Jessica rested her chin on her hand. “No, not really. It’s too bad, though.”

Ashley nodded. “But you know, I’ve been thinking. And … well … what if it doesn’t have to end in a month with Dare?”

Jessica’s eyes sparked with interest. “Did Dare say something?”

Ashley frowned. “No, but … I don’t want this to slip away. When I’m with him … I just … I want to surrender to him completely. To be his.” She shook her head. “I don’t want it to end.”

Jessica covered Ashley’s hand with hers. “Oh, Ash. Are you falling for him?”

“I don’t know. We don’t know each other well enough yet to really know but … I don’t want to lose how I feel around him. It may just be intense sexual need…” Her face flushed as a woman walking past the table glanced at her and she realized she’d been talking a little too loudly. She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Jess. “But whatever it is, I don’t want it to end. And … if I do fall for him … I think we could make it work. Despite the age difference. Despite everything.”

Now Jess frowned. “Yeah, I’m sure you could, but it won’t be easy.”

“You mean because of Adam?” Her heart ached. She knew deep inside that she and Adam could have a chance at happiness together. They were so well suited to each other and now that they’d taken the first step past the barriers that had stopped them from proceeding in the past, she believed deep in her heart that if they began seeing each other, they could make it work.

If it didn’t work out with Dare … There was no reason to believe he’d want to continue with her after this month—long-distance relationships hardly ever worked—but if she made it clear to him that she wanted a future with him …

But that wasn’t fair to Adam. And Dare wouldn’t want her directing how their relationship went. He was the one in charge.

“Adam is part of it,” Jess said, “but I mean there are other complications.”

“Like what?”

“Okay, well, I had lunch with Helen today.”

“Really? But she only got into town this morning,” Ashley said. “I was going to tell you that—”

“She told me she walked in on you and Dare.”

Ashley sat up straighter, pulling her shoulders back. “It’s not like she walked in on us in the bedroom. I was at the dining room table.”

“In Dare’s robe. I know.”

A little of the old feelings of resentment arose as she remembered when Jess had moved to town and she and Helen had become close, leaving Ash feeling like an outsider.

“So you think I should back off on Dare because of Helen?”

“No, I’m not saying that. I just wanted to make you aware that Helen is bound and bent to cause you problems. She spent most of lunch trying to convince me you’re a conniving gold digger who’s after her precious stepdaddy for his money.”

At Ashley’s wounded expression, Jess squeezed her hand.

“Hey, you know I don’t believe that, and I’m not just spreading gossip. I want to warn you that she means trouble and there’s no reasoning with her.”

“She’s trying to drive a wedge between us,” Ashley said.

“She doesn’t realize how close you and I still are. I didn’t let her know that, hoping she’d talk more freely. It seems clear she’s spreading this nonsense to anyone who’ll listen.”

“I get that she might not be happy with me seeing her stepfather, but…” Ashley shook her head. “In high school, the three of us were so close. After my mom died, you two were all I had. I just don’t understand what happened.”

Jessica shook her head. “I don’t know. But whatever happened after graduation that caused her to drop out of college before she even started … giving up that great scholarship she had for NYU … It really messed her up.”

“You know, I won’t let her manipulate me into giving up Dare. Let her do her damnedest. I don’t scare off that easily.”

“So you’re going to give up on Adam?”

Ashley pursed her lips. “I really care about Adam. Before Dare came along, I would have jumped at the chance to be with him.”

“If you had to choose one?”

“I know the sensible choice is Adam. We have so much in common. And … well, after our conversation in his office…”

“Ha, conversation. I can see from the flush on your cheeks that it was more than that.” Jessica grinned. “What happened?”

“He played the dominating boss and…” Ashley’s cheeks flushed. “I’m not going to lie. It was hot.”

“Ah, man. I’d trade places with you in a minute, despite all the drama. If only you didn’t have to choose between them.”

*   *   *

Dare watched Helen walk across the living room then sink onto the couch across from him. She’d made them both a nice dinner and had insisted on cleaning up on her own.

“How long are you planning on being in town?” Dare asked Helen.

“I don’t know. Three or four weeks maybe. It’s not set in stone. How long will you be here?”

“I go back to New York at the end of the month. How’s your job going?” He wondered how she could just take several weeks off work.

“Oh, well, I’m between jobs right now. But no worries. I have some money saved up.”

He held back the urge to offer financial aid. She might be difficult in a lot of ways, but she never asked for money. But there was this protectiveness he’d always felt for her. She’d been a good kid when he and her mom had been married, but she’d taken the divorce really hard. He’d brought the only stability she’d ever known to her life.

He had no illusions about her. She could be trouble. For herself and for others. But he knew she genuinely cared for him, and wanted to keep their stepfather-stepdaughter relationship alive. In fact, he sometimes wondered if she wanted more than that. The way she hugged him when she saw him … the way she kissed him whenever she got the chance … He used to put it down to her just wanting a dad, but she lingered too long. Was too affectionate.

He would love to give her the love and affection she craved, but only as a stepfather. But he couldn’t do that without her reading too much into it.

Helen definitely had problems. And he wanted to be there for her. But he had to walk a fine line.

But a stern, distant father figure. That he could handle.

“Have you sent out resumes? Are you networking?”

She laughed. “You insist you’re not my stepdad, but you like to act like one.”

“Helen, you know I’m concerned about you, and I care what happens to you.”

She slung her arm behind her head and rested her head against it. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“Good.” He stood up. “I’ve got some contracts to go over so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He spent the next few hours in his office going over paperwork in preparation for a meeting he had the next day. When he left the den, the lights in the rest of the house were turned off and Helen’s door was closed. He sighed a breath of relief and retired to his bedroom. Once he climbed into bed, he lay in the darkness, hoping for sleep, but thoughts of Ashley percolated through his brain.

She had clearly been freaked out this morning when Helen had arrived, and he could hardly blame her. He and Ashley had both been able to ignore their history and difference in ages, until Ashley had come face-to-face with her old friend—his stepdaughter—putting everything in clear perspective for her.

He wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t show up on Friday.

But he wanted her to. He’d find a way to get rid of Helen for the night—maybe even the whole weekend—so he could revel in the joy of being with his delightfully submissive Ashley. He only had few more weeks here and he intended to enjoy every hour he could with her.

*   *   *

Dare awoke to the quiet thump of his bedroom door closing. He glanced across the room and saw the silhouette of a woman in the moonlight.

“Ashley?”

She walked toward the bed, her long flowing robe hugging her slender body.