Her words hit me hard. The fact that she can say that so easily and not be bothered by it. So I shut down again and don’t answer. Just dig into my food. Because I can’t even go there yet. I can’t. I’m not gonna let her get away. I’m not gonna stand aside so this guy can take her back and probably throw her away the first chance he gets. I let Ronin keep Rook, but Ashleigh is mine. And I’m not giving her up without a fight.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“I haven’t been here in ages,” Ashleigh says as Vegas shimmers off in the distance. She’s got the windows down and the breeze whips her hair around as we finish the final leg of our journey today. “And I’ve never come from this direction. We come from the west, so it looks so different. Where are we staying?”

I don’t answer her, I want it to be a surprise.

She sits up a little so she can tuck her feet underneath her. Her socks and shoes were discarded as soon as the climate changed about an hour ago. It’s not hot, but compared to the frigid temperatures we just left behind in the mountains, this feels like August. She had to climb in the back and relieve Kate of all her blankets and her pink sweat suit. Thank God for a little bit of sun. At least the child can wear a dress now.

“We need to hit the stores for So Cal clothes.”

“I say we shop for all our clothes in the gift shops.”

I look at her like she’s crazy.

“Yeah, we can be walking Vegas billboards!”

“Get my phone and look for Pam in my contacts.”

For once she doesn’t even ask why, she just finds Pam on the phone and then looks at me for directions.

“Tell her what kind of clothes you want for Kate. I’ve already got an infant gift basket in the room, so we don’t need any of that essential stuff. Tell her what size and she’ll have the hotel shoppers send some stuff up.”

“I love this,” she says as she types out the message.

“Love what?”

“Being taken care of for a day.” She stops typing and looks at me. “It’s been a while and ya know, sometimes you just want a gorgeous man to take you out to eat and buy you stuff.”

I want to say a thousand things back to her. Things like, I’ll be getting my payback later or just wait until you see what I’m really going to do with you tonight.

But I keep my mouth shut. Because I don’t want to cheapen the experience for her. I want her to feel taken care of. I want this to be the best night of her life.

“You have an appointment with the fashion consultant at six, but you’ll be busy all afternoon. I’ll be watching Kate.”

“I’ll be doing what?”

“So eager,” I say with a hint of innuendo. “Be patient. Slow down, enjoy this, Ashleigh. Make it count.”

“You smell that, Ford?” Ashleigh sticks her head out the window and her hair whips past her face. “That’s called pollution.” I laugh. “I’ve missed it!”

It takes another forty-five minutes to get to the Four Seasons and by this time the novelty of traffic has worn off, the baby is cranky, and Ashleigh is looking sleepy. But as soon as we pull up to the valet everyone perks up, even Kate. She’s quiet and still as she lets us bustle her out of the Bronco.

Everyone looks at us like we are vagrants who drifted in off the desert like tumbleweeds, but as soon as I hand over my credit card, they change their attitude. Maybe this bothers some people, but I could give a f**k. I stand there in my I’m not a ski addict t-shirt and hand the keys over to the valet. “This vehicle is very special, do not get a scratch on her.”

He looks at me with a very serious face and says, “Yes, sir.”

Money does this. The f**king Bronco is nothing but scratches from top to bottom because the two-toned brown and tan paint is original. Ashleigh just shakes her head at me and we walk through the lobby doors together.

The concierge approaches us immediately and I bark out, “Aston family.”

“Yes, sir. You have the Presidential Strip-View Suite on the thirty-ninth floor. Can I have someone help you with your bags?” He looks around, noticing we have no luggage. Ash has a purse and the diaper bag and I have the baby in the car seat and that’s it.

“There should be clothes upstairs?”

“Yes, everything you asked for has been provided.”

“Thank you. And have the staff come find Miss Li for her spa and dressing appointment in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” He hands the key card to the bellboy and we follow him to the elevators.

Ashleigh squeals again and kisses Kate on her head.

“You act like a resort virgin, Miss Li.”

“I’m a resort slut, Ford.”

I shake my head at her.

“But it’s been a pretty long time since I’ve been pampered, so if it’s all the same to you, I’m gonna be a silly virgin today.”

I take it Tony is not loaded. But I’m not gonna bring him up at all. She doesn’t need me to point out the financial differences between the two of us so I hold in any and all snide remarks I feel like making and concentrate on keeping her on her toes. “I love silly virgins who are really sluts so I do not mind one bit.”

The bellboy laughs, then pretends to cough as Ashleigh kicks me and shoots him a dirty look.

I wink and hand her a dimpled smile in return, and before she can decide if she’s really upset or not, the elevator opens. The bellboy walks us to our door and presents it to us like he’s Vanna White. I set Kate’s carrier down in the room, then stuff some cash in the bellboy’s palm and shove him down the hall.