Page 8 of Ashley & the A-Listers (Sweetverse)

8. FORBIDDEN

ASHLEY

Move on, she told herself, annoyed that after all this time, maybe, possibly, there was a piece of herself who liked Dylan’s patch-of-grass scent and wanted to forgive him of all sins to roll around in it.

Ugh.

She was painfully aware of Dylan, and even more so when he finally put his damned book down. It wasn’t until that moment she realized how much she’d been glancing over at him.

Why?

Looking for his approval or something?

It certainly didn’t help that River was there, too, watching right with him.

Of course the hot guy from the coffee shop turned out to be Cameron’s partner.

She was only a little devastated.

Friendly certainly didn’t mean flirty, but Ashley had thought there was a slight connection there over coffee, and until the moment he’d walked through the gym door, she’d wished she’d been brave enough to give the cute beta her number.

Now she was glad she hadn’t.

Awkward.

They were far enough away on the mats that the other two wouldn’t be able to hear them, so the next time Ashley had Cameron in close quarters, she murmured to him, “He’s cute.”

Cameron’s cheeks went a little brighter, and he grinned. “Right?”

Cameron dodged a mildly slow right hook—they were working on his reflexes—and shook his head. “I can’t believe he’s here. We talked on the phone last night, and now…”

He blocked properly when she tried a knee-high kick and gave him a nod of approval. “That’s a really sweet surprise,” she said.

What must it be like to have someone like that? Who wanted to make you happy just for the hell of it? What must it be like to be that for someone? Like an alpha, she supposed.

“It’s not totally selfless,” Cam said. “I mean, he’ll certainly be getting something out of it.” Then he winked.

She hoped the pink in her cheeks would be mistaken for exertion, and laughed it off.

“So you are together?” she questioned.

Cameron hesitated before nodding. “It’s not public.”

Ahhh, that explains it.

“Your secret stays with me,” she said.

“Am I warmed up yet? Can we do something to impress him now?” Cameron asked.

Ashley arched a brow, then glanced over Cam’s shoulder to find both Dylan and River’s gazes locked on the pair of them. She ignored Dylan’s stare, though she felt it on her body like a blast of warm air.

“I guess you did pretty good blocking,” she muttered.

“Come on,” he said, adding “Please?” with big eyes, and Ashley’s chest caved in from how cute it was. Her hindbrain was certainly rearing its head to give this omega whatever he wanted, but she shoved it down deep and promised herself an extra taxing workout after he left.

“Fine. Let’s go from the top. I’ll double the speed,” she told him.

Cameron bounced on the balls of his feet as they took their places once more and then… action.

Ashley went at him at a pace that was still slow for her, but was certainly faster than anything they’ve attempted thus far.

She didn’t know what she’d expected, but once again she was floored by the competency of this omega. Cameron was a quick learner. He dodged and blocked in all the ways she’d taught him, and was meeting her beat for beat.

Surprisingly, she found herself even dodging a few improvised fists from him, and she grinned as she got into the flow.

“Harder,” she told him. His blows weren’t landing against the punching mitts with the enthusiasm she knew he was capable of. “You won’t hurt me,” she promised.

Cameron’s brow furrowed, and she studied him. With new boxers, it was often clear what their next move would be because they were so in their head.

Ashley witnessed this with Cameron, watching each attack go through his head before he followed through, and met him with a mitt each time. She swiped at his head and he dodged, ducking so she met thin air, and she smirked. “That’s it.”

It was almost like a dance, once they found the rhythm of it. Everything fell away but their steps on the mat, each tuned into the other, primed for what move they would make next. Her long hair tickled her back as her high ponytail danced, and sweat gathered on the short hair of the undercut at the nape of her neck.

When she advanced, Cam stepped back, and when she closed the distance between them, Cam removed himself from her reach. They were in sync, dodging and moving together even though they were acting as opposing forces.

She didn’t even realize they’d sped up as they went, the mitts solid against her palms, each hit to them smacking with a dull thud as Cameron accepted her challenges with confidence.

This was a proper sparring session, and Ashley wanted to gush over him, tell him how proud she was, but she didn’t want to ruin the flow, so she kept at it until both their lungs were burning and her abs were sore from focusing her core to stay on her feet, figuratively and literally.

The smile on Cam’s lips grew and she watched pride take shape on his face, and reveled in it with him.

At least until she finally broke the flow, sweeping his legs out from under him.

He hit the mat with an oof and laid there, starfishing.

With a grin on her lips, the rest of the world still distant, she leaned over him, resting the mitts on her knees to catch her breath as she stared down at him.

“That was our first actual sparring match. And you kept up!” she said.

Cameron lifted his arm briefly before glaring at his glove and then letting it flop to the mat. “That was supposed to be a thumbs-up,” he panted.

Ashley chuckled and stripped off her punching mitts before offering him a hand. “That was highly impressive, and I don’t say that often.”

With only a handful of training sessions under his belt, it was a bit remarkable that he’d kept up with her. Maybe he knew more than he was letting on. Maybe she should go harder on him.

All the ideas she was brewing came to a halt as she pulled him to his feet.

Their arms brushed, and her gaze fell to where she’d scent marked him. She pulled her hand away as he began to strip off his sparring gloves.

Her first thought was: good.

The more rational side of her was embarrassed, an apology on the tip of her tongue—until he ran that same hand through his sweaty sandy-blond hair as if it was nothing. As if her scent wouldn’t linger on him until he showered, carrying her with him wherever he went. A purr threatened to crawl up her throat, but she strangled it at the base.

“Sorry,” she said, cheeks pink again as she lifted her wrist and wobbled it back and forth.

“No worries,” he said softly, a grin curling those lips like he dared her to do something about it.

His honeyed vanilla scent was strong despite his suppressants, filling the immediate area around them, and Ashley had to clear her throat, lest she lean forward and lick the sweat dripping down his neck.

Those hazel eyes were downright gleaming, and for just a second it was hard to catch a breath.

Damned movie star.

“Thank you,” Cameron said. “That felt…”

“Badass, right?” she offered, and chuckled as his wide eyes landed on her.

He nodded, and stripped off his last glove.

“Throwing in the towel already?” she teased.

He pouted up at her. “Haven’t I earned it?”

And now Ashley was thinking of what else he could do to earn much filthier things, and she needed to scrub her brain with soap and?—

“Fine,” she said, super cool about it and not at all horny. “I guess we can call it a day,” she mused, a twinge of disappointment filling her.

She noted movement out of the corner of her eye and it was only that moment she recalled their small audience of two, and she stepped back as River clapped, breaking her out of her internal displeasure.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” River said, and launched himself at Cameron, who rocked back a step with an armful of beta. Did that include me? she wistfully thought.

“I’m covered in sweat,” Cam groaned, and that didn’t seem to deter River at all.

“Oh, I know,” River said, and licked a stripe up his neck.

Ashley’s cheeks flamed if only because she’d had that exact same thought just a moment ago, and ignored the pinch of jealousy in her chest, averting her eyes.

Coincidentally, in Dylan’s direction, who stopped mid-step as their gazes met.

As if he’d also stood to join them on the mat before remembering he wasn’t welcomed in the same way.

Ashley offered him a nod—very graciously, she thought—and clapped her hands together. “Alright. Well, I think we can call it a day. You two clearly have plans, and I think I’ll be reworking our schedule,” she told Cam with a raised brow.

He groaned. “So no more going easy on me?”

“Not a fucking chance.” She crossed her arms for good measure, leaning into her height. “I’m going to make your life hell, so enjoy it while it lasts,” she promised.

Cameron pursed his lips. “You can try. Bet it’ll be just as much fun as today was.”

And… Ashley was not prepared for that response. He was supposed to whine about it, and Ashley would double down and they’d laugh it off and part ways. Instead she floundered, because Cam was flirting .

“I’m—I’m not going to lead you through stretches again,” she said, with a pointed glance at River. “Looks like you have someone to help with those.”

“Oh, I will,” River said, and if betas could purr she bet his chest would be rumbling.

Cam’s cheeks heated and Ashley chuckled before lifting her hands and stepping away. “You are not fucking in the training room, so get out of here,” she ordered.

“But that’s on my bucket list,” River whined, and Ashley rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t get stuck in the back of her head.

“Not dignifying that with a response,” she said as she grabbed her towel and wiped her face, then the back of her neck where the short hair was damp.

When she cleared her vision they were still staring at her, and she paused. “Did you need something?”

Seemingly caught, they stuttered into motion, grabbing their things with scattered nope’s and never mind’s . In a handful of moments they were heading toward the door and Ashley was watching them go, amusement tickling through her, along with the worry that she’d missed something.

“See you tomorrow,” Cameron called out.

“See you then!”

Dylan lingered, like he wanted to say something, and Ashley practically dared him.

Unlike with Cameron, she had to look up at Dylan, if only a little, and the difference was dizzying.

She wondered if Dylan, another alpha with all his supposed bodyguard training, would be a challenge. She wondered what it would be like to pin him to the ground, to prove herself as better. To roll around on the mat with him, sweat and bodies mingling and?—

Stop.

“Better catch up to them. Something tells me they won’t wait.”

His lips twitched, and she couldn’t read the expression on his face, though she stared long enough she felt she should’ve been able to decipher it. In the end, he kept his words to himself and offered her a simple nod before following his charge out the door only a second later.

She deflated like a popped balloon as soon as they were gone, and went about cleaning the room, erasing the mixture of their scents and trying not to mourn it.

Warmth coursed through her blood and she knew she’d be relishing such a good sparring session the whole day.

And even into the evening, when she gushed to Kenzie on the phone about it, leaving out all the names as always. Into the night as well, once she was beneath the sheets, all of it replaying in her head.

The scent of Cameron, all sweet and heightened from his sweat. The way they’d flowed together. The way he’d looked under the lights after they were done, all flushed and panting.

Ashley groaned and rolled over, pushing her face into a pillow and trying to force the images away.

Having such thoughts about a client was disastrous, and even more so because Cameron was a celebrity. And an omega.

Plus, he had River.

Super-triple-doubly forbidden.

Unbidden, flashes of the two of them entered her mind in fictional positions.

She wondered if Cam had really done his stretches like he was supposed to. If River helped. What else they’d gotten up to after the sesh.

“Noooo,” she whined into her pillow.

She’d managed to stamp down the thrum in her veins all day, but here, alone in her bed with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company, it was rearing its head again. It trickled through her blood before settling south, and she huffed an annoyed breath.

I won’t think about him, is what she told herself as she slipped a hand under the covers.

When was the last time I hooked up with someone? I’ll think about that.

But that one beta a few weeks back wasn’t very inspiring. And alphas that only wanted to prove themselves were depressing.

River’s inspiring, a secret little voice whispered in her ear, accompanied by that image of him licking the sweat off Cameron’s throat.

Ashley buried the memory deep, unseen, and tried to focus on other things while she touched herself to a slow rhythm.

That one beta had eaten her out particularly well, and he’d done it on his knees, which always made her blood run hot. She stuck to that imagery, remembering how she’d gripped his hair and ground her hips to him, much in the same way they were rising to her own touch now.

Pleasure swirled through her, sinking low and making her stomach tense.

And suddenly, vividly, the man on his knees was replaced with Cameron.

Ashley shook her head against the pillow and removed her fingers.

“Absolutely not,” she said to the empty silence of her bedroom, her orgasm fading away.

Fact: She was attracted to her client.

Also fact: It was totally inappropriate to have those thoughts.

Ashley was a professional! So she shoved the thoughts away and tried to suffocate herself with her pillow.

She huffed. She’d just have to get used to ruined orgasms and sexual frustration.