New York didn't have those kinds of places. Everywhere he turned, there were people who wanted to know him. People who wanted to benefit from him. People who wanted to ask for his money and pitch him ideas for start-ups he could invest into, so they could go straight for his wallet.
Ash hated New York City.
He quickly downed the drink in his hand, not even pausing to figure out what he had been offered. Then he set the empty glass down on the table beside him and stood to leave. He scanned the dance floor one last time and took in the people below him. Grinding and drinking and having the best time surrounded by their friends.
But then, something caught his eye.
A familiar copper-colored head that bounced around in the crowd.
Was it possible? Could that be Kallie? Ash pressed his hand against the glass window and it made him hate the encasement even more. Yet another barrier between him and what he had to come to New York City for in the first place. He watched the copper hair bounce around in its braid as wisps of curls flew from its confines.
Then the head swiveled around and Ash got a glimpse of those bright-green eyes.
Seeing her face was like a punch to his chest. It left him breathless as he gazed down upon her from his perch. She looked so beautiful in her green and yellow dress as it fluttered with her moves on the dance floor. And she didn't even know it. Kallie was completely unaware of the men who were staring at her. Gathered around her. Watching her and some girl, who donned nothing but sweatpants and a tank top, as the two of them danced around with drinks in their hands.
Ash was rooted to his spot.
She was nothing like the usual females who fawned over him. Fell over themselves to introduce their names to him. She was nothing like the gold diggers and the tall, thin-legged women who tried to get in well with his mother before they even met him. Watching her dance on the floor, swiveling her hips and hugging her friend tightly, it made him miss her. He wanted to be the one dancing with her. He wanted to be the one pressed against her. He wanted to be the one she smiled at.
Like they had on the island.
He closed his eyes and relived the moment. Remembering the feel of her body against his.
Ash had been infuriated when he showed up at her apartment and saw another man at her place. He had hit his private gym for a few hours to work out his rage over that fun little surprise he was met with. He tried to place the face of the man. Tried to figure out who he was that night by searching his phone. But he couldn't come up with anything and he knew he didn't know the man, and for a brief second it reinforced his fears. That what he had with Kallie was nothing but a fantasy on the island. Holiday hookup for her like she had started out for him.
But she wasn't out with him tonight. She was out with a friend of hers.
Did that mean something? Was his anger misplaced?
Maybe this was the chance Ash had been waiting for. Maybe this was his chance to approach her again, since she hadn't called him. He didn't feel right showing up at her apartment after he dropped off those flowers. He wasn't going to beg her for a second chance. She was her own person and if she didn't believe in second chances—if she wanted to be with whoever that other guy was, or even if she just didn't want him—that was her choice. He had no right to force her into making any sort of decision. He had no right to corner her and make some sort of argument as to why he was good for her. If she couldn't see that with what they had already experienced together—couldn’t feel it in her bones like he did—then there was nothing he could do about that.
But there Kallie was, not with that man from her apartment, but with a friend. Out in public. Vulnerable. Accessible. It would be nothing to accidentally run into her and brush it off as a coincidence.
Maybe this was fate giving him a second chance.
Maybe fate was who he needed to ask for a second chance in the first place.
Ash left the quiet VIP lounge and headed down the stairs. He shook hands with his friend one last time and clapped his back, then set his eyes on Kallie’s body. He headed into the crowd, her copper hair in his vision as he slid between the rocking bodies of people bouncing on the dance floor. Men were gawking, and he didn't like that. People were staring, and he didn't like that. The last time a man had gawked at Kallie, she left the club with a bruise. And that wasn't happening again. Not on his watch.
Tonight, Kelly was going home with him.
No matter what it took.
Chapter 5
Kallie
Kallie’s hips swiveled with the music as Eris took her hand. Her drink was in the air and a smile was finally blooming on her face. It was a wonderful time. The music was loud, the alcohol was strong, her stomach was full of good foods. This was what it meant to be single, and Kallie found herself loving it. It was fun. Exciting. Full of adventure.
She was finally starting to feel a little better.
Eris twirled her on the dance floor and all of the men falling over themselves were cheering them on. Kallie didn’t need a man to make her happy. She was just fine on her own. She had Eris, her career, her own damn business. She could go out and party whenever she wanted. Every weekend could be a girls’ weekend if she wanted it to be. No asking for permission. No obeying a specific time frame because of how it might affect someone else. Kallie could come and go as she pleased in her life and it wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference to anyone else.
“Get it, girl!” Eris exclaimed. “Look at all these guys!”
Kallie opened her eyes and looked around, surveying the scene in front of her.
There were so many men. And they were all tripping over their own two feet to dance with them. Grabbing her hips and telling her how beautiful she was. Hell, Eris was batting men off left and right. She made her own rules and played by her own standards and she was as happy as she could be. Eris wasn’t tied down, and Kallie didn’t have to be either. Men of all ages and races would be there if Kallie ever wanted to try again.