“I appreciate you telling me this. You will always have my friendship, Sophie, but I just need to clear my head. I have always hoped we could be more. I just need some time, okay?” His shoulders were drooped and he looked defeated, but the force of his anger had passed.

“Okay.” Sophie said softly. Sophie watched Sam continue walking down the street. She jumped when Ashton moved into view beside her.

“Oh my god.” Sophie put her hand against her chest. “You scared me.”

“Who was he?” Ashton asked, standing beside her.

“What are you talking about?” Sophie asked thoughtfully as she watched Sam turn the corner and leave her line of view.

“Who did you give your heart to?”

“You heard that? Do me a favor and forget it.” Sophie sighed and headed down the street. She wanted to be home.

Ashton easily kept up beside her. “Come on. I want to know.”

“You weren’t supposed to hear that and I don’t want to talk about it. In fact, I want to walk home and not talk at all.”

“Fine. We don’t have to talk.”

After Sophie realized he was going to keep walking with her she glowered at him. “Are you planning on following me all the way home?”

“I’m not following you. I just happen to be going in the same direction.” He smirked.

When Sophie turned onto her street she looked over at Ashton, who had an amused expression upon his face.

“You didn’t have to walk me home.”

“I figured I might as well since I’m going to the same place.” His deep blue eyes looked at her and she had to stop herself from being drawn closer to him, still her feet from wanting to move toward him. She had no control when it came to him. Why am I drawn to such an arrogant jerk who always takes whatever he wants with no consideration for the destruction he causes?

“You’re not coming to my place.”

“Yes, I am. We need to talk.”

“I don’t really feel like talking right now.” Sophie pushed open the front door and continued to her apartment.

“I know something else we can do then,” Ashton said suggestively as he followed her in spite of her protest. He pulled out his phone and pushed some buttons before holding it up to show the truth or dare screen. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Sophie responded, turning around to stand in front of her door, her arms crossed.

“Let me in your apartment.” His lazy crooked smile was adorable and sexy and she knew there was no way that she was having a quiet night to herself.

Sophie unlocked her door and swung it open wide behind her as she walked in. Ashton followed and closed the door behind him. This won’t end well.

Chapter Twenty

“Truth or dare?” Sophie spun around to face Ashton. He was leaning against the door watching her under his dark lashes that the dim light caused to shadow across his cheeks.

“Truth,” he answered confidently.

Sophie let her purse slide off her arm and land on the floor. She let out a breath before she spoke. “Why did you hate me so much?” It was the question she’d wanted to know from their first encounter when he had pulled her hair and left her heartbroken. She had fallen into his beautiful blue eyes when she first saw them looking at her and placed his mark on her heart.

“I never hated you.”

Sophie choked off her breath in disbelief. “Do you seriously expect me to believe that? After all that you did to me.”

Ashton pushed off from the wall. “Do you want to know what I fucking hate? I hate the fact that when I first met you I fucking panicked because I had everything figured out. I had everything where I fucking wanted it. I had more girls than I could have possibly wanted begging me to pay attention to them. Then you walk into the class with your pretty dress and worn out red shoes. You were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I couldn’t fucking breathe sitting behind you, wanting desperately for you to turn around so I could see your eyes because they were amazing. I had never wanted anything so bad in my whole entire life and I wasn’t ready for it.”

Ashton closed his eyes tightly and took a deep calming breath. “It wasn’t me who pulled your hair, it was shithead Collin, but I couldn’t say anything. It was the first time in my life I didn’t know what to say. I knew I was in fucking trouble when I looked up and saw Lucinda watching me when I was practically crawling over my seat to get closer to you. I knew she was going to rip you apart. I could see her evil intentions brewing so I did the only thing I thought would make her back off. I let her think I hated you…I let you think I hated you too because I knew I couldn’t have you and it pissed me off.” Ashton ran the back of his fingers tenderly along Sophie’s cheek.

“You were the only one that believed it. Soon I welcomed your hatred because it’s all I deserved from you. It became our only interaction, my only way of getting close to you. I tried to keep Lucinda off your case but it would only make it worse on you. You seemed so content with hating me and it was all I could do not to kiss you every time you were close. You were all I could think about. You were all I wanted and I couldn’t have you.” Ashton stopped talking and looked at her. He seemed vulnerable standing before her with his words in the air. It was the first time she had seen his cockiness stripped away and he let her see what was inside of him. He ran his hand though his wavy blonde hair. He was too beautiful to be real as he poured out his feelings. The shock of his words stilled her body. She didn’t know how to process what he was saying.

“Do you how many blueberry turnovers I’ve eaten since I kissed you that day?” His words were soft and raw. “I just don’t know how to stop this cycle.”

“Me either. I don’t know how to let my guard down around you. I’m scared of getting hurt.” Sophie shook her head slowly, and a tear fell down her cheek. Ashton brushed it away. He looked at her with his endless blue eyes, so much feeling stirred within them. “Truth or dare?” he whispered.

“Truth,” she said softly. The word felt strange in her mouth as she tried to sort through the storm of emotions that raged through her.

“Who did you give your heart to?” There was fear in his eyes as he looked at her. She realized that he was just as afraid of getting hurt as her and still he opened up, making himself susceptible to the pain.

“You,” she whispered. “I have only ever wanted you.”

Sophie ran her fingers down his chest, making sure he was really standing here in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She slid her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground, her legs wrapping around his narrow waist. He held her like she was weightless and she loved the fit of their bodies. She loved how he felt against her, all of her soft flesh molded against his hard body, and it made her yearn for more of him. Desire flourished within her and she wanted to taste him.

Sophie sucked on his full bottom lip and his reaction was primal and urgent, demanding more. She pulled away and looked up at his expression that now reflected his lust and desire.

“This thing that we’re doing, whatever it is…maybe we should stop. I work for your grandmother. What if it ends badly?” she whispered against his ear.

“Can we stop?” he said breathlessly, his voice heavy with longing.

“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“What if I told you that I don’t want to stop…that I can’t stop?” He kissed along the sensitized skin of her neck.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, looking back at him with the same intensity.

“I am too, but I can’t stay away from you, I can’t stop thinking about you. Just the thought of never touching you again…I need you…I want you…I—”