She surrendered to the knowledge that she would always be his.
* * *
Sebastian woke up to the sound of his cell phone. He reached for the bedside table, his hands fumbling, but he couldn’t find it. Blinking his eyes open, he immediately noticed two things: it was daylight and Ashley wasn’t curled against him.
The silence in the hotel suite indicated that he was alone. Ashley was probably sulking. Angry that he’d proved his claim on her once and for all. He rolled out of bed and stalked naked to where he had shed his clothes the night before. He grabbed his cell phone from the pile of clothes and saw that his assistant was calling him.
“What is it?” he asked abruptly.
“I just found out that Ashley left Jamaica.”
He hunched his shoulders as the news slammed against him. He’d made his claim and it had scared her off. She’d waited until he’d fallen asleep before she’d sneaked out of his bed. “How?” His voice was raspy and low.
“I heard a rumor,” his assistant said nervously. “I don’t have verification at the moment.”
Sebastian closed his eyes as he got a bad feeling. He knew Ashley was angry with him, but she wouldn’t betray him. Not like this. “Where is she?”
“With Oscar Salazar,” his assistant whispered. “She’s on his private plane back to Miami.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SUN STREAKED across the morning sky as Ashley saw a glimpse of Inez Key. The wind was cold and all she wore was a T-shirt, jeans and boat shoes. She didn’t care. Her bottom lip quivered and the emotions crashed through her. She was home.
Home. She studied the antebellum mansion as she considered the word. It didn’t feel like home anymore. Was it because it was time for her to move on or because she knew Sebastian owned it?
She knew she didn’t belong here. Not because she was trespassing, and not because she’d ruined any chance of staying on as caretaker. There was no way Sebastian would allow her back now that she’d broken her promise.
But she didn’t use Inez Key as just a home. It had been her hideaway. She had stayed here after her parents’ murder-suicide because it was a safe place. She could evade prying eyes and evade living life.
Ashley knew she had been a lot like her mother and that scared her. She had an all-or-nothing attitude like Linda Valdez. Passionate about her causes, extremely loyal to her friends, and a hot temper that took years for her to control. Ashley knew how to hold on to a grudge and her friend’s enemies were her enemies. It was only a matter of time before she followed in her mother’s footsteps. To love completely and unwisely. To destroy and self-destruct.
Ashley thought she had escaped from that future when she hid away on Inez Key. It was paradise and yet solitary confinement. Her wild temper disappeared and her passions quieted. She was still fiercely loyal, but she wasn’t consumed by love. She thought she’d broken the cycle and become the woman she wanted to be. But one night with Sebastian and Ashley realized she had only been fooling herself.
Ashley closed her eyes as the bleakness swirled inside her. She didn’t want to think about that. Not now. First, she needed to step onto the beach and let the sand trickle between her toes. Then she needed to lie down and let the quiet wash over her. She would watch the view of the Atlantic Ocean and find the familiar landmarks. It could take hours before she felt whole and strong again. Days. But it would happen and then she would figure out what to do next.
Ashley struggled with exhaustion as she stepped out of the water taxi and paid the captain. It took effort to smile and give her thanks. She walked along the wooden dock, but she didn’t feel like her old self. Everything felt new and different. She was different and she would never recapture the old Ashley Jones again.
She heard the boat speed away, but she didn’t look back. The changes on the island had her attention. She noticed the repairs on the house and the fresh coat of paint. The wild vegetation was tamed. Inez Key was slowly returning to its former glory.
Unlike her. She was breaking down. Breaking apart. Even though she was finally back on Inez Key, she had to keep it together. She sensed that this island could no longer contain her.