Power Play: A Novel by Steel Danielle

Author:Steel, Danielle [Steel, Danielle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780345530936
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2014-03-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Things went better in L.A. for Marshall the next week. And he had no idea why, but Ashley had calmed down. She didn’t tell him that she had gone to see a shrink to discuss her anxiety over their relationship. She had followed Bonnie’s earlier suggestion, and it had relieved some of the stress for Ashley. Their situation was no different, but she had set some goals for herself with the shrink. They had agreed that if Marshall didn’t do something about his situation by the end of the year, Ashley would try to move on. Marshall would have been stunned if he had known. And knowing that she was going to do that, Ashley was more relaxed with him when he got to L.A., and she didn’t complain as much this time. He felt as though he had come home to the “old” Ashley, the one who threw herself into his arms when he arrived. They were in bed ten minutes later, and Marshall felt as though he were floating on a cloud. It was sheer heaven being with her again. The girls were at day camp, and he had even managed to drive to Malibu at lunchtime, from the office, and spend an hour in bed with her before he went back to work. Just like old times.

“I feel like I’ve found you again, Ash,” he said in a husky voice after they made love on his second night in town. “I felt as though I was losing you for a while.” He was at far greater risk of losing her now, but he didn’t know it. She was trying to make better decisions about her life, and not just let him string her along for another eight years. As the therapist had said to her, the situation he had with her was much too comfortable for him, and dangerous for her. She had given him eight years of her life, and he had given her the twins, who were the greatest joy in her life. But she had no security in the relationship, or proof that he would ever leave Liz, particularly if what he said now was true, that she was falling apart. Ashley wondered if part of Liz’s supposed instability was due to fear of an empty nest in the next year, but she didn’t want to ask. She didn’t like asking Marshall about her, and she had never wanted to come to care about her. She didn’t feel guilty about what she and Marshall had, and it was up to him to deal with Liz. All Ashley wanted was him, and a real life. And Liz still had that for now. It was all Ashley needed from him.

Marshall was so happy with Ashley that week, and so grateful that she didn’t bring up any difficult subjects, and pressure him, that he stayed in L.A. for an extra day, and flew back to San Francisco on Saturday morning. He didn’t get to Tahoe until late Saturday afternoon, and there was hell to pay when he did.

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