229 Fighting against the urges

Ashton returned from the party with Mike, Jake, and Derek. They carpooled.

Ashton reached his apartment and his gaze fell on the glass of almost finished orange juice on the table, which Sabrina left behind.

He went straight up the stairs, throwing himself on the mattress and taking in a deep breath.

"Shit!", he cursed when Sabrina's scent entered his nostrils. He was not sure if it's still lingering, or if he is imagining it, but it felt real. Just how only a few hours earlier he held Sabrina in his arms, and he kissed her with everything he's got while suppressing his urge to press her down on this mattress.

Ashton remembered how for years he is stealing glances of Sabrina whenever he visits Hunter, or when Hunter invites him to one of the events where his family is present as well. He got his chance to get closer to Sabrina that afternoon when they thought that Max and Liz are missing (and in danger). And now at this party, they talked and danced, and ended up in his apartment, and he confirmed that she is everything he ever imagined, and much more.

How the hell is he supposed to go back to how it used to be after he tasted the most addictive flavor on earth? It's like she is made for him, her flavor, her scent, the way she responds to his touch, and fits into his arms… everything is perfect. For him. But she is not his. She is engaged to that shmuck who does not appreciate her, and even though Sabrina said, 'it's complicated', Ashton can see that she is not happy.

And to make everything worse, Ashton is confident that the attraction between him and Sabrina mutual. The way she looked at him during the fireworks told him that she craves for his proximity, just as much as he craves for hers.

Ashton rolled over and buried his face into the pillows, releasing a frustrated groan.

…

That evening, Sabrina went to her apartment for the night. Madeline was confused, Sabrina spends the night at their family home frequently, and she expected that Sabrina will stay after the party, especially because tomorrow is a holiday as well. But Sabrina could not stay. Her mind is a mess and she was afraid that people will notice and start asking questions which she wanted to avoid.

She found herself in her three-bedroom apartment, not sure what to do. The emotional turmoil was too much to handle. She tried music, and watching television, browsing for the latest design ideas and color combinations, but nothing helped in distracting her enough so that she does not think about Ashton.

She leaned against the window and stared at Seattle's nightlights blankly while images of Ashton changed in front of her eyes. His voice rang in her mind and she could definitely taste his flavor and feel his lips against hers and his arms holding her… She took a deep breath and realized that her hands are shaking. That is unusual. It is one thing to like a guy, but why is her whole body trembling?

Sabrina wondered, what is he doing? Is he in his apartment, in the loft, on the mattress, thinking about her? She reached for her phone, aching from the need to call and hear his voice and she knew that he would make her smile. Sabrina gave up before she dialed his number. What would she say? What if he is with another woman? He is a handsome young man, and many girls would fall for his dark brown locks… the same locks which were between her fingers only a few hours ago. The thought of another woman clinging onto Ashton made Sabrina's heart ache.

Sabrina sighed. This is getting out of control and she can't allow herself to lose it because she is engaged and she should act like it. She decided to go and shower.

…

Friday

10:04 AM

Sabrina, Elizabeth, Mia, and Brianna are in the spa, getting their nails done.

"How did you book this place on such a short notice?", Mia asked Sabrina with awe apparent in her voice. The spa is one of the most luxurious one in the city and appointments are booked weeks in advance.

Sabrina smiled and said mysteriously. "I have my ways…"

Sabrina hoped that the other three girls will not notice her lack of sleep. She spent most of the night tossing and turning in the bed while thinking about Ashton. And she organized this girly outing first thing in the morning, while calling in favors just so that she does not spend the morning by herself. She is thinking about Ashton so much that she fears that she is losing her mind.

"Manicure, pedicure, facial, and massage before lunch. This is life!", Brianna said with glee.

"You are happy for more than just this pampering. How come Quentin allowed you to leave?", Mia asked Brianna teasingly.

"So, are you and Q serious?", Sabrina added her question while doing her best to focus on what the current topic is and not to drift away toward Ashton.

"You left the party early…", Liz chimed in.

Brianna glanced at the three women hungry for the latest updates and she exhaled in defeat. "He makes me feel good. Does it need to be more than that?"

Mia shook her head. "No. That is all you need to be with a guy. If he can put a smile on your face and make you feel special, that is all you need and I am glad you are not running away from him."

"All you need is love… all you need is love…", Liz started singing, and Mia joined in: "…love, love… love is all you need."

Brianna laughed. "Look at the two of you. Suddenly you are relationship experts."

Mia denied it. "Not an expert. Hunter and I are specific. It's an animalistic attraction that does not apply to anyone else."

"For an animalistic attraction, you are reserved.", Brianna told Mia teasingly.

If this chat happened before Liz experienced pleasures of the flesh with Max, Liz would agree with Mia, but now she needs to agree with Brianna. "What is so special about you and Hunter? Just say that you enjoy making love with him. Everyone here is like that. The only difference is that we don't get engaged one week after we met."

Mia made an outraged face, and Liz, Brianna, and Sabrina burst into giggles.

Mia turned to Sabrina. "Oy! Mocking of those two is understandable, but Hunter is your brother! You should defend us."

Sabrina struggled to stop laughing. "Hunter is my brother and I love him dearly. But I would not be engaged to him. He is not my type."

Liz remembered Sabrina being in a good mood with Ashton... and her plan to get Sabrina to break up her fake engagement... and Liz's eyes flashed with mischief. "It seems that Ashton is more your type."

Sabrina froze. "What?"

Brianna, Mia, and Liz stared at Sabrina's exaggerated reaction.

"Last night, I saw you talk and laugh, and I thought that's it, but now I think I'm onto something…", Liz mumbled while carefully observing fierce blush which invaded Sabrina's face.

"They left the party when the third batch of oysters was served and came back with the second batch of roasted salmon, which was just before fireworks. That makes it about two hours.", Mia said.

Brianna stifled a laugh. "It sounds like you to measure time with food."

Bri turned to Sabrina. "Did something happen between you and Ashton while you were away?"

"For most of the party the two of you chatted, but after you returned, you were apart.", Mia added. "Did you fight?"

"No. There is no way that this is a reaction of someone who fought.", Liz responded to Mia's question and turned to Sabrina. She thought of pointing out how Ashton is handsome in order to get Sabrina to look at him as a man (any man other than Jackson would do), but this is more than she expected.

Liz scrutinized Sabrina. "You like him."

"He is a nice guy.", Sabrina said after some time.

"I know a few nice guys, but none of them makes me blush.", Brianna said. "Actually, only Quentin can get any reaction from me."

Sabrina shook her head. "Can we not talk about Ashton?"

Liz pursed her lips. "No one is blaming you for anything. Ashton is a nice guy, and he is interested in you. If you like him, you should not shut him out."

"It's not that simple.", Sabrina responded.

"No one said that it's simple but don't overcomplicate things either.", Mia voiced her thoughts. "Think about what you are doing. In five years from now, what will you regret more, trying something or passing on an opportunity?" Mia saw that Sabrina frowned, so she added her example: "When I met Hunter, things just fell into place. I didn't know much about him other than there is some inexplicable attraction between us, but I knew that if I pushed him away I would regret it for the rest of my life while wondering how that would end up."

Sabrina smiled meekly and didn't want to talk about it. She knows that Liz, Mia, and Bri mean well, but how is she supposed to respond if she does not understand what is going on either? Sabrina closed her eyes and leaned in the comfy chair.

Liz, Mia, and Bri understood that the topic is over. They moved to talk about their relationships and to plan for the rest of the weekend.

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l . c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.