Chapter79An Unexpected Sweetness
A faint touch, as fleeting as the first drop of rain that caresses one's soul in early spring, felt like ice melting on her lips. It was clear and tasteless, yet somehow inexplicably sweet.Damian grasped Ashley's shoulders, leaving no space between them. His warm breath intertwined with hers in a tangled dance from which there was no escape. "On purpose? Hmm?" he breathed against her neck, sending a dizzying hum through her with the vibration.Caught off guard and not expecting such a twist, Ashley felt awkward in the face of the misunderstanding. "What do you think?" she replied, masking her discomfort. There was no point in being stubborn about it, not when the damage was done; why waste a perfectly good kiss on an argument? Let him think about what he wants, then.Damian's hands were firmly anchored on her shoulders, pulling her tight against his chest, their lips a mere inch apart. "So impatient, resorting to physical tactics before I could even speak? You think I'd be distracted by just any woman who throws herself at me?"Ashley clenched her fists, unable to be as obedient as Gregory or as unscrupulous as Isabel in achieving her goals. Angry retorts teetered on the edge of her lips, ready to be unleashed. But she held them back, clinging to her last shred of reason.With a slight tilt of her lips and the tip of her nose touching his, she provocatively replied, "Maybe other women don't have the skill to intrigue you, Damian. But when it comes to me, can you honestly say you don't notice?"Communication is easy between people who know each other well. There's no need to guess – you can hit the bullseye every time.Damian's cold smile waned as he leaned close to her ear, deliberately teasing her sensitive spot with a gentle nibble. "You're not that skilled," he whispered, challenging her.Her ears burned, a jolt of electricity racing through her to the tips of her toes. Ashley shuddered uncontrollably, cursing her reflexes. "It's been three years. How would you know if I haven't improved?""Oh? Should I check for myself?"Stephen sat not far away, and Ashley didn't want to give such a show. She straightened up, calming her racing heart. "You said Christian would ruin me, right? Maybe I should go smooth things over?"She changed the subject abruptly, but Damian wasn't upset. Instead, he rested a hand on the back of her chair, covering her with his presence as he glanced toward Christian. "You've got some real history with him."Ashley shrugged. "Old grudges and fresh grievances – we could never settle the score. Let him do what he wants."Damian scoffed. "As if you have the skill to clean up the mess you make."Ashley shot back, "That's not my fault. Three years as the lady of the house, and you start to expect the world to revolve around you."Damian's expression briefly faltered. Ashley could tell she had hit a nerve.And Christian? Bitter didn't even begin to cover it. Holding his drink with a hint of defiance, he called out to Damian, "Get up and play a round. Why just sit here like a spectator?"Damian replied, not impressed, “Boring.”Hayden could tell Christian was getting impatient; even though he and Ashley weren’t an item, it still felt like he ought to do something. “Come on, play. I haven’t seen you show off in years; I'm getting antsy!”Damian stood up calmly, grabbed a dart, and his tall silhouette took position ten yards away. With a quick flick of his arm, a mere few seconds later, the dart struck the bullseye, dislodging another that had been firmly pinned there.The second, the third... ten shots, ten hits. He knocked off every dart Ashley had thrown.Yet he didn't think much of his skill; once done, he casually slipped his hands back into his sweatpants pockets. “What’s next?”The crowd was dumbfounded! The two girls trying to guess his background were especially dazzled. Was this man even human? Forget the skill; just that effortless commanding presence seemed enough to take on an army.Stephen cracked a smile, "Now that you've warmed up, how about the crossbow? It’s rare to see you in action, and I cherish it.”Before Ashley could make sense of his intentions for knocking off her darts – was he deliberately snubbing her? – she saw Damian pick up a bow, and with rapid shots, he hit all of Christian’s arrows.She was surprised...“Wow!”“Holy cow!”Gregory and Isabel exclaimed.
An expression of annoyance twitched across Christian's face. "You sly devil," he grumbled, "I thought you were on my side, not adding to my humiliation. Who does that?"Damian shot back, "We agreed to throw a 'welcome back' party for Stephen, not make it a one-man spectacle. You know how to mingle."Christian scoffed dismissively. "Stephen’s modest. He doesn’t like to flaunt his talents."Stephen interjected, "I surely can't wield weapons like you. What’s next on the agenda?"Growing increasingly irritated with Ashley, Christian saw an opportunity to take her down a notch. "How about a board game?" he suggested.Stephen responded with dry humor, "That's petty. Let the women play.”Turning to Gregory, Christian asked, “You in?”Gregory was enthusiastic, nodding confidently, “Yeah, I’m good at that.”Christian felt a surge of satisfaction. Finally, someone useful. “Alright, you and Ashley play.”Ashley was taken aback. Why drag me into this? she wondered.Hayden playfully slapped Isabel’s behind. “Go, say hi to Ashley, and learn something.”Ashley asked, “One-on-one?”Gregory responded with a sweet, soft smile, “Ashley, you're so good. Could you go easy on me, please?”Ashley replied firmly, “Games should be fair. It’s no fun if I let you win. How about everyone plays together?” She gestured toward Isabel.Isabel, anxious about the potential for a crushing defeat, jumped into action with gusto. "Sure, let's team up, Joy."Gregory glanced at her, "Alright, but are you sure about this, Ashley?"Ashley replied, "It's just a friendly match. Win or lose, it doesn't matter."With that, the game commenced.Ashley was in top form that day, ready to give it her all. In less than five minutes, she claimed the first round.The second round, the third... a streak of five victories.Finally, she flexed her wrists, "Shall we continue?"Gregory and Isabel were stunned. How could she still be so relentless?A group of four men huddled together, watching as Ashley dominated the game, leaving two decent players utterly defeated.Hayden inhaled sharply, "Damn, Ashley is ruthless. I better stay on her good side; I might need to ride her coattails when it counts."Christian felt a sting of humiliation, unable to bear looking at Gregory any longer.After all those women, you’d think he'd win something by now, even if it's just a consolation prize!Such rotten luck.Stephen expressed his surprise, "Ashley knows these games inside out. When did you learn all this?"Setting down her controller and grabbing some water, Ashley explained, "I practiced with my brother. He's into this stuff and likes to drag me into these battles when he's bored."Oh, it was her brother-in-law.He flashed Damian a smile, who ignored him completely.After they had tried every game and the clock struck half-past ten, Hayden said, "Hey Christian, you only set up one tent. Where are we supposed to sleep?"Christian was obviously irritated. "I spent all afternoon setting that one up. You think I'm going to make a nest for each of you? The gear's all there, do it yourself."Hayden cursed under his breath, "Could've told us sooner!"A headache-inducing thought struck Ashley. Where would she sleep tonight?Damian rolled up his sleeves and said, "Come on and help."Ashley hesitated. "...with you?"
