by Sarah Bailey
“Little star,” I groaned against her lips when her fingers tightened around my shoulder.
The need for her pounded in my veins. My cock dug hard into my jeans, wanting to be encased in her heat. I knew when I fucked Ash, it would be sweet ecstasy. I was so eager to feel her, I pried her legs open and settled myself between them. Our chests brushed together, only igniting the flame burning hot between us. Her leg curled around mine, but even that didn’t make me want to run. No, I wanted to be much closer to Ash. To feel her everywhere.
“I want you,” I ground out as I kissed down her jaw. “I need to be in you.” I cupped her breast, adoring the feel of it in my hand. “I want to fuck you so hard.” My thumb traced a line around her nipple. “I want you to scream for me.”
“Ror,” she whimpered.
Her other hand closed around my back, holding me to her.
“Do you want that, little star? Do you want me?”
I don’t know why I needed her reassurance. I knew she did, but a part of me was still trying to work out why.
“I want you so much. You make me so wet… fuck, you feel so good.”
This wasn’t supposed to be about sex. The pressure was off, but somehow, it made me want her more. Made me desperate for it. I ground into her, groaning at the friction between us. I knew I needed to stop. Knew I wasn’t ready for it. I hadn’t prepared myself for what would happen between us.
A knock at the door startled both of us. I pulled back, panting a little and found Ash breathing heavily too.
“Rory? Is Ash in there with you?” came Quinn’s voice.
And even though I knew we shouldn’t have got carried away, I was also more than a little irritated to be interrupted.
Fuck.
Chapter 6
I’d looked all over the house for Ash when I’d finished up with Xav and Eric. We weren’t any closer to finding a solution for what to do about Julian, but they had committed to help me devise a new plan to tackle our Russo problem. I still hadn’t gone through everything Ash had given us with all the drama stemming from her mother. I honestly wished Isabella hadn’t become such a fucking sticking point. If I’d not needed her help to abduct Ash, I would’ve never entertained the idea of having anything to do with her. Now she was just a thorn in our sides.
When I couldn’t find Rory or Ash downstairs, I’d come up here and found her bedroom empty. So reaching his door and finding it ajar made me a little suspicious. Rory didn’t like other people being in his room. He just about tolerated me in there.
I heard footsteps followed by the door being pulled open to reveal a shirtless Rory looking a little flushed. My eyes narrowed. He didn’t look like he’d got dressed in a hurry. I couldn’t help wondering what the two of them were doing.
“She’s here,” he said quietly.
I put a hand out.
“Can I see her then?”
He seemed to hesitate. I frowned.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen everything before, Rory. Just open the fucking door.”
He did ask I asked, stepping back as the door swung open fully to reveal Ash on his bed, also shirtless but still dressed in the bra she’d put on earlier. When she saw me, she hopped off it and walked over, her expression cautious.
“Do I even want to know what you two were doing?”
“Not fucking,” Rory muttered.
I could see that. They were both still mostly dressed.
“I was helping Ror deal with the human contact thing.”
It took me a second to register what she meant.
“Oh… that’s… well, good.” And definitely not what I came here to discuss.
Actually, it was better than good. It meant Rory was letting Ash in. Allowing her to help him overcome his issues.
“I was going to come talk to you, but I didn’t want to interrupt you, Xav and Eric. I spoke to Viktor.”
I kept my eyes on her face even though her current lack of attire was incredibly distracting. Especially the way her nipples strained against the see-through lace. Okay, so I couldn’t keep my eyes off her tits. I could tell by her flushed neck she was aroused. Ash’s little tells were clear as fucking day to me. They might not have been having sex, but it was obvious both of them wanted to be.
“You did?”
“Yeah, he said we should wait a few days before dealing with Isabella to see where her loyalties lie. I’m not unhappy about that. Don’t think I can take any more revelations right now.”
Ash had been through a lot. I didn’t blame her. And I approved of Viktor’s plan. Isabella might run back to Frank so biding our time before Ash saw her would be the safer option.
“And… he also said he’s watching all of you.”
I raised an eyebrow. Viktor keeping an eye on us didn’t come as a surprise. The man was nothing if not thorough. He conducted business with ruthless efficiency. It’s what made him a powerful and rich man. He didn’t suffer fools lightly as far as I was aware. And we were all involved with his daughter.
“All of us?”
“I think he knows about us.”
I wasn’t sure how he would know, but he was a shrewd man. Perhaps he put two and two together. As long as he kept out of it, it wouldn’t be a problem. It had been his daughter’s decision to pursue all four of us. It’d been very empowering for her to make a decision that was solely her own when she’d had so little choice in her life. Besides, we all needed each other. That much had become clear over the past few months.
“Did he ask you about it?”
“No, just implied he knew… I get the feeling he genuinely cares about me, you know, not like Frank who only cares about how he can use me. I feel respected like he knows I’m an adult and can make my own choices. I guess I’ll have to see how it goes, but I would like a relationship with him. Like a real one. Maybe when everything is settled and we’re no longer fighting against Frank, I can have a real dad who isn’t trying to control my life.”
Her optimism over Viktor made my heart ache. The girl hadn’t really had a good parental figure in her life. I hoped as much as she did Viktor would be the father she deserved.
“I hope we can trust him.”
“Me too.”
She looked down at her hands as if she didn’t feel as though she could hope for anything good in her life. Ash had suffered as much as shit as we had despite coming from privilege. Just goes to show even when you have money and power, it doesn’t mean you have it easy. Not when behind closed doors, you live with a monster.
She didn’t have to worry about going back to that life. She had the four of us now and we’d keep her safe. We’d give her happiness and a future. I hoped anyway. If we won the war, then we could stop watching our backs so much. We could just live. Ash could be free. I was pretty sure deep down that’s all she wanted.
I reached out and took her arm, pulling her towards me. Leaning down, my lips brushed against the shell of her ear.
“Thank you, little girl,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“How patient you’ve been with Rory. How you’re helping him. I didn’t see it before, but you’re exactly what he needs. One of the things I admire the most about you is your capacity to love and care for those around you.”
My eyes flicked to Rory who was watching us, but I knew he couldn’t hear what I was saying to her.
“We’re all so lucky to have you.”
And I meant that from the bottom of my heart. Ash was worth all the shit we’d gone through since taking her.
“Take care of my best friend for me. He deserves to be loved even if he thinks he doesn’t. Even if he tries to push you away, don’t stop trying to get through to him. He’s worth the effort.”
Her hand slid up my chest, pressing against my heart.
“Never stop being you, little girl.”
I ran my fingers over the necklace I’d given her.
“I love you.”
She let out a breath, pressing her face into mine.
“I love you too, Quinn.”
I stepped back, giving Rory a significant look before I stroked her face and smiled. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ll always take care of him.”
I knew she would, which is why I felt safe walking away and leaving the two of them alone. Ash knew what she was doing when it came to him. I’d been worried before but seeing the way Rory’s eyes shone when he looked at Ash made me realise just how much they needed each other. And I would never stand in the way of the girl I loved and my best friend’s happiness.
Chapter 7
Despite Quinn having calmed down about the Julian situation this morning, we were still no closer to a resolution. I felt responsible for putting us in this position and I completely understood why Quinn had been so annoyed yesterday. He’d literally been fighting his whole life to keep us safe. He’d asked us to do one thing. Keep Ash safe at the hospital. We hadn’t done that. And then I’d put her in even more danger by having to submit to Julian’s fucking blackmail. That man was the bane of my life. Yet if I cut him off now, I could risk everything. So yeah, I felt like complete crap as I trudged upstairs to my room with Eric on my heels.
I’d spent last night with my face smashed against his chest because I couldn’t stand the thought of going to sleep alone, especially not with Ash having gone after Quinn. Sleep hadn’t come easy even with him there trying to take care of me. This morning I’d been grumpy and irritable so far, which hadn’t helped with our discussion with Quinn in the slightest. Eric had done most of the talking, saving me from aggravating the situation further.
“Xavi…”
I threw myself into my desk chair and turned on my laptop. I had work to do which had been neglected last night after we’d rushed to the hospital.
“I have shit to do, E.”
It didn’t stop him coming over and putting a hand on my shoulder.
“Do you want some tea?”
I sighed and leant my head against his hand. How had I never realised before how much this man loved me? He’d taken care of me our whole lives. I should’ve known. I should’ve recognised he acted out of love. He was my best fucking friend. Had always been. So I should’ve damn well seen it.
He stroked my hair with his other hand, soothing me. God, I didn’t know how I could live without him. Without this. After twenty-five years, I finally appreciated everything we shared together on a level I hadn’t before. Eric wasn’t just my rock or my best friend, he was my soulmate.
“Yeah, that’d be nice, thank you.”
I didn’t want to take my frustrations regarding Julian out on Eric. He didn’t deserve that from me when he was trying so hard to make me feel better.
“I’ll be back in a few then.”
He released me and walked away. I felt bereft of his touch and presence immediately. I ran a hand through my hair and slumped in my chair. The weight of the world was on my fucking shoulders. What I did about Julian was still a damn mystery. I had no real choice but to give in to his demands if I was going to keep Ash safe. However, I didn’t know if that would even be enough. He might betray me anyway. That’s just who he was. Julian had always served his own interests and never cared about the havoc he wrought on other people’s lives.
I rubbed my face and started opening up the programs I needed. Concentrating on work would help, but even as I looked at the code I was writing, I felt the ever-looming presence of my father on my shoulder. It’s like he’d never left even though he’d been in prison for twelve years. I thought I was safe from him but believing that had been a mistake. I’d never be safe from Julian. Not when memories of what he’d done plagued me. Not when he’d forced me into agreeing to his stupid stipulations. Not now he knew who I cared about more than anything in this world. If anything happened to Eric or Ash because of him, I don’t know what the fuck I would do. Fall apart? I couldn’t live without the two of them. Quinn and Rory came a close second. They were my family even if Quinn did my head in on a regular basis.
I turned my head at the sound of footsteps. Eric placed a mug and a plate next to my hand before leaning down and kissing my temple. He’d brought up Hobnobs, my favourite biscuits to dunk in my tea. Emotion clogged my throat. This man knew me like the back of his fucking hand.
Before he could disappear, I swivelled my chair around and snaked a hand around his waist. I pressed my forehead against his stomach, breathing in his fresh pine scent. He stroked my head but didn’t say a word as if he knew all I needed was his presence right then.
“Thank you for taking care of me our whole lives,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to realise how much you mean to me.”
I pulled him in between my legs, turning my head and resting my cheek against him. I wrapped both my arms around him because I needed him close. I just plain needed him right here with me. He continued to stroke my head whilst his other hand rested on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
“I’m scared, E,” I admitted. “I’m scared of what he’ll do. Scared he’ll find a way to rip you and her away from me like he did to Mum and Katie. I can’t lose anyone else. I can’t go through that again.”
I clutched him tighter. The need to hold on to him and never let go pulsed through my veins.
“You won’t, Xavi. We’re not going anywhere.”
“You don’t know that. It’s not just Julian, it’s that fucking cunt, Russo and Ash’s mother. All of it. I can’t stand it. I want this to be over. I need it to be. I know how Quinn feels now. How much pressure he’s under to keep us from falling apart. From fucking dying. Why have we been fighting our whole lives? We deserve a fucking break not all of this extra crap.”
His fingers tightened around my shoulder. We’d all been under so much stress since we’d taken Ash. It was a fucking miracle we hadn’t killed each other with all the crap we’d gone through. Somehow that girl kept us together. The glue we needed to keep our family from imploding. She completed us, but it was only when I realised just how deeply I felt about Eric I became aware I’d still been missing a piece. Him. My soulmate.
“We’re going to get through this. I know it’s shit right now. I know it feels like it won’t end. We just have to fight a little longer and a little harder. One day we won’t have to worry about any of this shit. One day we’ll be safe. All of us. It ends when Russo is gone. Julian loses his leverage over you when Russo dies. You know that, right?”
I nodded. We needed to destroy that man. I might not be able to do a single fucking thing to my father, but I could damn well do something about the man Ash thought was her father her whole life. I could help end him. He was the reason for all the bullshit in our lives. His fucking empire was part of the reason our childhoods had been so shitty. Russo needed to be put down. He needed to be gone.
“Then we end him.”
“We will.”
Some of the tension radiating from me lessened. I stroked my fingers down Eric’s back, loosening my hold slightly. He always knew how to settle me. How to calm my warring soul. He was my anchor. And that’s when I knew exactly what I wanted to get tattooed next. Something to represent my love for him and Ash. A heart with an A and an E entwined in the centre of it. I wasn’t going to tell him though. I’d surprise the both of them with it. That gave me something to hold on to. A positive thing in my life when so many things were dark.
I continued to trail my fingers along his back, loving the feel of his muscles beneath the tips. He was so handsome and perfectly proportioned. I loved having him against me. Looking down, I swallowed hard as my eyes took in his hips. There’d never been a time in my life when I wanted to know what it felt like to run my tongue along the grooves of another man’s abs and lower. With Eric, I felt differently. I wanted to taste him. To please him. And that fucking scared the shit out of me. It shouldn’t since I’d never been one to shy aw
ay from trying something new sexually, but the depth of my feelings towards him. The urges I had with him. Those scared me. They were so new.
I wasn’t ready to admit it to him though. Ready to try. So even as my mouth watered at the thought of having him between my lips, I kept my thoughts to myself. Stupid really to be scared of his reaction. Scared of what he might say. Especially when he knew how vocal I’d been about not wanting to suck dick. I shouldn’t be since Eric had never judged me. I’d just been through too fucking much since Julian’s cancer diagnosis. And my fears were getting the better of me.
Stop making excuses.
I wasn’t ready. Not when everything in my life was in such turmoil.
“I love you, E,” I whispered because I couldn’t voice my real thoughts right then.
I pulled away and stared up at him. The love and affection in his eyes made my heart thump. He stroked my face, smiling down at me.
“Love you too… now, don’t let your tea go cold or you’ll complain about how it’s not the right temperature for dunking your Hobnobs in or some shit like that.”
I couldn’t help snorting. He knew me too well.
“Okay, okay. Since you went to all that effort for me.”
I sat back, releasing him even though I really didn’t want to. I wanted him to stay right here so I could touch him. Be close to him. Love him. He leant against the desk and watched me dunk a biscuit. After I’d eaten it, I looked up at him.
“You staying?”
“If you want me to…”
I reached out and took his hand.
“I always want you to.” And I meant that.
He smiled again and leant down, pressing another kiss to my temple.
“Let me get my laptop and then you can have me here all day, yeah?”
I nodded. Would this man do anything to make me happy? I really think he would. And I’d try my best to do anything to make him happy too. Because that’s what you did for the people you loved. And I loved Eric more than fucking life itself.