Starstruck

Chapter Twenty

Ashley’s heart raced and she was certain Jason must be able to hear the blood pulsing loudly in her ears. "I see a man who loves his daughter. Someone trying to do his best by her. I see someone funny and sweet who cooks a mean steak and does a lousy John Wayne impression. And I see someone who made me forget my own name when he kissed me," she added in a whisper.

His fingers tightened on hers. "I’ve spent six days thinking about that kiss, Ashley. Thinking about you."

She blinked as his words soaked through her lingering discomfort. He had thought about it, too? About her, about the magic she thought she had only dreamed?

"Oh?" she managed.

"For years I’ve been telling myself I didn’t need a woman in my life, that Kendyl and I were doing just fine on our own. Suddenly, I’m not so sure."

"You’re…not?"

He shook his head and pulled her to her feet. "I don’t know how it happened, and I certainly wasn’t looking for it. But when you climbed the gates of my ranch, somehow you climbed through the walls I’ve built around my heart."

As his arms slid around her, a heady kind of joy flooded through her like that rain outside, only this was sweet and cleansing. He kissed her, his mouth strong and warm, and she sighed a welcome.

This was real, she realized with shock. Real and right and worlds better than anything she could have imagined as a silly, giddy teenager.

She lost herself in the kiss, yanking off his baseball cap and burying her hands in his thick hair as she poured all the emotions of her heart into her response. When he pulled away, they were both breathing hard. Through the delicious haze, she sensed movement in the doorway and they both turned to find Kendyl standing there.

Her leaf pictures were scattered at her feet, her clasped hands were pressed to her heart and her wide eyes glittered with a thousand stars.

"It worked," she breathed. "It really worked!"

Jason groaned. "I think we’ve created a monster."

Ashley smiled, happier than she ever dreamed she could be. "That’s all right. I’m a kindergarten teacher. Taming monsters is part of the job description."

A/N: This is the end of this story..... I hope everyone loved it as much as I loved writting it.