Always Mine

by Ruth Cardello

  Emily’s eyes narrowed, and her chest heaved with anger. “Don’t you dare laugh at me.”

  He leaned forward and spoke softly into her ear. “I’m laughing at myself. You have no idea how badly I want to fuck you right now.” He glanced down at his crotch. Her eyes followed, and he enjoyed how they lingered on him before rising to bravely meet his gaze again. “I’ve been thinking of little else since you came into my office. I will have you. Maybe not on this flight. Maybe not tonight. But I always get what I want, and I want you, Emily. We both know you want me, too. Fight it all you want; the truth is in your eyes.”

  The quick inhale of her breath was a tell that pleased him. She kept her arms firmly crossed in front of her. “I would slap you again, but I think you enjoyed it.”

  “I wouldn’t try it a second time, but I do like what it says about you. Inside that good girl is a passionate woman I want to spend the weekend in bed with.”

  Her cheeks were pink. Her breathing was labored. Asher thought she might turn her head and kiss him, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on the planet and fucking you was the only way to insure the future of humanity. Land this plane and get me the hell off it. I don’t care if you do take me to court. I’ll find a way to beat you there.”

  “Emily—”

  “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” She turned her back on him and looked out the window.

  Never in his adult life had anyone turned their back to him. Asher was both offended and excited by the challenge. He was a man who was used to having the upper hand, but Emily had him rethinking his strategy.

  He could have forced her to look at him, but he wanted her to want to be with him. The attendant placed food and two flutes of champagne on the table in front of them. Emily kept her face averted. Asher said, “I won’t take it as a sign of anything if you eat.”

  “I don’t want anything from you.”

  Was she afraid? He didn’t want that either. He tapped his fingers on his knee. As his hard-on subsided, clear thinking returned. “If my bluntness scared you—”

  She turned back to him with eyes that were flashing with anger. “I’m not scared; I’m angry. I knew the first moment I met you that this was who you were, but I guess I’m not a good judge of character because I would have sworn I saw something else in you, too. I thought you actually cared when I told you about my family.”

  Asher frowned and clarified, “I did care, and I still do, but I don’t base business decisions on how I feel about anyone or anything. It muddies the water. I understand your attachment to the property, but even a museum is a business. I can help you find a location that will ensure more traffic.”

  Emily pressed her lips firmly together and blinked back tears. “Just stop talking.” She turned away again.

  Asher sat beside her in silence. If she were waiting for an apology, she’d wait a long time. He hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, of the two of them, she was the one who had ventured into a form of blackmail by going to his parents in an attempt to sway his decision. Instead of pouting, she should be grateful he was attracted enough to overlook her Machiavellian methods. Comfortable with how he’d handled the situation, Asher took out his phone and used the quiet time to answer emails.

  They’d flown most of the way to New Hampshire without exchanging another word, and Emily had stayed rigidly turned away from him. She hadn’t accepted any food or beverage the attendant had offered. He’d expected her to turn and apologize for her mood, but she hadn’t. He put a hand on her shoulder and was surprised at the tension he felt there. It was then Asher decided to honor his promise to Emily. He still wanted her in his bed, and didn’t doubt the inevitability of that, but he could see how there was one issue that had to be addressed before that happened. “When we land, take me to see this museum of yours.”

  She shrugged away from his touch. “I think we’re beyond pretending you’re interested in it.”

  “Show me the damn building,” he growled beside her ear.

  Chapter Five

  ‡

  Emily suppressed a shiver at the feel of Asher’s breath on her ear. She knew giving him the silent treatment on the way over had bordered on childishness, but she was angry. If they had been on the ground instead of thousands of feet in the air, she would have walked away from him hours ago.

  She felt duped. The second he said something that resembled what I wanted to hear, I let myself believe things would work out. Why? Because he’s gorgeous? Because when he says he wants me I get a little lightheaded and giddy? That’s what he wants and how he’ll win.

  I have to be smarter than that.

  The plane began to descend and circle a house with a long airstrip. Emily shook her head. She should have known they wouldn’t land at a major airport. As soon as the plane landed, she and Asher released their seat belts and stood. Emily took out her phone and turned to Asher. “What’s the address of where we are?”

  “Why?” he asked, not sounding pleased by her question.

  Emily held up her phone with her thumb poised above the screen. “So I can have a car pick me up. I’m not staying with you a moment longer than I have to.”

  Asher plucked the phone out of her hand and tucked it into the front pocket of his slacks. “Then it makes sense to not make it too easy for you to leave.”

  No, you didn’t just do that! He was pretty pleased with himself; she could see it in his eyes. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

  His gaze was steady and his tone authoritative. “I’ll give it back to you once you calm down.”

  Emily’s temper, the one she previously would have denied having, rose within her again. “Calm down? What part of forcing me to stay here will do that? I’m leaving. You can’t keep me here against my will. There are laws against kidnapping, or do you feel that you’re above those, too?”

  He smiled in reaction to her tirade. “I doubt many would consider stopping at my winter vacation home to provide you with refreshments a criminal act.” He placed his hand on her lower back and urged her toward the door of the plane.

  Emily planted her feet and refused to budge. “As I said earlier, I don’t want anything from you. I’m not going inside your house. Give me my phone so I can call for a car.”

  He turned and bent to issue his challenge. “Or what? What will you do if I don’t?”

  Emily looked around quickly, noted the flight staff, then put her hands on her hips and said in what she hoped was a low and threatening tone, “I don’t want to cause a scene, but I will if I have to.”

  Asher ran a hand slowly up the back of Emily’s neck beneath her hair. There was something both sexual and dominant in the act, and it sent a cascade of confusing sensations through Emily. She wanted to hate it, but a small part of her couldn’t deny being turned on by his touch. “Oh, Emily, when will you realize it’s not a good idea to threaten me? It usually brings a swift and unpleasant reaction from me.” He lowered his voice. “With you, however, it has a different effect. I’ll admit I’m enjoying our time together.”

  She shoved his hand away. “I’m only here because you lied to me. You made me think this trip was about seeing my museum. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

  His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “I don’t lie. I don’t have to. So let’s get one point crystal clear now. Sleeping with me will have no impact on the decision I’ll make about your land. I never mix business and pleasure. I am, however, willing to see your museum for the sole reason that the way you’ve described it piqued my curiosity. I took your phone because if you leave now, you’re walking away from your only chance to keep your property. It’s a very slim chance, but I’d hate to see you throw it away.”

  Breathing heavily, Emily snapped, “So you’re doing me a favor? Is that how you see this?”

  “Yes. You shouldn’t let the fact that you’ll end the weekend by saying yes to fucking me influence your business decisions.” The desire in
his eyes removed all doubt that he might be joking.

  “I can’t be the only woman who has ever hit you.”

  Asher gave her a lusty look. “You are, and although I prefer pleasure over pain, it definitely put some ideas in my head.”

  “Then you’ll love the kick to the shin I give you if you don’t return my phone.” Emily held out her hand.

  A smile curled one side of his mouth. “You’re a violent little thing when you’re angry, aren’t you?”

  Emily took a calming breath and clenched her hands at her side. “Not at all.”

  He handed her back her phone. “Only for me? I like that.” He sounded pleased as he straightened and began to usher her out of the plane again.

  Holding the phone tightly, Emily raised her chin and walked down the steps onto the tarmac. She wanted to tell him where to go but didn’t. She couldn’t risk throwing away her only chance of convincing him to find an alternate site for his facility. She searched his face for a moment. “I’ll call Mr. Riggins and have him leave the lights on for us. It gets dark early this time of year.”

  Asher suppressed a grin as Emily shifted even farther away from him as they drove down the winding New Hampshire roads. She was still fighting her attraction to him and probably would until after he made his decision regarding her property. He was okay with that. In fact, he was enjoying the spontaneity of their heated exchanges.

  “Tell me about Mr. Riggins,” Asher prompted as he wound the car down another mountain road.

  Emily turned slightly toward him. “He and his wife are the museum’s caretakers. They are helping to get the building ready for the public as well as helping keep an eye on it when I can’t. They used to live in the adjacent house until your company bought their home. Now they rent a place one town over.”

  After meeting Emily, Asher had brought himself fully up to speed on the Welchton project. “They were one of the first to sell. If I remember correctly, they were quite happy with the offer we gave them.”

  Emily’s expression remained carefully calm. “There isn’t much work in the area. I don’t blame them for taking the money.”

  Asher watched her expression out of the corner of his eye. “Every single buyout ended with the seller’s satisfaction. Some held out for more money, but they all eventually came to an agreement both sides were satisfied with.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Some of those homes had been in families for generations. How do you feel about demolishing history?”

  Asher turned his eyes back to the road. “It’s called progress, Emily. For something new to be built, something old must usually be torn down. Although your sentiments are quaint, they aren’t realistic. I offered above market price to your neighbors and they chose money over the history you’re suggesting I put value in. What does that tell you?”

  Emily let out a harsh breath. “If you offer a loaf of bread to a starving man in exchange for his soul, who is at fault if he takes it? Him for not choosing the harder road, or you for not offering him another alternative?”

  Asher knew it wasn’t the response she was aiming for, but he smiled. Although he didn’t agree with her view on the situation, it was refreshing to be with an intelligent woman with whom he could debate topics. “Your neighbors were hardly starving. What I did was give them a second chance to have a nest egg for retirement or pay for their children to go to college. My company requires a facility in this area. Would you prefer I offered the money to another town? You claim to care about your community, but do you? It seems to me you’re putting your own interests above theirs. They aren’t complaining, but they would be if they were still trapped in homes many of them could no longer afford.”

  “That’s what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?”

  Asher shrugged and met Emily’s eyes briefly. “It’s the way the world works, Emily. You’re naïve if you don’t see that.”

  Emily turned to look out the window again. When she turned back she spoke quietly. “I don’t agree, and there’s nothing heroic or admirable about being jaded.”

  “I never claimed to be heroic or asked for your admiration,” Asher said harshly. Their conversation had moved from interesting to uncomfortably personal.

  “Wow. What happened to you? Your parents seem like wonderful, caring people. What made you afraid to be the same?”

  Asher slammed on his brakes at a stop sign and gripped the steering wheel. “Fear has no place in my life, but you’re right, I’m nothing like my parents.”

  Emily clasped her hands on her lap. “Isn’t it sad that’s the first thing we agree on?”

  Asher cursed. Their trip wasn’t going at all the way he’d planned it. He’d confidently assumed he would be able to convince her to not only sell, but to spend the rest of the weekend celebrating that decision with him. He saw now that he’d been overly optimistic. Emily wasn’t what he’d expected at all. She wasn’t impressed by his wealth, and she was, by far, the most stubborn woman he’d ever come across. He was used to people retreating from his temper, but Emily wasn’t intimidated. In fact, her reprimand still hung in the air between them. Worse, she looked like she felt sorry for him.

  Him.

  Emily had evaluated him and clearly found him lacking in certain areas. He didn’t normally put much thought into what others thought of him, but Emily’s opinion mattered. He knew she found him attractive, but with her, he wanted more than that.

  As they drove through the area of his proposed facility, they fell into silence. The windows and doors of the homes were boarded up. The lawns were overgrown. The area had the abandoned feel of a ghost town. This was a phase of development Asher had never witnessed in person. He’d read about it in reports. He’d seen photos of areas before the demolition commenced, but he’d never driven through a project site so early on.

  He gave himself an internal shake. If he felt anything at all, it was because Emily had planted the idea in him that he should. There was nothing wrong with progress. Change and death were life’s only certainties.

  Still, when he glanced over and saw Emily’s sad expression, he gritted his teeth. He felt compelled to say something, but there wasn’t much he could say. They had both made their positions clear.

  As soon as he turned onto her street, he was taken aback by the contrast between her property and those around hers. Her building and the park-like lawns that surrounded it looked out of place among the abandoned homes. He parked in the paved lot beside it and walked around the car to open Emily’s door, but she had already let herself out.

  Her expression warmed with pride as she looked the building over. “Welcome to the Harris Tactile Museum of Art.” When she turned to look at him her eyes were bright with tears. “We’re finally close to being ready to open.”

  He wanted to shake her and tell her to look around. She may not want to see how the area had changed, but she was living in denial. There was a reason most museums were in or around cities. The traffic needed to keep a museum open was simply not there. Seeing the place in person reaffirmed his conviction that relocation was her only option.

  As they approached the building, he inspected the exterior. He was well traveled and considered himself difficult to impress, but even in the early darkness of the late winter evening, the details in the molding were master carpentry. Just as Emily had said, the two-story home had been built with such attention to detail that it was surely a piece of art in itself.

  They walked up the steps together, and Emily unlocked the front door. Asher expected to walk into a home that was in a chaotic state of renovation. Instead, he was surprised by how far along her museum was. The path that led to a payment booth was flanked by a railing, which displayed several Braille signs. Translations of the signs were posted beneath the Braille. Headsets hung on the wall beside the payment booth.

  Emily walked ahead of Asher and touched one of the headsets. “This was one of the more expensive renovations, but we’re working on an audio tour for the entire museum. It
includes music and sounds that go along with the mood of each piece of art. All of our senses are important and even more so when one is limited to fewer of them.”

  Asher followed Emily through the entrance and down a corridor flanked by large paintings on slanted boards. He stopped at one such station and ran his hand over a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. “Amazing.”

  Emily stopped beside him and said, “It’s a 3-D print donated to my family while my mother was still alive. The original is in a private collection, but I was able to convince the owner that copying the masterpiece for this medium would only increase its value.”

  Asher looked around and asked, “I’m curious. Why are all the paintings in color?”

  Emily stepped away and Asher followed. “There is a wide spectrum of blindness. Many people are visually impaired but can still see color. This allows them to connect what they feel to what they’re able to see.”

  They walked down the main hall together. Off to one side, Asher spotted a room of paintings that were all in one color. He nodded toward it and Emily led the way inside. “My mother painted these. They’re an entirely different medium. 3D computer prints take the work of a sighted person and make it accessible for the blind. My mother was blind. Her works were her attempts to give everyone access to how she envisioned the world.”

  Asher hesitated. Knowing that her mother had created it, and what it represented, gave the experience an emotional depth he wasn’t comfortable with.

  Emily studied his face for a long moment then said, “Close your eyes.”

  Asher didn’t like that she seemed aware of his level of discomfort. “How many paintings did your mother create?” he asked to distract her.

  Emily took one of his hands beneath hers and placed it on one of the paintings. She moved his hand back and forth over the texture of the paint. “Focus on this one. You won’t understand what she did unless you let yourself experience it.”

  Reluctantly, Asher closed his eyes. At first all he could think about was Emily’s touch, her nearness, how much just being next to her made him want her. With his eyes closed, he was more aware of how close she stood beside him, the sweet smell of her shampoo.