Then she reminds herself that maybe he was just having an off day and takes a slow breath in. She hates trying to be an equal opportunity person. Change is never easy.
At work, it’s just a typical Friday. She checks up on the website and emails, helps out the lost sheep that she calls customers, and transfers lots of incoming calls. On occasion she strikes up conversations with coworkers, but for the most part, her day is pretty dull. So dull, in fact, that Jewel starts to crave the freedom of a weekend, wondering what fun there is to be had.
I should probably just stay home and do laundry.
Before the day is through Carol stops by to ask if Jewel is going to go through with the second date. Reluctantly, she admits to Carol that she has agreed.
Jewel checks the clock one final time and sees that it is nearly time to head home. She’s already cleaned her desk in order to save herself time. She closes her drawer and smiles as she walks toward the door and punches the clock.
Before she gets to her vehicle she hears an obnoxiously loud motorcycle approaching. Her heart starts to beat faster. She’s anxious to see if it is really him, but then she reminds herself that it would be silly for Ash to be here. He’s out who knows what random part of California playing shows.
It can’t be!
As she nears her vehicle, she sees the familiar bike. She stares in amazement for a moment.
Her jaw dropped in a goofy smile, she walks up to him. “What are you doing here?!”
“We don’t have a show tonight.” He motions for her to get on.
“Hop on.”
Jewel is speechless for a second, but doesn’t give it another thought as she hops on the back of the bike and wraps her arms around him. Ash revs the engine and takes off heading toward the highway.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The rumbling of the motorcycle under her and the wind whipping her hair around has Jewel feeling amazing. She takes in a deep breath. She was all prepared for a boring weekend at home, and now here she is, taking a ride on a motorcycle with a Rockstar. It sends shivers throughout Jewel’s body, and she presses herself into the warmth of Ash, squeezing him tighter. She rests her head between his shoulder and neck and takes a moment to enjoy the freedom. It’s a rushing, almost dizzying kind of feeling. It pulls her in and keeps her. She wants more of it. She wants it to last forever.
On the open road she forgets all about work, her date with Max, and everything that made her groan just moments ago. The speakers in the motorcycle are pounding out some rock music, but it isn’t Ash’s band. Up until that moment Jewel wasn’t even aware that bikes like this had stereos. But with Ash, anything seems possible.
“Already starting the wild part of my life back up. It hasn’t even been a week!” she whispers to herself as she contrasts trying to enjoy the boring parts of her week. Jewel lets her mind clear and focuses on the beautiful sunset gently creeping into view. She secretly wishes Ash would punch it for more speed. Being here with him, she just wants Ash to drive on forever, stay on the road and never look back. Her and him, running away… the musician who never sleeps with the same girl more than once, committing to running away with the same girl. Jewel smirks at the thought.
Ash starts to slow down. Jewel notices that a car has gotten in front of them It’s pretty disappointing for her because she was enjoying the speed. Ash only stays behind the car long enough to make sure there is no oncoming traffic, then he punches the throttle and swerves around the car to pass it. Jewel hangs on tighter, feeling her heart start to race. Once they are in their own lane again Jewel smiles and focuses on the ride, thinking that he only did that to make her hold on tighter.
Shivers and other sensations continue to travel through Jewel’s body as Ash stays on the gas and they speed down the highway. She clings to him tighter and is drawn in by the smell of his cologne. She hasn’t even bothered to ask where he’s taking her. She doesn’t care. She can feel the warmth of his body and she can’t resist the urge so she nibbles on his exposed ear for a moment before bringing herself back to enjoying the feeling of the ride. It’s invigorating. No wonder people love motorcycles.
For a moment she lets go of him and leans back on the motorcycle, letting the wind caress her body like a long-lost lover. The vibrations of the bike under her entice her. He takes a curve, and she feels her heart pounding in her chest. She’s starting to want Ash, craving contact with his skin. It doesn’t take much longer for Ash to take one of his hands off of the handles and rub her thigh. It drives her crazy and has her mind racing with possibilities.
Jewel repositions herself so it’s easy for Ash to rub her thigh and so she can enjoy the vibrations of the bike. She closes her eyes and clears her mind. She tries to breathe in slowly, to keep herself from attacking Ash in a provocative manner while he drives. Slowly, she pulls herself back into him and sets her head near his ear so she can talk and distract herself momentarily.
“Where are we going?”
“ I have a show in Las Vegas tomorrow,” he starts. “I want you to come with me.” He practically has to yell so she can hear him over his motorcycle, the music and the wind.
He doesn’t say more and she doesn’t respond. He accelerates and Jewel guesses they’re going about 90 miles per hour, maybe even 100. She takes another deep breath in as the world melts away. Momentarily it’s just her, Ash, and the rumble of the motorcycle, and she doesn’t want it to stop.
She feels the wind slow and the motorcycle come to a halt, she opens her eyes to see a motel. Ash pulls her off the motorcycle. He winks at her, smacking her ass as she gets off.
He motions for her to follow him in and they get a room. Jewel is relieved because she’s been dying to get intimate with him for a while now and it’s been driving her crazy. Once they are inside their room Ash is onto her like usual, but before he starts to tease her he takes his finger to her entrance and feels that she’s already wet.
He teases her about it, saying that he hasn’t even done anything to her yet, but then wastes no time in ravishing her and it drives her desire through the roof. He’s rough, playful, letting Jewel know who is in charge. Jewels gives in to his every whim.
For a few moments she begins to tease him back, feeling the erection in his pants. He’s breathing heavy and resisting the urge to completely ravish her before he’s done teasing her. She smirks, because it’s the first time he’s really let her tease him much without taking over and making her beg for him. He lets her go down on him, and Jewel gets to enjoy his moans and his squirms. When he is about to finish, he stops himself. He pulls her back up and starts teasing her again, reminding her that he is indeed in control.
Today Jewel is more sensitive than usual, thanks to the ride, and her moans are louder than normal. It drives Ash to a more commanding attitude. As usual Jewel is too satisfied to care at the end of it, and together they just lie in bed.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Lying in bed with Ash makes Jewel smile. She had started to miss all of this over the week without him. As he pulls her closer to him she can feel his warm skin against hers, and it’s comforting. She doesn’t want to ruin this moment, but a question is nagging at her, one that she really wants to know the answer to.
After a few more moments she looks at him and just blurts it out, “What is all of this about? I dropped everything to come out here with you. You owe me some answers. Why did you bring me here?”
Ash doesn’t stop caressing her skin. He takes all the time that he wants to respond. His voice is slow and sincere.
“Those groupies weren’t doing it for me. I didn’t want any of them. I kept having thoughts about you. You left, and I decided to drive to you the first chance I could get. So, here I am.”
Jewel takes a moment to mull it over, unable to hide her smile, but before she responds Ash continues. “I want you to go on tour with me.”
Upon hearing those words her heart skips a beat. She hesitates, as if asking him will change the answer, but continues anyway. �
��You want me to go on tour with you?”
Her tone reveals that she’s a bit dismayed. She thinks that he has to be joking. He wouldn’t really want her badly enough to want her to go on tour with him, would he? She holds her breath, dreading a, “No, not really,” type of response.
“Yeah.”
Holy shit, Jewel thinks to herself. And for several moments Jewel just lays there, thinking about what the words he just said to her actually mean, and how it is exactly what part of her wants. But now, she isn’t exactly sure what she wants. The reality of it all hits her like a ton of bricks. This time, Ash doesn’t stop caressing her skin, he just lays there beside her. The rhythm of his heart seems nervous, but his breathing is deep and calm. Images of going all over the country with him flash through her mind. She imagines traveling across the US, and even abroad to places like Germany, the UK, Russia…
“Damn. I’m crazy,” she starts. “But I want to stay with you. Just…”
She pauses. “What about the Grimms?” She knows that being with Ash isn’t simple, not when he has the ties that he does.
“Listen... the drug dealer wasn’t supposed to be selling at the club. We’ve already made that known. Nobody can put merchandise in our territories, or our clubs. Wolfe’s the one who set those ground rules, and we just comply. You let us know that someone was breaking our rules, and we couldn’t just let them get away with it. We had to set an example.” Ash pauses for a moment, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
“So he got the crap beat out of him, his drugs flushed, his money taken, and he was put on display with a message to anyone he may have been connected with. He was new to the game, but that’s no excuse not to know the rules. Sucks for him, but it had to be done.” Ash pauses.
“I wasn’t the only one who fell to drugs. Wolfe once ruined his own life with that stuff. So I can’t really blame him for putting a ban on it. It’s for the good of us all, really. One thing is for sure, no one in the band will ever have the typical druggie rocker reputation. Wolfe will see to that.”
Jewel nods as she listens. She hadn’t known about Wolfe having had a close relationship with drugs. She begins to wonder if that;s how all of the band members got into the Grimms, or if it was just the two of them. S And since they aren’t involved in drugs, she begins to wonder how exactly the biker gang makes their money.
Ash continues, “As for you… well, if you’re with me then you’re with the band, Seven Ravens. And then you’re with the Grimms. It’s a package deal. You won’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but you’ll still be a part of us.” Ash gives Jewel a minute to let it sink in.
“And Wolfe?”
“He will accept you. Just stay away from drugs and you won’t have issues with him. He may see you as an asset, but you can say no. I’ve earned his respect.”
Jewel is unable to answer right away. Instead, she rubs her fingers up and down Ash’s chest. Together they lay in silence for a while. Jewel listens to Ash’s heartbeat, to the sound of his breathing and the quiet of the motel. Then Ash moves, getting on top of her again with a smirk on his face.
“Ready for round two?” he asks before aggressively attacking her neck. She smirks, remembering the last time they had sex how she initiated round two and how he doubted that she could handle it. Once again, she turns to putty in his hands, moving each and every way that he wants. She finds him even more irresistible. It turns Jewel on even more. After a few different poses, and some squeaking of the cheap motel bed, they’re laying side by side again, both out of breath and exhausted, but both thoroughly satisfied.
“Best round two ever,” Jewel admits.
Ash only chuckles. Really, she hadn’t known many guys who had the drive for a second round so soon after the first. Most are never up for it after cumming once. Jewel is starting to have to admit that Ash is all the more impressive the longer she hangs out with him, and the more they get to know each other, the more impressive it’ll be.
Jewel rests her head on his chest and thinks about Ash’s life. For a moment she remembers her ex, the one who would do drugs to the point he was so shit-faced she had to clean up after him, and how he couldn’t keep his grubby hands off of other women. She compares him to Ash, someone who has cleaned up his act. Someone that would drive all the way out to see her after a week of being away because he didn’t want to sleep with anyone else. That couldn’t have been easy, considering all of the sexy women he could have chosen.
Jewel sighs and Ash inquires if she’s okay. She nods and finally pulls her head off his chest and rests her weight on her arm. Ash moves the hair from her face, kisses her and asks her what’s up.
“Let’s go to Vegas,” she says, and a smile spreads across Ash’s face. He nods and pulls her close to him to lay there for a bit longer to regain their energy before getting dressed to get back on the road.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The stars and moon light up the night sky, but as Ash and Jewel get closer to the big city of Las Vegas, the flashing lights, giant buildings and big signs take over the sky. Ash finally slows down at the massive suite of the Palazzo. As Jewel and Ash get off the motorcycle, she asks how he can afford it.
“Jewel, there are going to be a lot of surprises with the Grimms,” he responds before leading the way. “Let’s get our keys and then go grab something to eat.”
There’s a new kind of joy to Ash, one that wasn’t been there before she agreed to come to Vegas with him. It is almost as if he knows that she wants to stay, and it’s only a matter of time before she truly decides if she’s either going to be with him or run away and try to forget all about him. Something tells him that she’s going to choose him, and she knows it, too.
As they enter the hotel Jewel can see just how massive it really is. She looks around at everything. The lobby is shiny, the ceiling is tall with pillars, and everything is gorgeous in its detail. The hotel has spared no expense in decorating. If it weren’t for Ash, Jewel is sure she would’ve never been able to set foot in a place like this. She starts to smile as she thinks about all the other fancy places he will take her over the course of his tour.
As they get their keys Ash leads her off into one of the restaurants nearby. It’s a fancy place, but seeing as they are staying at the Palazzo, it doesn’t really surprise her. When they are finally seated she’s presented with a menu.
“Order whatever you like,” he insists as he opens his up.
Jewel imagines how her date with Max would’ve been going right now. She feels bad for him, but only for a second. She lets herself imagine how he would have inevitably struck up a conversation about something on the menu, but distractedly and bashfully told her that he wishes for her to order from some of the cheaper wines; not because he can’t afford the more expensive ones, but because he doesn’t like spending his money. She sighs to herself, thinking about how she had already agreed to go on another date with that guy. She he starts to compare the two sides of her life. How she was attempting to date normal, how her sister had chosen the worst candidate, and then Alyssa, who had seemingly changed Jewel’s entire life. Her choices were either boring with a slice of mundane, or this.
If it hadn’t been for Ash that’s exactly where she would be, sitting across from Max, wondering what in the world she did wrong and how she ended up with a guy like him. Had she been desperate enough for sex, he probably wouldn’t have even known how to handle her. She’d be lying in bed wondering how in the world he had sex with any woman and she’d have to excuse herself to go finish the job he couldn’t. It’d be a disaster, an embarrassment. With her luck she’d agree to do it again. She’d be telling herself that she needed to get used to the normal life and that she could accept that guy for who he is.
She shudders as she thinks about how far her complacency would get her.
“Jewel? Hello?” Ash asks, bringing her focus back to reality. She lets out a small laugh.
“Sorry. I was just... thinking about something. It’s nothing, it w
as silly,” she says as she opens her menu.
She decides to order something that she’s never had, or even heard of; duck confit.
“Nice choice!” Ash says. “And I’ll have the sea bass.”
Ash smiles as the waiter walks away. As Jewel looks at the man that is sitting across from her, she realizes that it is the one guy that she had told herself specifically not to let things get complicated with. She laughs that her original plan was to not get entangled with his life.
“I’m glad you wanted to come along with me,” he says. “I was a little worried you’d have already gotten with another guy.”
Jewel moves her glass slightly before making eye contact, “I hated the thought of you sleeping with another woman. I convinced myself I could just have sex with you and move on.”
Ash thinks about her words for a moment. “I’m glad you didn’t. As I said, I want you to come with me on tour. I don’t have a show until tomorrow night. We’ll do whatever you want until then. I might be a badass, but I can still take you on one hell of a date.”
Jewel smirks. For a biker gang rock star, Ash can be pretty sweet.
“Anything I want?”
“Yep.”
The two of them spend the next few minutes flirting and talking about the city. After their food arrives, Jewel takes her time eating as she thinks about how to spend the day in Vegas with her new man. With so many options, and all the money to do it with, she feels the possibilities are endless. She thinks she may just settle for a good old fashioned movie, and something completely cliché. It would definitely show her how much Ash truly wants her to stick around.
“Well, I hope you’re ready for whatever I have in mind,” she warns as they finish up their meal.
Ash just laughs. “I’m sure I can handle it.”
Jewel is certain it’s the first time she has heard him laugh… really laugh.
Bought by Him: A Breslyn Auction Club Romance (The Breslyn Auction Club Book 1) Page 16