by Ava Hunt
The rest of the day flew by for each of them. Shelby had a smile on her face no matter how awful the client treated her and Ash kept getting distracted thinking about how she smelled of vanilla while he tried to detail upcoming security measures to his clients. By six o'clock, both were headed back to their respective homes. Ash and Ember shared a cab, each not trusting parking any of their vehicles in the company parking deck. Their climate-controlled garage was a much safer home for their hard-earned vehicles.
"So Ash, any plans tonight? Want to go catch the show at Sally's? They've new girls there." Ember asked. Sally's was a notorious strip club that catered to high level executives, it was a frequent favorite of the Reese twins to relieve stress and to spend the evening knocking back a few beers after work. While Ash was a spectator and tipped the girls generously, Ember frequently brought girls home from the club.
"Raincheck, Ember. I'm going to spend a quiet night at the house. Have a call to make."
Odd, Ash never turns down new girl night, Ember thought.
Back at the house, Ash kicked off his shoes and loosened up his tie, while Ember kept eyeing him suspiciously.
"What is it, Ember? You eyeballed me the entire trip home."
"Just, you never turn down new girl night. It strikes me odd you'd stay home from that." Sally's had been the one place Ember always took Ash to cheer him up, the one place that was the celebration whenever Ash broke up with someone that proved to be another gold digger. Why he doesn't just go for one night stands is beyond me. Get what you need and get out.
"If you must know, I met someone and I'm going to call her tonight and talk some more with her. I'd just rather do that." Ash said, not looking Ember in the eye. There was only so much he wanted to tell Ember about her and he definitely didn't want to tell her about him until they were actually a couple. He didn't want to mess anything up.
"So why didn't you say that? Who is she? The fashion designer that needed better encryption? The model that couldn't turn on her Wi-Fi?" Ash typically had a dating type and it was thin, blonde, and thirsty. He'd fall in love with the idea of her and she'd fall in love with his money. Both relationships never lasted long.
"She's a courier. We met the other day when she was delivering. She's beautiful Ember, with dark hair, dark eyes, and curves for days." As he described her, his facial features softened and his heart leapt. He smiled as a feeling of warmth filled him. She was different and he didn't know how to explain that to Ember. It was not long before he dialed her number and went into his room for privacy.
Ember didn't normally eavesdrop, but something was off with how Ash had acted and he couldn't put his finger on it. Usually, Ash boasted of his new girlfriends and Ember was the first to hear of any new conquests. However, this time Ash was taking it slow and easy, like it was going to be more of a long term relationship. What was it about this girl that was so different?
He heard bits and pieces of their conversation as Ash left the door partially opened. Ember listened to him talk about his past, what interested him, and ask about her likes and dislikes.
"Oh no, I live out in the country a bit. I prefer to have some woods around. Yea it's a big house for me, but I make do. No, no one else in my life, hoping you may change that."
Whoa. Did I just hear him say that to a chick he's only known a couple of days? And did he just imply that he is all alone here and I'm not around?
It was at that moment, hearing Ash not even allude to having a brother at all, that Ember formulated his way of coming in first in something.
Chapter Four
They spent nearly four weeks together, Shelby and Ash, catching coffee or lunch whenever they could. There was really something there and they were getting closer and closer. While they had kissed and touched, they didn't take it any farther. Each wanted a slow moving long term relationship to grow, it seemed.
Ash planned a special surprise for her on the evening of their one month anniversary. He wanted to cook her favorite meal and then the two of them wrap up in each other to watch a movie. Ember assured him he'd be gone that evening, so Ash had been in a good mood all that week as he tried to keep it a secret from her until the very evening of the date.
"About 3pm turn off your phone and then when you're out of work come to the house. I gave you directions. I want to surprise you." Shelby smiled so wide rereading the text message she received. She loved the spontaneity of it and she wondered what that night would bring. After a month of dates and passionate kisses and touches, she was ready to take things to the next level.
At 3:00 promptly she turned the phone off and spent the next two hours in a haze thinking about Ash and how different he was from other men she had known. He'd spent so much of his time with her the past four weeks, never pressuring her for sex, and genuinely got to know her.
"Finally, 5:00. Time for a quick shower and change of clothes at the apartment then over to Ash's," she said under her breath as she dashed back from the dispatch center. She wanted to look her best, and chose a fitted black dress that accentuated all her curves and blended well with her dark features. It fell just above the knee, which showed off her toned calves.
****
While Shelby was nearly bubbling over with happiness, across town Ash seethed from complications arising from his own plan.
"Damnit, I can't contact Shelby to let her know I have to cancel! I hope I'm going to be able to make it up to her whenever she turns her phone back on. Stupid clients and their emergencies. I'm not going to get out of here until at least 8:00 now. Even Ember isn't answering now. Shit!" Ash paced his office as his bear raged inside him from the stress he was enduring. Slowly he exhaled and realized he needed to calm down and get through the evening before dealing with the fiasco that surely would unfold.
Shelby had just left her apartment to go to the house when she second guessed having her phone off on the way. She'd always kept in on in case something happened and someone needed to reach her. It had always been a line of defense for her as well, so that she had something to quickly call for help if she needed. A little distressed about it but still not wanting to ruin Ash's plans, she made her way there with her phone off and tucked away in her purse.
As soon as she got there the gates opened and she was able to get to the front door. She knocked. A few minutes later after no answer, she knocked again. This time she saw him in the window waving at her, coming toward the door in a towel. Christ on a cracker, he looks even better out of clothes.
As he opened the door for her, her eyes couldn't help but trail down from those gorgeous eyes to the perfectly trimmed chest hair that seemed to be a path down to his... oh my, she was staring.
"Hello Ash, I can't wait to see what your surprise is," she smiled up at him and tried to disregard the desire she felt.
Ember's plan was in motion. It was all so simple and easy to get Ash away, too. One fake client booking late at night and Ash would never question it. After hearing all about his "phone off" plan and his dinner idea, Ember knew all he'd have to do is tell Ash he'd be gone when in fact he'd be here waiting on Shelby. Shelby would never know it was really him instead of Ash, for in Shelby's world Ember didn't exist. And now, meeting her, he could see why his brother was so enamored with her. It's really too bad how it has to work out, he thought, but at least I'll get to nail her and lord it over Ash.
"Shelby, lovely to see you. Come on in. Just let me dress quickly and I will be right with you."
He dashed to the back of the house just long enough to slip on the clothes he had laying on his bed. He'd been in the towel for twenty minutes waiting on her to accidentally catch him "fresh from the shower".
Ember played it well as he was setting up dinner, keeping the conversation guided to things that couldn't possibly trip him up and give away who he really was. Who am I kidding though, Ember thought, she has no idea Ash even has a twin.
"This has been all so nice," she said, "you really are so special, you know." She didn't want to admit
the feelings she already had for him just yet.
"Come and let's sit on the sofa and relax," Ember said, as he grabbed the wine; a red out of their extensive wine cellar.
"Sounds perfect."
They sat together, curled up in each other's arms, and for a moment Ember almost told her who he was and killed his plan. There was just so much trusting in her eyes and he could tell that she wasn't one of their normal gold digger women without a soul. This woman was kind and caring, and for a moment Ember thought he could fall for her. He shook as if to shake off these feelings and kept to his plan. There would be no falling in love tonight. Instead, he leaned over and kissed her soft lips that tasted faintly of coconut. Kiss after kiss, they pressed into each other, holding each other close. Her ample chest rubbing against his body made Ember react in ways he never thought a curvy girl would be able to arouse in him. Soon his lust for her started to overtake the hatred for his brother and he lifted her up, laying her back against the cushions. There is no reason why I can't enjoy this.
"Ash, I..." she began, before Ember covered her mouth with his again. Damn, I don't want to hear his name. It's me that's doing this to you Shelby, not Ash. His hand slid down her side, caressed her hip and thigh, before finding her softness underneath the fabric. Her eyes opened and looked at him as he started to touch her. Each fingertip that slid over her bare skin felt like lightning bolts on her. He seemed hungry for her and it made her feel beautiful.
Shelby was torn between two very conflicting feelings. She wanted him, oh how she wanted him, but she also knew that she needed to wait this time. Too many times she'd done this too soon with her boyfriends and met with relationship-ending results. This time would be different and she knew that Ash would understand.
Still it was hard to say no when her body was screaming yes, yes, yes. His fingers played her expertly and she was fighting a battle to stay in control and not surrender to him. He alternated between the edge of his fingernail and the pad of his finger, giving her delicious chills. There were so many times that she nearly gave in to him. It's so very hard saying no to him.
"Ash, seriously, NO." She said, a little louder than she'd liked to have spoken. She rose up and adjusted her dress, smoothing it back down where it had ridden up her thighs in the middle of it all.
"Come on Shelby, I need you. I need this." Ember said. And if you don't, you little bitch, my plan completely fails. No woman has ever said no to me.
"I just think we should wait until we see where this is headed first." She tried to sound casual but her heart was pounding in her chest, hoping for the best.
"Just get out then. Head back to your cheap apartment and your cheap life." Ember knew his words were harsh but he didn't care, she'd messed up all his plans. And damnit, I did want to finish with her.
Shelby looked at him, shocked and saddened. Without a word she grabbed her purse and walked out the door, tears streaming down her face.
Chapter Five
Between the time Shelby had left the house and the time that Ash finally made it home, Ember had a new plan. Crude, but still functional for what he needed. A few lies added and it would be even better than the one he had in the beginning. He'd tell Ash he was here and that she came on to him, even after telling her she had the wrong brother. With Shelby out of the picture, it'd be a double win; he'd have his strip club partner back and he'd have beaten Ash to her.
"Brother! I see you made it home finally." Ember said as soon as he came into the doorway.
"It was a serious bitch of a night. A no-show. Why do that and screw with a man's evening, right?" Ash was tired and frustrated but looking at Ember's beaming face he knew something was up.
"Ok spill it, Ember, what's up? Get one of Sally's new girls tonight?"
"No, not one of Sally's," he said to Ash. He smiled deviously at him.
"Tell me then quickly, okay? I'm really tired and I just want to lie down. Nothing has gone right today."
Ember stuck out his hand to a confused Ash. "Smell." Ok, he thought, it's a childish plan, but a plan nonetheless. Ash inhaled and smelled the unmistakable scent of a woman.
"Smell like anyone you know? Oh that's right; you haven't done anything with Shelby yet." Ember didn't even have the chance to say more before Ash's right hook hit him square in the jaw. Before he could even restrain himself, Ash's bear emerged, barely giving Ember time to shift himself. The two bears fought in the middle of their living room. The thickness of their bodies hurled into the furniture breaking lamps and tables while cutting in to the mass of fur. Soon, small trails of blood streaked the walls as they locked onto one another.
While it wasn't a fight to the death, the two wanted to make damn sure the other knew of their displeasure. After a few minutes of it, Ash shifted back to human and backed away from his brother. He had never felt such hatred for Ember, even after some of the things he had done in the past in the name of competition. This was too much and Ash was afraid he'd not be able to control his temper if he stayed.
"Pack your shit, get out, and don't come back. I'll send you your 50% of the company's worth, just get the hell out of this house now." Ash said and wiped an embedded claw out of his shoulder as he walked back to his room, slamming the door behind him. For the next hour he heard Ember throwing things in suitcases and noisily taking them out to his car. Finally, the door shut for the last time.
Sitting there in his chair, he didn't know what bothered him more. That Ember was so hell bent on beating him at something, or that Shelby would actually have sex with him. Something was wrong. Something was off but he couldn't put his finger on it or face either of them at the moment. He just needed some time.
****
Shelby stared at her cell phone that laid on the nightstand beside her. It had been painfully quiet all night. There hadn't been a message from Ash at all. Her tears still flowed down her cheek and she didn't understand how she could have misread him so badly. He was just like all the others in her life it seemed and she was heartbroken. She vowed not to text or call him until he either apologized to her or gave her some sort of an explanation.
Chapter Six
Ember handed over the first and last month's rent on a two bedroom bungalow on the outskirts of town. After a week of hitting motels, he'd finally secured a place of his own. For the first time in his entire life, he was without his brother. His job was gone and although there was a small sense of freedom in being about to do whatever he wanted instead of what his brother thought was right, he was filled with apprehension. A piece of him was gone.
I won, but what did I lose in the process. He went inside and started to drag boxes and suitcases into the bleak, stark rooms. For the fifth time, he texted his brother, hoping to apologize. For the fifth time, his brother didn't reply. Ember sighed, knowing that this time, he went too far.
"I can do this. I can live here on my own, make my own money, spend it how I choose. I can do this." he repeated, folding his clothes in to the dresser he'd hauled in earlier that day.
By the end of that day, he looked around at the rooms that had begun to look like a home. Not bad, Ember, not bad.
****
Ember woke to his cell phone going off and he sprinted to reach it in time. "Ash?" he asked as he answered the phone, not having time to check the screen before answering.
"No, this is Jason Awning of SoftNet, you had applied yesterday for a position here?"
"Yes, sorry, this is Ember Reese."
Ember went through his qualifications again. Agreed to the horrible reduction in pay. Assured Jason his prior firm partner would not be available for a recommendation of hiring and then ended the call. He'd begin Monday at a firm on the opposite side of the city from his brother. He was still in the same area code yet couldn't feel further from him.
He sat down, realizing his brother may never pick up the phone, and wrote him a letter. An hour later, he sealed it and put it on his desk, hoping for the chance to hand it to him in person.
Chapte
r Seven
Nearly a week had passed and Shelby had given up. Ash was clearly like all the rest. She hopped into the hot shower and tried to rinse all the bad memories away so that she could get started on her work day. No matter what was going on in her personal life, she needed that paycheck to keep her life afloat.
Ash had gone too long in his quest for more time alone and realized that it was now probably too late to call. He still had so many questions about that day. What really happened? Was it even truly Shelby that Ember had? So many things that continued to haunt him with no answers. He needed to talk to Shelby and kicked himself for not doing it sooner. He, in the midst of the turmoil, had blindly taken his brother's words to be true without even checking to see if they were.
He called the courier service and had a special request they assured him could be done that day, for the right fee.
Across town, the courier service handed over the day's manifest to Shelby, noting special items that went to Reese Systems that had to be there by noon, no later. A mild panic started in the pit of her stomach and worked its way to her chest. She hadn't bumped into him once since that day. She had finally found a place where she wasn't crying or missing him but wasn't ready to see him again. She wasn't ready to start that slippery slope back to wanting him.
"Couldn't one of the other couriers take it, Charlotte?" she said to the dispatcher, "I'm really overloaded today and unsure I'll even get there in time."
"No, it's yours. Good luck."
There was something in Charlotte's tone and the way she wouldn't look at Shelby that seemed odd, but she was already late and didn't have time to question her about it.
Damnit. Maybe I can just leave it with the receptionist. In and out, I don't even have to see Ash that way.
