford walks backward toward his bedroom. pulling me with him, I don’t hesitate. I go willingly. Because I’m not strong enough to walk away from something I want this bad, even if it’s the smart thing to do. Before my ass even hits the mattress, I’ve got my hands under his shirt. His skin is burning hot and smooth beneath my fingers as I trace every line and ridge of his abs.

“Fuck, Ashley,” he breathes against my mouth. “I love feeling your hands on me.”

“Take your shirt off,” I tell him.

He rears back and does just that, tossing it aside with a careless flick of his wrist. And it’s so much better than I imagined. He’s lean and strong, with that little line of hair bisecting his abs and disappearing behind the waistband of his jeans. But it’s the tattoo on his chest that draws me in. It’s a phoenix, but it isn’t just rising from the ashes. It’s breaking free of chains that are trying to hold it in the fire. That tattoo tells me a story. It tells his story.

Reaching up, I trace the inked lines on his chest. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s what I want,” he says. “To break free of all the bullshit that’s been holding me back … holding me down.”

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