The only difference was that her mother had worked hard to gain Donald Jones’s attention. It had taken strategy to become his mistress. She had tried to bump up her status to become a trophy wife with an “unplanned” pregnancy. Unfortunately, Linda Valdez had not been Donald’s favorite trophy.
“You are nothing like Mom,” Ashley whispered to herself. She made sure of it. Once she thought her mother had been as perfect as a fairy-tale princess and she wanted to be like her. But as Linda got older, and Donald refused to marry her or give her his name, she became more insecure. She felt her beauty fading and knew she was losing the battle with her younger competitors.
Linda Valdez had been beautiful but fragile. Jealous and tempestuous. Ashley had seen the dark side of love and passion even before her mother had killed Donald before turning the gun on herself.
Ashley had been eighteen when that happened. Before that fateful moment she had been wary of men and kept her distance. As she struggled with the aftermath and scandal of the murder-suicide, she knew she would never allow love or sex to influence her life. Ashley had suppressed her passionate nature and hid on Inez Key. She didn’t mind being celibate. She had believed sex wasn’t worth the tears and heartache.
There were times when the isolation was almost too much to bear. But it was better than what she had witnessed in her parents’ relationship. She was ready to spend her life that way until Sebastian showed up on her island.
She had relaxed her guard under his charm and attention. One night with him and her quiet, contained life had spun wildly out of control. Even now, a month later, she found it difficult to hold back. She was too aware of him. Too needy for his touch.
Sebastian had proven her deepest fear. Ashley knew that she was very much her mother’s daughter. She was stronger and more disciplined, but she had been wild in Sebastian’s arms. The desire had been primal. Almost uncontrollable. She hadn’t been the same since. She didn’t want to feel the heights of passion because she knew the crash and burn was inevitable. If she wasn’t careful, she would succumb to the same torment as her mother.
* * *
Sebastian glanced at his watch and strode to the door leading to the walk-in closet. He was not used to waiting for a woman. They followed his schedule and didn’t cause any inconvenience. Ashley needed to learn that she was no different. He would not give her any special treatment. “Ashley, I’m not a patient man. It’s time to leave.”
As much as he would like to stay in and reacquaint himself with Ashley’s curves, this was one party he couldn’t miss. Wouldn’t. The opening of his newest club would bring in hundreds of thousands for charity. His old neighborhood needed that money. And yet, even now, he was tempted to strip off his gray suit, knock down the door and reclaim Ashley. He went hard as he imagined sinking into her welcoming body.
“Ashley?” he snapped.
“Have fun without me,” she said through the door.
Sebastian closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. He should have known that she would pout and sulk. Heiresses. It didn’t matter if they lived in stilettos or sandals. Each of them knew how to throw a tantrum.
“You’re coming with me,” he said in a low voice. “That’s the agreement.”
“Actually, I didn’t agree to it,” she said, her voice loud and clear. “I said I’d share your bed. I didn’t say anything about dressing up like a whore and being put on display to stroke your ego.”
Whore? Sebastian shook his head. The dress and shoes were bought at one of the most exclusive boutiques in South Beach. He had paid the hairstylist and makeup artist an exorbitant fee to give Ashley a natural look.
Even if Ashley rolled out of bed and only wore a wrinkled sheet, she couldn’t look like a whore. There was something in the way she carried herself. She acted like a queen. Like she was too good for the rest of the world. Too good for him.
“Fine,” Sebastian said as he walked away from the door. He could find another woman in a matter of minutes. Someone who was so grateful to be on his arm that she wouldn’t challenge him every step of the way. “You don’t want Inez Key that much. Understandable. It really isn’t much of an island.”