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As she listened his breathing became steady, until its deep and regular rhythm told her that he had fallen asleep. And despite all her feelings of uncertainty and insecurity, Ashley felt glad. Because Jack needed to rest—and mightn’t sleep dissolve some of the strain which always seemed to lurk around the corners of his eyes?
She stared up at the ceiling, feeling as disorientated as someone who found themselves in a strange city at the dead of night. Did she lie here until he was dead to the world so that she could make her escape? Surely that was preferable to having what was bound to be an extremely embarrassing conversation if she left it until he woke up. She swallowed. What would she say? Even worse, what would he say?
I’m sorry, Ashley—I don’t know what came over me.
I’m sorry, Ashley—but you can no longer work for me.
Could she bear to look into his beloved face and see regret written there? And could she bear to witness the dark serpent of shame which would creep into their lives and sully what was left of their relationship? Gingerly, she began to slide away from him—until a hand closed like a vice around her naked waist and a slumberous deep voice shattered the silence.
‘Where the hell do you think you’re going?’ he questioned softly.
CHAPTER NINE
JACK’S question cut into Ashley’s confusion and as his eyelids slowly opened she found herself staring into the jet gleam of his brilliant eyes.
‘I said, where are you going, Ashley?’ he questioned softly. ‘Creeping out of my bed without even a word goodbye? That isn’t exactly a glowing recommendation of my love-making—and not particularly good for a man’s ego, either.’
As if he needed anything to bolster his ego! ‘Back.’
‘Back?’ he drawled. ‘Back where?’
Say something reasonable, she urged herself. Something which will give you time to work out how to feel comfortable around him after what has happened. And which will put his mind at ease that you aren’t going to start coming over all needy. Because needy didn’t work. It made people push you away. She’d learnt that lesson as a frightened little four-year-old and she had never forgotten it. ‘Back to the manuscript I’m supposed to be typing.’
‘Really?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Don’t you think that’s taking the work ethic a touch too far?’
‘Not really. It’s still only.’ She glanced at the inexpensive little watch on her wrist, which was the only thing she was still wearing, and gave a little yelp of horror. ‘Oh, my goodness—it’s nearly four o’clock! ‘
‘So what? I’m the boss and what I say goes,’ he said, in a voice of soft mockery. ‘We have as many hours as we want—and so many endless possibilities about how to spend them—and you’re just itching to get back to your computer! ‘
‘I’m only trying to be diligent,’ she said. ‘Sometimes a man doesn’t want diligence.’ ‘No?’ Her tongue snaked out to moisten her suddenly bone-dry lips because the way he was looking at her was making her feel boneless and melting. ‘Not even from his secretary?’
‘No. Not even from his secretary. Can’t you think what he might prefer?’ ‘I’m… I’m not sure.’
‘This.’ He kissed her, stirring lazily as he brought her naked body to lie on top of him and her mouth hovering within kissing range. ‘He prefers this.’ Jack flicked his tongue over her lips. God, she tasted good. Sweet and wholesome and yet as sexy as any woman had a right to be. His hand reached down to find her honeyed moistness and he heard her little gasp of pleasure as she squirmed beneath his seeking fingers. ‘Jack!’
‘You are very responsive,’ he murmured approvingly as he felt her writhe against his hand.
‘Am… am I?’ All she knew was that he seemed to set her on fire with every look and every touch and every kiss.
‘Mmm.’ Jack reached for a condom. She was eager and yet acquiescent as he parted her thighs and brought himself deep inside her—revelling in her hot and tight welcome as he began to move. And this time he watched her. This time he saw the pleasure which transformed her face into one of mindless rapture—before he too was caught up in its spell.
Afterwards she fell against him, nestling sleepily against his chest. ‘That was… amazing,’ she said shyly.
‘No. You are amazing,’ he said softly as he smoothed back the hair which was falling over her face. ‘Though I confess it’s a little strange to see my Ashley looking so wild and so uncontained.’
Her heart missed a beat as she opened her eyes. Did he mean it when he said ‘my’ Ashley like that or was it just a slip of the tongue—a careless statement said in the aftermath of making love?
‘And an Ashley who is uncharacteristically silent,’ he continued, tilting her chin a little—so that there was nowhere to look except at him. ‘Are you having second thoughts about what just happened?’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘Are you?’
He paused for a moment—and then an odd light entered his dark eyes. ‘If I stopped to think about it long enough then I could find a whole list of reasons why it shouldn’t have happened. But it’s been building for weeks now. We both know that.’ He trickled his finger from neck to breast. ‘It was inevitable.’
He made it sound like a storm—a violent and unexpected storm which had now passed—and he hadn’t exactly answered her question, had he? Ashley felt a tremor of foreboding. So was this to be the end of it—a one-off liaison which must now be forgotten?
‘You realise that I know practically nothing about you,’ he said suddenly.
Ashley swallowed. ‘Perhaps… perhaps we should have had that conversation a couple of hours ago.’
