Ashton Scott

“I asked you a question, Lorelei. Did you know at the time that you hadn’t made him understand you two were over?”

Heat flushes through my body and I tense. His cold manner and hostile tone don’t elicit a willingness in me to have this conversation with him. “I don’t understand what that has to do with this.”

His jaw clenches, and when he speaks next, his words bite me with their harshness. “Judging by your aversion to this question, I’m guessing you did know Haynes—”

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of that,” I throw back, my own displeasure flaring.

“I don’t like things being kept from me, Lorelei. You should have told me you were going to see him in the first place. And you should have come to me with the information that he wasn’t taking you seriously.”

I cross my arms over my chest. My stomach isn’t a knot of nerves anymore; it’s a mess of frustration. And defensiveness. I feel like I’m playing catch up with where he’s going with this and that I have to be ready to give him an explanation for my every move. “Yes, I should have, but now you know, so I’m not sure why you’re getting all worked up over it.”

“If I’d known, I would have dealt with it.”

My eyes bulge. “Oh my God. So that’s what this is all about. Your need to always take charge of a situation and to deal with things for me.” I uncross my arms and lean forward, as if getting closer to him will make him see the truth in what I’m saying. “I don’t need you dealing with this for me, Ashton. I’m completely capable of doing that myself.”

“If that were the case, Haynes wouldn’t have shown up here today, he wouldn’t have taken part in a pissing contest with me, he wouldn’t have told you this was him not walking away, and he sure as hell wouldn’t have kissed you as he left. You haven’t taken care of it, but I will. Once I’m finished with him, Haynes won’t step foot near you ever again.”

I stare at him, completely stunned. I’m also a little lost for words because not once in my life have I ever had anyone treat me the way Ashton is. While I know he’s not detached from his emotions, it’s like he’s separating himself from them so he can make some calculated moves to get what he wants. He’s handling our relationship the way he handles a business deal.

Before I can reply, he checks his watch and stands. “We need to leave if we’re going to make the soccer match on time.”

We’re supposed to be meeting Alessandra and Malcolm to watch Bradley’s match today, but I’m not finished with this conversation yet.

I remain seated. “We haven’t finished discussing this.”

“We have.”

“No, we haven’t. I’ve apologised for what I did, and you’ve had your say, but I don’t agree with what you’ve decided. I don’t like the way you’re talking to me or the way you’re shutting down on me over this. It feels cold.”

His face clouds with displeasure. If I thought he was cold before, he’s positively arctic now. “I’m not entering into an argument with you over this, Lorelei. I don’t want Haynes near you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that outcome is achieved.”

I stand so I’m on level ground with him. “Can you hear yourself, Ashton? We’re discussing our relationship here, not some business transaction. I don’t want to talk outcomes with you. I want to talk about how we can come to a compromise over this. One that makes us both happy.”

“I don’t see the issue with my way forward. You’ve said you don’t want him in your life, and I’ll make that happen.”

I take a deep breath, trying to rein my frustration in. He doesn’t seem able, or willing, to see this from my point of view. “I don’t want you to make it happen. I want you to give me the space to do that on my own. And you told me the last time we argued over something like this that you wouldn’t take over again, and here you are doing just that.”

“That had to do with your business. This is different. This involves our relationship, and I won’t allow anyone to interfere with that.”

“It’s not different!” He’s so infuriating that I can’t hold my irritation in any longer. “It all has to do with our relationship because it all has to do wi

th how you treat me. You need to understand that I won’t be handled and that you can’t assume responsibility for situations that concern me. If we’re going to be in this relationship, Ashton, we’re going to do it as equals and you’re going to have to learn to take my preferences into consideration.”

“And you’re going to have to understand that some situations call for me to take the lead. Especially when it’s clear you can’t. Now, we need to get to this soccer match.”

With that, he turns and stalks out of the café, leaving me staring after him. I want nothing more than to tell him what an asshole he’s being and then to leave him to spend the rest of the day alone. However, I promised him after our last argument that I wouldn’t leave a disagreement hanging between us unresolved, so I gather my wits and follow him to his car.

This discussion, though, is a long way from being finished. I’m just getting warmed up.

47

Ashton

When I imagine Lorelei with Boston Haynes, I can’t think straight. It drives all rational thoughts from my mind. I turn into the kind of man I’ve never understood—the kind who allows a woman to control his behaviour.

Lorelei doesn’t know it, but she has me by the balls. Well and fucking truly. She’s mine, damn it. I won’t stand for another man trying to take her from me. And there’s no way in hell I’ll stand for him kissing her.

We drove to the soccer match in silence and once we arrived, Alessandra whisked her away from me. Malcolm and I have been debating the dive some shares took overnight, but my eyes have hardly left Lorelei. I have an incessant need to always know where she is and that she’s okay. Being with her is unlike any relationship I’ve ever had. I’ve never cared about a woman this much or felt as twisted up and distracted before.