After the stunningly erotic sex, the blood flow had returned to his brain, and he’d begun to worry about Helen again.

The expression on Ashley’s face when he’d rushed her out of the house still haunted him. She’d looked so rejected.

He gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn’t think about that now. He’d find a way to make it up to her. Somehow. But right now, he had to make some arrangements for Helen. He picked up the phone. He wouldn’t abandon Helen like her mother seemed perfectly content to do.

As the phone rang on the other end, his thoughts turned back to Ashley. He loved being with her and regretted that his time with her would be interrupted by Helen’s issues. He knew Ash probably wouldn’t be open to a long-term relationship with him. He wouldn’t mistake her excitement at being dominated with real feelings for him, especially given their age difference and the fact he’d been her friend’s stepfather, but he had looked forward to a solid few weeks of enjoying her ongoing discovery of her submissive side.

Now he realized that, as much as they both enjoyed him mentoring her, she’d probably be better off if they ended it now.

* * *

Ashley’s phone chimed, signaling a text. She finished the e-mail she was working on, then picked it up, hoping it was from Dare.

Just finished with a client near your office. Want to grab a coffee?

It was from Jessica.

Yeah, sure, Ashley responded.

She’d be happy to get out of the office for a little while. Since what happened between her and Adam the other evening, he’d been keeping his distance, not wanting to make her uncomfortable in the workplace, but she was still on edge.

She grabbed her purse and headed to the Starbucks on the corner where Jess said she’d be waiting for her.

“Hey, there you are,” Jess said as Ashley dropped her purse on a spare chair and sat down.

There were already two coffees sitting on the table.

“My treat,” Jess said. “It’s that new latte you tried the other day and liked so much.”

Ashley smiled and took a sip. “Thanks. So you’re pretty chipper this morning.”

“Yeah, well, things are going pretty well with Eric.”

“That’s great,” Ashley said, glad her friend’s love life was going smoother than her own right now. “So are you going to kiss and tell?”

Jess laughed. “Well, there’s not much to tell except that we did kiss. It was a first date.” She grinned. “But talk to me after our second date and we’ll see.”

Ashley smiled. “He asked you out again. That’s great.”

Jessica had been so nervous about how things would go, because she really liked this guy. Ashley was happy that things seemed to be heading off to a good start.

“It may not be as exciting as you seeing a billionaire Dom who makes you surrender to his every sexual whim”—she grinned—“but, you never know.”