Leith shrugged. “True, but if your mother were to hear about my afternoon activities, she wouldn’t give one wit. If she were to hear about yours, she’d be quite upset.”
Ashton sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Two for you and one for me.”
Leith stood and walked over to his cousin. “Good suggestion,” he said with a wink. “Why don’t I tell you about my real afternoon? The lady Heinrich found for me was absolutely delightful.”
Chapter 10
Sneaking out had been a great deal easier than Ella had anticipated. Lady Kenna appeared to be expressing some remorse for her actions because she’d told Ella to rest and go to bed following dinner. She said she and the girls would clean the kitchen, which was astounding. Lady Kenna never offered to do anything for Ella. She’d almost thought it was a trick, but then Lady Kenna took her aside and apologized for reacting too strongly about Mr. Halliwell. “You still may not work for him, but the punishment was too harsh,” she had said. “Please rest tonight and try to heal.”
If she hadn’t promised Ash that she would come, she probably wouldn’t have snuck out. Good fortune appeared to be returning to her life. Perhaps Lady Kenna was finally changing for the better. Perhaps there wasn’t a need to save up such a sum and leave.
She practically skipped all the way to the castle for her reunion with Ash. When she arrived, she saw the same man standing at the door. His name was Heinrich, she thought. Gertrude had told a story about him when she was putting the salve on Ella’s back. She walked up to him and was wondering if she should say the line about the royal nuts, when he simply smiled at her and said, “Come this way.”
She smiled back and followed him. It was much like the time before and he led her through corridors to the same room. Only this time was different. Ash wasn’t sitting in a chair and he wasn’t wearing his eye mask. It was just him, seated on the bed, wearing a crinkled brown shirt and black pants. No shoes again.
“Cinders,” he said, patting a spot on the bed next to him. “Come, sit.”
She walked over and sat next to him. She felt a bevy of butterflies in her stomach, and gooseflesh forming on her skin. Her face flushed and she looked down at the floor, not quite able to face him.
“You needn’t be nervous,” he said. “I’ll be gentle with you.”
Easier said than done, but she nodded as if she were ready. She smiled and said, “Let’s start, shall we?” Ella wasn’t even sure where or how to begin, but she figured her nerves would end if they just did what they were supposed to do.
He grinned at her. “You’re very businesslike about this.”
Had she said the wrong thing yet again? She wondered why in the world he had any interest in her at all given how often she said the wrong thing. She took a deep breath, and said. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous. What should I do?”
Ash stroked her cheek, his fingers skimmed her flesh, and she tried to breathe deeply and evenly, for the sensation was making all the ideas in her head and air in her throat leave her. “Just relax,” he said. “And let me take over.
He leaned in and kissed her, his soft lips pressing firmly to hers. Hot and fervent, his tongue explored her mouth. She forgot her nerves, her name, she forgot everything that wasn’t him. His hands fumbled at the ties of her dress and pulled it slowly off, while his fingertips glided along her bare back. The pain of a week ago was now forgotten, with only the soft tingles of passion to replace it.
Ella leaned back onto the soft mattress with Ash on top of her. He pulled back and smiled at her as he tugged the dress the rest of the way off of her. He glanced down at her and said, “I want you to close your eyes and relax.”
A flutter of nerves in her tummy gave her pause, but she swallowed and closed her eyes. She couldn't see him now, but she heard a rustle of fabric, and it sounded like he was removing his shirt. A moment later, she felt his hands on her legs, gently pushing them apart. Wet tongue, warm breath, floated along the edge of her thigh. Higher, higher he went, and she felt her insides moistening as he got closer to her opening.
He licked her insides and she gasped, as the flow of ecstasy proceeded, her legs widening to accommodate him. She tilted her hips up to feel him better, the way his tongue caressed her insides, the way her body trembled with joy in response. The feeling overwhelmed her, leaving her breaths ragged and shoving all thoughts from her head, except that she wanted him.
He removed his head from between her legs and kissed the soft hair above her opening, then he kissed her belly button and worked his way up her stomach, then to her breasts. He cupped them both in his hands and then drew the left into his mouth, suckling the nipple, as his fingers gently massaged it, her entire body responding to the touch with a rapturous quiver.
She reached out to touch him, to pull him closer, when he grabbed each of her arms and placed them over her head, holding them down. She opened her eyes, startled at his response. He grinned, though his gaze was as intense as the firm grip pinning down her arms. “I touch you, right now,” he said, leaning in and kissing her. “You don’t touch me. Not yet.”
His firmness and command of the situation, oddly enough, made her want him more. Her entire body ached for him. She nodded and he released his grasp on her and went back to his task, which seemed to be to bring her to the brink of madness for him. He was relentless with his mouth, raking his tongue over every sensitive piece of flesh he could find — her lips, her nipples, her breasts, her neck, her ear, all the while stroking her thighs and tickling her insides. She was overwhelmed and didn’t think she could take another moment without him inside her.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Open your eyes,” he said, and she opened them again and saw his muscular arms supporting his weight as he hovered above her. She looked down the line of his chest, down his abdomen to his man piece, which was large and hard, and she wanted to feel it plunge inside her. Instinctively, she knew only that would satisfy her yearning. “Look into my eyes,” he said. “I want to see your face.”
She looked at him and he lowered himself. She felt the rim of him inside her and opened wider in anticipation of more, so much more. He grinned and lunged forward. “Now you can touch,” he whispered in her ear. She inhaled and let the fierce torrent of pleasure consume her. Everything about him was motion, smooth, pounding forceful, and she was his willing subject, glad to receive every thrust he blessed her with.
Her hands found his back, clenching him and pulling her toward him as he pushed deeper into her. Her breath was uneven as he slammed into her gluttonously, and she responded in kind, sliding her hands down to his ass, squeezing him to her as she rocked her hips in rhythm with him.
The moment she thought she was done for he would slow his pace and caress her body, pulling him close to her, and then he’d quicken his pace, prodding her with his manhood; agile, firm, and unrelenting. She was overflowing as he pressed himself into her ravenously. She felt him pulse and shiver and she heard herself cry out as her body spasmed in bliss. He collapsed on top of her, kissing her gently on the forehead and rolling off to lie next to her.
Ella’s breathing quelled and she closed her eyes as she tried to let all the new sensations settle on her body. She breathed out and she felt a finger glide across her cheek. “Did you enjoy that?” Ash asked.
She tilted her head and kissed the fingers that had been stroking her cheek. “Of course, I did,” she admitted. He broke into a genuine smile. “Did you?” she asked. “I mean, I feel like maybe I didn’t do enough.”
He shook his head. “You did plenty,” he said. “Besides, I want you to enjoy yourself, so you’ll come back. If I didn’t ensure you enjoyed yourself, you might just decide you would never do this again.”
She raised an eyebrow. That was clever. For she had been ambivalent about this whole thing, prior to doing it. He had somewhat allayed her fears with his kindness in their previous meetings, but this, this had definitely been the most assuring part. This she could do. It didn�
��t carry any of the sadness that Faye admitted to experiencing after her brief forays into prostitution.
She felt Ash pull her hand into his. “So, you’ll come back?”
Could she, without Lady Kenna finding out? She didn’t care. She’d figure out a way. “Yes, I’ll come back.”
“Tomorrow?”
She laughed. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel like I’ll need more time to rest.”
He squeezed her hand. “I don’t think you will,” he said. “I think you’ll be ready for more tomorrow.”
More? She was about sure that today was all she could handle. Now he wanted to do more. “You’re quite confident.”
“Of course I am,” he said with a grin. “I’m the — I’m a man who, when I see something I want, I make sure I get it.”
She nodded, feeling a tad like she’d been slapped. She was simply a thing he wanted. Not a person, but a thing. Her warm feelings from moments ago were fading. She released his hand and sat up. “I need to get back or else I’ll get in trouble. They might discover I’m gone.”
Ash sat up too. “Surely, you can stay just a little while longer. There’s no need to run off so soon. I can have Heinrich saddle a horse and take you back. That will get you home quicker.”
She shook her head. “No, the horse would wake everyone. I need to get home on my own, and I need to go now.”
He wore a frown with a crinkled brow. “Very well, then,” he said. “But, you’ll come back tomorrow night, at the same time?”
She swallowed, not sure she still wanted to come back. “Yes,” she said, as she found her dress and pulled it on, then slipped into her shoes. “But, I have to go now.”
She went to the door, and was opening it when Ash said. “Heinrich will pay you.”
She had come for the pay. She had been so desperate for money when she had shown up at his door a week ago, that she thought there was nothing she wouldn’t do to get away from Lady Kenna. Yet, the feeling of dismissal she sensed as he offered her money, the way he looked down at the bed, not at her, made her feel ashamed to be here. She went out the door and found Heinrich. He smiled at her, a toothy, friendly grin. Then, his eyebrows smooshed together and he held out a hand to her, “Are you alright, milady?” he asked her.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. And you can call me Cinders.”
“Cinders,” he said kindly. “I’m glad you’re fine.”
Ella heard panting and turned to her left to see a tall blond man rounding the corner. His clothes were fine and neat, and his face would certainly be considered handsome. He had a strong jaw, a nose slightly rounded at the tip and deep brown eyes. “Heinrich,” the man said, and Heinrich looked at him apprehensively. “The King would like to see you.”
“At this hour?” Heinrich replied.
“Yes, and he was wondering why you weren’t in your chambers,” the man said. “I told him I’d look around for you, and I came straight here. You’ll need to have an excuse for him if you don’t want him to know where you’ve been. But you need to go now. You don’t wish to keep the King waiting.”
Heinrich pursed his lips and looked at Ella. He handed her the bag of money. “Do you think you can find your way out?”
Ella looked down the hallway. It appeared dark and foreboding and she actually wasn’t sure.
“I’ll take her,” the blond man said. “Just go on up or else my uncle will have your head.”
Heinrich nodded and went in the other direction. The man motioned Ella to come over. He looked her up and down, and smiled. “I know who you are,” he said. “I see why he was so excited about you. You’re quite fetching.”
The blond man started to walk and she followed behind him a pace. He slowed a step until he was by her side, then he placed a hand on her ass cheek and squeezed. She was so startled, she stopped and gaped. “Take your hand off,” she said.
He removed his hand and took a step back. “I see. You’d like to be paid first,” he said. “I understand completely. Working girl like yourself can’t earn a cent if she gives it away for free.”
The man started moving forward and Ella was thankful for that. She wanted nothing more than to get out of here. To get away from this place.
“If you’re up for it, I might like to have at you too. Next time, you can start with me and move onto him, perhaps. Or maybe I can get another girl and we can have fun as a foursome?”
Ella tried not to retch. The thought of this vile man touching her made her want to vomit. Up ahead, the dark hall seemed to lighten and she knew that was the exit. They were almost at the end of this labyrinthine tunnel. She sped up, leaving the man behind and walked out the door and into the fresh air, without another word.
Chapter 11
Ella awoke sore and tired. She knew she needed to get up, but she squeezed her eyes tight and rolled over. She’d dreamed of Ash last night. He’d started off kind and gentle, lavishing unbridled passion on her, and then when they finished, he’d offered her to the blond man from last night. Ash had laughed and said, “Have a go at her. She’s quite good.” The dream turned nightmare had forced her awake in the middle of the night. She’d woken with a start, but had managed to go back to sleep. It was a fitful and unrewarding slumber, however, and that’s probably why she was so tired this morning. She felt lost and uncertain. She wanted to talk to Faye. Now that they’d experienced the same thing, she wanted to know if the feelings of shame and unhappiness would go away.
She sighed, knowing she couldn’t lie here pitying herself. So she tossed off her blanket and opened her eyes and found the sun streaming in. She shot up. It was very late and she hadn’t made breakfast. Lady Kenna was going to kill her. She got out of bed, put on a dress and ran down the stairs, through the main room of the house. In the kitchen, she found Marigold heating water for tea, and shockingly, Lady Kenna and Bathilda were eating yesterday’s bread, along with some marmalade Ella had made.
“Good morning,” Lady Kenna said cheerfully.
“I’m sorry I overslept, stepmother,” she said, trying to infuse remorse into her voice.
“It’s no trouble dear,” Lady Kenna said through a fake smile
Ella wondered if she were still dreaming. Or was this some type of trick? Lady Kenna was never this nice to her, and neither were the girls.
She walked past them to the stove, where the kettle hung over the fire. “I can get this, Marigold,” she said. Marigold shrugged and joined her mother and sister at the table.
“Ella,” Lady Kenna said. “Would you be a dear and make those wonderful muffins you make? This afternoon, we’ll be having a visitor. After you finish your morning chores, I would like to speak with you.”
* * *
Ella made the muffins but dared not ask any questions of Lady Kenna. She’d learnt to let whatever mood Lady Kenna was in to play out as it would, and not attempt to change it. When Ella was younger and Lady Kenna was in a temper, Ella would always treat her stepmother with extra kindness. For Ella’s mother, Penelope, had always said that treating a sour person with kindness usually improved their mood. Only her mother had never met Lady Kenna, or perhaps had never been truly hated by someone the way Lady Kenna seemed to hate Ella. Regardless, her mother’s advice didn’t work on lady Kenna.
Ella dawdled at her chores this morning, knowing that finishing them just meant that she had to see Lady Kenna. She had just milked the cow and was going to feed the chickens when Marigold came out to the barn. Unexpected, but not unheard of. While Lady Kenna and Bathilda felt themselves to be too far above anything they saw as the work of housemaids and laborers, Marigold had a gentler spirit, and was more willing to do what needed to be done. She was much less messy than Lady Kenna or Bathilda and put her things back where they belonged. And if her mother wasn’t around, she’d often do small kindnesses for Ella — something as simple as bringing her dirty dishes from the table, rather than leaving them there for Ella to get.
Ella smiled. “Hello, Marigold,” she sa
id.
“Hi, Ella,” her stepsister said, offering a simple smile. “Mother wants you to come clean your hands and face, and come inside to dress for company.”
“Ah, the company?” Ella asked. “Are you sure she wants me to meet the company? I think I’d prefer to be in my room.”
“It’s Lord Angleton,” Marigold said. “Do hurry.”
Marigold returned to the house and Ella shook her head. So, that’s why Lady Kenna had been so nice recently. There had been no guilt over what she had done, just worry that Lord Angleton would see. Lord Angleton was one of her father’s dearest friends, who had moved a few townships away around the time her mother died. He had come to her father’s wedding to Lady Kenna, as well as attended her father’s funeral two months later. He had probably specifically mentioned wanting to see Ella. Lady Kenna was all about appearances and it was clear that she wanted them to appear as a happy family to Lord Angleton.
She went inside and found Lady Kenna standing there with one of Bathilda’s old dresses. Bathilda was next to her looking sour. “Wear this,” Lady Kenna said. “After a few minutes of chatting with him and his son, you are to admit you are not feeling well and excuse yourself to your room. Do you understand?”
Ella took the dress and nodded. It was the nicest dress Ella had ever been permitted to wear. She wondered what this visit with Lord Angleton was all about. She went to her room, changed and returned to the receiving room, where they all sat, not speaking a word to each other. Soon, there was a knock at the door. Lady Kenna went to answer it and welcomed Lord Angleton.
Cinders & Ash: A Cinderella Story (Passion-Filled Fairy Tales Book 3) Page 6