When I turned, Asher was staring at me again. I wished he would say something and stop glaring at me as if he was chastising me for paying attention to Greg.
“Willow, please leave us. We’re starting the meeting,” Asher said.
“Yes, Mr. Christmas,” she said like an obedient flight attendant who got paid a lot of money to remain professional.
Greg held out his hand for her to take. Willow’s face was beet red. She hesitated but put her hand on top of Greg’s. The thing was that it was her job to make him feel comfortable, and he was crossing many lines. I glared at Asher, on the verge of demanding he put an end to Greg’s harassment.
“That’ll be all Willow. Leave, please, now,” Asher restated.
Willow snatched her hand out of Greg’s grasp and scurried into an area where I supposed the kitchen was.
Greg jumped to his feet, glaring at Asher. “What the fuck, Christmas.”
Asher didn’t flinch. “Stop harassing my flight attendants, and get your ass over here. We’re starting.”
“Dr. Ross, can you hear me?” Chief Brown asked.
I snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.”
And again, Asher gave me an odd look.
“What?” I blurted out. I had no restraint. I was tired. He wasn’t telling me why he was tossing me the cross looks, but they were annoying as hell.
Asher shrugged. “Nothing,” he said calmly.
“Sounds like trouble in paradise to me,” a feathery female’s voice said.
I stiffened. It had to be Julia Valentine.
“Greg, you there?” a man with a thick Southern accent asked.
“I’m here, Coach,” Greg called as he rushed over and dropped into the seat directly across from Asher.
“Why didn’t you tell us about your memory issues, kid?”
I sniffed. Kid?
Asher gave me the side-eye as Greg’s eyes widened in panic as he looked at me.
I cleared my throat. “Um, we didn’t want to alarm anyone,” I said, refusing to see how Asher was reacting to my covering for Greg. The guy might have been treating me as if he were a heartbroken teenaged boy, but he was still my patient.
“I understand, but—” Jerry said.
“We know each other through mutual friends. He just came in this morning because I was at the hospital. He wasn’t feeling well. So we assembled a team and ran some tests,” I said, keeping my attention on the sound modulator on the console.
“I see …” Jerry said. I was certain he hadn’t bought my bullshit excuse. There were a lot of gaps in my cover.
“Anyway, whatever, it happened, and it turned out great for the hospital and your organization, Mr. Cartwright,” Julia said.
“Well, as I said, we take brain injuries seriously,” Cartwright said.
His last statement was an indication of what he was worried about. All the league wanted was more reports on brain injuries. We’d discussed CTE in one of our seminars the previous year. One thing we’d agreed upon was there would be no public ramifications for the rampant condition discovered in players. People didn’t give a damn. They were like the spectators in the Roman Colosseum, watching the gladiators tear each other apart. Who cared if they killed each other and themselves? Just entertain us, please.
“I’m sure you do.” Julia sounded desperate to remind everyone that she was an integral part of the conversation.
“Right,” Jerry said rather dismissively. “We dodged a bullet. And I shoved a big foot in our health advisors’ asses about giving that shit to our players. Lots of them have been out of sorts for a while. If it weren’t for you, Greg, we could’ve lost more than half our team before training camp starts. And that’s why Merle is here with me.”
Greg’s eyes grew super wide. Merle must’ve been a big deal. Asher, on the other hand, nodded continuously.
“We’re happy you can join us, Mr. Barnes,” Chief Brown said just as Julia started to say something.
“Call me Merle.”
“Merle, we’re very excited about our future partnership in our sports medicine wing.”
“I heard the Expansive Brain Health Institute will also have a division at the hospital.”
“Yes, indeed,” the chief said.
“We were thinking maybe we might have a media event,” Julia said.
“Well, not yet. We have to let this supplement debacle blow over first.”
Asher scooted to the edge of his seat. “Merle, Asher Christmas here. There’s no need for you to worry about any negative impact. We have it all under control.”
“Mr. Christmas,” Merle said excitedly. “It’s an honor to be talking to you, and anything you need from us, we’re ready and able to assist you.”
“I appreciate that, Merle.”
“And the brilliant doctor who saved our asses, is she with you?”
Asher looked at me and nodded.
“Yes, sir, I’m here.”
“I would like to thank you for persevering to the end.”
“Well …” Julia’s voice came in loud and clear. “Dr. Ross didn’t inform administration of her findings before traipsing off to God knows where. But that’s an internal matter.”
Asher’s frown was so severe that it looked like he was chewing on lemons. It remained deathly silent for a few beats.
Julia went on to give the logistics of a future meeting that was planned, including time and participants, then she was released from the call. We all said our final goodbyes before Asher got up and went into a private space to finish the rest of the call with the chief.
Once Greg and I were alone, he stared daggers at me. There was no way I was going to shrink away from that look on his face, so I did the same.
After a moment, he sniffed bitterly and got up, and just as if he’d rung a bell, Willow came out, and he resumed flirting with her.
By the time he got to the part where he asked her out to dinner the next time she was in town, I was dozing off. When my eyes opened again, the airplane was parked at the terminal, and Asher was calling my name while gently shaking me awake.
I was surprised that Greg was keeping stride with us. I’d thought he would storm off on his own, but he stayed close. Asher’s pinched expression was a clue that he was bothered by it. Once we were on the sidewalk in the arrivals pick-up area, Greg pointed at Asher.
“You can give her the bag back. Since she rode here with me, I’ll take her back to the hospital,” Greg blurted out, looking as angry as a bull.
Asher put his arm around my shoulder. “Back off, asshole.”
Greg sneered like a schoolyard bully. “What are you going to do, pretty boy?”
Asher removed his hand and stepped away to put distance between him and me. My heart pounded so hard that the sound resonated in my ears. What the hell is happening? Are two fully grown and professional men about to fight?
“You guys, stop it. Go home, Greg!” I yelled. “I’m leaving with Asher.”
“What are you going to do, pussy?” Greg asked, his attention focused on Asher. It was as if he hadn’t heard or couldn’t absorb a word I had said.
I wondered if the stage-one CTE was making Greg more aggressive than the average person. I was also worried about Asher. He was by no means scrawny, but he had less than half the body mass of Greg. I searched up and down the walkway, looking for any signs of security.
“Back off, buddy,” Asher said in a tone that made me wonder if I was more worried about Greg taking his head off than he was. Asher stood his ground, showing no signs of backing down from whatever fight Greg wanted to have.
Then, striking like lightning, Greg threw a punch at Asher. And like a superhero in a big-screen movie, Asher dodged Greg’s fist. Greg swung again, and Asher easily avoided him again.
I was either unable to yell for help or unable to decide if I should.
“Be sure you want to finish what you’re starting.” The calm in Asher’s voice was further indication of his impeccable control.
&
nbsp; Asher stood steady, not moving a muscle. His eye contact was firm. He’d already easily evaded powerful blows that could’ve put his lights out.
Greg’s eyes were glazed over as if he acknowledged for a fraction of a second that Asher might have been more of a skilled fighter than he appeared to be. He opened his mouth then closed it, and without another word, he turned and padded down the walkway. People watched, snapping cell phone pictures of all of us.
Asher took me by my hand. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
I nodded gently and walked beside him. With all the excitement, I hadn’t seen Kirk parked nearby. Asher held the door open, and I slid into the back seat. He got in after me.
We were alone again, and we had so much to talk about.
“I’m sorry,” I said to break the ice.
“No need to continue apologizing, Penina.”
His icy tone worried me. Has he lost all trust in me?
I sighed, giving in to defeat. “Okay.” My sinuses grew tight as I chose to face away from him. If our relationship was beyond repair, then so be it. Frankly, I thought there was a conversation we should have, but I had no idea how to start it. Mature, adult relationships had always been beyond my grasp.
“You were staying in a hotel room with him,” Asher said finally.
I whipped my head around to face him again, relieved he spoke. “He said there were no rooms.”
His frown intensified. “Did you bother to check?”
I shook my ahead, ashamed that I hadn’t.
“Have you done some soul searching, Penina?”
My eyebrows were pinched. “Meaning?”
“Did you want to be in a hotel room with him? Did you want to be seduced into fucking him?”
“No.” My tone was firm. “That was not what I wanted, Asher. I was not in my right mind.” I shook my hands emphatically. “Plus, he was nice. He was being a friend.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped. The fact that he hadn’t looked away from me was a good sign.
“Listen, there was no part of me that was physically or sexually attracted to Greg. And yes, I should’ve gone down to the front desk to see if there were other rooms. And I was going to do that after dinner. And I would’ve taken a commercial flight back to New Orleans. I wanted to do that, too, but I also wanted to stay in Wisconsin, just in case I found the nerve to follow through and see my mother. You know, maybe I’m not ready for a relationship. Maybe I’m just not good at it. I’m not able to do it without fucking it up.”
Is that disappointment in his eyes? I refused to look away from his probing gaze. I wanted him to find whatever he was searching for inside me.
After a few more moments, he turned to stare straight ahead.
“When I was with Julia, she used other men to make me jealous,” he said finally.
My chest caved in as I sighed. Am I like her? I knew better than to believe that nature was stronger than nurture. Julia’s brain and my brain had absorbed and adapted to different stimuli, so surely, I couldn’t have ended up like her.
“But I wasn’t trying to make you jealous, Asher. That was not my intention.”
He gulped again. “Did he touch you?”
I had to look away to remember.
“Fuck, Penina. That should’ve been a hard no.”
“Well …” I shook my hands, panicky. “When I made him stop the car and I fell on someone’s lawn to catch my breath, I cried, and he consoled me.”
He scratched the side of his face as he watched me with his customary probing stare.
“I didn’t know that,” he whispered.
“I didn’t tell you. You didn’t ask, either.”
Slowly, with the same sort of control he’d exhibited during the altercation with Greg, Asher took in a deep breath and released it. We stared at each other, trapped in a moment of confusion.
“I’m only human, Asher. A flawed human being who can be susceptible to being suckered.”
“Don’t,” he said.
My eyebrows pulled together.
“Don’t apologize again. I know you’re sorry. And so am I.”
Chapter Twenty
Penina Ross
When he said he was sorry, I felt as if my whole world came crashing down on me. We didn’t say anything else to each other until Kirk stopped in front of my building.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said as I grasped the door, refusing to look at his face.
“Don’t open the door, Penina. Not while I’m in the car.”
I rolled my eyes. Fuck him and his chivalry. “That’s okay. I got it.”
“Babe, no. But I would like for you to pack a suitcase and come stay with me for a while.”
I froze, then when I remembered to breathe, I laid a hand against my breastbone. “What?” I asked, turning to face him. I was seriously shocked. I’d thought he was ending our relationship. And the way things were going, I had no desire to fight for us, figuring he wanted a soulless machine who made no mistakes that would hurt him.
His bright eyes glistened in the dark cab. “There’s no need for us to be apart.”
“You’re not breaking up with me?”
“No, Penina,” he replied as if that were the silliest thing I’d ever said. “We hit a rough patch. That doesn’t mean we break up.”
Still, I was confused, and I was sure it showed on my face.
“Stay put,” he said then got out of the car and opened my door.
My head felt woozy as I stood. Something was happening inside me. I was undergoing a transformation. We stood inches away from each other, gazing into each other’s eyes, our breaths warming the space between us.
“Good night, resident and attending,” someone said.
We both whipped our attention toward Jen Lovely, my next-door neighbor, who glared as if she was scolding us.
Asher guided his mouth next to my ear as he took my hand. “Come.”
My legs felt restless as we entered my apartment. My lightheadedness hadn’t left me since we were outside by the car. Did we just talk through our first major argument, which was brought about by my impulsiveness? Did we resolve it?
My apartment looked as if a tornado had touched down in it. I always managed to leave it in such a mess before rushing out for my shift. That morning, I had tried on two pairs of pants, and the black slacks that I rejected were draped across the back of the sofa.
“Sorry for the—”
Asher tugs me against his firm body, and I taste his tongue, feeling it brush fervently against mine. He’s hard in several places—chest, thighs, cock. He whispers that I’m soft all over. His strong hands take me by my hips, and his erection grinds against my pussy. I know what message he’s sending me. So when he lifts my feet off the ground, I wrap my legs around him as our mouths remain connected. I indulge in the taste of Asher Christmas.
Asher carries me through my own apartment. He’s not confused about where he should go or how to get there. That becomes even more obvious when I feel my mattress against my back.
“Fuck, baby,” he mutters then sucks my neck hard and licks it as he nails his cock deep into my slit and rubs it. Then he moans as he tosses his head back and sucks air.
I watch him through my hooded gaze. His face is so fucking sexy when he’s turned on, so needy, so lustful. He is the embodiment of the calm before a raging storm. We’ve been here before. I know what comes next, and my pussy pulses, tickles, and creams, eager for the action to start.
Asher’s rapt attention focuses on my body as he tugs my shoes off then my pants and my panties. Plunk, plunk, cling, swish … I hear them all land somewhere, making the smallest to the greatest impact.
Asher spreads my knees apart, gazing at my pussy as the cold conditioned air presses against it. I squirm, my breathing impatient. He takes so long to make up his mind about what to do to me next. Do I have a preference? I can’t think of one. I like it all. Love it all. Want it all.
“Oh, Asher,” I finally whin
e, lifting my pelvis toward him. Choose one already.
Then he pushes my thighs toward me. I push the back of my head against the mattress, bracing myself for it.
“Ah!” I cry.
Wet. Warm. Full. One lick of my clit sends shivers of pleasure through my hood. More licks, more stimulation. I clamor for less, for more, grabbing the sheets, whimpering.
“Oh, Ash—ah!” It’s intense.
And as soon as my body tightens and I attempt to free my clit from his tongue, he knows what to do next. “Mm,” he moans and whimpers. His tongue works more fervently. I claw at anything I can grasp, but nothing can ease the pleasure.
More.
I can’t …
“Ash ... Uh … A …”
Fuck, it’s … “Ah!” I cry to the high heavens on impact. The orgasmic sensation is strong, deep, and lasting. It spreads through my pussy like a desert wind. I forget to breathe as it continues. I can’t …
“Fuck!” Asher blurts out.
He lets go of me. He frees me. I curl into a ball as the remains of the orgasm refuse to release me. I hear his belt hit the floor. Then his hands are on my knees again. He spreads them. Skin on skin, I take hold of him. His pubic hair is against my pussy, his heaviness securing me to the mattress. His cock soars through my wetness.
He calls, “Oh!”
The bed bangs, creaks, and knocks.
Our lips melt. He feels so good, stretching me inside. His cock pumps in and out of my caves. He’s so thick, so engorged. My eyes grow as wide as they can possibly go. I’m riding a wave of euphoria.
Then he mutters something indecipherable. It happens rapidly. His large palms grip my ass. I’m no longer beneath him. I’m on top, digging into the sheets as he shifts my pussy fast against his cock then slow.
“Ah!” I cry as he plugs me deep and fastens his cock deep inside me, then he kisses the side of my face as his mouth searches greedily for mine.
We whimper as we kiss because we can’t seem to satiate ourselves. I want him so much. I need him like I need air. I want to swallow his mouth as I take his face in my hands.
Embrace: The Secret Billionaire Asher Christmas Duet, Two (The Dark Christmases Book 9) Page 17