Page 117 of Ashley & the A-Listers

It kind of sucked.

…Which were the opposite kind of thoughts a high-end training professional was supposed to have.

When was she going to face it? She’d crossed the line a long time ago.

Was it smoking weed together or fucking his bodyguard, you think?

Ashley stifled a laugh of disbelief, waved goodbye, and mourned the kiss she didn’t get from Dylan.

“You’re gonna be all distracted now.”Cameron’s words rang in her mind.

Maybe Cameron was right. Shewasall distracted. Itwashard to uphold that line between them, especially when it was so beyond blurred between her and Dylan now. Their bond was so new it hadn’t fully settled into her bones yet. She wanted contact, affection,kisses!

Not distance and politeness.

Cameron’s distressed expression from the mat flashed through her head.“If anything, I’m the distracted one!”

She was distracting herclient,amovie starwith an iron schedule and only a few weeks left. The fun, casual way they regarded each other wasn’t so fun and casual when an omega was jealous, when it threatened to jeopardize a dynamic that worked so well.

Especially because Ashley was secretly… delighted by the idea of his jealousy. They’d been skirting—and, admittedly, crossing—the line of professionalism for a while, but they were running out of time.

Maybe they’d all have to get used to polite coldness, if that’s what it took to keep them all on track.

Ashley shifted into work mode, cleaned their private room, stored the mats away, and allowed herself to dwell on someone safe: Dylan.

All morning she’d had to bury the giddiness, the excitement, and the wonder so she could focus. It had warred with the matching feelings she’d sensed through their bond.

Ashley didn’t know if she’d ever get used to it. Even now, she could feel a faint echo of Dylan’s emotions, contentment and a bit of amusement. It made her wonder what Cam and River were doing that was so funny.

She felt the smile on her lips, and didn’t bother packing it away with the mats before she trailed into the main room, dodging weight lifters and other trainers with their clients before she situated herself behind the main desk.

“Hey,” Nic greeted her.

“Hey boss,” she said, and scanned her way into the computer to go over the rest of her schedule for the week.

She’d be seeing one other client twice this week besides Cam, and she clicked over to read her notes from last time.

“Seems to be going well with the movie star,” Nic mused.

Ashley rolled her eyes, and didn’t much care if Nic saw it. She knew he wouldn’t take offense.

“He’s shaping up to be a pro. Still leaves his left side open, but I’ll train it out of him.”

“Only a few weeks left,” Nic continued, and Ashley nodded.

“I know, but I’ve got a plan,” she said.

“Does this plan include addressing the way he looks at you?”

Ashley spun in her chair to face Nic, who was shuffling papers that were probably already organized, trying to look innocent.

She squinted at him, considering whether to bare her shoulder to him, if it was any of his business, and whether that would get him off her back about getting all packed up.

“I don’t think that’s very professional,” she hedged.

Nic lifted his eyes and arched a brow. “I think you worry too much about being professional. We all trust you get the job done. It doesn’t mean you have to ignore the signs that are there.”

Guilt snared her. She didn’t deserve the pedestal Nic placed her on, not when it came tothis.

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