Standing in the middle of her enormous walk-in closet, Hayley stared at her useless collection with dismay. What could she wear to her first date? This was what she had been dreaming of since the day she met Ashton. Now it was finally happening, and she was at a loss. None of the clothes she possessed were good enough. Some were too glittery, some too loud, some too revealing, and others were just too tight.
Time was running out, and she fished out a white one-shoulder ruched longline midi dress that hugged her figure, giving her a smoldering and fiery look. Clipping on her favorite diamond solitaires, she added a dash of makeup and curled her hair as quickly as she could. Spraying her signature designer perfume, she gazed at herself, admiring her handiwork. Satisfied with the results, she peered out of her window to check for Ashton’s BMW. A smile brightened up her features as she made a dash for the front door.
“Are you going somewhere, Hails?” asked her granny from the living room.
“Yes, granny. I’m going out with friends.” Granny gave her a suspicious look, not missing the care she took with her appearance.
“Don’t go overboard with anything,” she said, turning her gaze back to the television show.
“I won’t.” Hayley rushed to leave, eager to avoid her family. She knew how they would react to her going on a date with someone else. As if Jason Lowells was the only guy for her!
She slipped out of the gates before her parents returned from the club. With her uncle and aunt still at the hospital, thankfully, she didn’t need to explain herself to anyone. She walked up to Ashton’s car, aware of his gaze checking her out.
She looked at him nervously. Would he approve of her look? Although she knew him for so long, she wasn’t sure what he liked about girls. She didn’t even know whether he liked her at all! She opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Hi!” she said nervously, noting that he still hadn’t taken his eyes off her. Was she overdressed? Her glance swept up his sinfully muscular body, clad in a black dress shirt and a pair of beige chinos. With the sleeves rolled up to show his thick muscular, tattooed arms, Hayley suddenly had the strange wish to feel them around her bare body!
“Hey!” It was all he said, starting the car and driving ahead in silence. Hayley scowled at the guy. Didn’t he like her look? She had taken so much pain for him!
“Where are we going?” She looked at him, hoping he would open up more. There was a strange tension within the close confines of the car, and it made her heart race.
“Silver Spring Resorts.” Hayley gaped at him as she tried to grasp the information he just blurted out. Why were they going so far away, that too, to the hotel beside her office?
“Why there? I don’t want dad to see us!” she exclaimed in a state of panic.
“Why? Are you ashamed to go out with me? Let’s get one thing straight, Hayley. I’m a straightforward guy. I don’t do secret dates, or any dates for that matter. This is my first and last. If your dad sees us together, I won’t hide. I’ll face him.” Hayley gazed at the sheer determination on his face with surprise, having never seen this fiercely determined side to him before.
“He will get me married if he found out.” Ashton sighed and steered the car to a dead end, stopping the ignition and turning to face her. Hayley searched his blue eyes as they twinkled under the streetlights. With his manly scent playing havoc with her senses, all she could think of was confessing her feelings to him.
“You should be stronger, Hayley. You should learn to stand up for yourself. If you don’t want to get married, then don’t. How can anyone pressurize you into anything?”
“It’s not that I don’t wish to get married. I just don’t want to marry Jason.”
Ashton held his breath as he searched her beautiful hazel eyes that gazed back at him. He could read the hope, the questions, the expectations in them and sighed, looking away. He knew she liked him, but it was a lost battle! They weren’t meant for one another.
“Then who do you wish to marry? Shaun Peterson?” Ashton gritted the last part angrily, having unearthed everything he could about the guy. He just couldn’t accept the fact that Hayley was so attracted to the guy that she wanted to enjoy her first se* experience with him. Hayley scoffed and looked away, but deep in her heart she felt a strange satisfaction at seeing him so bothered.
“No. I don’t feel a thing for him.” Ashton seemed to ponder over her statement as he started the car again.
“Then?” he prodded, wanting to hear his own name on her lips.
“Then there’s no one right now. I’m just eighteen and I want to live my life before settling down. Still, whenever I marry, it won’t be Jason.” Ashton smiled at her determination and gave her an amused look.
“How about me? Would you marry me if I asked?” he asked suddenly, making her freeze. Did she hear him correctly? She looked at him helplessly, her eighteen-year-old heart racing with excitement. Was he asking her to marry him? Could she hope?
“I..,” she stammered, her wide eyes focused on the amused look on his face. It didn’t occur to her he might play games with her, to get her to admit to her feelings for him. “Ashton, I..” she again tried to tell him how much she loved him, how much she wanted to marry him. There had been no one else for her!
“Relax. I was just kidding!” he said with a chuckle. Her face paled at his admission. He was joking! He didn’t want to marry her!
“Stop the car, Ashton. I don’t want to go anywhere with you,” she whispered, feeling the tears prick at her eyes. Was she a bl*ody joke to him?
“Hey, relax! I was just joking, okay? I have promised you dinner and we will go.” Hayley sat like a statue, chiding herself for being so foolish. He was the most insensitive guy on earth! He didn’t care about anyone apart from his best friend and foster family. She didn’t feature anywhere near them. He didn’t care about her. She just wasted her efforts getting ready for him. He was oblivious to her charms.
“I get it. So, why Silver Spring?” she asked, flashing a bright smile at him to divert the topic. Of course, it was fake, but Ashton didn’t need to know that. She wouldn’t show him how much his question had affected her. Ashton glanced at her and smiled back, relaxing a little.
“I’m joining Silver Spring from tomorrow as their assistant Administrative Manager. I’ve resigned from VE Global Finance.” Hayley gaped at him, realizing that from now on he would be right next to her. Could she meet him every day?
“Oh! Congratulations! So you’ll be next to my office tomorrow onwards.”
“Yes. We could go out every day!” he said with a chuckle. It made her heart skip a beat or two!
“I thought you didn’t date!” She rolled her eyes at his contradicting remark.
“I didn’t mention a date. I don’t date.”
“Then how are we going on one?” she argued, glaring at him, ready to fight and make him admit she was the exception to his rule.
“You wanted to,” he drawled, a lazy smile lighting up his features as he cruised to a stop at the resort’s parking area.
“Oh, right? So if any girl wants to go out on a date with you, will you agree?” Ashton shook his head, holding her gaze. A fire crackled under his skin as he stared at her beautiful face. He could feel himself get sucked into a hopeless attraction for her, and couldn’t control his urges.
He chided himself for blurting out what was on his mind, not realizing that Hayley would react that way. Her reaction only strengthened the belief that she still liked him. His heart swelled with hope and happiness. He enjoyed being with her! If only he could be someone like Jason Lowells. Maybe he would have if the mafia did not hound him!
“You didn’t answer me, Ashton.” He blinked and opened the door to walk out. What could he say? Could he tell her she was the only one who made his heart melt? He opened her door and waited for her to alight. She looked at him, expecting an answer, and got out, realizing that he wouldn’t answer her.
“No. Only you,” he said, holding her gaze, as he shut the car door. His arm brushed against her bare one, sending a shot of electric spark up her body at the touch. It seemed to surprise Ashton as well. He had never felt this way with any other woman he had met.
“So, are you ready for our first date, Hayley?” he whispered, his arm going around her to rest lightly on her lower back.