“Tyler, listen to me,” Piper said softly. “We’re in this together, okay? If Aston’s not going to be nice to you, then I’m not going to spend time with him. Yeah, Dad isn’t always nice, but now you can share with me. ’Kay?”
Tyler nodded but refused to look up.
Aston didn’t look up either, too busy watching his daughter with equal parts adoration and wonder.
I couldn’t blame him. She was pretty freaking amazing.
Aston
Back then
As my body slid in and out of Bexley’s, my blood had never felt so heated. My skin prickled from being near her, on top of her, inside her, everywhere.
I wanted her for forever, but I’d take this one weekend. It was the fix I’d been jonesing for.
I’d had a lot to drink by the time Bexley arrived at Milly and Mike’s engagement party. Mike and I had started the evening with a round or two of shots, and then I switched to my old standby, Jack and Coke.
She’d shown up by herself, sexy as fuck in a skimpy black dress and matching heels. It was probably some bargain-basement special, but on her it looked like couture. At least to me.
They’d told me to bring a date because Milly expected Bexley to bring some loser, Seth. Unlike her, I couldn’t convince myself to bring someone who wasn’t important to me. For the last four months, all the someones in my life were nothing more than a warm body and a release. I was beginning to hate every woman I met.
When Bexley showed up alone, I knew I’d made the right choice. Although it might have been the alcohol talking. My dad had just signed me on as a full-fledged partner in the business as an early Christmas gift. Not saddling myself with a poor girl like Bexley had been my dad’s demand before promoting me, in addition to insisting I go to business school now that I was weeks away from getting my bachelor’s degree.
A few cocktails in, my dad’s requests were nothing but silly semantics.
Who the hell was he to tell me who I could love?
Bexley looked gorgeous. The sides of her dress had these cutouts, revealing tanned skin and subtle curves. Her long, lean legs looked fucking delicious in those pumps. As I downed my fifth or fifteenth drink of the evening, I imagined running my tongue up the back of her calf, making my way to the inside of her thigh.
It didn’t help that she ignored me for most of the evening, drinking champagne and laughing with her friends. But I caught her near the bar.
“Aston Prescott,” I said with my hand extended.
A million emotions flashed across her face—disbelief, anger, confusion, lust, and finally, happiness.
“Bexley,” she said, slipping her hand in mine like when we first met.
“Nice to meet you, Bexley ... ?”
She laughed. “Stop. You already know me, Aston.”
I pulled her into my side, and her head dropped on my shoulder, her hair cascading all around her face and mine.
“I was just remembering when we first met,” I said as I kissed the top of her head.
“Aston,” she whispered.
“It’s good to see you.” And it was better than good.
“I thought you were moving on. You said it yourself—your dad needed your full focus, and that included not being with some washerwoman’s daughter.”
“I hate that you heard that.” I couldn’t stop breathing her in, with her cherry lip gloss and drugstore perfume.
“I thought you were driving me back to school. I waited and waited, and you never showed. What else should I have done? I came to your office—”
“Enough. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. You look too gorgeous tonight to be sad. Plus, I’m a partner at Federal now. Nothing my dad can do.”
That was definitely the alcohol talking. When it came to my dad, nothing stopped the power-hungry, money-grubbing man.
