Blood Ties a Broken Heart Read online

  * * * *

  She had just finished dressing when he knocked on the door. He grabbed her, whirled her around the room then kissed her commandingly. She sank under his hungry onslaught until they parted breathlessly.

  “Let’s skip dinner,” he suggested, eying her king-size bed.

  She laughed. “You can’t, Ash. The participants expect you to show.”

  He smiled now. “I know. Are you ready?”

  She nodded and preceded him out of the door. They were seated at a table of six. Fortunately Arden was not one of them. Nevertheless, Rylee could feel her poisonous stare burning between her shoulder blades from across the room. She wondered if Arden knew that her precious brother had spent the night with her—and if she did, whether it made her feel threatened.

  Everyone, including Rylee, was excited about what they had learned and they exchanged ideas and brainstormed right through the entrée and main course. As they ate dessert, each participant helped collate ideas and talk them through with Ash. When most of the people had drifted away either into the bar or upstairs, Ash handed her his room key. “Go on up. I just have to check the lecture room for tomorrow. I’ll be up soon.”

  “Ash.” Arden’s strident cry froze them both into tense expectation.

  Ash turned to face his sister, the expression on his face less than welcoming. “Arden?”

  Rylee flinched at the toxic expression on Arden’s face.

  “How can you, Ash? She betrayed you and is determined to destroy my business ambitions. She is so righteous that she would betray both of us right now if she thought we were hurting the horses. How can you betray me like this?” she cried. Her expression was almost tragic, except for the sharp edge of malice.

  Ash stared at his sister. “Rylee had nothing to do with my downfall. Aileen Jones saw me with the stuff, Arden. Whether I administered it or not is irrelevant.”

  Arden scowled. “Her or the old woman, it’s one and the same. They’re both guilty of wanting me eliminated.” She pointed at Rylee. “She just wanted to win—to win on that rag tag nag she used to ride, one she knew would never come up to my animals. The pair of them had to find a way to bring me down. We were friends. You don’t betray your friends.”

  “For God’s sake, Arden. I’ve never heard such rubbish. Winning wasn’t my goal, unlike you. You did wrong. How could I pretend, when your horse collapsed, that it was okay? Ignore the fact that you had been doing unethical things to gain an advantage over us all. Including me, your best friend?”

  “Bullshit. You were never going to win any other way than to eliminate me, not on that old dobbin you had. No, your godmother had to destroy Ash and eliminate me to ensure you won. It was a real coup for you. And the business thrived after that, at least for a while—after she lied and kicked me out.”

  “She didn’t lie, and you know it,” Rylee declared.

  “Enough you two,” Ash shouted. “The horse was doped by you, Arden. I took the rap and you still have your opportunities, so leave Rylee out of it.”

  Arden stood straight and tall, then looked directly at her brother—her expression a bitter twisted mask of hatred. “So you’re going to take her side now. Abandon me. You know she’ll never let you forget you’re a horse doper, brother dear. Never.”

  “Oh shut up. I’ll never abandon you. I can have both…”

  “No, you can’t,” Rylee yelled at them.

  “See? The high and mighty Rylee O’Shaughnessy doesn’t want to be tarnished with the same brush as us ‘horse dopers’,” Arden screeched.

  “Enough!” Ash yelled.

  “No, not enough. Rylee, get out of my face and keep your grasping little Irish hands off my brother. We don’t need your judgmental attitude. Besides, you’re not even competing anymore, so what can it matter to you what I—we—do?” Arden sneered.

  Rylee slammed her clenched fists onto her hips and glared at her foe. “It does matter. Honesty, integrity and the best treatment for horses matter. Will always matter.”

  “Enough, you two,” Ash snapped.

  Arden glared at her brother then turned to Rylee. “You can give him your body and he’ll take it, but he’ll never put you first. His family—me, his baby sister—will always be his priority.”

  “Arden…” Ash protested half-heartedly.

  Arden pointed at Rylee. “Huh, I can see it on your face. You’ve already sacrificed your virtue in an effort to win him away from me. More fool you.” Arden laughed—a high pitched sniggering sound that ended in a series of snorts.

  Barely able to keep her temper in check, Rylee glared from Arden to Ash then turned on her heel and stalked away, the card to his room still in her hand.

  Chapter Three

  The shudders assailing her body were so violent Rylee could barely walk straight in her heels. Nausea washed over her and every nerve ending to the roots of her hair sizzled with fury. No repentance, not an ounce of repentance. And was Arden right? Had she been trying to lure Ash from his sister’s clutches by sleeping with him? For a moment she regretted her actions, feeling as if she had somehow sold herself. But damn it was good to finally feel his cock thrust into me. All I had until last night was dreams. The sex had been worth waiting for and I will not feel any shame at giving my body to Ash.

  A chill ran over her skin as she leaned on the door of her room and slashed the key card through the lock. The door swung open and Rylee staggered forward with it. Damn Arden and damn Ash and damn her own gullible weakness.

  In an effort to center herself, Rylee poured a glass of wine, slipped into her nightie and sat at the small desk. She used some sheets of hotel lecture pad to outline her plans for the stables, including what she could offer, a point of difference and how to get her message out to the public. By the time she had filled the third page with ideas, the trembling had eased and she felt calmer. She didn’t regret having sex with Ash, and it did not damage her plans for the future—just eased an unsatisfied ache from the past.

  Rylee was well into the basic outline of her marketing plan when there was a tap on the door.

  “Rylee, please open the door?” he asked.

  He pushed into the room the moment she opened the door.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” She held out his card. “You’ve come for this,” she said.

  “No. I’ve come for you,” he replied.

  “Arden isn’t going to approve.”

  “Forget Arden. I don’t have to ask permission from my sister as to whom I bed. This is between us.”

  He came up behind her and grasped her shoulders. She wanted Ash. She couldn’t lie to herself or him. Despite the ugly scene downstairs, she still loved this man, but she silently cursed herself for how she had melted when he’d nuzzled her neck and shoulders, and her pussy became a puddle of molten desire.

  “I have waited all day for this, Ry. Last night wasn’t enough. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.” He continued to kiss her neck and cheeks, then he caressed her cleavage before moving inside her bra to cup her breasts.

  Despite the tight fit for his large hand, he managed with a tender touch to tease her nipples erect. She reached between them and massaged the solid ridge of his erection through his pants. Ash ran his fingers through her hair, massaging the scalp. Her whole head tingled with the soothing, but stimulating, pressure of the circular movement. She tipped her head forward to allow him to stroke down the back of her neck and across her shoulders. She almost purred under his ministrations. He took her hands and guided them up the inside of her thighs until they connected with the flimsy lace of her G-string. He pushed the panties aside and using Rylee’s fingers, he dipped into her and delicate circles spread her fluids around. Rylee stroked her own flesh and teased her clit. He slipped the straps off her shoulders and tugged the nightie and bra down to her waist. Now he cupped her breasts and teased the nipples before lifting her off the chair. Her outer clothes dropped to the floor then she wriggled out of her panties. Ash shed his clo
thes with hurried movements, releasing his already hard cock to stand straight out from his groin. She enclosed his heated flesh with her palms and stroked up and down the shaft, skimming right over his head, administering a firm squeeze. He sat and pulled her onto his lap, facing him. Rylee sat on his thighs, her legs spread wide. He reached under her and explored the folds of her intimate flesh. He pulled her a little closer. His swollen rod poked up between their bodies, the tight dark pink skin of his head glistening with pre-cum. He teased her clit, running a finger and thumb around the base and over the tip. Then he boosted her upwards and she wriggled forward until poised over his throbbing cock. Ash semi-supported her so she could lower herself onto him, just enough so the tip of his penis pushed into her pussy, bringing an incredible need for penetration. Rylee so wanted to let the full length of his hardness sink into her for his shallow dips were maddening and erotic. She wanted satisfaction.

  “Damn it, Ash. Stop playing and just fuck me. I can’t stand it anymore,” she cried.

  He chuckled and dipped in again and again. Her pussy clenched at his stiff shaft, trying to pull it in before he took it away. She almost screamed with need when with a decisive stroke he lowered her and plunged his whole length to the hilt inside her. They moved in unison. Each lift pulled his cock right out of her body, only to be thrust in again on the downward movement so deep it stretched her opening, sending pulses of exquisite sensation barreling through her.

  He kissed her breasts, sucking at her erect nipples and smothering her chest and neck with light kisses and gentle nibbles. He ran his tongue around her earlobes and dipped his tongue into them. She moaned. He skimmed the skin with his hands from her waist down over her hips and to her buttocks. He cupped them angling her slightly forward, so he pressed more against the back wall of her pussy. She moaned again. He thrust faster, and she met his increased rhythm. Her body throbbed and her legs trembled, but all that mattered was the feel of his cock pushing its way into her, stretching her hot flesh. She clenched her muscles and bounced up and down. Her climax built, aching in her hips with an almost unbearable throb. He reached under her and caressed her clit. The touch of his fingertip ignited a fiery blaze that flared and sparked until she exploded with mind-numbing force. Rylee clawed at his shoulders and bore down on his cock as he stroked the tip of her sensitive nub with rapid little flicks and sank into her, deep and fast. Her body convulsed with wave after wave of sensation that rolled through her. She gripped his shoulders and leaned forward. Her whole body spasmed. Tiny moans escaped under the force of her release. The intense undulations slowed and Ash changed tempo, giving fast shallow pokes before he pushed hard into her and stilled. She collapsed onto his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. He embraced her and they rocked gently on the chair, soaking up the last miniscule waves of sensations where their bodies were joined. Their sweat mingled and their breathing gradually slowed to normal. A sudden chill brushed her naked body.

  She moved slightly. “Ash, I’m getting cold,” she murmured.

  “Mmmmm.” He circled her waist and stood, pulling his cock out of her with the movement, even though she tried to hold onto it. With reverent care he set her down on the crisp white sheets then climbed in beside her.

  They lay on their backs side by side, just touching along the full length of their bodies. He entwined his fingers through hers.

  “It seems only like yesterday that we parted. Ten long years wasted, Rylee. We should have made love then, even though you were too young. You never would have left if we had. Did you think of me when you were gone?”

  “Oh, Ash, I tried not to think of you. I went home to forget you. To stop loving you.”

  “But you didn’t,” he said.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  He rolled toward her laying one arm over waist. “I’m glad you didn’t.

  * * * *

  He was watching her when she woke sometime just after dawn. She reached up and stroked his cheek feeling the slight abrasiveness of new beard growth. His expression was pensive.

  “What are you thinking, Ash?”

  “Why didn’t you come back, after everything died down—I mean, if you still loved me?”

  “Because, unless you owned up to lying for Arden, there could never be anything between us. I tried to forget you, but I couldn’t even though my family tried everything to help me—most of my siblings and my stepmother.”

  “You have a stepmother?”

  “Yes, a wonderful woman. She took us all on and added three more to the brood. It relieved me of being a substitute mother for everyone. She gave me back my life. She has so much love and such generosity. We gave her so much hell in the beginning that it’s a wonder she didn’t flee in the night or go mad. It is a task I would never want to take on.”

  “Would it be so bad to mother the child of the man you loved?”

  She shook her head. “But you don’t have a child—do you?”

  “Actually I do. A daughter, Lillian, but we all call her Lilli.”

  Rylee sat right up and glowered down at him, the beginnings of anger roiling in her stomach. “And just when did you plan on telling me you have a daughter?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know… When it came up, I suppose.”

  “When it came up!” Rylee cried.

  “Rylee,” he soothed.

  “Are you also saying you’re married?”

  “No, Rylee. I wouldn’t do that to you. I’m a widower. My wife Julie died just after Lillian was born. She went riding on one of Arden’s horses. It bolted, bucked and threw her off. She broke her neck.”

  “You allowed her to ride one of Arden’s horses? What were you thinking? Those horses are so damaged and confused by Arden’s training methods I’m surprised Arden isn’t dead yet. That is so awful. So tragic for you. I am so sorry you’ve had so much pain.”

  “So you’re saying this is my fault too.” Ash sat up.

  “No—it’s Arden’s fault,”

  “You want to make everything Arden’s fault,” Ash accused, as a deep frown settled on his forehead. “Why do you hate her so much?”

  “I would hate anyone doing wrong by their horses and forcing their family to take the blame,” Rylee replied. “But it’s not that. I hate her because she destroyed what we had. You let her. You let your sister obliterate our love through her evil doing. We can never get that back.”

  “Why? Because I have two strikes against my name now—being a horse doper and being careless because I let my wife die? Damn it.”

  “It’s got nothing to do with your wife. It’s to do with loyalty to me. You vowed you loved me. Yet you chose your sister. You put her first, damn you.”

  “Yes, I did, but it never changed how I felt about you. I want you in my life. We need to get past this, but I don’t know how.”

  “We can’t.”

  “Blast it all, Rylee.”

  “You have two loyalties now, your sister and your daughter. I can’t compete with Arden—that I already know—and I won’t compete with your child.”

  “But you have no need to compete with anyone. Arden is her own person, and my daughter is but a child and I have no desire for you to become a stepmother for her. She’s at boarding school, so you’ll have me for most of the time. I’ll be a devoted, faithful lover. We will have a good life together.”

  “You bastard, Ashford St. Clair. Maybe I don’t want to just be your bit on the side. Maybe I want marriage, security, love. Maybe I want children of my own. Have you thought that through? What if I get pregnant? What would become of ‘our’ child?”

  His face paled then. “You wouldn’t do that, would you? You always said you didn’t want to be a mother. That you didn’t want kids.”

  “Ten years ago I was seventeen, a child. Things change. I grew up.”

  “You were so adamant. I… I was sure you wouldn’t want children of your own. That you would be happy to…” His voice faded into silence.

  “You’re a bastard. Just t
hinking of you. Always you… No, I won’t get pregnant, but I am not prepared to live some sort of half-life with you. Besides, you’re deliberately ignoring the horse doping.”

  “You keep harping on about it. It was a one-time mistake on her part. Without my support she won’t make it to the top level. I can’t withdraw my support.” He said it slowly, as if he was spelling it out for her—or himself.

  “But you’re supporting her in wrongdoing,” Rylee cried.

  “I don’t believe the rumors. She promised she would never ever do anything like that again and I must believe her. Besides, if she was doing wrong, she would have been caught by now. No, it is nothing but vicious rumors,” he stated firmly.

  “Then you are a fool. A bloody, blind fool.” She rolled out of bed and dragged the sheet around her still-glowing body. “Unless you open your eyes and see what’s right under your nose, there can be nothing more between us. I won’t risk my reputation or my business because of your blind loyalty to your sister. Get out of my room. Leave me alone.”

  He made no move to concede as he pulled on his clothes and left, leaving her bitterly disappointed. Like a fool, she had hoped that the loving they had shared would have meant something to him, perhaps enough to reconsider his position. Not that she regretted having sex with him. When he had gone, she let the tears well up and fall down her cheeks, feeling so betrayed and humiliated. She shouldn’t have assumed because he had wanted her body so badly that they would ultimately have a life together. She should have known better. But even that only hurt a little, in comparison to his unexpected assertion he did not want her to be stepmother to his daughter. She wondered if someone had said something to him—if someone close to her had revealed her terrible secret that she was irresponsible when it came to children. It cut deep into her own well-hidden insecurities. She didn’t exactly have a good track record. One word with her father and Ash would be left in no doubt she was irresponsible. Rohan should never have died under her care.