Seduction (Club Destiny)

Copyright
© 2012 by Nicole Edwards

All
rights reserved.

Seduction
– A Club Destiny Novel
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses,
places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s
imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This
book may not be resold or redistributed without the express consent of the
author.

ISBN:
978-0985059163

Cover
Image by: © Doodkoalex | Dreamstime.com

***
~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***

No one would
ever accuse Ashleigh Thomas of being spontaneous. At least not anyone who knew
her well.

If there was
something that needed to be done, she planned. Usually weeks in advance and in
frustratingly thorough detail. Follow that up with final preparations and then finally,
once there was enough forethought and design, she just might make a decision.

Overkill?

Good God yes.

Which could only
mean this was one of those times when Ashleigh was setting herself up for
potential disaster.

Her house was packed
up, her things already loaded into the moving truck, a handful of capable men
having spent the morning doing backbreaking work as they filled the enormous
metal container with everything that was near and dear to her heart. This was
it. One final goodbye to her beloved two bedroom house before she was on her
way.

Back to her
roots.

Back to the
place she had called home for most of her life.

Granted, she had
taken her own sweet time getting to this point, but nonetheless, she could no
longer procrastinate. Getting back to the hustle and bustle of Dallas was the
next step. Leaving behind the slow, easy going life she had built on the bank
of Lake Whitney, just outside of Hillsboro, was not going to be easy yet it was
inevitable.

Relocating her
life wasn’t the difficult part. As a writer, she could easily pick up her
office – also known as her laptop – and go just about anywhere. That was one of
the many perks of her job.

Since she had
grown quite fond of her current office space – her back porch which overlooked
the rippling waters of Lake Whitney – she had worked hard to convince herself
this move was for the best. Being able to wander out of her house in her
pajamas, watching the random vacationer as they attempted some sort of water
sport, had become one of the highlights of her day.

Somewhere in
between all of the fresh air, sun and people watching, Ashleigh actually
managed to write. Thirteen books in total between her two personas and she
wasn’t doing all that bad actually. The children’s books were enough to pay the
bills, as well as a convenient story to sell her grandfather. Not that he
completely believed she was making a living at it.

Since he was
partly right, Ashleigh never bothered to argue with him.

Her bills might
be covered from her various tales of farm animals, fairy princesses and the
like, but her savings was being built from the other genre she moonlighted in.

Smiling to
herself, Ashleigh turned from the back windows that overlooked the serene view
of the lake and went to get the last of her things.

The movers had
already headed out, on their way to Dallas, so she wasn’t going to put any more
thought into whether her stuff would make the journey in one piece. The only
thing left was to get her laptop and her purse and say one last goodbye to life
as she knew it.

“Goodbye, little
house. I’m sure going to miss you.” Ashleigh said to the empty room, nothing
but bare walls and carpet, as she put the key in the door for the last time. In
a week, the new owners would be moving in, taking over and filling the small
house with their own memories.

With her
personal effects in tow, Ashleigh ventured down the front steps and across the
small walkway to her Chevy Tahoe sitting in the driveway. Feeling a little
melancholy, she looked up at the sun, letting the bright Texas sun warm her.

The late January
morning wasn’t as cool as the weatherman predicted – Texas weather didn’t
usually go with the norm – but the wind off the lake was a little brisk.
Thankfully she’d remembered her jacket just in case.

Those were the
sort of things she planned for.

Not the sort of
abrupt change which resulted in her going back home to Dallas.

Shrugging her
shoulders, figuring she had already set out on the path, might as well be in it
for the long haul, Ashleigh climbed into her SUV. With a flick of her wrist,
the Tahoe roared to life, the interior of the truck filled with a country song.

How appropriate.

Turning the
radio up, she tried to drown out her thoughts.

Within minutes,
she was on the two lane highway heading for the main interstate where she would
be on her way.

Though leaving
the comfortable life she had gotten used to made her nervous, there were some
positives that she would be looking forward to.

Being close to
her family one of them. Although only a forty five minute drive on a good day,
her family was still far enough that she didn’t get to visit as often as she’d
like. Having lived a solitary life for so long, she was actually looking
forward to being close to those she loved.

She had talked
to her brother Dylan just that morning. He was essentially doing the same thing
she was, packing up and getting ready to head out. With her niece, Stacey,
having been accepted at the University of Texas at Dallas, Dylan had
reluctantly let her move at the beginning of the semester. According to him, he
was worried about her – though Ashleigh figured that was a convenient excuse –
and now, he was moving back to the big city to be closer to his daughter.

Even though
Stacey would have been in capable hands living with her great grandfather,
Ashleigh found she couldn’t argue with Dylan even if she wanted to. Since
Dylan’s wife passed away, her older brother had never been the same. Figuring a
change might do them both some good, Ashleigh had encouraged him as much as he
had encouraged her.

When a familiar
tune blasted through the car, Ashleigh gave herself up to the music, singing
slightly off key - ok, who was she kidding, there was no
slight
about
it, it was severe. There was a reason Ashleigh didn’t make a living as a
singer. The thought made her laugh and sing even louder.

A second later
the song was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone, the sound coming
through the speakers thanks to the Bluetooth connection in the car. Hitting the
button on the steering wheel, she allowed the call to connect.

“Hey, Pops.”
Ashleigh greeted her grandfather cheerfully, his name coming up on the small
touch screen in the dash.

“I hope you
aren’t driving while you talk to me.” Xavier Thomas’ laid back drawl drifted through
the car, and Ashleigh smiled.

“You’re the one
who said I needed to be home before dark.” She chided him as she flipped on the
turn signal. “I’m just leaving, so it’ll take me close to an hour to get
there.”

“Well, you be
careful and call me if you need anything. What time did the moving truck head
out?” Xavier asked.

“Not too long
ago. I figure they might beat me by half an hour. They’re going straight to the
house to unload.” Once Ashleigh had gotten a contract on her lake house, she
wasted no time finding a house close to her grandfather’s. It was either that,
or take the chance of Pops giving her a hard time about moving back to his
house.

Since Stacey and
her brother, Nate, would be living in the eight thousand square foot mansion,
Ashleigh figured her grandfather would have plenty of company. Dylan had
insisted on moving into the guest house, rather than into the main house, so
Ashleigh had opted for something just a little farther out.

Not that she
minded so much living with her grandfather and her niece and nephew, but living
on her own for so long, Ashleigh had gotten used to the solitude. She thrived
on it. And since her schedule was usually so out of whack, sometimes her days
and nights entirely flip flopped, she wanted to have her own space.

“Nate and I will
meet them over there. You just take your time and be careful.” Xavier drawled.

“Thanks, Pops.
I’ll call you when I get closer. Maybe I can pick up something for dinner
though we won’t have a place to eat at my house.”

“We’ll figure it
out. See you in a little while, baby girl.” With that, the line disconnected.

Baby girl.

At twenty seven
years old, Ashleigh figured she was too old for the nickname her grandfather
had been calling her since she was just that. Not that she wanted him to stop,
because secretly she had always reveled in being his baby girl. Since he had
single handedly raised her and her brother after their parents’ tragic death,
Ashleigh figured he could call her whatever he wanted.

Another reason
she wasn’t too upset about moving back to Dallas. She needed her family. Since
she and Dylan had been living in the past for far too long, Ashleigh knew he
was right. It was time they move forward.

Insisting on
going home in a better mood, she turned up the familiar song, once again
singing loud and off key. There would be plenty of time later for her thoughts
to intrude. For now, she just needed to relax.

***
~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***

Alex McDermott was
pacing the floor for the hundredth time, and based on the glare he was getting
from Veronica, Xavier’s assistant was running out of patience. Alex could
relate. He’d run out of patience first thing that morning when he woke up to
the shrill ringing of his cell phone. Damn that Logan McCoy. For some reason,
that man lived to irritate him.

Just because he
had found a woman didn’t mean Alex deserved the other man’s constant
harassment.

Ever since the
night of the XTX Christmas party, Logan had been ribbing him every chance he
got. Apparently Logan didn’t get the memo. The one that said
back the fuck
off
.

Obviously Xavier
Thomas didn’t get the memo either because he had summoned Alex about an hour
ago. And now he was making him wait.

“He’ll see you
now.” The irritation in Veronica’s sultry voice was evident, and Alex shot her
a glare.

Pushing open the
massive wooden door, Alex stepped inside, his eyes landing on Xavier sitting
behind his lavish desk, a mischievous grin tipping the corners of his mouth.

“Thanks for
stopping by on such short notice.” Xavier said, his severe Texas drawl coming
out aloof and disinterested.

Alex knew
better. Xavier Thomas was anything but.

“Not a problem.
Is something wrong?” Alex didn’t know whether to stand or sit, so he opted to
stand.

“As a matter of
fact, things couldn’t be better.” Xavier stood from his chair and walked around
the desk.

At seventy,
Xavier was an impressively fit man, dressed impeccably in slacks and a crisp
white shirt, accented by one of his many favored ties. Today’s was a shiny red.

“I just got off
the phone with Ashleigh. She’s on the road as we speak and the movers should be
here within the hour.”

Alex did his
best not to give away his thoughts, especially to Xavier.