Chapter 3

3

ASHTON

A ir conditioning had never felt so good.

That was what I thought as I snatched up one of the boxed lunches on the table in the trailer. We were supposed to grab our food and head back out into the ninety-degree temperatures.

But I stepped off to the side and stood, hoping no one would notice. I'd just hide here in the corner, enjoying the moment, while everyone else rushed to try to get a box before they ran out.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket, reminding me Mac was waiting for me. He'd programmed my number into his phone and sent me to grab the food while he snatched some bottled waters. A line for those waters had formed near the house where we'd worked side by side to remove everything from the top floor. Some guys were bringing ladders and a big tarp later, and Mac wanted to finish removing all the items before they showed up.

I shifted the boxes to my left hand, propping them on my upturned palm and forearm as I jerked the phone from my back pocket to glance at the screen. Waiting for you in the parking lot was all it said. It was from an unfamiliar number, but it could only be one person.

Suddenly, getting out of the air conditioning didn't sound so bad. Especially if it meant being trapped in an air-conditioned vehicle with the guy I'd been fantasizing about all morning.

"Excuse me, excuse me," I said as I pushed my way through the crowd of mostly women.

If they were here for the hot mountain men, they were probably disappointed. I hadn't seen any but Mac, although I'd admittedly spent most of my time inside and on the front lawn of the same house.

A woman with lips packed full of fillers opened the door for me. I tried not to stare at her overabundant cleavage as I breezed past her with a "thank you."

Mac wouldn't like that, I told myself as I headed down the steps and started toward the parking area. The thought slowed my footsteps a little, but I forced them forward. It was petty and immature to be picking other women apart like we were on some reality show where the guy could only choose one woman.

This wasn't about being picked. It was about losing my virginity. And I'd hopefully already given myself an edge in that by working with him all day. I just had to find a way to let him know that I was ready to get naked and do some things once this work was finished.

What if he turned me down? What if working side by side with me made him think of me as a sister, not a woman he could have sex with? Maybe he wasn't even attracted to me at all.

All of that ran through my mind as I told myself there were plenty of other men in this town…somewhere. I'd find one if this didn't work out.

But I didn't want another man. No, I wanted this man. I'd never wanted anything more.

I spotted him up ahead, leaning against his truck while looking down at his phone. One hand was planted on the hood, which had to be hot after sitting in the sun all day.

Was this guy so tough, he didn't even feel that? Just the thought made me all warm and tingly inside. Yeah, I was getting a massive crush on this guy, and that wasn't good.

You're here for one reason, Ashton, and that's to lose your innocence.

"Are we eating in your truck?" I asked as I got closer.

Mac's head snapped up. The sunglasses were tucked into the neckline of his T-shirt, which meant he was squinting. But I could see those eyes—eyes that made my heart skip a beat every time he looked at me.

"I thought we'd go somewhere a little more scenic," he said. "Hop in."

He didn't ask my opinion. He told me what we were going to do. I tended to steer clear of bossy guys. Especially ones who didn't factor in my opinion when they were making decisions that affected me.

But I didn't get that vibe with Mac. Instead, I got the feeling that if I said no, I wanted to stay right here, he'd be cool with that.

The reason I climbed into his passenger seat without a word was I wanted to see where he was taking me. I was up for the adventure of it all. Not just when it came to lunch, either. I wanted to hitch my wagon to him and see where he'd take me.

"It's hot," he said.

He was right about that. We'd been working without air conditioning all day. Not even a fan.

"You're taking us somewhere with air conditioning." That was my first guess. And my second was, "Or at least somewhere we can buy a fan."

He chuckled, drawing my attention over to him. That was one thing I hadn't seen this morning. No laughter, no smiles, nothing. We'd worked without speaking most of the time, although at one point he'd asked me some questions about where I lived and what I did for a living. Medical billing in Chattanooga was the answer to that.

He'd also asked if I was married, and I'd volunteered that I was one hundred percent single. That had gotten a strange look, but still no smile.

Now, though, he was smiling. And behind the stems of the sunglasses he'd slipped back on his face, I saw slight wrinkles at the corner of his right eye.

That was sexy, too. Everything about him was doing it for me right now.

"So, I haven't asked you about your situation yet," I said.

At that question, his smile faded slightly. Only slightly, though.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Are you single?"

Did that sound…personal? Well, if he was married or engaged, or even in a long-term relationship, the last thing I'd want was for him to know I'd been scheming ways to get him naked all day.

"Single," he said. "Never been married or engaged. No kids."

I had so many questions, and I wasn't sure whether to ask them or not. Did he want kids? Was marriage in his future? Or was he the type who preferred to fuck and forget?

I didn't want to admit to myself the true reason I didn't ask any of those questions. His answer might be the last one of those choices.

The funny thing was, that should be the only answer I wanted. Fuck and forget was why I was here. I was looking for a guy who wanted only that. So why was I filled with dread that this guy might say he wasn't a fan of relationships?

"I want to dip my toes in the creek," Mac suddenly said.

The sentence was pretty darn off topic from what we'd been discussing. In fact, I wasted a good half minute or so trying to place "toes in the creek" as some sort of euphemism for relationships.

Seeming to sense my confusion, he looked over at me, the smile returning. "I'm taking us off the beaten path a little," he said. "Don't worry. I'm not a serial killer or anything."

I matched his smile with one of my own. "Well, I wasn't worried about it."

Something I'd noticed, working with him all morning, was just how comfortable I felt with him. Whether we were working quietly, filling boxes full of items, or driving to lunch, it all just felt…effortless. I wasn't worried that he was judging me or that I was talking too much or too little. It all felt right. Did he notice it too?

"But it sounds good to me," I said. "I'm burning up."

He seemed to take that as a cue to adjust the air conditioning. Reflexively, I reached out, my hand landing on his forearm.

My mouth was open to tell him the temperature was fine, but it froze in that position as my body seemed to register that I was actually touching him. My fingertips were on his bare skin, and the warmth that spread through me told me this was the best guy to take my virginity.

He'd frozen too, his hand still resting on the air conditioner adjustment knob, probably because he had to keep his eyes on the road. Yes, he definitely felt this too.

I withdrew my hand and settled it onto my lap, where it had been before. "The temperature in here is perfect. I just meant after working all morning in a house without air conditioning, some water on my feet would feel good. Maybe I'll even jump in."

"You don't have a bathing suit on under that outfit, do you?" he asked.

He glanced over at me. There was no denying the heat in his stare. I couldn't see his eyes, but the way he clenched his jaw when he finished talking told me everything I needed to know.

"Who needs a swimsuit?" I asked as adrenaline surged through my body. "As long as this is a private creek, that is."

Was it my imagination, or did he have a death grip on the steering wheel? It sure looked like it. Yes, I was definitely doing things to him.

"There shouldn't be anybody around this time of day," he said. "But I know an area that's far less traveled than others."

It sounded like he was on board for the same thing I was. Skinny dipping…and maybe more.

We'd headed up the main road into the mountains. Now he took a right turn down a road that looked pretty abandoned. It was paved, but the asphalt was cracked in places and chipped off on the sides. There weren't even any lines.

His joke earlier about being a serial killer came back to me, and I almost laughed at my own paranoia. No, this guy was good to the core. I could feel it.

"I stumbled upon this place by accident," he said as he parked on the grass next to a tree. "I always thought it would be a great spot for a…picnic. Ready?"

He didn't wait for my response. He reached for the door handle and exited while I sat there reviewing his words. He'd said picnic, but he'd hesitated. He always thought it would be a great spot for something more than a picnic? Maybe something like what I had in mind?

I smiled to myself as I climbed out of the truck, grabbing the boxed lunches I'd set on the floorboard. Yes, seducing this guy wouldn't be hard at all. In fact, I just might lose my virginity before this lunch break was over.