by C. A. Harms
“I can give you all the space you need, sweetheart, but I want you to stay here.” Ashton traced my jaw with his fingertip as I looked him in the eye, fully intending to argue. “I’ll sleep in one of the guest rooms.”
“I think I should go home,” I said once again.
“You are home, Kinsley,” he replied before his kissed me softly, cutting me off before I could protest.
When he pulled back, he rolled to the side, walked toward the door, and left the room without even a quick glance back.
I stood in the entryway of my apartment building watching as Ashton waved just before he got into the awaiting car at the curb. Murray closed the door behind him, and within moments the car eased away, leaving me immediately feeling alone without him near.
“Who’s your friend?” I jumped in surprise when the deep voice I’d hoped I’d never hear again spoke from behind me.
I spun around and came face-to-face with Jase.
“You look surprised to see me, babe.” He smirked.
“I, uh. . . .” My heart was racing so fast I felt as if it may beat out of my chest. My hands shook and my body trembled as I tried to back away.
“I think you and I have some lost time to make up for.” Jase grabbed my arm and dragged me through the door and toward the elevator. The halls were quiet, and the lack of security within my building left me little hope of escaping.
The trip up to my apartment felt like an out-of-body experience. My head was spinning and dizziness threatened to knock me off my feet.
Once we stepped inside my apartment, Jase backhanded me so hard across the cheek I felt like my jaw shifted upon impact. I fell to the floor at the side of the couch and hurried toward it for cover before the next strike came. Only it never did.
Instead Jase walk across the living room and took a seat in the chair that faced me. “Did you think it would be that easy to walk away from me?” His voice was eerily calm. He crossed his ankle over his leg and brought it to rest on his knee. “I’ve let you believe for months that you gained your freedom. I sat back and watched as you slowly came out of your shell. It was mesmerizing really, seeing you gain confidence and strength. It made me even happier to know I would get to break you all over again.”
Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to give this bastard even one of them. I fought against them, finding the woman inside me I knew was there.
“And then—” he chuckled sadistically “—you had to take things one step further and spread your legs for the first guy who showed you an ounce of attention.”
He lowered his leg to the floor and leaned over, placing his elbows against his knees. He didn’t smile and he didn’t glare, but the fierce look he gave me was nothing like I’d ever seen before. “It’s time I remind you of who you truly belong to.”
The tears I fought to hold back spilled free when he jerked up from the chair, grabbed my hair and yanked upward as he dragged me off toward my bedroom.
“Fucking you back into submission is going to be the highlight of my life, Kinsley.” He laughed.
Bile rose in my throat as I tried to free myself. I knew I would pay for it later, but I couldn’t let him take me without a fight.
“Fight me, baby,” he whispered as he lifted me from the floor and threw me on the bed. “You know I like the challenge.”
Jase began to undress, and with each movement of his hands I grew more terrified. This was it. He’d come to take everything and everyone I’d grown to love away.
ASHTON
AS SCREAMS ECHOED THROUGH THE penthouse, I leaped up from the couch in my office and ran toward the sound. Terror filled my chest as Kinsley’s cries continued.
When I reached my bedroom, she was thrashing from side to side on the bed, fisting the comforter and kicking. The sight nearly brought me to my knees.
“Please no,” she begged.
I moved toward her, not caring if she struck me as she fought the demons in her mind.
“Baby,” I whispered as I reached out to touch her cheek.
“Stop, please, don’t do this,” she whimpered.
“Kinsley, it’s me, sweetheart. It’s Ashton.” As I touched her shoulder, she moved away and curled her body into the fetal position. Her legs were tucked up so tightly to her chest she looked more like a fearful child than the gorgeous woman I’d left only hours ago.
“No,” she cried, and I couldn’t take it any longer.
I moved in and did all I could to wake her from the nightmare. I didn’t retract when she pummeled my chest with her small fists. I didn’t pause when her foot came within inches of my balls. Instead I continued to say her name over and over, telling her that I was here and everything was okay.
“Wake up, baby. Come back to me, Kinsley,” I begged.
Her eyes shot open in panic, and she looked around the room, trying to assess her surroundings. When they focused on me, she lurched forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. Burying her face into the space that now belonged solely to her, she cried harder than I’d ever seen her cry. And it was pretty close to impossible to hold my own emotions at bay as the strong woman I’d fallen for so hard fell apart in my arms. Her body shook with each sob as she pressed her body to mine and dug her hands into my sides as if she feared I would let go.
But there was no way I was leaving her. No fucking way I was letting go. Ever.
“It all felt so real,” she whispered.
“What did?” I asked, holding her tight against me.
“He was there, and I swear I can still feel the ache in my jaw from the impact of his hand.” I tensed involuntarily as she went on. “He was waiting there at my apartment when you dropped me off. He said he’d been watching me and it was time I remembered who I belong to.”
“Me,” I whispered.
She pulled back just enough to look up, and the moment her gaze connected with mine, I insisted, “You belong to me, and I’ll never let him or any other person hurt you again.” I gripped her face with my palms against her jaws. “I need you to trust me when I say that I’m doing everything I can do to assure your safety.”
She looked back at me in silence, the blue of her eyes appearing even bluer against the bloodshot background.
“I meant what I said earlier; this is now your home.” She shook her head, but I didn’t pause to acknowledge her resistance. “This isn’t up for debate, Kinsley. I will keep you safe, and nothing is going to stop me from doing just that. Not even you.”
Her lip trembled, and something inside me broke as I leaned in and placed my forehead to hers. “I love you so much, sweetheart,” I whispered. “Please don’t fight me on this. Let me love you, let me protect you.” I didn’t pull back to look at her because I knew with how raw I was that a look from her would send my own emotions spilling out. “Trust me when I say I will never hurt you, and I will always do whatever it takes to assure you are taken care of. You have me completely, Kinsley, physically and emotionally.”
I held her tightly against me for hours. She was ridged and fearful at first but slowly relaxed as her body gave in to exhaustion. Her soft snoring and her gentle breaths fanning out over my chest helped me keep my cool for the time being. But inside I was a fucking raging bull, and I wanted nothing more than to make this sick fuck Jase pay for everything he’d ever put her through. No man should ever lay a hand a woman, and just knowing Kinsley had endured that kind of violence was torture.
But for now, I would hold her close and give her the security she so desperately needed.
Movement from the doorway caught my attention. I looked up and was met with curious looks from Knoxville and Beckett.
“We’ve got some things to talk about,” Beckett whispered.
“Just give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you in my office,” I assured them.
When the bedroom doorway was empty, I pulled Kinsley against me a little tighter and placed a kiss against her forehead. I didn’t want to leave her. Everything inside of me said I should tell my
brothers we would talk another time, but I knew I couldn’t. If I wanted this shit to end, I had to work with them to make that happen.
My girl was so worn out she barely stirred when I slipped my arm from beneath her body. She also didn’t notice when I got up and placed the blanket over her. I took a few more minutes to look at her beautiful form tucked in securely before I turned away and left the room.
My brothers were waiting when I entered my office, both looking serious. “Just tell me, because from the looks on your faces I already know it’s ugly.”
“‘Ugly’ doesn’t even begin to explain it, brother,” Knox said. “This guy is dirty. Real fucking dirty.”
“How dirty?” I asked.
“Drugs, extortion,” Beckett began, “hell, he’s even been suspected of rape.”
My stomach tightened as they continued to tell me what kind of man Kinsley had been trapped in the clutches of.
“And as if all that isn’t bad enough, he’s been accused of being an accessory to murder too.” Knoxville tossed a file on the desk. “It’s all in there.”
Even though I wanted to grab for it, I couldn’t. I felt as if I’d be touching something toxic. “How the hell has this sick fuck gotten away with all this?” I asked. “How is he still free?”
“He and Daddy seem to have ninety percent of Miami on their payroll, and their reach doesn’t stop there.” I looked up from the file at Beckett. “But in light of all this shit, there are still a few good, trustworthy men out there.”
“What do you mean?” I said, finally feeling hopeful.
“I’ve got a few connections myself. And I can assure you that Mr. Hellman and his father are not in the clear,” Knoxville said. “But, Ash, you gotta know that your girl isn’t off their radar.”
“What do you mean?” My anger from earlier flared up again.
“He hasn’t given up on finding her,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s got men on his dime out daily searching for her. He isn’t the kind of man who likes to lose, and to him, Kinsley is just something to be conquered and won.”
KINSLEY
WHEN I WOKE, IT WAS dark outside the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the east side of the bedroom, and I was alone. Immediately I felt empty. I’d fallen asleep in Ashton’s arms as he held me close and whispered over and over that he loved and would keep me safe, giving me the security I needed.
I never said I loved him too.
Even though I wanted to shout it, I couldn’t form the words.
But in that moment I knew I needed to tell him. I wanted him to know that what he’d given me, and continued to give me after everything we’d been through, meant more than I could ever express.
I got out of bed and quietly walked toward the hallway in search of Ashton. As I approached the great room, I could hear the soothing, soft sounds of a relaxing melody. The voice of the woman singing was alluring, yet sad. The room was dark, which allowed me to hide in the shadows of the hallway as I took in the scene before me. Ashton stood in front of the large windows with his back to the room. He held a small glass of something in his hand, and the lights that shown in from the city beyond highlighted his face. I took a few moments to just stand back and appreciate his beauty.
Ashton Montgomery was such a force of nature. He dominated every space he stood in, making everyone around him feel inferior. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and so different than anything I’d ever experienced.
No longer able to hold back, I moved into the room, and he turned to face me as if he felt my presence. The smile pulling at the edges of his lips filled me with calm as I stepped up to him and placed my hand against his chest.
“How did you sleep?” he asked as he caressed my cheek with his warm palm.
“Thank you,” I said without answering his question.
“For what?” He lowered his hand to my hip and looked at me with questioning eyes.
“For everything.” I was suddenly overflowing with gratitude and didn’t truly know where to begin. “For being so pushy in the beginning and giving me no choice but to accept there was something between us that we couldn’t ignore. For taking my sass and seeing it as another reason to love me.”
He smiled, but I didn’t pause long enough to allow him to say anything in return. I had to get this out.
“For being such an amazing man, even though you can be frustrating at times. You’ve given me confidence I didn’t know I had. And even though I lied and almost ruined everything between us, you still chose to love me. And that means more to me than I could ever express.” I was on the verge of breaking, but I held back my tears and pushed forward just as I always had.
“But you—”
I placed my finger to his lips. “Earlier today you told me you loved me.” He nodded. “I need you to know I’m so deeply in love with you that it terrifies me to think of my life without you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he spoke against my finger, and I couldn’t help but smile. He wrapped his hand around my wrist, and just before pulling my hand away from his mouth he kissed my fingertip.
“I’m in this with you, no matter what,” he assured me. “We’ll get through this, and in the end I can assure you that you will be free from that asshole.”
I wished Ashton had that power. Life would be so much simpler if he could bring down Jase and Bruce. But instead of arguing I left that thought alone.
“Nothing and no one will tear us apart, Kinsley,” he whispered as he leaned in a little closer. “It’s you and me, baby.”
I could see the seriousness in his eyes. He believed his words, and it was hard not to begin to believe them myself. Even if this was only another fantasy I was creating in my mind, I chose to live it. I wanted to feel as if Jase no longer had power over me.
The moment Ashton’s lips touched mine, I leaned into him for support. I could taste the scotch that lingered on his lips, and the touch of his tongue against mine made my knees weak.
From the beginning of our relationship, he’d been very physical, and we’d been apart for days. The lack of intimacy was affecting us both, and in this moment I knew we just needed to feel each other.
I moved with him as he stepped forward, leading me backward to the couch.
The clink of his glass against the glass tabletop was the only sound I heard before he knelt just enough to pick me up. We didn’t break our kiss as he sat down on the couch and I straddled him. The touch of his hands along my sides, my waist, and even my stomach as he reached just beneath the hem of my shirt made my body feel as if it were on fire. I took control of the moment and reached down to lift my shirt up and over my head.
Ashton’s eyes widened as he focused on my now-bare breasts. I’d removed my bra earlier when I lay down. He placed one large hand on either side of my waist as he leaned in and began to trail kisses along my cleavage. The moment his tongue traced the contour of my breast, I whimpered and thrust my chest out, begging for more. And he instantly gave me what I craved. Sucking softly on my nipple, he teased it with the tip of his tongue just before biting lightly.
“Yes,” I moaned as he continued to please me. My hips began to rock against him almost of their own accord and I closed my eyes tightly and tipped my head back.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered against my breastbone as he moved his head my other breast, where he teased and taunted me with gentle flips of his tongue.
Everything about this moment felt so erotic as he built me up with slow, tantalizing touches and dirty words of encouragement. The man played me like a fine-tuned instrument and knew just what I needed and how.
By the time Ashton flipped me over and knelt before me, my entire body was humming as a single word repeated in my mind. More.
He gave me more, and even then it wasn’t enough. I wanted him so much. I needed him close.
When he positioned his hips between my thighs and slowly began to enter me, I wrapped my legs around his waist
and clawed at his arms.
“Please,” I begged.
He tilted his head down and focused on my pussy as he pulled back and then pushed in once more.
“So fucking beautiful,” he praised as he watched me take him over and over with a glazed look in his eyes. He was so lost in the moment that I don’t know if anything would have reached him as he continued to move inside me. And even though he felt amazing, I think I was most affected by the pleasure written all over his face.
“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE going?” Ashton asked as I stepped into the kitchen wearing one of the dresses I’d left here weeks ago. I was worried about what I would wear today before I found it hanging in the closet. He must have had it dry cleaned.
“Work,” I said as I looked down at my outfit, checking over my appearance once again. I thought it looked okay, but maybe I was wrong.
“No you’re not,” he said as he stood from the table and made his way toward the sink.
I remained in the entryway staring at him as if he had grown another head. “Excuse me?”
Over the last couple days he had held me captive in his penthouse. Okay, so I wasn’t about to complain about our time together. In fact I had quite enjoyed being able to reconnect with him. But now I needed to get back to reality.
“I said ‘no you’re not,’” he stated as he turned to face me. I searched his gorgeous features for even an ounce of humor but came up empty.
“I have a job to do,” I said as I placed my hands on my hips defiantly. “I can’t just hide out here in your penthouse and neglect my responsibilities.”
“You no longer work for Stockman and Wright,” he said. Once again no smile, no smirk, no fucking sign that this insane man before me was in any way joking. “You can glare at me, hell you can even yell if you want, but I can guarantee you aren’t leaving this penthouse unless I’m at your side. And as far as your job goes, they’ve been notified of your unexpected, yet remorseful departure.” He remained completely unaffected by this mortifying display of power.
