He knew she loved her morning coffee to the point that it was a sacred ritual, but this was ridiculous. She was hiding from him. Distancing herself.
And Ashley was too quiet for his liking. In the past he would assume the lack of conversation meant she was plotting his demise. Today he suspected she was uncomfortable about sharing her secret with him.
He was offended but he also knew she had a right to feel this way. He didn’t have a great track record when it came to Ashley Jones. When she told him about the loan with Raymond Casillas, he had used that information for his benefit. He had also used her sexual attraction to make her his mistress. A broken promise or two, and the possibility that he accidentally got her pregnant....
Sebastian swallowed back an oath. She was probably counting down the minutes until this agreement ended. He needed to show Ashley that he could take care of her in and out of bed. He had to honor his agreement and have her stay on Inez Key.
But would she still want to be with him? Or was she already distancing herself because there were only a few more days of their arrangement? Was it too late to prove to Ashley that he could be the man she wanted?
Sebastian hated this uncertainty. Most women were content with his attention and his lifestyle. That wasn’t enough to hold on to Ashley. For a moment he wished she were pregnant with his child. He had a blistering need to create a lasting connection with this woman.
There was one place he could start. “I have to go on another trip today,” Sebastian announced. “I want you to come with me.”
Ashley pushed back her hair. “Where are you going this time?”
“Inez Key.”
Ashley jerked with surprise. Her fingers shook as she set the coffee mug down with a thud. “You want me to go to Inez Key? Why?”
Because he wanted to make her happy. Give her everything she wanted. Find some kind of compromise that could even assuage the guilt that pressed against his chest. “The renovations are almost complete,” he said as if that explained everything.
“That was fast,” she said with a frown. “How did you manage that?”
“You can accomplish anything when you have money.” And he had thrown a great deal of money on the project. Everything had to be perfect in the main house. The grounds had to be exactly as they were twenty-five years ago. Nothing else would do.
“Why do you want me along?”
“You’re going to be the caretaker of the island,” he said as he took the last sip of his coffee.
Ashley dipped her head. “About that...”
His hand stilled as he listened to her hesitant tone. He thought she would be pleased. Excited to remain on the island. Grateful for the chance to stay.
“I have to decline the offer.”
“Why?” She had stayed with him for a month to gain the right to be on the island. Now she was throwing back his offer. “Isn’t that what you wanted all along?”
“I needed the island five years ago. It was my haven.” Ashley glanced up and met his gaze. “But I’m a different person now and I can’t put my life on hold anymore. It’s time for me to move on. I can’t do that if I’m at Inez Key.”
Sebastian struggled with the temptation to argue. He wanted to convince her that the island was the best place for her to stay, but deep down he knew it wasn’t true. It was the best thing for him if she stayed. She would remain on an isolated island with no single men and always available to him. He liked that idea far too much.
“What are you going to do instead?” he asked gruffly.
Ashley looked away. “I don’t know. I’ll think of something.”
She didn’t seem excited about this change in her life. She simply accepted it. But if she didn’t want Inez Key anymore, he had no hold on her. Unless he asked her to live with him.
Sebastian’s heart pounded hard against his chest. He wanted to extend the invitation, but he wasn’t sure what her answer would be. She had rejected him before, and that was before she discovered how he’d double-crossed her. Ashley knew what kind of man he was and she would not willingly choose to share her life with him.
“You should still visit Inez Key with me,” he decided. “It would be a good time to collect your things and say goodbye to your friends.”