I nod, my eyes fixed on hers. “Anytime.”
She steps out, and I’m right behind her, falling into step as we approach the rotating doors. There are no paparazzi here. Noplaying pretend for the cameras. The entrance glows under the streetlights, the quiet hum of the city wrapping around us. She pushes into the revolving door, and I follow, the confined space making it impossible to look anywhere but at her.
When we step into the lobby, it’s empty, save for the quiet buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead. Ashlyn glances toward the elevator, the key to it already in her hand, but she doesn’t move to use it.
Instead, she turns to face me, her gaze flicking up to meet mine. There’s a hesitation in her eyes, but also something warmer, something that makes my pulse pick up.
“Thanks again,” she murmurs, the words feeling more loaded than they should.
I take a step closer, slow and deliberate, watching for any sign she wants me to stop. When she doesn’t move away, I reach out, my hand brushing lightly against her arm. “Ash,” I say softly, my voice low, “can I kiss you?”
Her breath catches, her eyes widening slightly, but she doesn’t pull back. Instead, she gives the smallest nod, her lips parting just enough to make my chest tighten.
I lean in, closing the space between us, and press my lips to hers. It’s soft at first, careful, but when she responds—her lips moving against mine, her fingers curling into the fabric of my jacket—it’s like every wall I’ve been holding up crumbles.
I slide my hands to her waist, pulling her closer as the kiss deepens. Her scent blooms, flooding my senses, warm and unguarded. She leans into me, her body molded against mine, and for a moment, it feels like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.
When I finally pull back, both of us are breathing hard, her cheeks flushed, her lips slightly swollen. Her eyes flicker with something I can’t quite name—something that makes my chest ache with how badly I want this to be real.
I rest my forehead against hers, my voice rough as I whisper, “Let me come up.”
Her breath hitches, and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. Her hand tightens on the key in her grip, and I can feel the conflict radiating off her.
“Jake…” she starts, her voice shaky, but I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing lightly across her skin.
“I just want to talk,” I say, my tone steady despite the fire coursing through me. “No pressure. No expectations. Just… let me be with you for a little while.”
Her eyes search mine, and I hold her gaze, letting her see everything—every ounce of honesty, every bit of the longing I’ve carried for so damn long. “Please,” I whisper.
She exhales slowly, her eyes closing briefly before she nods. “Okay,” she says, her voice barely audible.
Relief washes over me, but I keep my movements slow as she steps toward the elevator, sliding the key into the slot. The soft hum of the machinery fills the quiet as the doors open, and she steps inside, glancing back at me with an expression that’s equal parts nervous and unsure.
I follow her in, and the doors close behind us, sealing us off from the world outside. My heart races, not with the usual adrenaline I’m used to, but with hope.
CHAPTER 27
Ashlyn
I pressmyself against the far wall of the elevator, feigning indifference, even though my perfume betrays me, swirling in the air between us like a confession I’m not ready to give.
Jake leans back against a side wall, his hands casually hooked into his front pockets, his calm demeanor doing nothing to quiet the butterflies erupting in my stomach. It’s like being nineteen again, back when the sight of any of them could set my world spinning—before everything fell apart. Before they made me choose.
The thought cuts deep, and I shove it away before it can take hold, my fingers tracing the zipper of my purse like it’s the only thing keeping me tethered. I fix my eyes on the glowing floor numbers, counting them down instead of facing the charged silence stretching between us.
But it’s not just silence. It’s heavy, thick with unspoken words and everything I’m pretending not to feel. The truth presses against my skin, unrelenting, no matter how much I try to ignore it.
I want this man… no matter the consequences.
The thought hits me like a jolt, stealing my breath as soon as I dare to let it form. I keep my eyes locked on the glowing numbers above the elevator doors, refusing to look at him, refusing to let him see how much he affects me.
But I can feel his gaze, steady and unyielding, pulling at me like gravity. The silence between us sharpens, making it harder to breathe, forcing me to bring my eyes to his. He stares back steadily and I yank my gaze away and back to the glowing numbers.
The elevator slows, the ding of the doors sliding open jolting me out of my spiraling thoughts. I step forward quickly, my heels clicking against the tile as I lead the way to my apartment, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway.
We really have no reason to be alone. No cameras are catching our every move. Shelley isn’t demanding this of me…yet a sort of excitement swirls inside of my chest.
Jake follows, close enough that I can feel his presence without turning around, his green tea and sage musk wrapping around me like a tether. My hand shakes slightly as I dig out my keys again, fumbling with them as I reach the door.
