Page 35 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Most days, it didn’t bother him.

“My therapist has said something like that before,” Dylan offered.

“They’re onto something,” River told him. “Maybe she needs to kick your ass, get all those emotions out before she can talk to you.”

Dylan snorted, and with a tilt of his head he studied the sparring pair with more intensity.

“I’d happily sacrifice my dignity to talk to her,” Dylan said, so softly he maybe didn’t intend River to hear it.

But he did, and as River stared at his partner, he wondered what Cameron would sacrifice for their happiness.

8. FORBIDDEN

ASHLEY

Move on,she told herself, annoyed that after all this time, maybe, possibly, there was a piece of herself who liked Dylan’s patch-of-grass scent and wanted to forgive him of all sins to roll around in it.

Ugh.

She was painfully aware of Dylan, and even more so when he finally put his damned book down. It wasn’t until that moment she realized how much she’d been glancing over at him.

Why?

Looking for his approval or something?

It certainly didn’t help that River was there, too, watching right with him.

Of course the hot guy from the coffee shop turned out to be Cameron’s partner.

She was only a little devastated.

Friendly certainly didn’t mean flirty, but Ashley had thought there was a slight connection there over coffee, and until the moment he’d walked through the gym door, she’d wished she’d been brave enough to give the cute beta her number.

Now she was glad she hadn’t.

Awkward.

They were far enough away on the mats that the other two wouldn’t be able to hear them, so the next time Ashley had Cameron in close quarters, she murmured to him, “He’s cute.”

Cameron’s cheeks went a little brighter, and he grinned. “Right?”

Cameron dodged a mildly slow right hook—they were working on his reflexes—and shook his head. “I can’t believe he’s here. We talked on the phone last night, and now…”

He blocked properly when she tried a knee-high kick and gave him a nod of approval. “That’s a really sweet surprise,” she said.

What must it be like to have someone like that? Who wanted to make you happy just for the hell of it? What must it be like tobethat for someone? Like an alpha, she supposed.

“It’s not totally selfless,” Cam said. “I mean, he’ll certainly be getting something out of it.” Then he winked.

She hoped the pink in her cheeks would be mistaken for exertion, and laughed it off.

“So youaretogether?” she questioned.

Cameron hesitated before nodding. “It’s not public.”

Ahhh, that explains it.

“Your secret stays with me,” she said.

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