Fifteen Weekends (26 page)

  Ashleigh awoke the next morning to find it was nearly ten o’clock. Liam was sitting on the terrace reading
The Times
and sipping tea in a grey pair of pants with a matching vest and white shirt. It was clear he went home to change, but Ashleigh was thankful he came back. The table next to him was filled with pastries and fresh fruit that she couldn’t wait to taste.  The evening’s activities had left her ravished, in more than one way.

   Ashleigh went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and combed her hair, pinning it up into a bun. She slipped her silk pajamas off and stepped into the shower. The warm spray washed over her body, and her thoughts returned to the night before. Thinking about how happy she was, a smile crossed her face. Turning off the water Ashleigh reached for her towel and found Liam standing in the doorway.

  “Good morning, darling.”  He walked towards her and kissed her on the lips.

  “Good morning, handsome.” She turned and began to towel off. “Did you sleep well?”

  Ashleigh turned back around to find Liam on one knee, holding a Harry Winston box that contained the most brilliant oval diamond ring surrounded by micropave diamonds in a platinum setting. Looking at the diamond Ashleigh observed it had to have been at least 2 carats… it was 2.25 to be precise.

  “Ashleigh Marie Preston, my love, I do not want to go on one more day without you. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

  She stood there in the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a fluffy white towel with her mouth hanging open. Overcome with emotion, she somehow managed to blurt out with excitement, “Yes! I will absolutely marry you Liam Oliver Frost.”

Chapter Thirty-Two:

Amanda

  The door of Amanda’s apartment slammed behind her as she threw her keys across the room. Pacing frantically, she tried to push what she had just witnessed out of her mind. Pouring herself a drink from the bar, she proceeded to Vince’s office. She wanted to snoop, but she didn’t know what she was looking for or where to start.

  “Amanda? Are you home?” Alex called.

  “Yeah, I’m here,” she answered coldly. Amanda walked to the living room and began muttering. Her tone was thick with anger. “I cannot believe what a goddamn liar he is.”

  “He, who?”

  “Vince!” she snapped. “Who else do you think I’m talking about?”

  Alex shot her a look of confusion, “What did Vince lie about?”

  “I don’t wanna talk about it.”  

  Before Amanda knew it, she was wrapped up in Alex’s arms kissing him. She needed him to chase away the loneliness and the hurt she was feeling. She’d been gutted about sleeping with Alex and betraying Vince, all the while Vince was keeping Amanda distracted from what was really going on, holed up in this ivory tower while he fucked his wife and had backyard barbecues with his family. How could she be so blind? Of course Vince hadn’t introduced his children to her. Amanda was the other woman.

  Alex gripped Amanda’s hips lifting her up allowing her to encircle her legs around his trim waist. She fisted her fingers through his brown waves, and he began to move his mouth down to the lower part of her neck. Amanda gently slid down Alex’s sturdy frame. Looking at him with a seductive smile, she grasped his wrists and led him into the bathroom. She turned on the water and turned back to face Alex. Staring at each other as the bathroom began to fill with heated mist they began to undress.

  Amanda stepped in the shower and the steaming liquid stung as it ran over her tight shoulders, down her back and over her thighs. She inhaled and closed her eyes feeling a hand on the small of her back. Alex was behind her grinning lazily as he poured some shower gel in his hand. He began rubbing it over Amanda’s shoulders, trying to relax her aching muscles, calming the tension that lingered in her body. Kissing her neck he pulled her into him, and she could feel his cock hardening and twitching with each kiss. He gently ran his sudsy hands over her breasts. Her skin began tingling, and Amanda’s body instantly responded to his touch.

  A whimper escaped her firm lips as her body trembled. Lightheaded from the heat and Alex’s hands gliding over her body, she managed to muster the words, “Alex, make me forget…
please
. Wash it away…” she breathed a deep sigh. “Wash it all away.”

  “Amanda,” he whispered. “If I had my way you’d never be in pain.” He searched her face running the pad of his thumb over her wet lips. “There would be no hurt to wash away, but that’s just me.”

  She leaned into him and captured his mouth with hers. Alex moved Amanda away from the pouring water and lifted her onto him. He ran his lips down her jawline to the base of her throat. Her back was propped against the cool tiled wall and Alex began a slow, steady, rocking movement driving them both crazy. His hips ground into her while she gripped his shoulders tighter. Amanda let out a breathless cry as Alex delivered the final thrust that sent intense shockwaves pulsing through her entire body. Again the pain was gone. All Amanda felt was warmth spill over her. A smile slid across her lips.

   Moments later Alex and Amanda found themselves wrapped in fluffy towels lying atop her bed. Propped up on her elbow she traced the lines on Alex’s abs with her index finger. He weaved his long fingers through her damp wavy locks and brushed her reddened cheek with the back of his hand.

  “Alex,” Amanda said softly. “I saw my sister today and…well…I’m pretty sure she’s hiding something from me.”
  “Oh,” Alex said as he arched his eyebrow.

  “Yeah, I was wondering if you could look into a guy named, Andrew Langston.”

  “Sure,” he replied as his hand fell to her back. “Anything you need.”

  She curled up next to him resting her chin on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. Amanda let out a deep sigh and began to chew her lip. Alex could sense she was still troubled.

  “Are you ready to tell me what had you so worked up earlier?” Alex asked softly and kissed the crown of her head.

  “I also saw Vince today,” she began. Amanda let out a deep sigh and rolled onto her back staring at the ceiling. “Alex, he was wearing a wedding band, and he told me he was going to be in New York until Thursday, but magically he’s here and having smoothies with his wife and kids!”  Amanda shouted at Alex in anger. “I’m so stupid. How, how could I have trusted him? This is karma, Alex.”

  Tilting her head back, she laced her fingers with his and said, “I feel so incredibly foolish, Alex. What am I going to do?”

  He gave her a sympathetic look, which pissed her off. Amanda hates to be pitied, but it’s a cause she’s come to know quite well. Sometimes when desperation rears its ugly head, she uses pity to her advantage. It was beneath her to behave in such a way.

  Punching her fist to the bed, she snapped, “Amanda Parsons is
not
mistress material—I’m the
goddamn
trophy. I’m the fucking gold, silver and bronze medal rolled into one.”

  Alex swallowed the lump in this throat and propped himself up leaning against the headboard. “Amanda, Vince
is
divorced.”

  Amanda sat up in the bed and drew her knees into her chest. Confusion flashed in her eyes. “What do you mean
is
divorced?” she asked, her voice brittle. “You sound pretty damn sure of yourself.”

  “Amanda, I’m with Vince a lot. I attend to all of his interests, personal and otherwise. I know more about him than anyone in the world. As much as it pains me to admit—he
didn’t
lie to you.”

  “Okay, so spill it Alex. Tell me everything,” she demanded.

  Alex began explaining that Vince’s kids did not yet know their parents were divorcing. He told Amanda, that Vince and Jennifer, his ex-wife, were trying to figure out how to break it to them. In reality, the divorce was final.

  Shock and embarrassment coursed through Amanda. She ran her hands through her wet hair nervously twisting the ends around her fingers.

  “Godammit!” Amanda screamed as she jumped up from the bed. “Walking in a small pattern around her bedroom, she took a sip of the wine that Alex had brought her after their shower. She was breathing heavily, and the tears started to roll down her face.

  “Amanda,” Alex said, his voice soft and laced with concerned.

  “I’m so confused,” she said shaking her head back and forth. “Alex, you
need
to leave.”

  Alex stood up from the bed and walked towards Amanda. He reached for her, but she recoiled like a snake and backed away.
  “Amanda,” he began, his tone low. “Don’t do that…
don’t
push me away.”

  “Alex, we cannot do this anymore,” she lectured. “This absolutely cannot happen again.”

  “Amanda, why…why are you with Vince?” His tone with her was sharp. “I know you feel this…connection…this heat we have between us.”

  Amanda thought about his question. Her mind was fogged. She had no real answer except that she needs Vince, but she also cares deeply for him. Amanda didn’t know if she was
in love
with Vince but she knew she loved him. Amanda’s feelings for Alex were confusing. He stirred mixed emotions in her. Obviously there was excitement and pleasure. There was also calmness. Alex grounded her, but he also frightened her, or at least the idea of him troubled her.

  “Alex, I…I’m afraid of you…” Amanda confessed her voice was low and controlled.

  Alex’s brow furrowed.

  “I mean, I’m afraid I’m using you as a replacement to take away the pain. It’s like you’re my drug of choice and I’m addicted to this thing that’s ignited between us.”

  Alex inched closer to her locking his gaze with hers. Amanda felt her knees buckling beneath her and her skin began to prick with heat. Alex closed the space between them, and Amanda drew in a sharp breath.

  “There’s no need to be afraid.” He grinned as he drew her palm up to his lips kissing her gently. “Amanda, I’ve never met anyone that gets my heart racing like you do. I go to work every day happy, because I know that at some point I’ll see your beautiful face.” He bent down and brushed his lips to hers.

  His fingertips grazed the curve of her face. He says, “Your smile…it melts my heart and your laugh…I love hearing how it whimsically singsongs up and down.”

  “Alex,” she pulled back breathless. Her bottom lip quivering, she replied, “but, we’re hurting Vince. It’s not fair. It will break his heart.”

  “I plan to win your heart and never break it. Vince has money, power and all that comes with that, but I can give you the one thing he can’t—time.”

  Amanda reached her hands up and touched his face. No words were spoken, the glint in her eyes said everything. Alex swept her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Our time is limited, Amanda,” he whispered. “We shouldn’t waste a second of it waiting for someone else’s schedule to clear up to make plans.”

  Locked in a deep kiss, swallowed up in the warmth of their embrace, Alex pushed Amanda to the bed, where she surrendered to him over and over. They don’t even notice the late afternoon sun had faded to darkness.

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Emily

  Emily arrived home after her morning workout to find Ethan’s car parked in her driveway. She pulled into the garage as Ethan stepped out of his black Lexus looking as handsome as ever. He was wearing his favorite navy blue shorts paired with a navy, white and grey striped J. Crew oxford with the sleeves rolled up.

  “Maybe, I should give you a key so you don’t have to wait in the driveway,” she said with a flirtatious smile.

  “Did you think about me while you worked up a sweat at the gym, Em?”

  “I always do,” she hummed. “Although I would much rather be working up a sweat
with
you, Ethan.”

  As she began to walk towards the door, Ethan grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her back close to him. He pushed her back against the hot metal of her car, it stung a bit at first because it had been sitting for a while in the parking lot, under the blistering sun. Ethan let out a low groan as he kissed Emily. The vibrations sent a pleasurable shiver through Emily’s core.