He’s a jerk.

KAILEE

I kept checking my phone for the time as I worked.

Ashton sat in his office, only checking on me when he wanted.

Since our offices faced each other, separated by transparent glass walls, I could see straight into his office whenever I looked up.

Whenever he raised his head from the desk, our eyes met.

By eight-thirty, he stood up and approached me with a brooding expression.

“You’ve spent more time staring than working, Ms. Donovan.”

I maintained a serious expression, knowing fully well that he’d caught me.

“And you noticed that how, Mr. Lancaster?”

He halted behind me and leaned forward, his lavender scent immediately filling the air around me.

My fingers tightened around my pencil as I swallowed hard.

Ashton brushed his fingers against my sketchbook from behind, flipped through the pages and returned to the design I was working on.

“Thirty minutes left and only one design is ready.”

He sounded disappointed. Honestly, I couldn’t work with the fact that he was staring at me from across his office.

“The second would be done before nine.”

He turned towards me, his eyes narrowed and his face inches from mine.

I hated that I still remembered his half-moon neck tattoo and instinctively searched for it.

It was on the left side of his neck, and I let my eyes stare at it a second longer than needed.

“I expect competence from you, Ms. Donovan.” His voice was lower now, but still thick with command. “Not slacking off.”

“I’m not slacking off.”

“Spend more time working, not staring like you plan on getting another password from me.”

Then he straightened and headed back to his office. I sat there, his words sinking in. Ashton had deliberately made that statement in reference to our past.

Scoffing, I couldn’t hold back from responding.

“I never begged you for any password.”

Without looking at me, he stopped walking, one hand buried inside his pocket.

“You’re right. That’s why you gave it away.”

“I didn’t… You know what? Think whatever you want, Ashton.”

He turned slightly to look at me, his jaw tightening.

“It’s Mr. Lancaster.”

“I’ll drop the designs for review when I’m done, Mr. Lancaster,” I said quietly. “For now, please let me work without showing your face here.”

I didn’t spare him another glance. He didn’t move either until a few seconds later.

My heart hammered in my chest and I refused to take another look at his office. It was evident from his words that he still resented me after five years.

He’d made peace with the version of what happened in his head without giving me the chance to explain myself.

Two minutes before the deadline, I grabbed both designs and dropped them off in his office. I didn’t wait for his review. Instead, I walked away and packed up my things.

I was outside the building, trying to book a cab when he drove past. He parked in front of me and rolled down his car window.

“Get in, Ms. Donovan.”

I ignored him. There were barely any cars driving in that estate, and I didn’t want to bother Dexter for a ride.

“Ms. Donovan,” he called again, his voice impatient. “I said get in.”

“No, thank you.”

I thought he was going to drive off but he got down instead and stood in front of me.

“It’s late, Ms. Donovan. I’m not having one of my employees stranded outside the building at this hour. Get in.”

I watched him open the passenger door before walking around to the driver’s side. My throat tightened. I glanced at Dexter’s number on my screen one last time before turning it off.

Reluctantly, I got in the car and kept my gaze on the road. We didn’t say anything after he started driving, until he asked for my address.

“Dexter’s house,” I whispered. “That’s my destination.”

He slammed on the brakes unexpectedly and nearly sent me lurching forward against my seatbelt.

I gasped softly, surprised by his reaction. Ashton’s knuckles turned white as he grabbed the steering wheel.

“Are you spending the night there?”

I couldn’t decipher the emotion in his voice. Anger? Surprise?

My eyes returned to the road. Xander was still with Miranda, but I couldn’t tell him about him yet.

It was better if he didn’t know anything about the baby I had after our night together.

“I have something to take care of.”

“At this hour?”

“Is that also breaking your company’s rule?”

He scoffed, not saying anything. I didn’t want the conversation going where it was heading. Being in that confined space of his car with him was already making me nervous.

We were five minutes away from Dexter’s house and I reached for my bag. Ashton spared me another glance and asked quietly.

“Is something going on between you two?”

I hesitated before replying. “Are you asking as my employer or a nosy coworker?”

He clicked his tongue. “Dating within the company is against the rules. I can’t have my employees doing that.”

I scoffed under my breath. He always had a reason to bring up his company’s rules. He parked in front of the gates and I unfastened my seat belt.

“So?”

My brows furrowed. “So?”

Ashton looked at me squarely, one hand holding the steering wheel.

“Is something going on between you and Dexter?”

I opened the door without getting out immediately. Wearing a small smile, I answered quietly.

“My private life is not yours to intrude in, Ashton.”

“You don’t get to call me that anymore, Ms. Donovan.”

“I don’t even want to,” I said firmly. “Working with you for the next six months is enough torture.”

“Then leave. You left once, you can do it again.”

For a split second, I heard the pain in his voice and saw it in his eyes, but Ashton was very good at hiding emotions like that.

“Trust me,” I whispered. “After this collaboration is over, you won’t even remember that I was here.”

I clutched my bag tightly and got out of the car. Before closing the door, Ashton said to me in a clear, husky voice.

“And I don’t intend to make the next six months easy for you, Ms. Donovan.”