Her warmth and soft femininity had cast a spell on him. He’d had trouble following their desultory conversation; Sebastian knew Ashley had been nervous that evening. It was as if she had known they would wind up in bed together. He had felt as if he could hear her heart pound against her ribs as a flush had crept into her cheeks.
Excitement had coiled around his chest when the stars blanketed the night sky. The thick and heavy air between them had crackled. She had teased his senses and a dangerous thrill had zipped through his veins.
Wild sensations had sparked inside him, pressing just under his skin when he had kissed her. That moment had been magical. Sebastian had meant to gently explore her lips, but the passion between them had exploded into something hot and urgent.
He’d keep the sunset, Sebastian decided. And the island, too. It was, after all, where he had first met Ashley. He didn’t want to erase those moments he had shared with her, so the house must stay as well. It wouldn’t be that great a hardship. Since he had stayed in the mansion with Ashley, Inez Key no longer had power over him.
He walked swiftly along the beach, following a bend that led to a cove. Sebastian paused and looked around, wondering where Ashley would hide. It would be somewhere that made her feel safe and protected. That could be anywhere on this small island. He had heard so many stories about Inez Key. As a kid who was raised on the dangerous streets, he had thought they were fairy tales.
His heart clenched when he saw Ashley curled in a tight ball next to a large piece of driftwood. Her damp jeans were caked with sand and she was almost dwarfed in her sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, but what he noticed the most was her tear-streaked face.
The anger slowly weakened as he stared at her. Ashley was suffering and he was to blame. When he first started this journey, he wanted to take away her safe little world. He got what he wanted and now he felt like a monster.
Sebastian had to fix this and get Ashley back. He needed her. Somehow he had been aware of it from the moment they met. He always knew this woman would be his redemption and his downfall. She would tame him and at the same time drive him wild.
He knew the moment Ashley saw him. Her body went rigid and she jumped up. Even from a distance, he could see Ashley was considering her options to pounce or make a run for it.
She wouldn’t get far, he decided. He was ready to chase her, the thrill of the hunt in his blood. Ashley must have known that hiding was futile. Her shoulders sagged in defeat but she held her ground.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as she looked around the cove. “I didn’t hear your speedboat.”
“Which is why I took a different boat,” he said as he walked toward her. He had known the only way he would find her was using the element of surprise. “Don’t worry. I dismissed the security, so you don’t have to hide.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion and that annoyed him. Did she really think he’d lie about that? About everything? Did she think he lied with such fluency that he was incapable of speaking the truth?
“How’d you know I would be here?” she asked. “Did your security guards call you?”
“No, you managed to get past them. But then, you know all of the hiding places. It had been a lucky guess,” he said as he stood in front of her. He wanted to grab her arms and shake her for making him worry. For making him chase her from country to country. And yet, he wanted to hold her close and not let her go.
“And it just happened to be your first guess?” Ashley clenched her jaw. “Am I that predictable?”
“It wasn’t my first guess. I hunted down Salazar.” He shoved his fists in the pockets of his hoodie. “He enjoyed that.”
If he had hoped Ashley would show a hint of discomfort or remorse, he would have been greatly disappointed. “Good,” she taunted. “Why should I be the only one embarrassed?”
“I’m very territorial and you know that,” His low voice held an edge. “That’s why you went off with him. It was a bad move.”
“Is that what you think?” She raised her eyebrows with disbelief. “I don’t base every decision on you. I had to get out of there and I took the first flight I could find. Salazar offered. Normally I would keep my distance from someone like him, but I was desperate.”