by Kris Royce
“Oh God, just leave. I don’t want you to see me like this,” Tegan groaned.
“I am not leaving,” he told her firmly.
She heard the shower come on as she rested her head on the rim of the toilet when nothing else would come up. She just knew that she was dying and wanted to be left alone to die in peace, but Ash wouldn’t let her. He flushed the toilet and helped her stand. Before she could protest he stripped her shirt off. She did not miss his sharp intake of breath. She forced herself to focus on him and threw an arm up to cover herself, but then Ash was already sliding her pants and panties off.
She squeaked and used her other hand to cover herself down there. Tegan just knew she had to look like a fish out of water with her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to say something but nothing came out. She finally found her voice as a blush burned her face.
“What…what the hell do you think you are doing?”
“Taking care of you.”
Jesus, she was fucking gorgeous, all soft curves and silky skin. He kept his thoughts to himself as he drank in the sight of her. He made her step out of her pants. Then he shoved her in the shower when she started to protest.
The hot water felt so good and helped her clear her head. She couldn’t believe Ash had undressed her and thrown her in the shower. God, he had seen her throw up and gagging. She could feel a blush heating up her chest and face. How embarrassing was that? She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.
She blinked and found a toothbrush with toothpaste on it in front of her face. She narrowed her eyes at Ash who stood there smirking at her before snatching it out of his hand.
“Get out,” she told him.
He just grinned and shut the door. He left her to her shower and went back to the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he went.
Chapter 7
Ash had almost swallowed his fucking tongue when he had stripped her down. Seeing her with clothes on was one thing, but seeing her all in her naked glory was enough to put a strain on any man. Now his balls were blue, and his dick hard and uncomfortable in his pants. He forced himself to leave her alone.
He was still thinking of going to her when she walked out twenty minutes later. She looked like she felt better and was back to being shy, with a blush staining her cheeks. She was dressed in well-worn low cut jeans and a black, tight fitting V-neck T-shirt. He thought she was sexy as fuck.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you,” she said softly as her blush spread down her neck.
“Here, sat down. I have something here that will help you,” he told her.
She walked over and took a seat. He handed her a small glass of juice, the two pills she hadn’t had a chance to take and a bagel with cream cheese on it. Then there was a small glass of brownish-looking liquid in it. When she wrinkled her nose at the bagel he almost laughed. She was so fucking cute.
“Take the pills, drink the juice, and eat the bagel. Then when you are finished you can drink this,” he said holding up the small glass of nasty looking stuff. “You will feel better, I promise.”
“What is this,” she said, picking up the small glass with the strange drink.
“It is a hangover remedy. It tastes awful, but it works, I assure you. Or if you do not want to take that you can always take this,” he said, holding up a big bright pink bottle.
Pepto, Yuk. She wondered where the Pepto came from because she knew Tina didn’t have any because she was allergic to it. She wasn’t allergic to it and had taken it plenty over the years.
“Where did the Pepto and this other drink come from?”
“I had delivered,” he told her.
“Oh, well, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He sat down across from her with a cup of coffee and watched her as she did as she was told. He had never thought someone eating could be such an erotic experience, but watching Tegan was just that. He almost groaned when she licked the cream cheese off her finger and her lips.
She chose the small nasty drink over the Pepto and drank it all. When she was done he took the dishes away and put them in the sink not bothering to hide his hard-on because it was impossible anyway.
When he turned around he caught her staring. She looked up to see his grin and blushed before ducking her head.
“Still have a headache?”
“Yeah, but it’s nothing bad, not like it was anyway.”
“Come over here and relax and let those pills kick in.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up off the bar stool and into the living room. He led her to one of the two plush couches. That’s when he noticed she was barefoot with pink-painted toes. Fucking adorable.
He sat and told her to lie down and place her head in his lap. She blushed when she realized what pressed against her head. She relaxed when he began rubbing her temples.
“Oh God, that feels good,” she moaned.
Tegan was surprised when ten minutes later, her headache was gone and she was feeling much better. She sat up and made to move away, but he pulled her to him. Their eyes locked as she let him hold her in his arms. She didn’t fight him but instead melted against him. Her whole body heated up as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. He smelled so good. Damn, she could spend all day here in his arms just looking at him.
“I don’t usually drink,” she told him not knowing what else to say.
“Yes. I got that,” he said with a grin.
She laughed and blushed again, ducking her head.
“Yeah, you see my grandfather on my mother’s side was Cherokee Indian, and I don’t know if you know this, but Indians can’t hold their liquor. I got that defective gene from him. Yeah, no more firewater for me,” she told him.
“Firewater, huh?” Ash chuckled.
“Yeah, there is a saying where I came from. It’s called being Indian drunk. You see there is drunk, and then there is Indian drunk.”
“There is a difference?”
“Oh hell yeah. Drunk is where you have, you know, a happy drunk, someone who is fun to be around. Then there is Indian drunk where you kinda don’t remember anything, and sometimes you get mean and want to fight and do stupid sh…I mean stuff. Tina swears that when I drink I get Indian drunk, and apparently it does not take very much so I am a cheap drunk, too.”
Ash laughed. He just couldn’t help it. She was funny as hell. He loved the sound of her southern drawl and her whiskey voice.
“Oh yeah, thanks. Laugh at my Indian-drunk ass,” she said with laugh.
“I did not think you were Indian drunk last night, nor were you mean. I thought you were rather cute,” he told her, rubbing his hot hand up and down her back.
“Cute, huh? Well, I don’t remember much after that champagne kicked in. I remember getting in your car, but after that everything is kinda vague. Glad to know I didn’t kick anyone’s ass. Tina would have died from embarrassment if I had jumped up on one of those tables and striped or gotten into a fight.”
Ash laughed again.
Tegan loved the sound of his deep, rich laughter. She suddenly drew back and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Oh God, please tell me I didn’t do any of that.”
That made Ash laugh, too. He couldn’t remember when he laughed so much.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong, even though I must say I am disappointed I didn’t get to see you strip,” he said with a wicked grin.
Her mouth dropped open, and then she grinned and blushed before dropping her head back on his chest.
“But you just did. Earlier, I mean, in the bathroom,” she said softly and Ash knew she was blushing.
“That did not count,” he told her.
Ash laughed again and hugged her close. He loved her scent and the feel of her in his arms. When she hugged him back it was the best feeling ever. It was like she belonged in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to keep her there. Before she knew what happened he lifted her and turned her so that she
was straddling him.
Now her eyes were wide and her blush bright. He said nothing as he cupped her face, pulled her to him, and claimed those full, pouty lips like he had wanted to do since meeting her. He was hot and hungry for her as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth.
Tegan moaned as she kissed him back. His kiss completely robbed her of the ability to think at all. She sank her hands into his thick hair and holding him close, loving the taste of him.
Ash wanted to devour her. She tasted so fucking sweet. He kiss was dominating, giving her no chance to escape him. This was a sweet seduction, pure and simple. He was the predator, and she was his innocent prey. This game he excelled at, but with Tegan it was more. She was more than just a conquest to him, so much more. The air around them shifted as he deepened the kiss and slid his hands over her body.
Tegan little out a husky moan again when she felt his large bulge growing between her legs, pressing against her heated core. It was as if her body had a mind of its own as she began rubbing herself along his length. When he gripped her hips and thrust up he hit her clit, making her cry out. She wanted more. She needed more.
Ash pulled away from her mouth long enough to take her shirt off, but he never stopped moving. Fuck, she wasn’t wearing a bra, and her breasts were fucking perfect. Her nipples were hard and just begging for his mouth. His sweet little Tegan was playing with fire. Fuck, he wanted her so badly that it hurt. She shocked the shit out of him when she threw her head back and came the second his mouth closed over her pert nipple. He was thrilled that she was so responsive to his touch as her whole body trembled in his arms. She cried out his name and clung to him as she fisted his hair and held him to her. Fucking beautiful.
“A…Ash, oh God,” she asked in awe, still breathing heavy.
He let go of her nipple with an audible pop. Then, he made her look up at him with a finger under her chin. He loved the look of her kiss-swollen lips, glazed eyes, and flushed face.
“I never knew…” she said with a blush.
Fuck, his innocent little girl had never had an orgasm before. Oh, hell yeah.
“Did you like it?” he asked while kissing his way up her neck.
“God, yes. Please, do it again, Ash,” she whispered.
“Oh, kitten, I will give you as many as you want.”
He lifted her and laid her down on the couch when they heard someone at the door. He wanted to kill whoever the fuck it was for interrupting them. Ash cursed and stood, bringing her up with him. After placing her on her feet he grabbed her shirt and slipped it on. Too late he realized that it was inside out. She was looking at him like he had rejected her or some shit until Tina came bouncing in. Nice to know he had that effect on her. He couldn’t let that go. He didn’t care who was there. He drew her into his arms and hugged her close.
“I am not done with you yet,” he whispered to her.
Tegan made a small noise in her throat when he told her that and she returned his hug.
“Hi, guys,” Tina said, taking in their messed-up hair and bedraggled appearance as they snuggled together. She just grinned when Tegan turned around and Tina saw her kiss-swollen lips and her blush.
“Hey, Tina. How was the shoot?”
“It was good. You feeling okay? I thought if you were maybe we could go out for lunch.”
Yeah, Tina wasn’t much of a cook. Marc was the one who loved to cook, believe it or not, before Tegan arrived.
“Ah, sure. That sounds good.”
“Ash, of course, you have come with us. I want to show Teg the city. We can grab lunch while we are out. I’m starving.”
“You starving? That has to be a first,” Tegan told her.
“Ha-ha, very funny. I eat, sometimes,” Tina said with a cute pout.
Tegan didn’t remind her that she only ate if she or Marc cooked. Marc had told Tegan that Tina’s kitchen had never been used until they had started dating.
“We can take my car,” Ash said, hugging Tegan from behind.
Tegan mumbled something about needing to change real fast. She could feel Ash’s hard cock pressing against her. She blushed and giggled when he whispered in her ear, asking if she needed help.
She changed quickly into a pair of straight-leg jeans and high-heeled tan leather boots. She had also thrown on a bra and fixed her shirt. The heated look Ash gave her when she walked back in told her that he approved. She couldn’t help the blush or the grin.
They took Ash’s Rolls-Royce Phantom, and Tegan met his chauffeur Roger, again. He was a large older man with dark-brown hair and sparkling green eyes who looked uncomfortable in the starched black suit he was wearing. Tina and Ash had laughed at her because she had met him the night before but didn’t remember. Roger was nice enough not to say anything about it, but Tina gave her shit. Tegan felt weird about having someone else drive her everywhere, but she forgot about it as soon as Ash took her hand in his and kissed it.
Ash took them to a very nice restaurant for lunch. It was good, but Tegan couldn’t eat much because her stomach was still just a little upset. Ash asked her if she wanted a glass of wine and then grinned wickedly at her. Tina giggled when Tegan stuck her tongue out at him. He, in turn, just groaned.
Tegan didn’t miss the looks the women were giving Ash, eating up him with their eyes.
“What are you ladies planning for tomorrow?”
“Well, I, for one, need to start searching for a job,” Tegan told him.
“A job? But I thought you were only here on a visit.”
He didn’t have any intention of letting her leave in the first place. He had already made plans to tie her to him so she could never leave. This was even better.
He caught the hurt in her eyes before she covered it. Fuck. Did she think he was trying to get rid of her or some shit? Then it dawned on him that she probably did because her family was so fucked up and treated her like shit. Hell, she probably thought he was just doing this for Tina, which was the furthest thing from the truth.
She wouldn’t look at him now and hid behind her long hair. She played with her food, but he could see her face was pale.
“Oh no. Didn’t Tina tell you? Our family has officially disowned both of us, but that doesn’t really matter. I had planned to go home for only few days after graduation before leaving again anyway. Then I was going to find for someplace else to settle. I never thought to move to New York, but Tina talked me into staying. I can always move if I don’t like it, right?”
Ash already knew that she had a degree in accounting. She graduated with honors in the top 10 percent of her class. Hell, there wasn’t much about her he did not know.
“Why has you family disowned you?” he asked looking at one and then the other.
They shared a look before Tegan answered him.
“Because Tina had the nerve to invite me here instead of her mother and sisters. Me? Well, it’s because I accepted her offer, of course.”
Ash just shook his head as he leaned back and studied both women over the rim of his wine glass. He knew all about Tina and Tegan’s fucked-up family. He also knew how they treated Tegan, which just pissed him the fuck off. The man, Thomas Ryann, who had raised Tegan as his daughter was not her father. Her father had been a boy her mother had wanted to marry but was told she couldn’t. They had been in love, but because the boy had not come from a wealthy family, her family refused to allow them to be together.
Tegan’s real father had been a bad-boy biker who later was run out of their small southern town by Tegan’s grandfather. Tegan’s mother, Anne, had already been pregnant with Tegan when she married Thomas Ryann. Ash suspected that was why they had treated Tegan so bad. He knew Tegan had no idea Thomas was not her real father, and he thought that was fucked up, but it was not his place to tell her either—at least not yet.
“You do not need to search for a job,” he told Tegan.
Both women looked at him.
“Come to work for me.”
“What? Seriously?”
Tegan asked in shock.
“Oh, this is perfect,” Tina squealed, clapping her hands.
“But y…you don’t even know if I qualify to work for you,” Tegan stammered.
He sat up straight and set his glass down before taking her hand and leaning in close while she gazed up at him with wide eyes.
“I know everything there is know about you, my lovely Tegan, and if you knew me better you would know I never say anything that I don’t mean.”
Oh my, Tegan thought.
The thought of her going to work for someone else made him see red. She could come to work for him so he could have her close.
Tegan was speechless as Ash leaned over and kissed her gently before moving away, but not too far. He still had a hold of her hand. She tore her eyes away his to look at Tina with accusing eyes wondering if she put him up to this. That was when she noticed the paparazzi at the window on the far side of the restaurant watching them. She turned wide-eyed to Ash. She was just a nobody, and she was with the Ash Stone, one of the most-sought-after bachelors in the Big Apple. Oh hell.
“Oh, Ash, let me go so I can move,” she said, tugging on her hand.
But he refused to let her go. He narrowed his eyes at her and frowned before he glanced over at the window and then back at her.
“Why would you move? Are you afraid of being seen with me?” he said, starting to get pissed.
Tegan startled him by giggling.
“God no, Ash. I just didn’t want to cramp your style and all that. You know being seen out with Tina could be a pussy blocker for you.”
Tina thought that was funny and started to giggle with her. Tina and Ash looked at each other. Both of them thinking the same thing—Tegan was oblivious of how she looked.
Ash’s anger vanished just like that. What the fuck? She really had no idea how beautiful she was, he realized, and he decided to show her.
He pushed away from the table and pulled her to her feet. He drew her to him, bent her back over his arm, cupped her face with his hand, and sealed his mouth over hers. Ash kissed the hell out of her in front of God and everybody until her she was making small noises in her throat and clinging to him.