by Chloe Joel
Before she could think about what she was saying, Ashley began to babble, her mind more on the man’s body than on the words coming out of her mouth.
“I can be very useful. My stepfather certainly seems to think I make an excellent slave-” She covered her mouth, “I mean, I’m not a slave! I just mean, I am very good at things like cooking and cleaning. I would be willing to work for you to payoff…”
The stranger’s smile was flawless as he reached out and put a hand over her mouth.
I wish he would laugh again. I wish he would hold me again. Ashley shook her head. Thoughts like that had not occurred to her in over a year, and she had never thought to feel or think like that again. Worse still, he was a complete stranger. An incredibly perfect and strikingly gorgeous young man who was a complete stranger. Those thoughts were completely wrong and Ashley felt a blush rise and begin to heat her face.
The stranger tilted his head to the side as if trying to read her thoughts. Ashley felt the coolness of his hand brush against her blushing cheek, as he caressed her cheek and pushed back a strand of hair.
He didn’t laugh. Instead, the handsome stranger shook his head, “For now, all I want you to worry about is getting better. I’ve given you a few things to help with your wounds, but your ankle is going to take a bit to heal. I’m very sorry, but there’s no quick fix for that.”
More pieces of the evening leaked into her thoughts. “My ankle’s broken.” She pulled the sheets off and began to feel it. The ankle definitely hurt, but it wasn’t broken. Ashley turned to face the stranger and saw a look in his eye as he watched her examine her injured ankle. Their eyes locked and she thought there was something palpable in the air.
Finally, the stranger licked his lips and leaned in ever so slightly, “Not broken, just badly sprained.”
“But,” she leaned in as if they were sharing a secret, “I could have sworn I heard it snap.”
A beautiful grin spread across his face as he leaned in a little more so that their foreheads were nearly touching, “You managed to break a lot of things last night, but as you felt for yourself, your bones are just fine today.”
Ashley looked at the man’s delicate heart shaped mouth and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to kiss him, pull him down onto the bed, and…
Mortified by her own thoughts, Ashley leaned back and pulled the blankets up to her chin.
He smells so sweet, and I must smell awful. She shook her head. What’s wrong with you?! He’s a complete stranger! That’s what’s wrong, not the fact that you aren’t…
Her mental objections slipped away as the stranger stood up and moved closer to the dresser. He moved like a large cat, effective, efficient, and with a grace that she had never seen before. His back was to her, so she could not see his face.
As soon as he was off the bed, she instantly regretted her thoughts and wished to go back a few seconds and change what had happened. She watched, mesmerized as he cleaned up the blankets on the floor.
His tone shifted a bit, “Normally I would have one of the servants take care of this, but I think you will need privacy for a bit. Wouldn’t want you to feel like you are being monitored or your freedom is limited here.” He turned and smiled at her.
Ashley was a bit shocked by how formal the stranger had become in such a short amount of time. She swallowed hard, her mind stalling at any of the things she could think to say.
Something in his eyes shifted as he watched her, “Are you thirsty?” His voice was again warm and inviting, so much different. What was going on? Ashley managed to nod. She watched him pour a glass of water for her and move back to the bed. To her extreme disappointment, the stranger did not sit back down on the bed.
The water felt cool as she drank, and Ashley realized that she still felt very tired.
“You must be hungry too,” the stranger said, taking the glass and placing it on the dresser.
Ashley tilted her head down and looked at him through her eyelashes. She gave her head a little shake. Before she could stop herself, Ashley patted the place where the stranger had been sitting before. A look of surprise crossed the man’s face, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Ashley giggled. He moved with almost supernatural speed, sitting down beside her and taking one of her hands. Lightly, he kissed it as Ashley continued to giggle.
He leaned in close. Instead of kissing her, the stranger pulled her head to his chest. Ashley closed her eyes, all too aware of the feel of the way the nape of his neck cradled her head perfectly. It was too comfortable, it felt too right.
Something inside of her was screaming that this was as wrong as the environment she was in, but her body refused to listen. Slipping a hand up around his neck and under the shirt, she began to stroke his back. The stranger pulled her closer, but made no move to do anything else. There was something slightly rigid in the way he was holding her, as if he was holding back.
“I’ve told you that payment isn’t necessary. I certainly didn’t mean…” his voice trailed off.
“Please, just…” Ashley swallowed hard, goose bumps still prickling from when his breath had gently caressed her neck.
“I just want to stay like this for a while.” It wasn’t what she had wanted to say, but if he didn’t want her, she wasn’t going to push further. Certainly a man like this could have any woman he wanted. Some destitute country bumpkin with no skills and no money was not what a man like that would want. Suddenly, she was all too aware of just how much he had done for her and how she had nothing to offer in return. Despite that, his muscles relaxed.
“Alright,” he whispered into her ear. Gently, he placed a hand on the back of her head and pressed her closer to him. His other arm wrapped fully around her waist, and she felt their bodies press against each other like they were always meant to be that way.
Ashley’s heart was beating rapidly, and she knew that the stranger had to feel it too. Through her own desires, the young woman tried to feel if his heart was beating as rapidly, but her heart was going too fast to feel anything else.
That must mean that his heart is unmoved by the contact. The thought saddened her, but it was not a surprise. She wanted so much more than just to be held, but if that was all she could get then she would take it. Soon her tiredness won out, and Ashley fell asleep as her heartbeat managed to find a much calmer pace.
She was so soundly asleep that she did not feel the movements of her body as the stranger lay her down gently on the bed, examined her injuries, and pulled the covers up to her neck. One of his hands brushed the hair out of her face and he watched silently as she breathed peacefully.
He stood and moved to the door. Before leaving, he turned and watched her steady breathing. It had been the most painful trial he had ever endured, but she had proved what he had already suspected.
With a smile, he left the room.
Chapter 3
Ashley awoke later that day, a smile on her lips. She had had such a beautiful dream where she and her handsome savior were making love on a gorgeous beach. It had seemed so real that she could feel nothing other than disappointment at the reality of her situation. Stretching her arms up, Ashley took a deep breath and felt a sense of peace that she had never known before.
Still there was something that she knew she was avoiding thinking about. Her heart refused to acknowledge whatever her instincts were screaming at her. For the first time in years she felt truly happy, so how could any of this be wrong?
Opening her eyes, she looked around the room. The curtains and shades were open, showing her a view like she had never seen. There were rolling mountains that reached the clouds. Rain was a way off in the distance with dark grey clouds rolling in.
Over the last year, she had developed a severe dislike of thunder, largely because it reminded her of her stepfather breaking stuff and making threats. It was a shame because as a child, she had loved thunderstorms.
Her head turned to the right and her eyes met the stranger’s eyes. He wa
s holding a tray and looking down at her with a smile.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought that I would bring the food in so that you could start eating when you woke up.”
“What time is it?”
He raised an eyebrow and one side of his mouth moved up into a lopsided grin. Ashley felt her chest constrict, and she knew it had nothing to do with the drugs her step-father had given her.
“It’s just after noon. It’s been at least 12 hours since you last ate, and you are going to need food to get better.” He set the tray down and pulled up a chair. Slightly disappointed, she looked at her lap.
“Are you still feeling unwell? The dose they gave you was far too much for someone of your size,” he frowned, “If I hadn’t gotten you taken care of, you would have died.”
Ashley glared at her lap, “Doubt that would have stopped them from their deal.”
A hand reached out and stroked her head, “It’s ok Ashley. You don’t have to worry about that ever again.”
Ashley’s head whipped up, “How did you know my name?”
There was a mysterious smile on the man’s face, soon followed by a laugh, “You talk in your sleep.”
Ashley blushed, and the stranger laughed again. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, the hint of a smile passed over her face at the sound.
“I’m kidding. You do snore a little.” He smiled at her again, “But to be honest, I heard one of those creatures say your name.” His expression changed, flashing a look that was truly scary.
For a brief moment, Ashley felt afraid of this man whom she knew nothing about. He saw the look on her face and quickly smiled at her, “I’m sorry, just the idea of them thinking they could … it’s just revolting.”
Ashley nearly forgot everything else as she looked at her savior. “I never did thank you for everything. You saved me, you’ve given me a place to heal, my wounds seem to be doing so much better, and now you’re taking care of me.”
The man turned and picked up the tray, “Your wounds are nowhere near better, and it is going to take a week or two, maybe even three before you are going to see any real improvements. As long as you are injured, as long as you want, you can stay here. My home is yours.” There was something in the way he said it that both excited and alarmed her. His voice was calm and level, but the man did not look at her as he said it. She took that as a sign that he was just trying to be nice.
“Thank you for everything. I can’t possibly take advantage of your hospitality like that. You’ve been amazing, but I can’t expect-.”
He cut her off, “You can expect whatever you want and I will endeavor to help you feel comfortable as you recover. Take as long as you need, there’s no rush. It is going to take a few days just for your body to fully recover from that nearly lethal dose they gave you. You’re probably going to feel a bit weak and woozy for most of that time.
Someone should be taking care of you to make sure that you don’t have any other adverse reactions. And if that isn’t enough, you have to think about how very limited your mobility is with that ankle. It may not be broken, but the injury is severe enough to require a lot of bed rest.
I’m not about to kick you out knowing that you are going to need a lot of attention over the next few weeks. And I don’t suppose, you have anyone to watch over you if those two men could attack you without worrying about any repercussions.”
Ashley smiled at him, “One of them was my step-father, so that means I’ll be able to stay at my home without having to worry about him anymore.” She frowned. “You killed both of them, didn’t you?” There was hesitation in her voice because she did not want it to sound like an accusation.
The stranger’s mouth twitched, “Eh, yes. They are both dead. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize one of them was family.”
Ashley shook her head, “He wasn’t. Not really. I mean, a real father wouldn’t do something like that, would he?” Her voice trailed off because she actually had no idea what a real father was like. Her biological father had died when she was two, so she had no memory of him.
“What about your mother? Would she be able to help take care of you if you went home?”
Ashley looked at her hands as they rested in her lap, “My mother’s dead. I’m on my own now.”
His voice was soft and she could hear the sorrow behind his response, but there was something else in there too, something she couldn’t quite place. “I’m sorry to hear that. But that certainly means that the whole thing is settled. Until you are considerably better, you will be staying here where you will have the care and help you need while you convalesce.”
She giggled, “Convalesce? I’m afraid I’m really not very good at convalescing because there has never been that kind of time in my schedule.” Her eyes were soft as she looked at him, “I can’t use you like that. You’ve already done far too much. And you needn’t worry about the police, I’m not going to stand against you,” she said looking up at him. He was sitting up straight, the tray in his lap, his hand poised on a spoon.
“You aren’t using me. And I’m not worried about the legal repercussions. That has all been taken care of. Given the evidence at the sight, the police didn’t see any point in opening a case for a couple of creatures like that.” His eyes were very animated as he spoke, and Ashley felt comforted. “If it helps, you can think of this as furthering the investment I made last night when I saved you.”
“Investment?” The alarms that she had been ignoring began to get considerably louder.
“You are a unique woman, Ashley. A man would be a fool to miss your potential. I want to help you meet that potential. It’s blatantly clear that you have never had any real help, yet look at how you continued to be strong in the face of a nightmare.
It’s commendable. I can’t even imagine how it must have been living in a house with a man who would refuse to treasure what he had.” His eyes shone as he looked at her. The look told her that he felt the same way about her as she felt about him at that moment. She was hungry, but not for the food he was trying to get her to eat.
Ashley looked back at her hands, the blush rising. She was very pleased by his response, but there were a few things that she could not continue to ignore.
She looked up into his eyes, “Would it be alright if I asked you a couple of questions?”
“Of course. Ask whatever you like.” His tone was inviting and friendly, but Ashley noticed a glint in his eyes, something that seemed to go against the warmth in his reply.
“Are you super human?”
For almost 30 seconds, they stared at each other, a look of shock on his face and an anxious pleading on hers. Try as she might, she remembered the night before well enough to know that he had not used anything that existed in reality. He had been too quiet, the killing too clean, and his movements unnatural, far too graceful for even a well-trained dancer to manage. His initial reaction was beginning to confirm that.
Then he burst out laughing. He was more lively than she had seen him in a while. She found she was unable to take her eyes off of his beautiful face until she noticed how his chest rolled with his laugh.
Ashley was hypnotized by the sheer magnificence of his physique and facial features, like a moth to a fire. Suddenly, she didn’t care what her instincts were warning her about, she wanted this man more than reason or logic.
The soup spilled over on his shirt and pants, but he did not seem to notice as he laughed.
“Martin!” Ashley was moving toward him. She snatched a cloth off of the end table and started trying to mop up the mess. It was steaming slightly, and still, he laughed. He only stopped when she placed a cloth on his shirt. Suddenly, their faces were close together and her hand was rested on his thigh.
“I don’t want the soup to burn you,” she whispered.
His eyes were serious as he stared into hers, “It won’t.” He reached out a hand and stroked her hair back.
Before she could think, Ashley had knocked the soup bow
l and tray out of his lap and had climbed onto his legs. She held his face in her hands, taking in the look of shock at her boldness. She grinned, then leaned down and began to kiss him, softly at first, then with a deepening sense of urgency.
He didn’t move when she first placed her lips on his, but as Ashley leaned in further, he began to respond. First, he opened his mouth slightly, and Ashley pressed her body against his, her legs squeezing on his thighs and her hips pressing down.
He sighed, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. His hand went up the shirt he had put on her shortly after he had gotten her to the ranch. Ashely began to unbutton his shirt, slipping a hand down the front, and breaking the buttons on the way.
Before she knew what was happening, she was back on the bed and he was standing near the door.
“I will go get you some more food.”
Ashley watched as the stranger strode out of the room.
What just happened? Ashley spent the next minute in complete agony. When he returned carrying another tray, she had the blankets pulled up over her head. She could hear him walk up to her bed. Close to tears, she said through the blankets, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you. I just… I couldn’t help but…”
She felt a hand gently pulling the blankets away from her grasp. He was smiling down at her. He sat back down and pulled the tray back to himself. She found it difficult to look at him until he put a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him.
“Don’t be sorry. There’s no reason for you to be. It was amazing, but where I come from, we don’t get intimate so …” he looked at her, “easily.”
Ashamed, she covered her face and started to cry. She heard the tray as he placed the second attempt to feed her aside. He sat down on the bed next to her, “No please, don’t cry. I don’t want you to cry.” He pulled her head to his chest and let her sob. He stroked her hair, “The past 24 hours have been too much and you are in shock. You need rest and food, and you have not gotten any of the second in too long. Now come on, cheer up. Things are going to improve, you just have to let yourself heal first.”