Sophie moved slowly at first, trying to get past her nerves. She closed her eyes and felt the music call to her body. She smiled to herself as she fell into a groove. “Like this?” she asked, opening her eyes.

He stared back at her with dark eyes, nodding to her question. Her confidence found her as she got into the music. Turning around, she moved her hips to the music. “What did I do next?” she asked as she danced along sensually.

“You took off your bra.” His breathing was deep as he continued to watch her with utter amazement.

Sophie reached up and watched his eyes follow her hands to unclasp her bra. “Like this?” she asked, slipping the straps off her shoulders.

“Yeah.” His voice cracked sexily.

She turned around and let the material slide down her stomach before she threw it at Ashton playfully. A smile broke his serious expression, sitting up like he was being pulled toward her.

“Now what?”

He nodded toward her panties. His eyes thirstily drank in her flesh like it was intoxicating.

She slid her hands over her breasts and continued down her stomach before sliding her fingers under the lacy fabric, pulling them down her legs. He leaned toward her as he lost the battle to keep his distance. She turned around and shook her behind playfully in front of him.

“Did I do this?” she asked with a sly smile upon her lips.

“Fuck,” Ashton growled, standing up.

“Hold on.” Sophie backed up. “So I was completely naked and you had all your clothes on?”

He looked down at himself and then reached up to pull his shirt over his head. “No…” Sophie stopped him. “Let me.” He relaxed his shoulders and let his hands fall to his sides.

Sophie stepped forward and grabbed the hem of his shirt and slowly pulled it up to expose his hard stomach. “I want to touch you, Sophie.” He breathed roughly, like he was in pain. His hands clenched in tight fists at his sides.

“Be patient.” She pulled his shirt up and kissed a trail of soft, delicate kisses along his chest. He leaned down so she could reach as she pulled the fabric up over his arms. He was so much taller than her. She bit her lip as she studied him.

“I don’t think I can wait anymore…I’ve been waiting for a long time.” His voice was so deep it pulled at her; she recognized the need in his voice, matching the intensity of her own.

“One night is not a long time,” she teased.

Ashton watched as Sophie undid his belt. He took over the task, sliding his pants down, then kicked them off. Sophie needed to see all of him, the last piece of the puzzle that created his perfection. She pulled his boxers down to meet the same fate as his pants, freeing him of the restraint. He was magnificent, the perfect representation of a male body. Her need made her insides turn liquid. He pulled her body against him, kissing her feverishly, like a man that had been denied too long and was now driven by pure wild need.

Lying her down on the bed, he leaned over her, kissing her cheek and continuing down her neck. Nerves suddenly uncoiled through her, making her stiffen under him. “What’s wrong?” He looked up at her through heavy lids as his body pressed her legs apart.

Sophie placed her hand on his shoulder. He didn’t take his eyes off hers, searching for an answer to her question. “Did it hurt?” she asked in a small voice.

“What?” Confusion clouded over his expression. “What do you mean? Holy shit, Sophie.” He retracted quickly and sat on the bed beside her. He looked over at her with desperate eyes. “Are you a virgin?”

“Ummm…yes. I mean I was until last night…so technically not anymore.” Sophie tried to smile but it felt too awkward on her face. “I was upset that I didn’t remember my first time…that’s why I wanted to do this.”

“How are you still a fucking virgin?” Ashton squeezed his eyes tight.

“There was never anyone I wanted to be with until now…and I’m not a virgin anymore, remember?” Sophie leaned up, running her hand over his shoulders.

He pulled away from her touch. Standing up, he grabbed his underwear and pulled them on.

“I don’t understand,” Sophie asked with confusion.

“I can’t take that from you, I didn’t know. Shit. Sophie…I wouldn’t have done this shit if I knew. We didn’t have sex last night. You asked me to come in…we kissed, but you were too drunk so we didn’t do anything. You asked me to stay, so I did. You took off your clothes and I fucking didn’t complain. I just wanted to be with you.” He grabbed his pants off the floor and pulled them back on. “I keep pulling this same fucking shit because I don’t know how to stop. I can’t think straight when it comes to you.”

Sophie was too stunned to say anything. She grabbed the blanket from her bed and covered herself. After Ashton pulled his shirt down over his head he looked at her, waiting for her to say something but words failed her.

“I’m sorry. Don’t you have anything to say at all? Yell at me at least.” He stood there silently waiting for her to say something but she couldn’t. She had no words. “Fuck!” he cursed angrily before storming out of her apartment.

Sophie fell back on her bed. She felt like everything had been taken away, but at the same time she had received a wonderful gift. Torn in two different directions, she didn’t know how to react. She was relieved to find out she didn’t have sex for the first time and not remember it, the devastation of what she thought she’d lost didn’t really hit her until she realized how overwhelmed with relief she was to find out it wasn’t true. She also realized as she lay on her bed watching the birds flutter overhead, when Ashton had walked out the door he took her happiness with him.

Sophie slowly crawled off her bed and pulled on her robe before she retrieved the picture she had taken from Margaret’s house. Walking over to her easel, she set the picture down and grabbed a canvas from the stack on the floor. Painting always cleared her head and right now she could barely think. She focused on capturing what the picture so beautifully displayed. She wanted to capture their song.

Chapter Seventeen

Sophie awoke the next day plagued with exhaustion from her sleepless night. She spent most of the night hours sitting in front of her painting, watching her brush slowly creating the exact likeness. She was terrified to close her eyes and dream of Ashton. She was fragile and couldn’t risk letting herself fall to pieces. She stayed in the shower until the water wrinkled her fingers, completely saturating her with hot water, but still it wouldn’t wash away the ache.

She couldn’t decide if she was mad at his deception when all she could think about was finishing what they started. The only thing she could figure was that she needed time. She needed space. She needed to think, and when she was with him it was impossible. She was driven by instinct when she was close to Ashton. Everything about him drew her in, his smell, his body, and the way his perfect lips called to her. Why did things that were bad for her have to be so tempting? It was like she was set up for failure.

Sophie’s hands shook when she knocked on Margaret’s door that morning. She was relieved when Margaret answered the door because she wasn’t prepared to see Ashton. “Good morning. I can tell you’re feeling better.” Sophie smiled, relieved when her tension fell away.

“I am actually feeling very well this morning. Let’s get some tea, shall we? I am in need of some caffeine.” Margaret said brightly.

Sophie followed Margaret into the living room where Charlotte was placing a tray of tea on the coffee table. “Good morning, Sophie,” Charlotte welcomed brightly. “How are your mother’s wedding plans going?”

“Very well. We finalized the cake choice. All the bridesmaid dresses are ready and my dress fit perfectly, no adjustments needed. I’m actually making my mother’s dress. I need to get started on that and I have to plan my mother’s bachelorette tea.”