If You Need Me: The Ashford Legacy, Book 1 (13 page)

She rose from the table and called her hen. When Bratty came running to her, Rayna knelt down, her expression serious. “Hey, baby…what would you think about staying with Jenn and James, just for a few days? I…uh… I think I need to make a trip to New York.”

The hen stared up at her with googly eyes and then pecked a fleck of dried seaweed from the hem of Rayna’s sundress.
Hell yeah!

Sara pushed through the door to Kyle’s office and walked across the large open space, past the couches, cushy chairs and expensive art, until she stood directly in front of his desk. He cocked a brow. It wasn’t normal for her to barge in like a combat troop on a mission. “What’s up?”

Sara’s hands linked in front of her, her tailored gray suit making her appear more severe than Kyle knew her to be. “There’s a woman here to see you. When she asked for you at Reception and they told me her name, I thought it might be best to retrieve her first, and then ask you what to do with her.”

Kyle closed the program he was working on and set down his tablet. He had to force himself to exhale and not simply hold his breath. “And her name?”

Sara bit her lip. “Rayna Sommers.”

Kyle’s breath rushed out and he stood suddenly, then wished he hadn’t when he stumbled back a step. “Where is she now?”

Sara’s lip biting was clearly to cover a shit-eating grin. “Outside your door. Should I let her in? She looks like she may need to sit down. And a towel. She could probably use a towel.”

Kyle swallowed and moved his chin up and down in a slow nod.

“Okay,” she said easily on her way to the door. “And I’ll hold your calls.”

A moment later, Rayna stepped into his office, and Sara shut the door behind her. Kyle couldn’t believe his eyes. She was here. In New York. How was she here?
Why
was she here?

He slowly rounded his desk and started walking in her direction. She was dressed in her favorite full-length coat with the collar up around her neck and the strap of a bag slung over her shoulder. As he got closer, he took in her face—her newly sun-kissed cheeks that did little to hide the faint greenish tint to her skin. Her pretty brown hair was stuck to the sides of her face with sweat. He stopped an arm’s length from her and noticed she was trembling hard enough to make the collar of her coat quiver.

“Rayna?”

She looked straight at him, but there was dread in her eyes. Whether it was from seeing him or being so far from home, he didn’t know. “Kyle…” she whispered.

He swallowed again, his heart ripping open in his chest at just the sight of her. “Yes?”

“You forgot your backpack.”

He blinked at the bag she extended, his mind too bewildered to send the signal to his hand to reach out and take it from her. What did this mean? There was no fucking way she could have come this far just to—

“And…I love you.” She dropped the pack and slumped against the door as though the journey or the proclamation had completely sapped her strength. “I don’t care if you’re rich or poor or if you’ve dated half of the supermodels in North America. I know who you are, and I am in love with you.”

Her words sank in—and he pounced. He couldn’t help it, couldn’t act suave or dignified or make her pay for crushing his soul. He scooped her off her feet and carried her to the couch, not waiting to spread her out on the plush green velvet before he was already kissing her. He took her lips like he was starving—nipping, biting, thrusting his tongue into her sweet mouth.

His hand gripped the back of her head, coveting, protecting. “Don’t ever push me away again. I didn’t think I would survive it the last time, and I can’t go through that again. I need you so fucking bad—and it’s not smart to need you like that unless you’re prepared to go the distance with me.”

One small hand came around his back and the other cupped his ass as he settled himself over her. She kissed his neck and pulled his lips to hers again, kissing him like she needed him just as much, like his love was held safe in her arms. “I’d go to hell and back to be with you—and I’m pretty sure I just did.”

He laughed against her lips, then kissed her again. “We’re together now, like we’re supposed to be. I promise you, Ray—it’s all heaven from here on out.”

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my friends and family who've stuck by me on this crazy writing adventure. Thank you to my agent, Becca Stumpf, whose enthusiasm for my work keeps me smiling and forging ahead. And thank you to my editor, Jennifer Miller, whose keen insight makes my books so much better and whose steadfast support makes my publishing journey a joy. You all mean the world to me.

About the Author

Cassi Carver lives in sunny Southern California with two dogs, four kids and a hubby who gives great massages. She gets to the Gaslamp Quarter for research (okay, happy hour) as often as possible. She’s never saved the world, but she keeps sexy boots on hand just in case the opportunity arises.

When she’s not busy plotting or writing, Cassi enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, caring for pets, getting outdoors and watching sappy movies that deliver reliably happy endings.

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www.cassicarver.com

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Look for these titles by Cassi Carver

Now Available:

The Shadow Slayers

Slayer’s Kiss

Shadow Rising

The Silverwing’s Sorceress

Dark Flight

Coming Soon:

The Ashford Legacy

If You Want Me

If You Love Me

Revenge wasn’t supposed to be this sweet…

If You Want Me

© 2014 Cassi Carver

The Ashford Legacy, Book 2

Sara Castillo has sworn never to get sucked into the world of the rich and famous, not after billionaire Benjamin Swayne broke her heart and left her carrying the burden of their shared secret.

Now Sara has a successful career working with her dear friend, Kyle Ashford, and her life runs like a well-oiled machine—until Kyle chooses Ben as his best man. No way will Sara let the renowned bad boy turn Kyle’s bachelor party into a front-page fiasco. She’s going to plan the party herself…even if she has to blackmail Ben into agreeing.

Ben isn’t thrilled about working with a woman who’d like to shank him and dump his body in a roadside ditch. But he’s willing to let Sara meddle, if only to teach her a lesson. And if the sight and scent of his old flame still makes his head swim…well, tough.

After Kyle’s party is wrapped up, Ben may finally be able to put Sara in the past. That is, if their time together doesn’t convince them they have a future.

Warning: This book contains a woman who likes being in control, a billionaire who likes to make her lose it, and enough sex toys to satisfy an army.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
If You Want Me:

Benjamin Swayne was a disgusting man. How could so many people miss this fact and label him as charming instead? How could they look at the tall, sculpted physique, the sandy-blond hair, the finely tailored tuxedo and not see the worthless human being underneath? Sara had fallen victim to that charm eight long years ago, and her heart still had the scars to prove it.

Never again
. That was her motto when it came to Benjamin Swayne and men like him. Never. Again.

Sara tapped a finger to the screen of her tablet, putting it to sleep and clutching it to her chest so she could better glare out at the dance floor through the strings of twinkly lights. The botanical gardens couldn’t be prettier, and everything was going as planned for the engagement party, but still, she couldn’t peel her gaze from Swayne and the six-foot-tall lingerie model grinding against him.

The six-foot-tall
drunk
lingerie model grinding against him.

And the lingerie model label wasn’t a jealous barb. Sara had seen this woman on the cover of the bra magazine she’d recently gotten in the mail, though she doubted the model still sported the same jewel-encrusted brassiere. No, the silk dress the model wore was so thin and transparent that the rhinestones would have shone through the fabric, but the only things poking through tonight were the woman’s nipples. Disgusting. Yep. She’d called it. They were a perfect pair.

“Hey, Sara. What are you doing over here? Time to join the party.”

The voice from behind her jolted Sara to attention. She turned to see the bride-to-be staring back at her, looking so beautiful in her aqua evening gown and little satin hat. If guests thought it strange that Rayna Sommers wore a hat at night, they no doubt chocked it up to the eccentricity of the filthy rich…or those marrying the filthy rich, as the case was.

Rayna crossed her arms and gave Sara a playfully stern look. Sara knew Rayna pretty well now, seeing as Rayna was marrying Sara’s boss, Kyle Ashford, and she could tell Rayna wasn’t truly annoyed.

Sara smiled. “Of course I will.”

Of course she wouldn’t.

She could mingle when she had to, but these weren’t her people. Rayna’s humble upbringing had been closer to Sara’s, but soon Rayna would be marrying into one of the ten richest families in America, and things would change, as they invariably did with the newly rich and famous. “I was just checking the guest list to see who had RSVP’d but hadn’t shown up.”

Rayna cocked her brow. “Uh-huh. You had that list memorized as the cars pulled into the lot, categorized by license plate. No, it looked more to me like you were staring at Benjamin Swayne.”

Sara smoothed a trembling hand down her red satin gown. Kyle had bought the dress for her for the engagement party because he knew she would wear a business suit if she could get away with it. How was it possible to feel naked in a dress that covered her from chest to ankles?

“I was not staring at Benjamin. He’s just…well, he and the Brazilian cover model are making quite a spectacle of themselves out there. If you’d wanted your engagement party at a sleazy club, I could have arranged it at a sleazy club.”

“Hmm…” Rayna narrowed her eyes in speculation.

“
Hmm
what?”

“Kyle told me that you have a problem with Ben. He isn’t sure why, but Ben is his best friend, Sara. And you’re like Kyle’s…little sister. It bothers him that two people he loves can’t get along.”

“Little sister? Kyle Ashford is my boss.”

“And you two grew up under the same roof. Don’t pretend like you aren’t part of the family. He loves telling stories about when you were little.”

She shrugged. “Like cousins, then. Twice removed.”

Rayna chuckled at that. “Fine. But it still makes him sad. He doesn’t have many friends, and Ben is special to him. Matter of fact, Kyle’s chosen him as best man for the wedding.”

Sara’s top lip arched in disgust, like she just sucked on a lemon. A rancid, moldy, fermented one. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Ben’s going to plan the bachelor party and everything.”

At the thought of this impending catastrophe, the blood drained from Sara’s upper half and pooled in her feet. Oh hell no. “That’s a really bad idea. You have to trust me. You don’t know Benjamin Swayne like I do. You couldn’t count on him for a teaspoon of water if you were dying of dehydration.”

“What?” Rayna took a step back. “Why would you say that? What do you know about him that I don’t?”

Plenty.
“Nothing. But I mean, look at him. Everywhere he goes a lingerie model follows. He might as well have her on a gold leash like a show dog.”

Rayna shook her head. “Hey, I’m new to this world, but you grew up around all this money. I’d think you would be used to the glitz and glamor by now. Dating models might mean Benjamin’s shallow, but I’d say we were just as shallow if we judged his date because of her disturbingly perfect…everything.”

Rayna was right. Not about Benjamin, but about his date, at least. “Sorry. I really don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.” To Sara’s utter horror, her eyes watered up until the lights of the party made striated stars in her vision.

“Aww…come here.” Rayna pulled her in for a hug. “If there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m here to listen. Okay?”

Sara was a couple of inches taller than Kyle’s fiancée, which might have made for an awkward hug if she wasn’t so familiar with Rayna’s touchy-feely side by now. The Ashfords weren’t big on affection, but Sara was getting used to this new dynamic Rayna brought to the family. Sara quickly dabbed at her eyes when Rayna squeezed and released. She needed to get her act together, and fast. Tonight was
not
about her—no matter what it did to her insides to see that two-faced, two-timing asswipe out on the dance floor.