“You and I and what we’ve been sharing has been great.” His somber gaze locked on hers. “But we both knew it was a temporary thing—just while I’m here in town. Now that Helen’s here, making it more difficult, it just seems … It’s probably better to end it now.”

Cold gripped Ashley as she stared into his serious, determined eyes. Yes, she’d known it was temporary, but she didn’t want it to end now.

“We don’t have to stop because Helen is here,” she said. “We could meet somewhere else. You could come to my apartment.”

“No. It’s not just her walking in on us. She’s demanding of my attention and … well, she has no one else. I can’t just turn her away. Surely you understand that. So trying to divide the time between her and you … between the business I came here to do…” He shrugged. “It wouldn’t be fair to you. I just think it’s better to end it now.”

“And if I don’t agree?”

He gazed at her, a light flaring in his eyes, but then it dimmed again and he shook his head.

“I’m sorry.” He took her hand and she simultaneously wanted to pull it away and to stay in the warmth of his grip forever. “I think this is for the best.”

* * *

Ashley closed the door of her apartment behind her, feeling numb. Dare had just broken up with her. Had walked away from what they had without a qualm.

Her stomach clenched and her heart ached. She realized that the growing need she felt for him wasn’t just a sexual hunger for the delights of domination he’d introduced her to.

She had developed feelings for him. A deep need for his touch. For him to need her, too.

Could it be that she was in love with Dare?

* * *

Ashley rested her head on Jessica’s shoulder as Jessica hugged her. They sat on her couch. Ashley had called Jess right after Dare had dropped her off at her apartment and she’d come right over.

“It’s okay, Ashley. That asshole had no right to treat you that way. To just up and ditch you like that. I can’t believe he’s putting that psycho ahead of you. She’s obviously not the person we thought we knew.”

“She is his stepdaughter. He’s trying to help her,” Ashley said, not knowing why she was defending him. This was girl time, when she could dis the guy without guilt and wallow in sharing her pain with her friend.

“Ex-stepdaughter. And no matter what, she’s a grown-up now and is responsible for her own actions. If she’s going to behave badly, he shouldn’t hesitate to boot her out on her butt.”

Ashley just nodded. “Which means, he doesn’t really care about me.” She shook her head. “But I knew that. I can’t really blame him. We both knew it was just a temporary thing.”

“Oh, you can blame him all you want. He hurt you. You have a right to be angry.”