Page 113 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Ashley chuckled and shrugged. “I have no clue. Never been in this position before—don’t!” she interjected as Cam’s eyebrow rose, an innuendo on the tip of his tongue.

He held his hands up in innocence.

“I did say I wanted you guys to start getting along,” Cameron mused, and huffed. “I can’t wait to tell River.”

“You didn’t have a bet on this one?” she drawled, and Cam ducked his head guiltily.

“It was all in good fun, and about Dylan, not you,” he said. “But I’m sorry we were insensitive.”

Ashley studied him for a moment before waving her hand. “No worries. It worked out in my favor,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.

Cam’s mouth almost dropped open at her meaning, the delivery so out of character for this alpha.

“Who are you?” Cameron asked, and Ashley laughed, bright and lovely.

It drew the attention of Dylan and River, and the alpha raised a brow at him from a book he’d brought as River looked up from his laptop.

Dylan’s eyes downright glittered with affection as he gazed at her, and when Cam shifted his stare to Ashley, she was reflecting the same adoration, aimed across the gym.

“Okay, no. No, this is worse than when you weren’t speaking to each other,” Cameron groaned, throwing his hands up.

Ashley stiffened, and her gaze snapped to Cam, her smile fading a bit, and he wanted to swallow his words.

“Sorry,” he said, waving a hand. “I didn’t mean it.”

“Someone’s jealous,” River called out from their corner of the room. Cam glared at him, and Ashley crossed her arms.

“Jealous?” she asked, voice quiet.

“Not—it’s just—it's not like—“ Cam huffed, and crossed his arms to match her body language. “You’re going to be all distracted now.” The words slipped out in a petty whine before he could catch himself.

It left a sour taste in his mouth, and he wished he could snatch it out of the air.

Ashley paused at his… criticism, which is not how he’d meant it, but how she would hear it, at least without the context of his emotions.

Her fingers twitched where they were resting on her arm. “Would you like a new trainer?” she asked gently, and he swore all the air was sucked from the room.

“No! Absolutely not,” he urged. “I don’t want another trainer.”

In fact, it was the opposite.

He was just an omega who wanted his way. If he really went in on the self-reflection, hewasjealous that Dylan had a connection with Ashley, which really came down to wanting her attention to himself.

God, you are such a movie star,he thought.And an omega.

He wantedAshley.

And until this moment, when she might be further out of his reach than ever, he hadn’t realized just how much that was true.

“I don’t want another trainer,” he repeated, and sucked in a breath to say it was the opposite, when she spoke.

“If this is going to impact our professional relationship…” she began, dropping her arms and lifting a hand to rest over the fresh bite. Was she even conscious of doing it? He met her gaze and it was worried, but locked solely on him.

She was seeking Dylan for comfort.Dylan,who she’d mated not twelve hours ago!

What am I thinking?

He blinked. If he was so interested in Ashley, this wasnotthe way to go about it. Not by practically insulting her! Not by questioning how dedicated she was as a trainer.

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