Hold on to My Heart (Maine Sullivans)

She walked to the French doors, opened them, and stepped on to the balcony. This morning, everyone and everything looked completely different.

She was completely different.

Being with Nash had changed her.

As soon as she’d made the decision to be with Nash, she had already begun to change as she took control of her life in a way she never had before.

Yes, she was in control of her career, and the way she parented, and the way she managed her money. But she’d never taken control of her sexuality, her femininity. Not after her first experience with sex had left her with the most massive consequence imaginable.

She’d told herself that living vicariously through her sisters was good enough. But it wasn’t. She understand that now.

So even though her good-bye with Nash had gone terribly wrong this morning, she would never regret being with him. Nor would she regret opening up to him or holding nothing back in bed.

She hoped that when she left Vienna, she would be brave enough to be true to herself, to keep exploring, and to continue living her life to the fullest, the way she had during the past twenty-four hours.

She would be forever grateful to Nash for helping to show her that she could have more. It wouldn’t be easy to watch him sing onstage tonight at the hotel. The thought of seeing him again made her heart flutter like mad. And her heart still felt raw from sending him away.

But as she took a deep breath of air scented with pastries and espresso, she refused to use those as excuses to waste her last day in Vienna moping. She still had a list of extraordinary places to visit. Who knew when she’d be able to explore an exotic city again?

Determined to enjoy herself, she quickly dressed and headed out. Hours later, when she returned to her apartment after traipsing through a half-dozen museums and gardens—a very long day in which she refused to admit that Vienna didn’t seem quite as spectacular without Nash at her side—she wasn’t surprised to see that his bags were gone.

She was surprised, however, to find a large box tied with a magenta bow on the coffee table. She opened the attached envelope to find a message from her brother: I’m sorry.

Inside the box was a dress and a pair of heels. The dress was stunning—the fabric a beautiful rose hue and embellished with just enough sequins to catch the light. Nearly floor-length, it had a square neckline and a fitted bodice, with an embellished waist and an A-line silhouette.

Everything fit perfectly, and Ashley guessed that Brandon must have gotten her measurements from Lola. She felt like a princess in the gorgeous dress, by far the nicest garment she’d ever worn.

On the one hand, Ashley didn’t want to make it too easy for Brandon to get away with his overbearing behavior. At the same time, she knew there was no point in holding a grudge. Not when it would only make them both feel worse.

In any case, she was glad to have a lovely dress to wear tonight. The last thing she wanted was for Nash to see her from across the room and wonder how he could have wanted to be with her. Last night, he’d told her she was beautiful, and her female pride wanted him to remember her the same way.

Thirty minutes later, Brandon’s driver pulled up outside. As she headed down the stairs, she could hardly believe that her whirlwind trip to Austria would be coming to a close tomorrow morning.

But first, she would attend a grand gala event, wearing a beautiful dress…while savoring her memories of her kisses and heady lovemaking with the sexiest man at the party.

She slid into the town car and steeled herself for what lay ahead tonight. She not only needed to retain her equanimity when she saw Nash on stage, but she also needed to resist the urge to slug her brother in front of his staff and guests.

Minutes later, she alighted from the car in front of the hotel. Music was playing through the outside speakers, and the hotel was beautifully lit both inside and out. She accepted a glass of champagne from one of the waitstaff as she walked into the lobby, which had been transformed for the celebration.

The hotel was full of people laughing and chatting and sipping champagne. Unable to find her brother in the crowd, she assumed he must be busy networking with local VIPs and government officials.

She hadn’t eaten much today, and though the appetizers the waitstaff offered her looked delicious, she was far more interested in a second glass of champagne. Anything to take the edge off her nerves over seeing Nash again. The party guests were funneled into the ballroom. The space was exquisite, and it looked as though no expense had been spared.