Page 101 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Reading his little books at the gym, and looking at pictures of her mom, planning a picnic to go with the last-minute hike and thatgiftand now… this.

He cut her a slice first, and the fudgy ganache was heavy and delicious on her tongue, the cheesecake moist and spongy and soft.

“Oh, it’s really good,” she practically moaned. Besides her coffee on a good day, she didn’t indulge in sweets too much, and this wasextrasweet.

“Okay, fine, I’m eating a small piece. My nutritionist can sue me,” Cam declared, and made grabby hands at Dylan.

The alpha’s lips twitched, but he dutifully cut a small slice for Cam before passing it over.

“Oh my god,” Cam whined, and Ashley stiffened with the desire to respond to it. “This is so good.”

“I chose well,” Dylan gloated.

“So when do we get the story?” River asked. “You two grew up together, right?”

Ashley hesitated with the fork in front of her and slid it between her lips as she met Dylan’s gaze.

Do we tell them?he seemed to ask.

I don’t really care—they’re your sins,she wanted to say.

“We grew up together, yeah. Dylan and I went to the same schools and didn’t live too far from one another,” she offered. She’d let Dylan fill in the rest.

“Oh my god, that’s cute,” Cam said. “Did you present at the same time?”

Ashley’s heart banged around her chest at the sensitive subject, anticipating Dylan’s answer. “Uhhh, no,” Dylan said, cheeks flushing. “I presented before Ashley, and left with my sister—an omega—to look after her at college. Or at least that’s what I told myself I was doing,” he said, lifting his eyes. Their stare lingered, and his eyes softened when he looked at her.

It made her chest hurt.

“I was a young, scared idiot. Then it all blew up in my face and Wes found me. Been there ever since.”

“And now you’re here,” Ashley mused. Despite all the time and distance and stubbornness that had separated them, Dylan ended up righthere.

Within reach again.

“So… movie night?” Cam asked, cutting through the tension with the ease of a knife.

The lock of their gazes broke and Ashley cleared her throat. “Depends. Do we get to watch one of yours?”

“Absolutely not,” Cam declared, and then paused. “But youarethe birthday girl, so I guess you can choose whatever you want.”

Ashley grinned. She wouldn’t choose one of Cam’s because she wanted all of them to have a good time. “How about a comedy?”

They finished their cake, and Dylan did the dishes like a good little alpha before joining them. He sat with his back to the couch while Cam and River curled up together, and Ashley sank into the bean bag.

It had been a long day, full of emotional revelations and laughter and sunshine and cheesecake.

No one could blame her for falling asleep halfway through.

22. DOUBLE DARE

ASHLEY

Ashley awoke as she was softly jostled, and found herself being… carried?

“Hey,” Dylan whispered. “You fell asleep. Just taking you to the guest room.”

The support of his arms beneath her knees and shoulders was strong, and she was surrounded by his scent, and the last time she’d felt this safe and cared for, she’d been a kid.

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