Page 47 of Impulsive Saint
“She’s’ just… not what I was expecting.” He finally heard himself admit.
“Yeah, well, I know prissy socialite girls aren’t exactly your cup of tea but I really need you to take care of this one, Ty. It’s not just your job or even the contract with the Senator on the line here. If this goes badly, All Saints Security could very easily be ruined for good.”
“Yeah.” Tyler rubbed at his forehead some more. “I know.”
“Okay. Just… try to remember to check in at night from now on so I at least know what state to start searching for you if something bad happens.”
Tyler snorted, “Searching for me? Yeah, right. You’d only send a search party out for the client.”
“I’d tell them to look for your body too.” Vaughn chuckled good-naturedly.
“Good to know.”
“I should update the Senator and then get back to work. Oh and Hunter’s coming home today. I don’t know if you remember that. I’m picking him and Millie up from the airport in a couple of hours.”
“Honeymoon’s over already huh?” Tyler sighed, knowing that having his other brother back in the states would mean both he and Vaughn would be back on Tyler’s ass soon enough.
“With those two, I don’t think it’ll ever be over.”
Tyler would’ve sworn he heard a wistful smile in his oldest brother’s voice and nodded his agreement, “True.”
“Just maybe text him later. I’ll have to tell him you’re away on a job but I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you himself and make sure things are going smoothly.”
“Will do.”
“Good. Be careful.”
“I always am.” He rolled his eyes at the same goodbye Vaughn always gave him and gave his standard response as well.
The line went dead and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he put the phone back in his pocket. Vaughn always told him to be careful. It didn’t matter if Tyler was sitting at home in his apartment or about to tackle a monster wave halfway across the world. Vaughn thought Tyler was reckless and impulsive and if he had any idea whatsoever that Tyler had slept with Ashtyn last night, he’d have not only been proven right, but he’d have known careful had long since gone by the wayside.
Tyler muttered to himself for the millionth time as he kicked a pebble off the sidewalk, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
What he wanted to do was kick his own ass. It was what he deserved. He deserved worse. He’d never considered himself the kind of man that could take advantage of a woman just because she was offering him something he wanted, but after last night, he knew he was wrong.
Ashtyn might not be the fragile, delicate princess he’d imagined her to be when they first met, but that didn’t mean she was in any position to be making decisions about who to share her body and her bed with. She’d been engaged to another man mere days ago. She’d been all set to walk down the aisle and live a life where she and Tyler more than likely never would have even met. She’d changed everything when she ran out of that church but they were on this road trip because she wasn’t prepared to deal with those changes in her real life.
This was an escape. A fun adventure. A chance to do all the things she’d missed out on. But falling into bed with Tyler shouldn’t have been one of those things.
He shouldn’t have let it happen. She was a client. He was being paid to watch out for her. Even if she wasn’t aware of his duty to her parents, he was and that should have been enough for him to keep his hands off her even without the added knowledge that she was emotionally vulnerable right now.
He was the worst kind of man for taking advantage of her while her life was a mess.
The only thing that was keeping him on his feet right now was the knowledge that it would never happen again. He wouldn’t let it happen. He couldn’t. And, after he went back into that motel room and told her all the reasons why, he knew that he wouldn’t have to worry about it happening again because she was going to hate him.
Tyler told himself that was better than the alternative. Getting tangled up with her only to lose her would be worse. Knowing at the end of this trip that she would regret being with him would be worse. She could hate him for the next couple of days but he would get her to Las Vegas, finish this job, and they’d go their separate ways. Just like nothing had ever happened.
With a deep breath for courage he was desperately lacking, Tyler finally reached for the knob on the door and pushed it open. Light streamed into the room behind him and Ashtyn stirred before he managed to shut the door again. She blinked, her lashes fluttering open, and then her brows knit together as she glanced around the room. As she regained consciousness and her bearings, her blue eyes found him and a sweet smile curled at her lips.
“Morning.”
“Morning.” his voice was gruff but she didn’t seem to notice.
She leaned up on one elbow, the sheet falling dangerously low over the curve of her breasts, “You’re up early.”
“I uh… I went to get coffee and breakfast. Donuts.” He held up the items as if she needed proof.
“Mmm, that’s nice.” She stretched and stroked the empty space beside her on the bed, “Why don’t you come back over here and let me thank you?”
