Page 118 of Dangerous Men

So what if he didn’t run the account by me? The fact that he cared enough about my store to try to help means the world to me. He went out of his way to support me, and knowing he did that for me fills my heart with a warmth I can only describe as love.

As I slide my phone back into my pocket, I hear a loud bark of laughter from just outside the store. I smile. I’d recognize that laughter anywhere.

Sure enough, when I make my way up to the front where Jade is closing out our registers for the night, I spot them through our store's window. All three of them.

Alec is leaning against the back of his town car, looking as collected and dreamy as always. He must have come straight from the office, and he looks absolutely sinful in his dark suit. I watch for a moment, just drinking in the sight of him.

Next to him, standing with one hand on the largest motorcycle I’ve ever seen, is Sebastian. Unaware I’m watching them, Sebastian says something inaudible to Alec, who shakes his head, looking amused. Sebastian’s face remains as cold and blank as always.

Not always, a voice inside my head purrs.

Not when he’d touched you back in the stockroom. Not when he took your face in his hands and looked at you like you were his whole world. Like he’d kill for you.

I quickly tear my eyes away from him, feeling uncomfortably warm. And standing next to Sebastian, laughing…

Is Ashton. Looking every bit as handsome and perfect as I remember.

“There she is!” Ashton grins as I open the front door to our shop, giving him a small wave. His entire face lights up as hesees me, and it makes my stomach feel like it’s full of butterflies. “Our beautiful girl!”

“Hello, Red.” Alec straightens to greet me as I approach, pulling me against his chest to give me a kiss on the cheek. His hands linger on me as I step back.

“Are you coming with us tonight?” I ask. After that kiss, after smelling his cologne and feeling his hands on me, I’m almost hoping he says yes.

“Fuck that,” Ashton says with a laugh at the same time Alec answers, “Sadly no.”

“Tonight ismynight,” Ashton tells me, pulling me away from Alec and kissing my other cheek. “And I’m not sharing with anyone.”

His grin is devilish as he stares down at me. “I have the perfect night planned for us,” Ash assures me. “I made reservations for us at The Blue Sea. They do things with shrimp you would notbelieve. You’re going to love it.”

Slimy nausea floods my stomach, and it’s an effort to force a smile. Still leaning against his motorcycle, Sebastian adjusts his cuffs, muttering something under his breath.

“What’s your problem?” Ashton asks, turning toward him.

“No problem,” Sebastian says, shrugging a shoulder. “No problem at all.”

Ashton snorts and folds his arms over his chest. “Yeah, right. Come on, spit it out, Doc. Let’s hear it.”

Sebastian gives him a long look over the rim of his glasses. “Shehatesshrimp,” he tells Ash. Then he picks up his helmet. “And you’d think you would bother to learn that simple little fact about yourdatebefore you picked the worst possible restaurant to take her to.”

I don’t have time to question how Sebastian knows that before Ashton turns back to me, his face falling.

“Wait… is that true?” he asks, sounding devastated. “I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Sebastian counters.

“Well, shrimp isn’t my favorite,” I say, giving him a small smile. A half-truth. Frankly, the entire idea of them is so disgusting, I’m not sure I could eat a meal of shrimp with a gun to my head. They are bugs that live in the ocean, and no one can convince me otherwise. “But that’s okay. I’m sure they’ll have something I’ll enjoy.”

“Nope, no, not happening.” Ashton shakes his head. “We’ll just go somewhere else! Easy fix!”

I open my mouth to argue more, ready to insist it’s fine, but then I realize he actually means it. There’s no hidden hostility to his words, no passive-aggressive tone. No irritation that he made reservations for nothing.

“There must bethousandsof restaurants in this city.” Ashton laughs. “Why would we go to one you wouldn’t enjoy?”

And it’s so normal, the way he says it. So obvious. Why would we?

My heart soars. Perfect. Ashton really is the perfect man.

“I’ll grab my car and?—”