A Love Trap

"Hello…" Ashley answered with a sleepy raspy voice. She was still half asleep and her voice sounded different than she would normally sound. However, her smoky nasal tone still had a seductive sound to his ears.

Andrew was still sitting in his car when he heard the voice on the other end of the line. He froze on the spot, just from hearing that, one single word. He sat dumbstruck and speechless with the cellphone still held against his ear.

Andrew was extremely tired after days spent solving a business emergency in another city. He rushed back to J City, driving all the way from the airport without a break. Feeling greatly fatigued, both physically and mentally, Andrew sat silently in his car. He had dark black circles under his bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep.

Even though it would have been wiser for Andrew to have driven straight home to rest, he couldn't help himself. He had to drive straight to Ashley's apartment. Andrew knew that it was late and that she would most likely be in bed sleeping. But he thought it might ease the deep longing that he felt for her, by sitting outside her window for a little while.

However, after a short while of gazing up at her apartment window. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down the contact list until he came to Ashley's name. He stared at the name on the screen and absentmindedly stroked the name gently with his thumb as if he was caressing her. The very first time that he entered Ashley's phone number into his cell phone, he had set it on speed dial. That way he could reach her within seconds. Andrew had gazed upon those string of numbers so many times before, that he knew them by heart.

After he stared at the screen and contemplated about it for quite a while, his thumb finally pressed on her name and the phone began to dial out the number. As soon as he pressed the button, his heart did a little flip in his chest. His feelings were mixed with both excitement and uneasiness. He sat anxiously waiting the phone to be put through.

And when Ashley had finally answered the phone, Andrew was surprised to find that he was too nervous to say anything. He had never been like this before, with anyone.

The longer the silence between them on the phone remained the more nervous Andrew seemed to feel. However, Ashley's patience was beginning to run thin.

"Hello?" she answered once again. But a little louder this time, just in case the person on the other end didn't hear her the first time. Yet, there was still no response at all.

Ashley was already annoyed that she had been woken up so late in the night. However, the fact that whoever it was that called her, wasn't even answering, was starting to make her feel angry. 'Who the hell is calling me in the middle of the night and won't even answer, ' she thought furiously.

"Who is that? I'm going to hang up if you don't start talking," she said frustrated. Ashley thought her voice sounded threatening and angry. But on the other end of the line, to Andrew, it sounded thick, raspy and slightly nasal with an almost flirtatious undertone. His cheeks even flushed a little when he heard her voice.

Ashley waited for a few seconds longer and was about to hang up when she heard a voice,"It's me..."

His voice was low and husky. When Ashley heard the familiar voice on the other end, she sat up and suddenly became wide awake.

She blinked her eyes a few times and then focused on the screen of her cellphone and read the name, Andrew Lu.

her mouth to stifle a gasp. She had nearly forgotten

him was when she had dinner with him at that restaurant. Since then she had been so immersed in her cake shop that she hardly thought about him at all. She had been too

he called her just now that she remembered the conversation they

in a low voice.

name being called by Ashley, his heart melted.

to his ears as it did just now. The tone of her voice was like warm honey and his heart was filled with joy just to hear it.

that she was so near. But he contained his emotions and only spoke to her in a low

they both fell silent.

a few awkward seconds of silence, Ashley asked,"So, why are

long fingers along the top of the steering wheel and bit his lip. He glanced up at the window of her apartment again and said in a low

Ashley called out when she

realized that it was very late and Ellie would probably be in bed sleeping. She covered her mouth to stop herself from making any more noise and waking

what did you say? You're downstairs, right

Andrew replied instantly.

over to the window and pulled the curtains apart. When she looked outside of the window she could see a car with its lights on, parked outside. Although it was very dark outside, the dim light that was coming from his car was enough for her to see Andrew standing next to his car. She could see his tall strong

he looked up at the window

she abruptly closed the curtains and turned her body away. With her back against the window, she could still feel his gaze on her. She felt so anxious it was as if he was in the room with her

nervously and asked,"Why are you here at

late, what does he want?'

down right now," he

wasn't pleased by the way he ordered her what to do and the annoyance was clearly evident on

of the night, waking me up from my sleep. And now you

crawled in and covered herself with the quilt. "No, it's late,

long silence on the other end of the line. And just as she thought that Andrew had given up and decided to go, she heard a low commanding voice,"I'll come to you if you don't come down. Do you want me