Traded

by Rebecca Brooke

  “Relax, Elena.” I kissed her on the forehead. “Today has been exhausting, and you have a big day tomorrow.”

  “A big day?”

  “You’ll see. Now why don’t you head up and get some sleep?”

  She nodded, but before she could step out of my reach I dipped my head, placing my lips against hers, once again finding myself unable to resist her. When she didn’t pull away I became bolder, swiping my tongue across her lips, hoping she’d let me in. She didn’t disappoint. I took and she gave, the connection of our mouths sending desire burning through my veins. When the need to breathe overrode everything else I pulled away, panting, and if the rise and fall of her chest was anything to go by, she was as affected by the kiss as me.

  Taking her hand in mine, I laced our fingers together, watching her closely as she began to close down before my eyes. “I can only guess why you look like you did something wrong. If you feel like this is cheating, it’s not. First, your husband gave you permission, and as wrong as that is, it’s still permission. Second, you deserve a million times better than him.” I bent down to whisper in her ear. “Third, never doubt that I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you.”

  Her face softened, but didn’t relax. “Thank you for everything, Ashton.” She stepped away from me. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She practically ran up the stairs and while it was disappointing to watch her leave, if she’d stayed then it would have pushed my control to its limits. I’d never force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. If she wanted to go there, we’d do it at her pace. Not that I wouldn’t try to persuade her; hope she could handle what I had in store for her. Bearing in mind what I knew of her husband, it wasn’t conceited of me to say I could show her pleasure she never imagined, and probably never felt before.

  Taking my phone from my pocket, I walked to my room to call Alan and arrange her audition. After that, I needed a long cold shower. I was beginning to feel like a polar bear, but I had to utilize what I could to help to take the edge off, and I most definitely did not need a severe case of blue balls all night. And even though tonight had not ended in the way perhaps I’d hoped, it had been successful in a different way. If I’d figured out anything tonight it was that, however long it took, Elena would be worth the wait.

  CHAPTER 10

  Elena

  My lips tingled, my fingers touching the swollen skin as I climbed the stairs to my room. How Ashton read me so well, I didn’t know, but he’d hit the nail on the head: a small part of me did feel like I was cheating on Dominic. While I didn’t care so much about that, it worried me how easily I could ignore the fact I was married and fall into another man’s arms.

  Stripping out of the dress, I remembered what Ashton’s touch felt like. It was a touch that I’d never once felt before, and likely would never feel again. It wasn’t just the attraction either. His arms around me felt warm. Comforting.

  As I got ready for bed, I let everything Veronica had said play through my head. To think she’d been in the same situation as me was amazing. She seemed so strong, and I wondered if someday I might, too, have that same strength. The more I thought about it, the more I was starting to see how right she’d been. Dominic didn’t deserve me. He just wanted me to look after him.

  The way Ashton touched me was so far removed for Dominic’s touch that it felt like I was experiencing everything for the first time. For one, he kissed me. Dominic had avoided kissing me for years, simply using my body for his own pleasure. Kissing took too much time, too much effort. Since Dominic knew how much I loved kissing, to do it would mean that he was thinking about my pleasure as well as his own, and that wouldn’t even cross his mind. My chest swelled when I thought about Ashton kissing me. For him¸ it wasn’t just about the lips; he caressed my face and my body, making sensations run rife through every nerve ending until I had no choice but to lose myself completely. His kiss wasn’t just a kiss. It was an experience; one I would love to repeat. And when he spoke to me he was so kind. From the time I’d spent with him, I knew Ashton was not a man to give throwaway compliments. When he said something he was direct about it, and he meant whatever he said; which is what had made it so easy to believe that he thought our kiss in the car was a mistake.

  But he was gentle. If I misunderstood him he didn’t get angry or cross. He took the time to explain what he meant, and didn’t make me feel stupid. The whole evening had left me feeling bewildered. On one hand, I’d experienced possibly one of the best kisses of my entire life. On the other, I was beginning to realize just how much I’d missed out on during my years with Dominic. And that thought was depressing, to say the least.

  I slid beneath the cool sheets and, thoroughly exhausted after the turmoil of the evening, I closed my eyes and welcomed the drowsy feeling that overtook me. It had hurt to talk about Dominic, but I felt better afterward, and that had to be a step in the right direction.

  I was just about to drop off when Ashton’s words ran through my head. Tomorrow? Something about a big day tomorrow. I had no idea what he might be talking about. Too tired to figure it out, I decided to ask him again in the morning and fell asleep, letting dreams of Ashton and all the things I’d hoped he do to me float through my head.

  

  I leaned into the soft caress. The warmth felt nice against my face as it pulled me from sleep. The action was welcomed. Soothing. Wanting the dream to last, I curled toward the warmth, my lips lifting and a small sigh escaping. A masculine chuckle echoed around the room.

  “Elena,” he whispered. “Time to wake up.”

  Letting my eyelids flutter open, the sight in front of me made me want to moan, and it was only by the grace of God that I managed to hold it back.

  “Ashton?”

  “Wake up, sleepyhead. I told you, you have a big day today.”

  I moved to sit up and felt the smooth glide of silk against cotton. Ashton’s personal shopper had insisted on silk nighties and lace panties; nighties and panties Ashton would surely get an eyeful of if I moved any further. Pulling the covers up over my breasts, I sat back against the pillows and watched as his eyes dropped to the start of the sheet, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip.

  “What big day?” I asked, trying to draw his attention back to my eyes.

  His gaze moved back to my face but his eyes looked lazy and his expression was blank. “What?”

  “Big day? Some details might help?”

  “Oh, right.” He shook his head and looked at me again, his gravelly voice sending a shiver up my spine as he said, “Elena, your body can make any man lose his concentration.” His eyes darted down and up again and the shivers moved from my spine to between my legs. I clenched my thighs instinctively. “It’s a surprise, but I picked you an outfit and Lewis will be out front in an hour to take you there.”

  My eyes narrowed. “You won’t tell me where I’m going, but you want me to trust you?”

  “Yes. I’ve never given you a reason to doubt me.”

  His finger lifted my chin, the slight domineering tone of his voice like a spark to the embers burning in my stomach. “Okay. You better not let me down.”

  He smiled his approval. “Feisty. That’s a good thing.”

  My cheeks had to be bright red. A month ago I would never have considered talking to a man this way. Ashton had changed my life so much.

  “Why aren’t you taking me?”

  His eyes clouded. “I have some business I need to take care of, but I’ll be back later and I’ll take you to dinner.”

  I was guessing the business had nothing to do with the restaurant so, ignoring my desire to ask any further questions, I went with the other thing on my mind. “Thank you. I’d love to go to dinner again.”

  Checking his watch, he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “I need to go. Remember, enjoy yourself.” He leaned in, stealing a quick kiss before standing and walking from the room.

  I touched my finger to my lips, feeling th
e burn from the lingering heat of his mouth on mine. Every time Ashton touched me I turned into a big pile of mush. Something about that man woke up parts of me long since buried. With a sigh, I climbed from the bed on shaky legs, wondering if I’d even be able to stand after a few rounds underneath Ashton.

  Where did those thoughts come from?

  My brain seemed to be stuck on sex, which was unusual because sex was something I never looked forward to. It hadn’t been like that in the beginning. But years of Dominic being selfish had taken their toll. He never took the time to get me ready so intercourse usually hurt, and in the end I felt like a real life blow-up doll. But now? Now my mind couldn’t stop conjuring images of Ashton naked, touching every part of me, making me call out his name.

  I went into the bathroom to get ready, the fizz of anticipation not the only thing making me giddy. I only had an hour to get ready for who knew what. The outfit in the bathroom left me even more confused. On the counter was a cute pair of jeans, heeled sandals, and a trendy T-shirt. Where could he be sending me that would require such a casual outfit? I stepped into the shower and by the time I’d finished, I still didn’t have any ideas.

  Makeup became my next dilemma. Deciding to apply something light, I finished getting ready with enough time to have breakfast. Not much went down with the fluttering of my stomach, which only increased when I heard the knock at the door.

  The time had come to find out what Ashton had planned.

  Collecting my purse and keys, I found Lewis waiting outside an SUV I’d never seen before, the back door open, waiting for me to get in.

  I smiled at him. “A different car today?”

  He laughed. “Mr. Hawes has the Bentley today.”

  “And this is?”

  “A BMW, Mrs. Tolley.”

  I stepped into the car. “Thank you, Lewis.”

  He nodded. “Sit back and enjoy the ride. We’ll be there in no time.”

  I had to ask the question. “How many cars does Ashton own?”

  “Four, including the jeep he goes off-roading in.”

  “Interesting.” Four cars for one man, compared to our single car for the two of us.

  Throughout the rest of the ride I kept my hands clasped in my lap to stop them shaking. My mind wandered here, there, and back again. It started with guesses as to where Ashton might be sending me, which led to memories of the night before and Ashton’s lips on mine. Like earlier, each thought made it harder and harder to concentrate on anything else. Such was my focus on reliving our evening tryst that I was startled when Lewis opened the door. I hadn’t even noticed the car come to a stop.

  “Here we are.” He offered his hand to me, helping me out of the car, a nice thing to do since I still wasn’t used to walking in heels.

  I stepped out and looked around, attempting to get my bearings. Since Dominic and I moved here, I’d spent most of my time working. I’d had very little time to explore the city and so most places were new and unfamiliar. Lewis reached his hand out to me, a cell phone sitting in his palm.

  “Mr. Hawes wanted you to have this, in case you needed to get hold of him.”

  Each time Ashton presented me with another gift, I had a hard time equating him with a loan shark, a person who hurt people when they didn’t pay their debts. It was like he was a Jekyll and Hyde character. But as scary as the other side of his character was, I knew Ashton would never harm me. I didn’t know how I knew. I just did.

  Taking the phone I placed it in my bag, not wanting to lose it. “Thank you, Lewis. What time will you be back?”

  “I’ll be waiting for you, Mrs. Tolley. Inside you’ll find Alan Trindall. You have an appointment with him in fifteen minutes. He knows you’re coming.”

  “Okay.”

  I strung the word out, my confusion more than evident and given that the butterflies that had taken up root in my stomach were now dive-bombing my insides, I was surprised I managed to remain standing.

  “I’ll be waiting here when you’re done.”

  “Thank you.”

  Each step was as nerve-racking as the one before it. I had no idea what I would find behind the doors in front of me. Pulling open the tinted glass, I noticed a long white hallway, doors on both sides, and at the end were two sets of double doors. When I reached the first one, the second opened and out stepped a man, his long dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail.

  “Elena Tolley?” he asked.

  I looked around, trying to figure out what in the world was going on. He smiled and reached out a hand to me. “Alan Trindall. Ashton said you majored in theater.”

  I took his hand and shook it. “I did. But I don’t understand.”

  “Ashton didn’t tell you why you’re here?”

  Shaking my head, I admitted, “I don’t even know where here is. Someone drove me.”

  He chuckled and shook his head, but I remained none the wiser about why he was talking to me. “Man, is he a dipshit. Luckily you’re early. Follow me.”

  He started down the hall and I followed as quickly as my legs could carry me. He opened a door about halfway down the hall. Inside there was a piano and crates of sheet music.

  “Do you mind telling me what I’m doing here?”

  He dug through the crate while he answered. “Ashton set up an audition for you for one of the musicals we’re doing. Sondheim on Sondheim.”

  Oh my God!

  My hand flew to my mouth. “I don’t have anything prepared.”

  “Now you see why I’m glad you’re early. Alto or soprano?”

  “Soprano.”

  Alan pulled out a piece of music and placed in on the piano. Taking a seat on the bench, he played through the first thirty-two bars.

  “I know that,” I said. “No One is Alone from Into the Woods.”

  “Good. Can you sing it?”

  “I . . . uh . . . I think so.”

  He played through the music again. On the second time through, I joined in.

  For the next ten minutes, we went through the song over and over again. With each turn I felt my confidence increasing. I couldn’t believe Ashton set it up and didn’t give me any warning. But this was my dream; something I wanted ever since I was little.

  Alan stopped playing and looked at the clock before removing the sheet music and coming over to stand in front of me. Taking my hands, he said, “Do what you just did in here and you’ll be fine. I’m not one of the producers, so I’ll play accompaniment for you.”

  “Thank you.” My voice trembled slightly. It felt like all I did lately was thank people. I’d never had this many people do things for me. It was a strange feeling, one that was taking some getting used to.

  Alan guided me back down the hall toward the double doors. The entire way I took deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart, and when the doors opened, I thought it might pound right out of my chest. I stepped into the backstage area, telling myself to relax.

  Enjoy yourself.

  Ashton’s words echoed in my ear as the door shut behind me and I walked toward the curtain, ready to face the audition with my head held high.

  

  The red strapless dress fell just above my knee, making me feel sexy as hell. Ashton had called as I was leaving the theater, saying he was running late but for me to be ready for seven and to dress up. After a nice long nap and lunch, I hurried to my room to get ready. At seven o’clock on the nose, my phone beeped with a text from Ashton.

  Ashton: Here. Meet me out front.

  Me: K

  Collecting my things, I hurried to the front door, excited to tell him about my day. Despite my initial nerves, I’d managed to pull it together and I was proud of myself for giving it a shot. If anything, getting back out there had reignited my passion for the stage and given me something to be excited about.

  He didn’t see me at first—he was checking his phone—but as soon as he lifted his chin and saw me coming down the steps, Ashton froze.

  “Holy shit.”
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br />   It was the exact reaction I was hoping for. He’d said a few times that he didn’t want an unwilling woman in his bed, and for the longest while I hadn’t been willing. That’s not to say that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind; I just wasn’t comfortable with it. But since my revelations about Dominic, things had started to change. I had begun to change. The moment I finished on stage I felt that long forgotten rush of euphoria and for the first time in a long time, I had my confidence back.

  And I had Ashton to thank for all of it.

  He told me almost every day I was beautiful, and for the first time I was starting to believe him.

  With my mind on Ashton and all he was doing for me, I took extra care getting ready for dinner. My hair was in a loose-braided chignon at the base of my neck, and a swirling, silver cuff necklace and matching earrings completed the look. Seeing as I was wearing them nearly every day, I was more confident in heels, and chose to wear thin-heeled silver sandals that put my height closer to Ashton’s broad shoulders. I’d put a lot of thought and effort into my appearance and it was nice to see that it hadn’t been wasted.

  The first thing he did when he reached me at the bottom of the stairs was to lift my hand to his lips and place a featherlight kiss on my skin, sending shivers right up my arm. I sucked in a breath and he must have heard it because a smirk played at the edges of his lips.

  “How was the audition?”

  I smacked him in the chest. “You should have told me! I would have been more prepared.”

  He glanced down at his chest and back at me, a full-blown grin on his face. “You surprise me more and more every day.”

  Excitement poured through my veins and I did my best not to jump up and down in the middle of the driveway. I could barely contain myself. I was excited to share the news but curious as to how he might react.