Page 160 of For Better or Hearse
She’s so beautiful it actually fucking pains him.
It still blows his mind. How totally unexpected she was.
The power she has over him, it’s deafening. All he can hear, all he knows: this girl has made his life better. Every day he’s alive will be better because of her.
Ash is the kind of woman who makes a man feel like he’s fucked up for taking so long to discover her. She comes with warnings and arrows, and he loves every single one of them.
This vacation will be worth it. If he gets to keep her.
A soft moan. Ash jerks in her sleep. And then sits up with a jolt.
Amusement courses through him. She sleeps as chaotically as she lives.
“Shit.” Groggy, she focuses on the window, then Nathaniel. “What time is it?”
He moves to sit beside her. “We’re in no rush.”
“Says the man who’s already dressed for the day,” she drawls, running a hand through her sleep-mussed hair.
“My mom called. She wants to have lunch.” He runs his palm over her tattooed thigh. “If you’re up for it after the hike.”
She groans and grabs her phone off the nightstand, checking her blood. “Still determined to kill me, I see.”
“You can survive it.”
Satisfied with her reading, she flops back down on the bed. “You are a lovely liar, but I’ll take it.”
Arching in the sheets, she takes in his bedroom. On a windowsill nearhis bed is the collection of rocks and gems he’s brought back from his adventures. Ash’s included. It’s the only one that actually matters.
After the scene at the Roosevelt, they barely got through the front door of his penthouse before they were fucking. He couldn’t get her here fast enough. Seeing that prick Jakob fed his fear, his anger. Had him wanting to put a claim on Ash, even though, if he said it out loud, she’d rip his balls off.
That toxic prick took her trust and her sweet heart and wrecked them completely. For that, Nathaniel refuses to let it go. He’ll keep tabs on that asshole for as long as he lives in LA.
“This feels like a hotel,” Ash says, flicking on a light above the bed. “I didn’t expect your apartment to look like this.”
He knows what it looks like.
Rich.
He and Ash couldn’t have more opposite living situations if they tried. He’s in downtown LA in a penthouse with a doorman. Her tiny apartment could fit inside his bathroom. His place is barren, sterile, while hers is moody and expressive. It’s that juxtaposition he loves. Has craved since the day he met her.
Being with Ash feels like freedom. Like his suit, his last name, his money, hell, even his career, don’t matter. If he gave it all up, she wouldn’t bat an eye.
Her lips quirk. “It’s not as soulless as I thought it would be. It’s sturdy and meticulous. Like you.”
“Hmm. Minimalist robot. Got it.” He moves to stand.
She purrs, tugging him back into bed with her. “You leave, I kill you.”
Hovering closer, he kisses her lips. “You act so tough until it’s time to cuddle in bed.”
“Shut up.”
He cups her pale cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
When he returns, he sets a tray on the bed.
“Fascinating.” She taps the acrylic. “You have a tray. I don’t even have a tray. I’m a trayless vagabond.” She scours the items set before her. Chamomile tea. Peanut butter crackers. Coconut chews. All her favorites.