Seduction (Club Destiny #3)(16)
Author: Nicole Edwards

But this was Ashleigh Thomas. The woman he had resisted for as long as he could remember on principal alone. His friends liked to hound him about it, giving him shit almost every day about the way he lusted after her, but had yet to go after her. Well, he was proving them wrong now, wasn’t he?

The doorbell rang, and Alex steeled himself. Where the hell was the confidence he normally exuded?

When he opened the door, his breath hitched in his chest. Replaced was the woman from this morning – filling out a pair of running shorts like no one could – with the stunningly beautiful woman before him. The woman must have a penchant for tight jeans that hugged her curvy hips, and those damn tight t-shirts that lovingly clung to her magnificent breasts.

He’d never envied a t-shirt until now.

“Hey.” She greeted him and Alex realized he’d been staring at her like an idiot.

“Come in. You’re just in time.” Stepping back so she could enter, Alex inhaled as she passed by, once again, damn near getting high from her intoxicating scent.

“I didn’t know what to bring, and I didn’t know what you were making, so… here.” Ashleigh thrust a bottle of wine at him.

Alex reached for the bottle, their fingers touching as he took it from her. Once again there was an electrical current of awareness that passed between them. There was no way she didn’t feel it, but from the look on her face, it hadn’t fazed her the way it had him.

“Thanks.” Alex turned the bottle so he could read the label.

“My brother said you like wine, and I’m not an expert, but I’ve heard that’s a good one.”

“One of the best.” Alex said, still shocked that she had gone to this much trouble. The wine she brought was hard to find, and since he hadn’t given her much notice, she obviously had it on hand.

Tipping the bottle in the direction of the kitchen, Alex pointed the way. “Dinner’s almost ready. As a matter of fact, I better check the steaks.”

Alex left Ashleigh in the kitchen where she was sitting her purse down on the bar and openly eyeing his space. He hoped she liked what she saw because Alex had worked hard for his home. Mainly physical work because he had designed the house himself, hired the subcontractors, and after many hours of blood, sweat, and tears – his own – he’d finally accomplished what he was going for.

The result was a three bedroom house that he could guarantee was unlike any other in his small neighborhood. Sitting on three acres, he had the privacy he desired, along with a view to rival them all.

Similar to Ashleigh’s house, Alex’s had an open floor plan and a large manmade pond behind it. Since he hadn’t wanted to block his view, he had forgone a fence, leaving remarkably little privacy should one of his neighbors behind him choose to break out the binoculars.

A pool had been a must, due to the hot Texas summers, and he had creatively managed to block the view of prying neighbors by strategically placing various plants and trees. Not that he had needed any privacy thus far, but if Ashleigh was going to be a regular guest, Alex knew all bets were off.

Flipping open the lid on the grill, Alex checked the steaks before removing them from the grate and sliding them onto a nearby plate.

When he reached the kitchen, Ashleigh had donned an oven mitt and was pulling the bread from the oven. His eyes raked over the woman performing a mundane domestic chore, and another surge of lust zipped through his veins. What was it about her that made him go up in flames?

Setting the plate on the table, Alex returned to the stove to get the roasted vegetables he’d cooked earlier, before following Ashleigh into the dining room once again.

Waiting until she sat, Alex poured the wine then took the seat across from her. He realized he’d never invited a woman back to his house for dinner, and having Ashleigh there was making him nervous. There were so many things to think about – were the steaks cooked right? Did he forget anything? Did she like wine or did she just bring it?

Disgusted with himself for being obnoxious, Alex took a deep breath before filling his plate. He wasn’t allowed to be nervous. He wasn’t a damn teenager.

“This is great,” Ashleigh commented, breaking some of the tension.

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t realize you cooked.”

Alex glanced up from cutting his steak and noticed the mischievous gleam in Ashleigh’s eyes. Was she teasing him?

“I bet you didn’t know that I went to culinary school either, did you?” Alex taunted her.

“Actually, no.” Ashleigh’s eyes widened like his statement was the most absurd thing she had ever heard.

“Well, that’s not surprising since I didn’t actually go to culinary school.”