Ashton Scott

“Last week.”

“And you’re just telling me now?” I snap, instantly regretting it, but unable to stop myself. My father always brings out the worst in me.

“I didn’t realise it was that important. But if it’s that important to you to know, he offered me three million dollars for my property.”

I still. That amount is about a million more than it’s worth and in my experience, people don’t turn down money that comes that easily. “Are you going to accept his offer?”

She doesn’t reply.

“Lorelei,” I demand, “are you going to accept it?”

“You know what, Ashton? I’ll tell you what I told him. And what I told you when you wanted to buy it. Not everything is for sale.”

The line goes dead as she ends the call.

“Fuck,” I mutter as I stab at the phone to dial Jessica.

She answers almost straight away. “This better be important, Ashton. I was just about to go dow—”

“Find out everything you can from Sian tonight, and then first thing tomorrow, I want an estimate of how much each property on Willow Street is worth. And I want an appointment set up with my father.”

“Done. Now can you please leave me in pussy heaven?”

I end the call and throw my phone down on the coffee table.

Alessandra stares at me. “What are you doing?”

I stare back at her. “I’m buying up Willow Street. No fucking way is he getting his hands on that street.”

Her eyes widen. “Oh, God. This is not a battle you want to fight with him, Ashton.”

“This”—I stab in the air at her—“is not a fight he should have waged. He fucking knows what it means to me. I won’t allow him to have it.”

My phone buzzes with another text and I snatch it up off the coffee table.

Lorelei: I think we made a mistake. I’m going to send these toys back to you.

I exit the living room as I phone her, wanting privacy for this call.

“Ashton, I don’t want—”

“Lorelei, you want me. You can’t deny it.”

“I might want your body, but I forgot that I don’t like the way you do business. And that’s a huge part of you, so I think we should just stop this now before it goes any further. We’re just too different to be able to make anything work between us.”

“Bullshit. You told me last night you weren’t ready for me and I knew what that meant, but I also know you just need some time. And now you’re using this as an excuse to pull away.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is. And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Well, you’re just going to have to for once in your life, because I’m not saying yes to you.”

“I’m coming over.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’ll see you in twenty.” I end the call before she can argue with me anymore and stalk back into the living room.