“I’m not dating anyone, and I’ve never come close to getting married.”
“Me either,” she told him. “In fact—and I can’t believe I’m even admitting this to you, but since I’m already on a roll today, and this Gespritzter is so delicious my tongue will probably loosen even further once I’ve drained my glass—the truth is that I haven’t dated much at all. Once I had Kevin, I threw my whole focus into raising him and helping to run my family’s business. Before I knew it, I had a son going to kindergarten and was in a totally different place than everyone else my age.”
“You had way more life experience than any of them. That should have been a bonus.”
“It wasn’t. Twenty-three-year-old men are terrified of dating someone with a five-year-old kid. And I didn’t want any of them around Kevin when it seemed like they were barely more than kids themselves. All they cared about was partying and having fun. And there I was, helping with homework and having parent-teacher conferences.” She shrugged. “Honestly, I’m okay with being alone. My family, however, is not nearly as okay with my solo status as I am. My sisters are always trying to set me up with someone. All of the dates have been epic fails, though, so I decided last year to stop going out with anyone.”
“I’ve always preferred being alone over being with a boring date,” he agreed.
This time, she was the one raising her glass in a toast. “To being alone.”
He clinked his glass against hers as he echoed her words. “To being alone.”
But it didn’t feel quite right, not when he was having a much better time in Vienna with Ashley than he would have by himself.
“Actually, I’d like to amend that,” he said. “To being alone together.”
She laughed. “I like that. To being alone together.”
They clinked glasses again and drank. When the food arrived, Nash decided neither the food nor the company could have been better than they were right here, right now, with Ashley Sullivan.
CHAPTER FIVE
As they left the restaurant and hopped back on the tour bus, Ashley couldn’t stop smiling.
Though Nash was one of the most famous men in the world, and she should have felt nervous or awkward around him, somehow it was exactly the opposite. She had told him things she’d never said to anyone else. Not even her sisters. He was that easy to be with.
And yet, that didn’t mean she wasn’t also desperately attracted to him. He was her secret late-night fantasy hero, after all. Even in his ridiculous green polyester outfit, he was shockingly sexy.
It had momentarily thrown her to learn from Brandon that Nash had spent time in jail for a whole host of offenses. But the more time she spent with Nash, the less she understood how he could have done any of those things. Although she supposed the reason he didn’t drink could be because he’d needed to stop. Whatever his past, or the reasons he stayed away from alcohol, she liked him a great deal.
In fact, whenever she thought about their kiss outside the hotel—even though it had been a fake kiss meant to throw his fans off the scent—her heart started galloping inside her chest.
The same thing happened every time his hand briefly moved to the small of her back when they were navigating a crowded area, or if their hands accidentally brushed as they were walking. She refused to beat herself up for her silly crush, though. After all, it was hugely unlikely that they would ever see each other again after she left Vienna. This was simply a very special day where she got to spend time with a very special man.
Why shouldn’t she enjoy herself for one perfect day in Europe that no one but she and Nash would ever know had happened?
What surprised her the most, however, was that Nash also seemed to be having a great time. She could still hardly believe what he’d said. Kissing you really did feel right, Ashley. More right than anything has for a very long time.
Plus, given his success and wealth, she would have assumed he had seen the Seven Wonders, or at least spent time exploring the most wondrous places on the planet. Instead, she’d been surprised to learn that his tour, recording, and interview schedule was so intense, he’d never had a chance to have more personal adventures.
As they approached their stop for the summer palace and gardens, Ashley and Nash went to stand by the bus doors, waiting for them to open. When she noticed a group of teenagers gesturing to them and laughing, she said to Nash in a low voice that only he could hear, “If they only knew who they were laughing at.”
Nash grinned. “When I was their age, I would have been laughing my head off at us too. As you might have guessed, I was a hell-raiser. I hope your son doesn’t put you through as many trials and tribulations as I put my mom through.”