I look over at her and now she’s got tears welling up and starting to fall, and I reach out and pull her close with a sigh, murmuring an apology into her hair. She shudders gently against me and then pulls away shaking her head, and she wipes the tears from her face only for more to fall.
“Ashton I can’t… The party…”
“Don’t worry about it.” I say calmly, pulling her into my chest again. “You’re too upset to deal with anyone out there and I don’t blame you, I’m sorry.”
I lean down and kiss her softly before I step back and offer a warm smile, heading towards the dining room.
“You just relax. I’ll take care of the party.”
So I make my way to the dining room to apologize and ask everyone to leave, Jade crying in one room and Emily crying in another.
What a party.
29
Emily
What a disaster. I thought the kiss was going to be the most dramatic point of the evening, but here I am: alone, crying in the kitchen. I know Ashton only left to end the party, but a part of me can’t help but think my entire life is falling apart. My future rests on this case, and everywhere I turn there is another complication. I bring a shaking hand to my face to wipe the tears away from my eyes. I can’t bring myself to face the guests in the dining room. What would they say after all? I never let anyone see me like this. Except for Jade, and I suppose Ashton too.
I fetch a glass, and fill it with icy cold water. The sound of the water splashing into the cup helps me focus on something other than the sounds of the guests. Their murmurs, the sound of chairs dragging across the floor, and my thoughts all form an unbearable cacophony of sound. I need to focus on getting back to baseline. I sigh. The evening has hardly begun. I still have to deal with Ashton, and this file. Not to mention my heartbroken daughter. I drain the water, zeroing in on the cooling sensation to drown out the situation around me. I place it down on the quartz counter with a gentle clink. I close my eyes for a moment, and take in a deep breath. Tonight isn’t going to be easy, but I have to face it head on.
I hear the front door close one last time, and footsteps approach me. When I open my eyes and raise my head, there he is. Ashton looks calm, and comes to check on me.
“It’s done, “ he says, wiping the last of my tears off of my face.
“Well, the party is anyways,” I sniffle between words. I bring my hands up, and let them drop, feeling defeated. My body feels slack, and I lean against the counter for some stability. My head stings, probably from drinking the cold water too quickly.
“Well, since the party is taken care of, I’m going to go check in on Jade.” He looks me over with knitted brows and stern lips. Sympathy is written all over his face. He turns away from me to leave. “You don’t look ready to handle that yet.”
“Ashton, please wait,” I say, putting my hand firmly on his shoulder. “Let’s give Jade a moment,” He pauses, and I close the gap between us. “Besides, we still need to talk about some things.”
He turns around to listen to me. “You sure are right about that.”
“I usually am,” I instantly retort.
My daughter’s words echo in my head. We are on the brink of fighting again, over the same thing that caused Jade to leave the room in the first place.
Ashton has turned his face away. I click my tongue and try a less confrontation tone. Whatever else happens, we have to stop arguing over every little point.
“About the file...if I tell you how I got it, you can’t repeat it. To anyone.”
There it is again, that look full of concern and despair. My hands are shaking. I’ve never been this worried about what someone would think of me, and what I’m saying. Ashton, for all of his snark, is one of the most by-the-book lawyers I’ve ever met. And the file that he took from me was acquired through illicit means. I break eye contact. I can’t stand to look at his face right now. I can take the jokes, the smug smiles, the heated arguments. But this? This feels like I’ve stabbed him and am wrenching the knife in his back. And even more than this hurts him, I worry about how it might hurt me, how it might hurt Jade.
“I understand,” he says. The words fall from his mouth, heavy. There is an oppressive weight in the room. The only way to clear it is to come clean and explain everything. “Which senator’s aide handed you this file?”
“My mother’s. My mom had offered to help me, and I didn’t want to take her help-” I say, my hands clenched into fists at my side. “But I didn’t see any other option. I needed a backup plan in case I couldn’t get the information tonight. I hoped that I could convince someone at the party.”
My eyes are still glued to the floor, but I watch him shift his weight. He already knew I was pressing for information, but not anything this important. Or this dangerous.
“How did your mother get her hands on this type of file? You can’t just ask any secretary for this. This is highly classified information.”
“My father is an Admiral in the Navy. He was the commander of the platoon in the file. At least at the time of the incident.”
I look up, and Ashton doesn’t look as upset as I thought he might. He looks expectant, waiting for more information. I loosen my hands, small crescents across my palm. I cross my arms so he doesn’t catch how frustrated I am at the moment. With the situation. With my family. With myself. I run my tongue along the inside of my bottom lip, trying to think of how to phrase my thoughts. I needed to tell Ashton how this relates to me. To us.
His voice interrupts my thoughts.
“You look like you’ve got something else to say.” His eye brow is cocked, and he waits until I’m ready to continue.
“I got into law in the first place because of situations like this. These are the kind of crimes that need to be exposed. The kind that we can’t cover up. But that’s not the only reason I care about this case. I need us to succeed, more than anything in the world.”
I chance another glance on his face. He looks hurt, then confused.
“What other reason would you need, Emily?”
“After Gerald crashed the car, I knew I needed to get Jade away from him. I couldn’t see her in danger like that again.”
He’s silent, and I take that as a cue to continue explaining myself.
“I needed money to convince the court that I could take care of her by myself. I needed some sort of leverage or power to prove I could do it. So I ended up in corporate law. My family helped me then, but I swear this is the last thing they will help me with.”
I can’t tell if he believes me. He looks upset, but says nothing.
“I don’t want to have to keep relying on them. There was a time when I thought my father was an honorable man, but something has changed his moral compass. Or maybe he never was. Maybe I was just too young to see it. My mother has to see that things aren’t right either, yet they both just carry on. As if nothing was wrong.” I feel a heat rising in me, the same righteous anger that brought me to law in the first place. The same reason I’m standing here today, in front of Ashton.
“Like this file. I can’t believe my father knew about this, and stood idly by. He could have exposed this crime years ago! But he didn’t, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s as bad as endorsing it.”
The words tumble out of me. I can’t tell if I’m building a case for myself or making excuses anymore. I can’t stop talking until I drag every thought out of my head. I lay them bare before Ashton, letting him judge me for himself.
“I know what I’m doing is technically illegal, but someone has to right this wrong somehow. After this case, I’ll be out of your firm’s hair. I’m trying to save up the capital to fund my own PR firm. I know there are people out there who could use my help, but I need the publicity of a success to kickstart the process. I know that it’s selfish, but this is where my passion is. This is how I take care of myself, and Jade.”
I finally come to a stop, and brace myself for the inevitable wave of frustration from Ashton.
I flinch when he takes a step towards me.
“Emily, listen,” he says in a stern tone. Expecting harsh words, he instead embraces me with a soft touch, pulling me close. I nuzzle into the crook of his shoulder, and feel tears well up in my eyes again.
“I’m so sorry, Ashton, I didn’t mean to drag you into this-”
“We’re okay. We’ll make it through this.” I notice his use of ‘we’, and hesitate.
“You aren’t mad at me?”
“I’m only upset because you kept this from me. You can trust me.”
It’s a good thing Ashton is strong, because I nearly collapse into his arms. I’m relieved, but the emotional release takes a toll. I squeeze him back, leaning into the hug.
“I’ll try. It’s hard, you know? Jade and I have been hurt so many times before.”
“I know,” he says, stroking my hair reassuringly. He places a soft kiss on my scalp, holding me steady.
“I worried so many times that you were going to hurt me. And watching you with Jade...seeing how much she trusts you...I thought you might hurt us. I’d do anything to protect her. People can just be so awful, so terrible, to each other. Even the ones you think you are close to,” my breath hitches, and a shake runs through my body. My chest heaves, and I feel like I’m about to sob. He stands, a pillar for me to lean on. A rock in the sand. “I can’t let that happen to her. Not again.”
“Never again. I promise.” He tips my head up, and I meet his gaze with stinging red eyes. He doesn’t care, and kisses me anyways.
This is the most tender kiss we’ve shared so far. There’s no fight for domination, no exploration. It’s just Ashton, cradling me in his arms. For a moment, the world stops, and my fears fall away. “Make love to me, Ashton,” I say with a throaty smile. I see my savior as I look into his eyes. And happiness surges through me. He takes me by the hand, his other arm around me. We leave the kitchen towards the bedroom to see how long the moment can last.
30
Ashton
We fall on the mattress together, my hands roaming all over her body.
She reaches for my shirt and, tugging at the fabric, pulls me against her. I lay on top of her and, with my forehead resting against hers, look into her eyes and smile. “I love you, Emily,” I whisper, the words rolling off my tongue so easily I can’t help but be surprised. “I love you so damn much.”
“That makes two of us,” she replies, a smile spreading across her lips. Slowly, she starts unbuttoning my shirt, her knuckles brushing against my naked skin as she goes. Throwing the shirt to the side once she’s done, she then runs her fingernails down my back, her sweet smile turning into a wicked grin. “But I’m going to need more than just words, Ashton. If you want me to believe you, I’m going to need some hard evidence.”
“That’s going to be easy,” I laugh, already feeling my cock straining against my trousers. I’m so hard it’s practically a miracle I’ve managed to form coherent sentences. I don’t know what the hell Emily has done to me, but I’ve fallen for her completely.
With one hand on the nape of her neck, I hold her head and kiss her. I pry her lips open with the tip of my tongue, closing my eyes as I feel the warmth of her mouth, and I run one hand down the side of her body. I only stop when my fingers brush against her knee, the hemline of her tight little dress begging to be pushed up, and I hold my breath as I move my hand underneath the fabric.
She lets out a small gasp as I flatten the palm of my hand right between her legs, my fingers pressed against the drenched fabric of her thong. I start massaging her as softly as I can, and she arches her back as a response, grinding against my hand as her eyes roll in their orbits.
“You’re going to be the end of me, Ashton,” she breathes out, her voice heavy with lust.
“And I’m just getting started.”
Grabbing her thong, I pull it down her legs and throw it to the side. My hands returns to her wetness, and I sigh heavily as I feel her inner lips under my fingertips. Running one finger up the length of her pussy, I stop right above her clit and gently start to massage it. Emily starts swaying her hips wildly, pushing her feet against the mattress as she tries to have my whole hand against her pussy, and I become even harder than before as I see how mad with desire she is.
Grinning, I lie down on the mattress, right between her legs, and push her dress up to her waist. Pushing her legs apart, I position my mouth just a few inches away from her sweet little pussy, and take a moment to contemplate just how perfect she really is.
She isn’t a woman—she’s a goddess.
Hooking my fingers on the back of her knees, I pull her toward me and bring my mouth down on her pussy. Tilting my head to the side, I suck her inner folds into my mouth, enjoying the way her maddening flavor coats my tongue, and then using my tongue to whip her clit.
“Oh, God,” she moans, her voice the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. She runs her fingers through my hair as I devour her, pushing her pussy against my mouth while she does it, and I give her my all. “Please, Ashton, don’t stop,” she continues, and I redouble my efforts. It doesn’t take long before she’s tugging at my hair wildly, her moans becoming louder and louder.
Sucking her clit into my mouth, I part her inner lips with one finger and slide it inside her. I push it inward, curling it up like a hook, and take it all the way to that hidden spot inside her. She comes undone a fraction of a second later.
I twirl my tongue around her clit as she comes, enjoying the way her pussy tightens up around my finger, and I only dare to move once her body goes limp. Pulling back from her, her juices still dripping down my chin, I take one deep breath and look at her.
She’s breathing hard, one hand draped over her chest, and she looks like the most beautiful woman God has ever put on Earth. If only I had known how amazing Emily was, I would’ve acted on the attraction I’ve always felt so much sooner.
But no, I was convinced that being alone was such better.
I was such an idiot.
“You’re amazing,” she tells me, her eyelids fluttering open. A lazy smile takes over her lips, and she pushes herself off the mattress with her elbows. Reaching for me, she places one arm around my neck and pulls me toward her. I go willingly, my heart beating faster as she uses her free hand to unbuckle my belt. She pulls it out from its loops with a quick motion, and then pulls my zipper down.
“Fuck,” I groan, the way she pushes her hand against my cock setting my brain on fire. She grabs my erection over my boxer briefs and, without a moment’s hesitation, she starts to stroke me. Each movement of her hand, each flick of her wrist, is heaven.
I don’t even know how it happens.
All I know is that my hands act of their own accord, pulling her dress down her legs and tearing away at her underwear, and she returns the favor in her own feverish way. All it takes is a couple of seconds for us to be completely naked, our bodies burning for each other.
“Take me,” she whispers into my ear, and I’m quick to oblige. She wraps her legs around my waist, pulls me into her, and I hold my breath as she guides my cock home. I ease myself inside her slowly, taking my time as my thickness strains against her inner walls, and then I look straight into her eyes. I don’t say a word. I merely enjoy the moment, our bodies momentarily becoming one.
I start building up a slow, but steady, rhythm, but it’s only a matter of time until I start picking up the pace. Emily drags her fingernails across my shoulder blades hard enough to draw blood, but I don’t even feel the pain. The tightness of her inner walls doesn’t allow me to focus on anything else, and that’s just the way it should be.
“Harder, Asthon, harder,” she begs, and I don’t waste a second. I start pistoning into her as hard as I can, beads of sweat already trickling down my forehead. The entire world around us seems to fade into nothingness. We stay like that for God knows how long, and when we finally surrender to a tidal wave of pleasure, it’s far better than anything I could’ve ever imagined.
“Oh, God!” Emily screams, the lustful tone of her voice enough to make me explode. We come at the same time, electricity crackling all around us, and then we’re perfectly still as we try to catch our breaths. Emily only speaks when I slide out of her and collapse on the mattress beside her. “This was incredible.”
“Oh, it was even better than that,” I laugh, reaching for her hand and intertwining my fingers on her. Turning to the side, I lay one gentle kiss on her cheek. “I don’t know about you, but I want to keep on doing this for a very long time.”
“Are you saying that—?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I smile. “I want to give this a try, Emily. I want to be with you.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I continue before she has the chance to. “I know what you’re going to say, and I agree. We need to wrap up this case today and get you out of the firm as soon as possible.”
“We can wait if you prefer, Ashton. I really don’t mind if—”
“No. I don’t want to keep this a secret.” I wait for a moment, just taking in the sweet expression on her face, and then I brush my lips against hers. God, I never needed anyone as much as I need Emily. I need her lips, her smile, her laugh...I need all of her. “I want the whole world to know that I’m in love you with you, Emily. I want to shout it from the rooftops.”
She smiles then, and her smile is the most perfect thing I’ve seen in my entire life. She was afraid of what being in a relationship with me would mean, but now all her fears are fading away. She needed reassurances, and I gave her exactly what she needed.
“I love you, Ashton,” she whispers softly, gently squeezing my hand. “I want to be yours.”
Office Fling (Manhattan Bad Boys BWWM Interracial Romance) Page 15
