Page 43 of Fateful Exposure

"Hmm? Yes. Yes. I am."

"What was the last thing I said?"

I blinked. "Uh…that you have very pretty eyes?"

Maria heaved out a breath, her jaw set. "I don't appreciate you zoning out during important conversations. What are you even looking at?" She swung her head in the direction my gaze had been in, and it didn't take long for understanding to dawn on her. "Ahh. Careful there." She turned to face me. "Your jealousy is showing."

I snarled at her. "I'm not jealous. That's absurd."

"Is it? You look like you're this close to marching over there and sawing her head off for even looking in his direction."

"Maria, stop it." I didn't know if I was angry at myself for feeling jealous and letting it show or at Maria for noticing and voicing it out loud.

"I don't know what you're getting so worked up over. It's normal to feel jealous when you like someone." Maria shrugged, oblivious to the fact that I was this close to strangling her if she didn't shut the fuck up.

"For the last time, I do not like him, and I am not jealous," I said, a little too loudly, because the bustling studio suddenly quieted, and every eye turned to us.

Angry and flustered, I stormed out, marching to my office. What the hell was happening to me? It wasn't possible that I was liking him, was it? I mean, the sex was great, the best I'd ever had, actually, but good dick didn't matter if there was no depth.

I barged into my office, slamming the door so hard that it almost ripped off its hinges. I would be lying if I said Ashton lacked depth. He was the most passionate man I'd ever been with, and I wasn't just talking about the bedroom. Anyone who knew him would know how much he loved photography.

It was like in those few moments when he got to hold a camera and peer over at his subject, he came alive. The kind of electricity that left you no choice but to burn, igniting every fiber of your being with a sense of purpose and excitement. The type of passion I felt while creating designs.

That aside, I admired him. For someone who'd grown up under such unfavorable conditions, he'd done very well for himself. It takes a certain kind of strength to rise vehemently, especially when the odds are against you. And he wasn't bitter. Maybe a bit of a dick, but nothing too extreme. My point is he didn't blame life for dealing him disadvantageous cards. Instead, he'd taken the cards and turned them into a royal flush.

So, did I like him? Probably.

Yes, in fact.But it wasn't wise. Sleeping with him didn't help at all.

The door to my office burst open, and Ashton came barreling in, looking frantic.

"What's wrong, peaches? What happened?" he asked, his eyes searching my face as he shut the door behind him.

Given my realization, I didn't think being alone with him in the same room was the smartest idea. In truth, Ashton scared the fuck out of me. The kind of power he held over me was petrifying.

I swallowed, shaking my head. "Nothing. I'm fine."

The deep furrows of his brows told me he wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? You seemed pretty upset."

"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth, hoping he'd drop it. My gaze dropped. I couldn't look at him. It was too much. "We haveto get back out there. With both of us gone, people might suspect something."

"Maybe that you were jealous?"

I snapped my gaze to look at him, and to my absolute horror, he was grinning. I immediately became defensive. "That's the dumbest thing you've ever said. Why would I be jealous?"

His grin only spread wider. "I didn't say anything. You just said it all."

I cursed my stupid mouth for not knowing when to shut the fuck up. "You're delusional."

"No, today is Monday. I'm only delusional on Wednesdays. On Mondays, I'm delightful."

He took one menacing step forward, causing me to take one back. The look in his eyes told me that he was up for a game of cat-and-mouse, which would undoubtedly end with me either writhing against or under him.

I held out a hand to stop him even as I took another step back. "Ashton, stop it. We're in the office."

His gaze darkened. "Then maybe you should try to be quiet, yeah?"

My blood heated at the insinuation, and my thighs instinctively clenched. At times like this, I hated Ashton's control over mybody. We'd never done it in my office before. We were always waiting, building up the suspense until we crossed the threshold of my apartment.

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