A Love Trap

Chapter 32 Driving Ashley Home

It was obvious that Ashley was angry. Andrew was so worried that she would struggle out of his grasp and left anyway. He was also afraid that she might start to hate him after what had happened. At least she didn't leave, and that offered enough relief for him despite the fact that Ashley didn't seem too pleased.

He watched her intently with kind eyes. His eyes full of tenderness which he himself wasn't even aware of.

If Johnny knew about Andrew's fear and uncertainty that caused by Ashley, he would definitely be at a loss for words.

Andrew was considered to be the king of business, always appearing confident and practically invincible. Challenges never made him flinch since he knew it in himself that he could easily overcome whatever difficulties he might face. It was hard to imagine that such a man could get this on edge over a woman.

It would seem as if Andrew finally met his conqueror!

On the other hand, he obviously had no brotherly affection for his sister. Actually, for over a decade now, he didn't have any sort of affinity for his whole family.

He hardly went back to his so-called home where all his family was. But that shouldn't have given them the nerve to do things like this. He was the family's decision-maker after all.

Maybe it was time to go back there to give them some warning, especially to stop anyone from giving him any hard time.

Ashley had no idea what was in Andrew's mind now. She was totally distracted by the delicious food. It was so good--even better than the dishes Ellie made.

The two were just enjoying their food quietly.

The big dining hall was so silent that they could only hear each other's chewing.

All the while, Ashley was thinking about how she would never see this man again once she left. There was no need to make any further conversations with him at this point; eating quietly together was enough.

She wouldn't flatter herself by thinking that the way Andrew defended her against Susie was a sign that he liked her. Plus, just like what Susie said, she was too ordinary to become Andrew's girlfriend, let alone his wife. Ashley did not have a rich and powerful family like they did.

It would be hard to live in such a family in the first place. If they ever did get together, she would have to face a lot more trouble and evil agendas, which was really too much for her liking. Right now, all she wanted was to live a simple and harmonious life until the day she died. Big and extravagant goals did not interest her. As long as she could eat well, sleep well, and have fun, she would be happy. Anything else didn't matter to her.

As Ashley thought this through, she instantly felt less angry at Susie.

It was best to let such a trivial thing slide. Besides, as the saying goes, you don't bite back the dog that bit you, Ashley thought to herself.

On the other hand, Andrew wanted to speak up and say something to Ashley. But, he had no idea where to begin.

He used to live alone in this big house--he ate his meals by himself, slept beside no one, and practically did everything without any company. He never really felt alone with his lifestyle, actually, he felt very comfortable. Now that there was someone sitting with him as he ate, he didn't know what he should do in order to make his guest feel more welcome.

Andrew looked through his long lashes, stealing a quick glance at Ashley. She seemed to be enjoying the food very much. Nevertheless, he still couldn't tell whether she was still mad or not.

Andrew thus detested Susie even more. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

He could forgive her unreasonable behaviors in the past. But today, she really crossed the line.

Ashley was the woman he cared. Anyone else had no right to judge her. He would never let Susie hurt Ashley like this anymore.

"Okay, I'm done. Thanks for breakfast, Mr. Lu. It was really great, but I should go now," Ashley said, wiping her mouth clean with a paper napkin.

Upon seeing her stand up and ready to leave, Andrew immediately got out of his seat as well. "Wait!" he said hastily, "I'll drive you home."

"Oh, you don't have to. I'll take a cab. I don't want to bother you," she declined with a polite smile.

Yet, Andrew wasn't flattered by her smile. It seemed that she was refusing a stranger. He didn't want her to act so distant from him.

This gave him more reason to believe that Ashley was still mad for what happened

which fueled his anger towards Susie even more. It had taken him quite a long time to make Ashley feel a bit closer to him. Now all those efforts went down the drain.

"It's hard to hail a cab here," he reasoned out. "Just let me drive you. Hold on a second. I'll get the car," Andrew said in a determined voice.

Before Ashley could respond, Andrew had already turned around and gone out the door.

There was nothing that Ashley could do except watch him disappear through the door. After a moment, she just comprehended what had just happened. 'What a bossy man!' she thought to herself, gently kicking the foot of the chair.

But he was right. It was really hard to take a cab here. Besides, she was not familiar with this block. It was the wisest choice to let him drive her.

Without another second to lose, she grabbed her things and went after him.

The moment she opened the door, Andrew had just pulled over; he was sitting quietly in his silver Rolls-Royce, watching her intently. His handsome face was still expressionless. Perhaps it was because of his deep eyes and thick brows that made it easy for him to hide what he was feeling.

"Rolls-Royce! Cool! He is really rich!" Ashley couldn't help but utter in a low voice.

She walked hurriedly towards the car and got on the passenger seat.

After a few moments, Andrew still didn't start the car.

Ashley turned to watch him with a confused look.

"You're not wearing your seatbelt," he said, as if to answer her wordless question. His deep voice echoed in the closed narrow space, magnetic and full of charm, like a warm cello.

With her cheeks slightly flushing from embarrassment, she bent over to buckle up. At that same moment, Andrew leaned across to assist her. However, Ashley wasn't aware of his approach.

When she put her hands on the buckle, she felt his hand cover hers.

She was startled by his warm touch, hastily withdrawing her own hand and moving to sit upright. But the sudden, careless action made her accidentally hit her forehead on Andrew's chin.

She was momentarily enveloped by a pleasant, light tobacco smell.

However, her forehead hurt so much that tears started to form on the corners of her eyes. Andrew saw her beautiful black eyes tear up. They twinkled like stars that were about to drop at any second.

"Are you okay?" Andrew asked, his voice full of genuine concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry." Even so, she gently rubbed her hand on her forehead. 'Ouch! That really hurt. What is his body even made out of?' she thought to herself.

Perceiving that she was too close to Andrew, she pulled back instantly to keep a distance from him. However, it was such a narrow space between her and the backrest. Even though she almost got her back against the window behind her, she could still feel the warmth of his body.

They were so close, close enough for Ashley to see Andrew's every individual brow and lash. She could clearly see his fair skin. His pleasant tobacco scent kept moving around her, which made her indulge it unthinkingly.

Ashley blushed deeper. Her heart has pounding loudly in her chest. Andrew noticed, smiling quietly to himself.

As his gaze shifted, however, he saw Ashley's fair and slender neck. His heart skipped a beat. He almost couldn't resist the impulse to kiss her.

She smelled so good--the faint sweet scent constantly drew him to her.

Andrew was moving closer and closer. There was barely any room for Ashley to move away, which made her even more nervous.

"Eh... Mr. Lu, I can do it myself."