Page 13 of Ashley
Chapter 4
The short answer to Ashley's momentary bout with lunacy was that she had been thinking. She'd been impulsive and driven by her need to be close to a man who most likely meant far more to her than she did to him. It was unsettling to say the least, but that didn't mean she wasn't eating up every minute of it and with a silver spoon, no less.
She glanced up at him and had to bite back a grin at the sight of him fussing over the tray of snacks he had appeared with. Natasha must have had some hand in it; there was no way James could have guessed correctly on so many of her likes and dislikes. There were sliced strawberries sprinkled with sugar, brie cheese, pear drizzled with honey, squares of dark chocolate, and last but not least, pizza. Cold pizza because there was nothing better than that. A glass of juice and a can of Coke were there, too, but Ashley didn't miss the two bottles of water tucked under James' arm. She hated water, often foregoing it in favor of coffee, to the point of headaches, so she eyed the bottles suspiciously.
James uncapped a bottle and held it out to her. "Drink," he said.
"I'd rather have the pop," she said, pointing to the soda on the tray.
"Water first, then soda," he replied, nonplussed at her answer, and nudged her hand with the water bottle again. "Natasha says you don't drink enough water."
She frowned. "Tattletale."
He shrugged, fighting back a smile at her sour expression. "She cares about you."
Ashley sighed and took the water bottle and, before she could change her mind, took a healthy swig of it. "Now can I have the pop?"
"Now you can have some pizza, but, no, you cannot have the soda. Not until you have more water."
"Fine, fine," Ashley huffed in a feigned disgruntled sigh as she took another drink, but her cheeks were warm with a flush under the dutiful gaze of the man beside her. James was watching her every movement like a hawk, and when she moved to set the bottle back, he gave her a tsk that had her tipping it back until she had drained more than half of it. Only then, did James relax slightly and set the tray down on the bed next to her.
"That's better," he murmured, popping the top of the soda can and holding it out to her. "Don't you feel better, too?" he asked, pulling the can away at the last second when she reached for it.
"I mean, I guess…"
He chuckled and set the can in her outstretched hand. "Silly girl."
Ashley sipped her soda and toyed with the plate that held the cold pizza on it. What was she supposed to do now? She cast a furtive look at James to see that he was looking at her with that soft look in his eyes again, and her pulse sped up, which was concerning because the last time she'd let herself feel that for James, she'd been burned, left alone to pick up the pieces and trying to understand exactlywhyshe'd shattered.
But still, as James lifted a bite of cheese to her mouth with an encouraging look in his eyes, it was hard to remind herself not to enjoy the attention too much, not to want to fall for the handsome man with the scar who seemed to only have gentleness in him for her now. The rest of the night passed in a cocoon of comfort and care. James put on her favorite Disney movie, ran a luxurious bubble bath, and showered her with snacks and praise for nothing at all more than letting him be there.
"You're being so sweet for letting me take care of you," he crooned, fingers combing through her hair as he fixed it into a braid while she sat in the tub. It was perfect, and Ashley never wanted it to end, although she knew it was inevitable. Her normal wasn't this, it wasn't normal for either of them, but that didn't mean she didn't greedily snatch up the hours and tuck them safely away for her to remember when she was alone.
At the end of the day, James had tucked her into her bed, a whisper of how sweet she was falling from his lips against her forehead as he pressed a light kiss there. When he went to move away, she caught his hand, fingers tugging at his wrist and stopping him before he could turn to the door.
"Don't go," she whispered, looking up at him in the moonlight shining in her bedroom window. "Please?"
He nodded, stepping back toward her and sitting down on the bed. "I'll stay if you want me to. Do you want me to?"
She nodded and lifted the covers up in offering. "Yes."
A heavy sigh escaped his mouth at that single word, and he slipped into the bed beside her. "Thank you, princess." He kissed her temple, but Ashley only turned her face away from him, feeling embarrassed at the attention. As much as she enjoyed it, she hadn't quite become comfortable with a man like James, a man seemingly from her fantasies, giving her care and affection so freely. She tugged on his shirt lightly, and when he asked, "Off?" she made a disgruntled sound that had him chuckling and pulling the shirt off so that she could feel the warm expanse of his skin beneath her fingertips.
God, she had thought of his body so often since their night together that, for a moment, she couldn't breathe. Ink-covered skin and muscles rippled beneath her touch as he shifted into a comfortable position beside her. He lay flat on his back, one arm behind his head, and let her snuggle up beside him, her cheek against his chest and one hand resting lightly on his stomach. Her fingers shook, but she traced out the hard ridge of his abs gently.
The scrape of her fingertips against his skin had James stifling a groan and squirming beneath her touch. "Going to torture me, then?" he asked, turning to look down at her, and he didn't miss the mischievous curve of Ashley's lips at the question. She gave a slight shrug that had him nodding with a husky laugh. "I'll take that as a yes."
She pressed her lips to his pec, and he swore. "You're naughty," he told her.
Again, she shrugged, but this time, a giggle escaped her mouth and she lifted a leg, hooking it over his hip until her body was flush against his.
"Maybe," she whispered, feeling bolder in the dark, and bolder still, when James pulled the covers over them and slipped an arm around her with a sigh.
His palm was warm against her side as he cradled her against his side. His fingers twisted in the material of her top but went no further, and Ashley relaxed against him, content for the arms that held her and the warm body underneath her hands.
Feeling content, she drifted off into a deep sleep, and even if it was just for tonight, she treasured the knowledge that she was taken care of and not alone.
And for tonight, that was enough.
