by Shaw Hart
My brain starts to try to make sense of what he just said. Sure, I’ve never been close to my father but I still never in a million years thought that he would do something like this. I’m his daughter, the last of his family, doesn’t that mean anything to him?
My vision starts to turn black and hazy around the edges and suddenly, I feel two warm hands wrap around me and Asher’s voice in my ear telling me to breathe. It takes a few minutes but finally my heartrate calms and my vision returns to normal. I look up and realize that I’m still wrapped tight in Asher’s arms. I should step away but I feel so safe wrapped up in him. His hands rub soothingly up and down my back for a few minutes until I feel calm enough to step back from him.
“Who won me?” I ask shakily, as all of the possibilities start to run through my mind. I try to picture everyone that was in that room but Asher is the only one that comes to mind. He doesn’t answer right away and finally I look up to meet his eyes.
He takes a deep breath before he answers me. My breath catches in my throat as he opens his mouth.
“Me.”
Chapter Seven
Asher
Amelia hasn’t said anything since I led her out of the hotel. She sat silently by me in the back of the car as it took us home. She stared out the window the whole time but I’m not sure she saw a single thing. This whole thing is a shock to her and I hate that she has to go through this. She didn’t seem that surprised that her father put her up as a bet and that breaks my heart even more. Amelia deserves to be cherished and loved, not used as a pawn. I vow to myself to always make her feel like the most important part of my world.
The car pulls up outside of my- our- house and I help her out. She stands on the sidewalk, staring up at the front door and I stand next to her, giving her all the time that she wants. Finally, she looks over at me and gives me a small smile. I take her hand as we make our way up the stairs and to the front door. I don’t live that far from her old house and I think that the layout is probably pretty similar.
I unlock the front door and swing it open, waiting for her to enter ahead of me. Once again, she pauses after she’s entered the house to look around.
“Do you want the tour or do you just want to go to bed?” I ask after a minute. She seems taken aback by my question and I realize what she must think.
“Separate rooms, Angel.” I say gently and to my surprise I catch a flash of disappointment in her eyes. It’s over before I can take my words back though.
“Bed sounds good.” She says quietly.
I lead her up the stairs to the second floor and to the guest bedroom next to mine. I open the door for her but stop at the threshold. She walks in and looks around at the simple bed and dresser. There’s a walk-in closet on the other side of the bed and a bathroom across from it.
“I’ll let you get settled in but I’m right next door if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Asher.” She says before she kicks off her shoes.
“Clothes!” I blurt out catching her off guard.
“What?”
“Let me get you some other clothes for you to sleep in. Jeans might not be the most comfortable thing to sleep in.” I say with a chuckle.
“I was just going to take them off.” She says.
My eyes flash to her legs as I picture them bare and in my bed, tangled with my own legs, wrapped around my waist as I sink deep inside her, spread wide for me as I –
“Asher?”
The sound of Amelia saying my name pulls me out of my daydreams and I lock eyes with her, watching as her cheeks redden.
“I’ll leave you to it then.”
I back out of the room as fast as I can, hoping that I can hide the monster in my pants and what her words have done to me. I don’t want to scare her. She will never have to be frightened of anything as long as I’m alive.
“Goodnight, Asher.” She says just before I pull the door closed after me.
“Goodnight, Angel.” I say back as I close the door and make my way to my room.
I collapse on top of my empty bed and rub my hand up and down my aching cock as I close my eyes and will for sleep to take me.
Chapter Eight
Amelia
I wake feeling more rested then I have in months. I blink my eyes open and the unfamiliar surroundings have me tensing. It takes me a minute to remember everything that happened last night and that I’m at Asher’s house. That I live here now and belong to him. That thought should terrify and infuriate me. I should be pissed that I went from being nothing but a pawn and object to my father to being Asher’s but something about Asher just feels so much more different than my father.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what that is though. Just a feeling, I guess. I already know that Asher would never gamble me away. The way he’s treated me this far, how he looks at me when he comes to ask me out every day isn’t even close to how my father looked at woman. Asher likes and respects me. I’m not sure my father is capable of either of those emotions.
It’s just the thought of Asher owning me that is bugging me. Yeah, but you want to belong to him, my subconscious says. I would love to belong to Asher I admit, but I want him to belong to me too.
I climb out of bed and pull on my clothes from yesterday. I’ll have to go back home to get my things I realize. Dread curls in my stomach as I think about seeing my father again. I don’t want anything to do with him but I don’t have enough money to buy new things and I don’t want to rely on Asher for everything. I wonder if we’ve been evicted yet and if I’ll even be allowed to go back inside to get my things.
I try to push those thoughts away as I go into the bathroom. There isn’t much in the way of toiletries in here so I settle for splashing water on my face and finger combing my hair. I take a moment to look at my reflection in the mirror. I look more well rested than I have in months. I decide to be positive about this whole Asher thing. At the very least, I won’t be on the streets.
With that thought, I turn away from the mirror and make my way downstairs to find Asher. I’m surprised when I walk down the stairs and see that the living room is filled with boxes. Asher is standing in the middle of all of it, directing a few movers on where to put what I hope is the last of it. There’s not much room for anything else.
“What is all of this?” I ask.
Asher’s head snaps over when he hears me and a smile lights up his face as he makes his way over to me.
“Good morning, Angel. How did you sleep?”
“Really good. What’s with all of the boxes?” I ask again.
“It’s your stuff.” He says simply.
I gawk around the room. I didn’t think that I had this much stuff.
“I had the movers go over there first thing this morning. I wanted you to have your things. I want you to be comfortable here. I figured wearing the same thing for a couple days in a row was going to get old fast.” He says as he wraps his arm around my waist and we look over all of the boxes.
“Was my father there?” I ask, worried about how he treated the movers and Asher.
“No. I heard that they’re coming with the eviction notice later this afternoon and I wanted to make sure that you were able to get all of your things.
I’m not sure what to say to that. I knew the eviction notice was coming but I’m just surprised that someone would think about me like that. Asher always seems to be putting me first though and making sure that I have everything that I need.
“You must be hungry. Come on and I’ll make you breakfast.” He says as he leads me around the pile of boxes and into the kitchen. I take a seat at the kitchen counter and watch as Asher pulls out some eggs and bacon. He holds them up for me to see and I nod. He heats the skillet and turns back to me and leans on the counter.
“We need to talk.”
Chapter Nine
Asher
I decided last night while I was lying awake that I couldn’t keep going on letting Amelia think that I owned her. I couldn’t bear it if she thought t
hat I was like her father. I wanted to set her free and let her know that I loved her and that I wanted her to be mine. I just hoped that she would choose me too.
She looks nervous as she sits across the counter from me. I move around the counter and take the seat next to her, turning so that I’m facing her and that my legs bracket hers. I take one of her hands in both of mine. I’ve been thinking about what to say and how to explain what I feel for her all night but when the time comes, I immediately forget everything I had planned to say.
“I love you, Amelia.” Her jaw drops but I need to get this all off my chest so I rush on.
“I think I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you. I was trying to get you to fall for me slowly but when I heard that your father bet you, I just- I couldn’t let someone else win you. You don’t deserve to be used like that. Your father didn’t deserve you and I know that I don’t deserve you either but I promise that I will spend every day for the rest of my life trying to be worthy of you. I don’t want you to be here because of some bet. I want you and I want you to want me too. I want you to choose me too. If you don’t, then I’m not going to kick you out or anything. I’ll help you find a job and a place to live. I just want you to be happy.”
She looks shell shocked and I decide to give her some time to process what I said. I kiss her cheek softly as I stand and go over to the burner. Taking the bacon and eggs off the stove, I put them on a plate and place it in front of her.
“Take your time, Angel.” I say as I leave the room.
I’m nervous as hell as I make my way to my office. I don’t know how she’ll take my declarations but I don’t want her to continue staying here thinking that she owes me anything or that I’m going to take advantage of her or anything.
I spend the next hour trying to get some work done but my mind keeps drifting off to my Angel in the kitchen. I wonder if she’s still in there. Maybe she decided that this is too much and she just packed up and left. My heart starts to race at the thought of her being out in the world without any family or money.
I jerk from my seat and rush over to the door, yanking it open. The air rushes out of my lungs when I see my Angel standing on the other side with her hand raised to knock.
“Hi.” She says.
“Hi.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Ten
Amelia
I watch as Asher strides out of the kitchen and heads down the hall. I don’t know how long I stare after him with my mouth hanging open. I can’t believe that he loves me. The thought makes me feel warm inside. I’ve never had anyone treat me the way he does, like I’m the most important thing in the world to him.
The question is, do I love HIM. Yes, my mind whispers to me. I realize that I do. I know that this all happened super fast and that we don’t know each other that well yet, but there’s just something about him that has drawn me to him since the first second that we met. He makes me feel seen and cherished and the chemistry between us is undeniable.
I look around the kitchen and realize that I have to go find him and tell him. I jump down from the stool and go in search of him. His house is surprisingly big and I open a couple of doors before I finally hear him behind one. I pause outside the door, uncertainty starting to set in. What if he changed his mind? What if he realized how fast we’re moving and realized that this is crazy?
I raise my hand to knock when suddenly the door swings open.
“Hi.” I blurt out.
“Hi.” He says with a small smile back.
“I love you, too.” I say, unable to keep it in any longer.
I stand there stunned as the biggest grin stretches across his face. The next thing I know I’m swept up in his arms and pinned against the wall. His lips come crashing down on mine and moments later I feel his tongue lick across the seam of my lips demanding entry. I wrap my legs tighter around his waist and moan into his mouth at the first touch of his tongue against mine.
We make out against that wall until I can’t take the pressure building between my legs. I twist my head to the side and bring my lips to his ear. I lick along the shell before whispering in his ear.
“I need you, Asher. Take me upstairs. Take me to bed.”
He wraps me tighter in his arms and we’re moving before I can even finish my sentence. I laugh against his neck before I nibble my way down from his ear to his collarbone. I feel him take the stairs two at a time as I bring my fingers to the front of his shirt and start to slowly undo the buttons that I can reach.
He lays me down on the bed and leans down over me, taking my lips in another passionate kiss. He’s moving too slow. It feels like my body is burning up. I start to push my pants and panties off and wiggle further up the bed.
“I need you, Asher. Please.” I beg.
“I’ve got you, Angel.” He says as he takes his shirt off and pushes his jeans down.
He crawls onto the bed and lays down next to me as I slip my shirt off and lay back. His hand slides up my thigh and grips my hip, dragging me closer to him. His lips find mine again as his hand glides up my body and into my hair. He rolls me onto my back before he starts to kiss down my neck and to my chest.
His lips wrap around my nipple and my back arches as he sucks it into his mouth. I moan as his tongue flicks back and forth over the sensitive bud. His hands move down my body as his thigh wedges between mine. He pushes my legs wider as he moves from nipple to nipple. He kisses down my stomach as he settles himself between my parted legs.
I can’t even remember when he took my bra off but all thoughts leave my mind when his tongue comes out and licks me up my center. I moan as I feel the tip of his tongue circle around my clit. He teases my clit, drawing slow circles around the tight button until I explode. I feel like my body is winding tighter and tighter until finally, he flicks his tongue over my clit once and sucks it into his mouth. I come undone immediately, screaming his name into the room as he wrings my orgasm out of me.
It takes me a couple of minutes to come down and when I do, Asher is kneeling between my legs, slowing rubbing his cock up and down my slit. I spread my legs open wider in invitation. His pulls his eyes away from my glistening flesh to my eyes and he smiles at me before he leans down and kisses me. I can taste myself on his lips and tongue and the erotic flavor only makes me wetter.
“Are you ready, Angel?”
I nod up at him as he presses his lips against mine again. He lines his cock up with my entrance and slowly starts to push in. I tense as he pushes through my virginity and he kisses down to my chest again. He takes turns sucking on my nipples until the pain recedes and all I feel is the pleasure.
“Move, Asher.” I beg.
He pulls back and slowly pushes back in. I can feel my orgasm starting to build again already.
“You feel so fucking good, Angel.” He whispers in my ear as he continues to thrust into me.
I moan as I wrap my legs around his waist. This new angle makes something light up inside me and I can feel my pussy lock around his cock as he keeps hitting that special spot inside of me.
“Oh, Asher. Asher, I’m going to come again.” I moan as Asher starts to pound into me.
It only takes two more strokes before I’m falling over the edge and taking him with me. We lay together, panting, trying to catch our breathes for a few minutes. Finally, once we’ve both recovered, I roll towards him and grin at him.
“Can we do that again?” I ask.
Asher throws his head back and laughs before he kisses me once again and rolls me under him once again.
Chapter Eleven
Asher
Five Years Later…
I open the front door and the sounds of my two kids immediately assaults my ears. I can see them through the back door. They’re chasing each other around the backyard and through the sprinkler. I smile when I see my wife join them and I make my way through the house and out the back door.
I married my Angel almost immediately and we had our f
irst child a year later and our second a year after that. Milo just turned four and Callie will be three next week. We talked about having more kids but the second pregnancy was hard on my Angel. Besides we’re happy as a family of four. Life is pretty great.
Amelia’s father, Maximus was arrested shortly after our last poker game for stealing from his clients. He got twenty years. He’s tried to reach out to Amelia and me a couple of times but we had already decided that we want nothing to do with him. He will never know his grandkids and he’ll be out of our lives forever. It’s for the best.
I promoted my number two at work to take over and now I just sit in on the occasional meeting or phone call. I have more than enough money and I’d much rather spend my time with my Angel and our kids, than in some office.
We sold the townhouse in the city and moved to a house on a couple of acres about an hour outside of New York. We have a lot of privacy and room for our kids to run around and play. Amelia is happy here and I would live anywhere as long as she was there too.
I make my way down the back-porch steps and over to the hammock on the side of the yard. I smile to myself when I hear them coming. It only takes a minute before my two, very energetic, very wet kids are climbing into the hammock with me. I laugh as drops of water fly off their hair and splatter my face. I can already feel my clothes are wet and sticking to me where they’re lying on top of me.
Amelia turns the water off and makes her way over to us. With the sunlight hitting her from behind she looks like she’s glowing. Just like an angel. My Angel. She slips into the hammock with us, trying hard not to flip us all out. I wrap my arm around her as she rests her head on my shoulder and our kids laugh as we sway back and forth.
I kiss the top of her head as I think about how one bet brought me so much happiness.