Take Me Again (The Knight Brothers 1)

Ethan’s gaze slid to Parker, who merely shrugged. “Whatever you decide is fine with me.”

Parker’s easygoing demeanor stemmed not only from the fact that he was the middle child, who found it easy to let the chaos of four siblings go on around him, but from the fact that he’d come into this business as a last resort and was willing to do what he was told.

Ethan studied Sebastian, thinking about who knew what, holding Sebastian’s fate in his hand, before nodding. “Fine. You two leave tomorrow.”

Sebastian blew out the breath he’d been holding, before turning to Ashley with what was a deliberately sexy grin on his face. This might be business and it was important, but so was she. And he had no issues mixing business with a bit of pleasure.

Chapter Four

Ashley found herself on an evening trip via private jet to San Francisco with Sebastian, totally taken off guard by the sudden turn of events. She hadn’t expected to do any work for Knight Time Technology while she was here and certainly hadn’t anticipated being sent on a business trip with Sebastian.

During the discussion in Ethan’s office, she’d sensed the tension between the brothers when Ethan had ordered Parker to go with her to San Francisco. It seemed to go deeper than just the fact that Sebastian had wanted to be the one to go away with Ashley, although his last dizzying look at her had made that point loud and clear.

Yet here she was, on a private jet, something she’d never flown in before. The luxury was addicting, she mused. There was no comparison of the sheer space on the plane compared to flying commercial. Not even first class could equate to the cozy leather lounge chairs, the mahogany tabletops, the stocked bar, and the flight attendant who knew when to make herself scarce.

She glanced out the window and into the night sky, overwhelmed by the darkness. Inside the plane, the yellow glow of lights illuminated the as she settled in for takeoff, Sebastian beside her.

He seemed preoccupied, and after takeoff, he took out his laptop, keeping busy, tapping away, probably making preparations and setting up meetings for tomorrow at the office. She held her iPad in her hands as they sat in comfortable silence, which she was happy to let go on. With a six-plus-hour flight ahead of them, she wanted to keep things peaceful between them.

A little while after the plane leveled out, Sebastian excused himself to go to the restroom, and Ashley focused on her iPad, checking email and texting her friend Nicole in London. The time difference made it difficult to talk at the same time, so she just checked in, knowing she’d hear back from her tomorrow.

When the ding of a text message sounded, it took her by surprise. It was one a.m. in London and she hadn’t expected an answer. She’d just wanted to drop a note to say hello. She opened the message app, surprised to see Jonathan’s name pop up on the screen.

Are you there?

She bit down on the inside of her cheek, not really wanting to answer. She’d been avoiding returning his calls, having realized his persistence in trying to reach her meant he probably hadn’t taken the no to his marriage proposal seriously.

Not to mention, the texts from her friends who’d heard from him that she’d turned him down informed her that they thought she was crazy. He was a catch, they said. He obviously loved her, he could give her a good life … blah, blah, blah. She knew all those things, and they hadn’t changed her mind about turning him down.

She blew out a breath and wrote him back, knowing she couldn’t avoid it much longer. I’m here. Busy with family and helping out with the business. In other words, she wasn’t planning on returning just yet.

Oh. I was hoping to hear you were wrapping things up there… I miss you.

“Oh damn,” she muttered. “Why are some men so stubborn?” she asked aloud.

“Should I be offended?” Sebastian’s deep voice sounded from behind her. “Disparaging my sex?”

She laughed at that. “If the shoe fits…”

He leaned down, looking over her shoulder, his body heat permeating her skin, the warm, male scent of him arousing her senses.

She squirmed in her seat, her nipples hardening at his mere closeness. She smelled his delicious scent; she felt him hovering over her. It had been so long since she’d been sexually affected by a man this way, it was all she could do not to moan in her seat.

“Who is Jonathan?” he asked, taking her off guard.

She flipped her iPad over so he couldn’t read her personal texts. “None of your business.” His words drew her out of the haze she’d allowed herself to indulge in.

“He obviously misses you. Is he someone you were seeing back in London?” Sebastian asked, an edge in his voice as he pushed for an answer.