Chapter 21. Stages of Dating

The moment he laid her on his bed, Hayley started having second thoughts about his intentions. No, she couldn’t afford to get pregnant at eighteen. Her eyes widened as she watched Ashton come up to hover above her, supporting his weight on his elbow. His hand tucked away the stubborn stray curl that always escaped her bun. Hayley’s breath got stuck in her throat, wondering what he was about to do!

“Relax, Hayley!” he whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead. She watched him with awe, a thousand questions flashing across her mind. Would he make love to her now? Or would it be like any other physical intimacy he had with the other women? Would he forget her and move on afterward? No, she couldn’t live after seeing him with another woman!

“Why are we here, Ashton?” She gazed into his eyes brimming with tender emotions, something she wasn’t used to witnessing. Was this the same rough, uncaring Ashton who hardly acknowledged her presence in the past?

“I can’t see the