Stay | afi

four.

I got a very thorough tour of his bedroom.

And his bed.

And his body.

I had no regrets about what had surely been a (wildly unexpected and adventurous) one night stand when we emerged hours later. Inky blackness was giving way to a soft gray sky just beyond the edge of his property line and the view from his patio was absolutely magical. Though I'd lived here all my life, I'd never had such a clear view of the mountains at the edge of town. But this house was nestled in the foothills and nothing stood in the way of the incredible view. Nothing, at least, until Ashton walked between me and the mountain faces that were just beginning to lighten with the sleep heavy early dawn.

His outstretch hand held a cup of tea and I took it gratefully as he settled in beside me on the couch. We sat in silence for a while, admiring the view until I felt the buzz of my cell phone.

[ Kate: Proof of life? ]

I snapped a selfie, Ashton's profile visible just over my shoulder and sent it before shutting off my phone. He didn't seem to notice at all and several more moments passed before he broke the silence.

"Do you see that?" he pointed to a large concrete pot at the edge of the cobblestone pad.

I wasn't sure how I could miss it since it was an easy three feet around, but I just nodded as my mind began to wander. I wondered if he was feeling hungover or if he drank like that regularly enough to not really notice after.

"That's a lemon tree. I brought it with me from Los Angeles."

"Why?" my brows pulled together, and confusion laced my voice.

"I d'nno, I've managed to keep it alive longer than anything else in my life except my career and my penchant for alcohol." It was meant to be a joke, but his even tone didn't quite mask the sadness that settled just below his easy smile. It was like a gut punch that made me suddenly, crucially aware of how that same sadness seemed wrapped around him like a vice. It coiled in his muscles and put shadows in his gilded-clover eyes. It beckoned to me and I wanted to reach out and trace the tension it had drawn in the planes of his face.

I didn't, instead focusing on what he'd said, "So .. you brought a lemon tree a hundred miles because you're emotionally attached to it? Is what you're telling me? Why not a ... cat, or something? You know, with actual emotions."

"I travel for work." he said simply, and I wondered for the first time what he did and how he'd ended up in this upscale cottage on the edges of a mountain town. The less I knew about him, I decided, the easier it would be to pretend this whole night hadn't happened when I inevitably saw him again. This was a small town after all.

♦♦♦♦♦♦
Ashton knew he was playing with fire as soon as he opened his mouth the first time, and yet he couldn't stop himself. The exhilaration of toeing the line of discovery while maintaining anonymity only added to the charge of a post sex glow that made him feel vulnerable in a way he hated but couldn't resist.

She regarded him carefully for a moment, and he could almost see the questions dancing in her eyes. What do you do? Who are you? Why are you here?

This girl was full of questions but she seemed to prefer them unanswered and Ash liked that about her. He didn't even have time to think of an excuse or cover story before those unspoken wonders dissipated and she lifted her tea cup to her lips, staring off once again at the mountains in the distance. Their faces were beginning to shift in the push and pull between night and day, and he was torn between watching her or watching as the massive rocks tumbled in and out of shadow while the sun fought for a foothold across them in the darker night sky.

Her formerly neat braid was undone and her hair hung loose across her shoulders in tumbling waves. It reminded him of a field of wheat that he'd seen once when they were driving through the midwest, but he let go of the memory and all thoughts of work as he moved on to take in more of her.

Thick, sooty black lashes framed her odd gray eyes that went liquid like hot metal when she.. Ashton grinned and his gaze fell to her lips that were a little more swollen and pink than when she'd arrived. He'd kissed a lot of women but he knew the memory of this one's kiss would stand out in his mind for a long time to come.

He was playing with fire, and he knew he'd have to see her again. Yet still he hoped he'd be able to see her like this again. He wanted to ask her, but when he went to call for her attention, he realized that maybe she was more mysterious than him since he didn't even know her name.

He reached out, intending to tap his mug against hers, but instead brushed her arm with his as he moved. She startled and still-steaming tea splashed from the cup and onto her lap as she yelped.

Ash was on his feet in an instant, tugging her upward and pulling the fabric of her jeans out from her thighs to try to prevent burning or sticking. Without thinking, she unzipped them and pushed them down, revealing pink splotches where the hot liquid had hit. He swore and knelt in front of her to examine them more closely.

"I am so sorry." he said softly as he checked the scalded areas. They didn't appear to be burnt too badly, but they definitely looked tender, "Let me... I'll be right back."
♦♦♦♦♦♦

He disappeared into the house and left me standing in his yard with bare scalded thighs, wet pants and a head full of confusion. I guess I was more anxious- or more exhausted- than i realized since I practically came out of my skin when he'd touched me while I was daydreaming.

About the way he'd touched me barely an hour before.

It wasn't long before he returned, folded black material in his hand. He offered it to me with another apology that I shook off as I took the offering from him and shook it out to reveal sweatpants.

"Oh, thank you." I glanced at him, feeling suddenly shy as I pushed my jeans the rest of the way off. I guess he noticed, as he turned his back with a teasing eye roll. I tugged his sweatpants up my legs, careful not to touch the tops of my thighs and cleared my throat as I settled the waistband at my hips.

"I should go." I told him, lifting my jeans from the ground and folding them neatly so that my phone and keys didn't drop from their respective pockets.

He nodded, "But there's just one thing. I just realized I never got your name."

"OH, right. It's Violet."

"What's Violet?"

I tipped my head in confusion, much like a dog would, "Um.. my name?"

"Violet's not a name!" he giggled, "It's a color!"

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be mad which may have been more effective if I wasn't also grinning at this large stoic man who had just giggled. He was a little intimidating, domineering and more than a little broken.

But damn, was he also adorable.