Page 43 of Leave Me Broken

“Place looks great. All my girls arrive?”

As if she forgot what we were here for, a slight frown pulls on her bright red lips. “Yes, I’ve sent them to the back.” Her eyes fall to me.

“You can join them.” More like get out so I can continue to seduce your coach; I think not.

“Thanks, but I’m waiting on my friend. She had to grab something from her car.” I give her my best fake smile and even tilt my head, really leaning into the sweetness.

Right on cue, the door opens, the annoying bell above it dings, announcing Janelle’s entrance. Right behind her, Parker and Luca saunter in. I worry Parker’s eyes might pop out of his head when he sees Chanel. Luca, on the other hand, strides forward and shakes her hand confidently.

“Payson.”

Ash stares at me with a frown nearly mimicking my own. “Let me help you to the back. I notice you’re limping.”

I’m not and he hasn’t seen me walk but I don’t disagree. The longer he’s with me, the less time he will be with Chanel. Janelle stays back to wait for her mom, leaving me and Ash to find our way.

“Excuse me?” I stop one of the workers buzzing around to ask where we go since Chanel wasn’t specific. What is with everyone in this stupid place looking like they stepped right out of a Vogue magazine. “Where is the back?”

A smile teases his full lips. “Through there,” he says, pointing at one of the two double doors on the farthest wall. “If you hit an exit for outside you’ve gone too far.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing, beautiful.”

Did he just call me beautiful? I stumble over my feet and hiss at the pain. Ash grips my arm and tugs me forward while lifting weight off my left leg. “Beautiful.” He scoffs in what I think is meant to be an American accent.

Should have known he wouldn’t let it go. Fine, two can play that game. “Wow, you’re like, so handsome,” I mock in my best valley-girl voice. She didn’t sound valley but it makes me feel better.

We reach the door and Ash cocks an eyebrow. “She did not sound like that.”

“You would know.”

Ash chuckles softly. He glances around before lifting a hand and pushing a piece of hair behind my ear while tilting my chin to look at him. “I wish you wouldn’t get jealous, but I must admit I love how cute you are when you do.”

“How can I not?” I grumble. “Look at her.” My eyes dart across the room back to Chanel, Mrs. Wick, and Janelle. All three look like they belong here, like they are all cut from the same cloth.

“Look at you,” Ash tells me pulling my eyes back to his. He lowers his hand because it’s not appropriate, but his hard eyes keep me locked on him. “You do not see how effortlessly beautiful you are to me.”

I want to believe him, but how can I when he looks like . . . holy shit, he looks amazing. I was too busy in my jealous rage to even appreciate Ash right now. Of course Chanel was all over him. I’ve seen Ash in gym clothes, no clothes, semi-dress clothes but Ash in a full-on suit . . . damn.

His pants are tailored perfectly for his thick thighs and cut off just above his sleek black shoes. He’s wearing a blacked-out dress shirt, black necktie, and a black suit jacket. He looks like he works for the Mafia, and I couldn’t be more turned on.

“Like what you see, Jailbird?” His voice is a raspy whisper.

I nod my head, knowing no words could come out, even it I wanted them to. He looks like a million bucks and I . . . I look back at Chanel again. I bet if they stood side by side, she would be the perfect height for him in those heels. He wouldn’t look like a dad picking up his kid from school whenever they are together. She’s closer to his age and hello, beautiful. I know I’m not ugly but there are multiple kinds of pretty and her and Ash are the same kind of pretty.

“It’s you who will be taking it off me tonight, babygirl.” His lips brush my ear. He straightens and adjusts his tie. His pupils are dilated, and I bet if I looked down, he would have a tent in his pants that wasn’t there before.

“Put that away before someone gets the idea it’s for them.”

He chuckles, angles his body away, and does that. “I’m wearing compression shorts because I knew it would be hard to hide seeing you, I guess it did not work.”

I have to smile. I have no doubts he’s actually wearing compression shorts. If there is one thing I can count on, it’s that Ash will always have a boner for me.

Janelle pops out of nowhere, startling Ash and me. “Ready to model?” she squeals. Ash covers his ear closest to her.

“Not even a little bit.”

She grabs my arm and tugs me close to her, then she eyes Ash. “She’s mine for the next couple hours. Hands off.”