by René, Dani
I don’t know how long we’ve been driving but I can feel the heat of the sun on my legs, so I know it is still afternoon. I opted for a pair of denim cutoffs and a tank top since it’s rather warm today.
The moment the car stops, I want to tug off the material covering my eyes, but Ash growls beside me. “If you dare pull that off, I’ll spank you,” he utters in my ear, causing a shiver to rattle through me. The car door slams and moments later, mine is opened and Ash’s hands helping me from my seat.
He walks me through what I’m guessing is a parking lot, and then we’re told to go through. I have no idea what we’re going through, but my heartbeat is erratic when we come to a stop and Ash tugs the blindfold from around my head.
I’m met with lush greenery, and the view is utterly breathtaking. I don’t know where we are, but I’m speechless.
“Welcome to the Japanese Tea Garden,” Ash whispers in my ear. The heat of his breath warms me inside out, and I’m tempted to turn and kiss him on those full lips.
“Ash, this is incredible,” I murmur.
He laces his fingers through mine, and he leads me through the garden at a languid pace. We stop and look at every tree, every beautiful flower, and when pausing at a large fern which sweeps overhead shading us, I glance over at him. “I thought you didn’t date?”
“I don’t. I never saw the need,” he tells me earnestly and my stomach bottoms out. Why do I feel so sad that he’s just said that? I shouldn’t feel like this for him. Should I? He doesn’t look at me, but he continues, “All my life I’ve been happy with my brother being my confidante. Having a girl hampering for my attention is something I couldn’t justify.”
“And now?” The question falls from my lips without my thinking about it, but I can’t stop it now. I watch and wait for him to respond.
“My feelings aren’t set in stone, Kat. I can’t tell you if I’ll ever change who I am, but this”—he takes my hand and presses a kiss to it— “this is something I want to try.”
My heart pitter-patters at his confession, and I can’t stop the stupid smile that curls my lips. “So, you’ll take me on more dates then?”
My question makes him smile. His perfect dimples appear the moment I ask it. And I know I’m pushing my luck. Ash may be giving parts of himself to me, but I need to be careful. He could shut down at any time. And that makes me wary.
“Perhaps.”
“You’re rather indecisive, take a moment to step outside your comfort zone once in a while,” I tease, giggling and squealing when he pulls me into his arms and tickles my stomach. The other people visiting the garden either offer smiles or frowns at our display, but I don’t care. I feel happy.
“Don’t tease me, Kitten,” Ash growls in my ear once more, causing my cheeks to burn and my body to heat at the timber of his voice. I don’t know why, but when he speaks in that gravelly tone, I want him to touch me, undress me, and make love to me.
He straightens, helping me up, and then we start walking side by side again. “What about the other girls you’ve fucked?” I whisper. “Did none of them make you want to take them on a date? Or am I special?”
Ash’s blue gaze lands on mine. It’s as if he’s searching for something in my eyes, but whatever he’s looking for, he doesn’t find. At least, I don’t think he does.
He turns to me, fully facing me. He cups my cheeks in his hands, holding me steady and stealing my breath without doing anything at all.
“You’re inquisitive, Kitten.” He smiles before leaning in close and brushing his lips across mine. His heat sears me. It warms me. Cocoons me in a protectiveness that wraps itself around me, and I can’t explain it.
When he pulls away, I say, “I just want to know you.”
“Why?”
Tipping my head to the side, I reach for his face and run my thumb over his cheek. The stubble scratches at the pad of my finger, and I smile. “Because . . . I don’t know.” My answer may not be something he wants to hear. Should I tell him? If I do, will I scare him off? I don’t want that. No. I want Ash in my life, and that thought frightens me more than it should.
He’s bad and good all wrapped up in a perfect package, and I wonder if it unravels, what I’ll find inside.
“You do know, and I’ll make you tell me soon enough,” he counters, causing a ripple of fear and need to trail through me. “Let’s get ice cream.”
His grin is playful, and he tugs me along through the trees and flowers until we happen upon a small café. We order our sugar cones—I get a double chocolate scoop, and Ash smirks at his large scoop of choc mint, which makes me gag.
“That’s so gross.” I squeal when he presses the cold dessert onto the tip of my nose. Happiness bubbles in my chest. I haven’t felt this light and carefree for a long while. And it’s Ash who’s offering it to me.
I wonder what the cost will be.
My mind, soul, or heart?
We meander through the park for a while longer before Ash glances at me. “Ready to go home?” He watches me for a moment, and I nod.
“Yeah, I have to meet with Maria and tell her I’ll be studying.”
He walks me back to the car in comfortable silence. Once we’re on our way, I ask, “So, you have meetings tomorrow?”
“Yes, I have a few, but more than that I have a board meeting coming up which I need to prep for. I need to make sure I have briefings from each department before that.”
“Sounds tiring,” I remark, causing him to chuckle.
“It can be.”
It doesn’t take us long to get home, and soon I’m sad that our date is at an end. Ash walks me to the door, his body close to mine. He tips my chin up, causing my gaze to lock on his.
He presses a kiss to my lips, and I snake my arms around his neck to pull him closer. It doesn’t take long for him to deepen the kiss and I’m whimpering when I feel every hard ridge of him against me. His tongue sweeps along mine, and I suck it, eliciting a groan from him which makes me smile.
He steps back, and I’m cold. His heat no longer covers me. “Dinner on Saturday at the gala. I’ll send a dress for you tomorrow. Sign the agreement. And then get some rest.”
He follows me deeper into the house and to my bedroom. Once there, I turn to the desk, signing my life away. I read through the agreement a few times last night, and I’m sure this is the right thing now. At least he’s agreed to let me stay here, instead of moving in with them. Perhaps one day. Just not now.
I’m giving my life to a man who’s offering me a dream.
I just pray it doesn’t turn into a nightmare.
I keep my home, and I get to study. No strings.
Ash signs as well, and it’s done. He offers me a kiss on the cheek, and my skin heats from where his lips touched. “Good night, Kitten. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.”
Ash
How can twenty-four hours feel like a lifetime?
After the other night in her room, I’ve been aching to feel her against me once more. When I told Katerina I’d collect her, and she could change at the mansion, she agreed. The moment she walks down the stairs, my body is rigid with shock.
I’ve seen Katerina naked. I’ve seen her dressed in beautiful dresses on the nights I’d paid for her company, but this . . . Nothing has prepared me for the moment she reaches me in her silver floor-length silk dress.
Her slight curves are encased in the soft material. Her breasts look incredible with the scooped neck, and the thin straps that hang over her shoulders offer an erotic, yet sensual view of just enough skin to have my cock responding with a throb.
“So?” she questions as she spins around.
I regard her with hunger. The lace offers glimpses of her skin, but it’s not crude. She is elegantly sexy. I’m tempted to rip the damn thing off and take her against the wall.
Clearing my throat, I offer, “You look . . . incredible.” This raw honesty is something I’ve never given another woman bef
ore. All the arm candy I’ve ever had draped over me were whores. Women I didn’t care for, only there to get my dick wet. But with Katerina, I’m so fucked because as much as I know, I want to keep her for myself, I can’t.
“I’m nervous,” she confesses when she meets my gaze. Her body is trembling with anxiety, and I can’t stop myself from pulling her into my arms. She’s small, shorter than me, and slim. I engulf her in my hold, and when I look up, I notice Ember at the top of the stairs in his tuxedo.
“We’ll be with you the whole time,” I tell her. Stepping back, I tip her head up with my finger under her chin and meet her gaze. “Either Ember or I will be right beside you. You have nothing to be scared of.”
“I know, I just . . . I want this so much.” I realize she’s talking about school and getting to study, but it almost feels as if she’s talking about us—me and my brother. I’m still in awe knowing this woman wants me. As much as I should let her go, to be with Ember instead, I find myself tumbling freely into her orbit every day.
“You look lovely, sweetheart,” Ember tells her when he reaches us. He places his fingers on the small of her back, and I turn to walk out of the house. The car is waiting, and I wonder just how this evening is going to play out.
A few nights ago, she confessed she wanted me, and I’m ready. I truly am.
All I need to do now is tell her the truth.
Once we’re all seated in the town car, it pulls out before taking the road toward the university. Deafening silence surrounds us. Kat’s gaze is on the lights flitting by, and I hope she’s thinking about our conversation, more importantly, our kiss.
It was a beautiful moment, feeling her lips on mine. For the first time, I recognized desire coursing through me. It was different. I didn’t want to forget anything; I wanted to be present.
I jerked off thinking about her this morning. And again just before I got dressed for dinner. I came hard in the shower, imagining her heat against me and my mouth tasting every inch of her.
I glance at Ember, who seems comfortable with Katerina and me sitting beside each other. I know he’s hiding something. I just wish I knew what.
The car pulls into the lot alongside other expensive vehicles. When we come to a stop, I’m out of the car and offering my hand to Kat before Ember can move. I don’t know why I’m doing this shit, but I find myself needing to prove to them both that I’m not an asshole. Even if it’s only for tonight.
Kat’s arm is looped through my left. Ember steps up beside her, and she takes his right arm. I know there’ll be questions, perhaps even comments about why she’s with us, but right now, all I want everyone to know is… she’s ours.
I feel eyes on us as we move through the crowds. When we reach the doorway, we’re greeted with friendly nods from the staff.
The moment we step into the hall where the dinner is being held, I hear a soft gasp from Kat. “This is amazing. I didn’t know it would be this exquisite,” she says, and I can hear the smile on her face even though I’m not looking at her. I must agree with her. I’ve never seen a gala dinner at a university this incredibly decked out before.
It’s magical.
Gold lights are shimmering from every inch of the ceiling. The tiled floor looks like it’s alight with bulbs underneath, even though I know it’s not. There’s a band sitting at the far end of the room. Tables are positioned around a large dance floor which as I recall from the last few I’ve attended will be filled with bodies swaying late into the night.
Everyone in the room is dressed in tuxedos and evening dresses. The women look like they’re ready for a runway show, and the men appear to have walked off the pages of a goddamn magazine.
We’re ushered to a table where I notice the Dean, Reginald Harrington, seated beside his wife.
“Ah, Ashton, Ember welcome. Your father was a great man, and one of my closest friends. Having you both in attendance really is an honor.” He smiles, rising from his seat to shake our hands, grinning. The air is filled with excitement and anticipation, but when his eyes land on Katerina, there’s a slight falter in his expression which I pray she doesn’t notice. “It’s so lovely to see you, Katerina.”
“And you too, Dean Harrington.”
“I hope you’ll enjoy the presentation we have this evening. Addington and Associates have always been a great supporter of the scholarship fund,” he informs her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Once everyone has been introduced, we settle in, Kat between myself and Ember, and I focus my gaze on the dean who’s watching Kat with curiosity. He knows. There’s no doubt in my mind that he recollected what happened, and now he knows why I’ve asked for her to be admitted to the university. And I’m confident the understanding between us will be kept quiet as to why I’m paying.
“So, Katerina,” he says. “Are you excited to be starting school here?” His focus is unwaveringly on the beauty between my brother and I.
Katerina
Something clicks inside me. I know this man knows more about me than he should. I’m not sure what it is, perhaps gut instinct, and I feel pressure to respond with the right answer.
My mouth opens, and just before I reply, Ash settles his hand on my thigh, offering me a reassuring squeeze.
“I’m looking to major in art and music,” I tell the dean with a smile. “Two of my passions. They are both the subject my parents introduced me to at a young age, and I’d like to honor them by getting my diploma in both subjects.”
“Well, we offer a wonderful creative program, and someone who enjoys the arts is most certainly welcome here. And if you don’t mind me asking . . . Your parents?”
“I . . . They passed away a while ago,” I tell him, swallowing back my emotion. Don’t cry. Easier said than done. “I lost them when I was sixteen.” I finally say. It may be silly, but it’s as though confessing something so excruciating, only cracks me further.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, darling,” the woman beside the dean utters, her hand on her chest in shock, but the dean doesn’t seem surprised by my admission.
“That’s terrible,” he tells me, but I know he’s lying. Confusion settles in my gut, and I wonder for a moment if Ash told him about my past. But that shouldn’t be something that comes up unless it hinders my schooling, which it hasn’t.
“I think we need to talk about the future of the courses at the university,” Ashton utters, his voice dripping with malice, perhaps he’s angry at the dean delving into my past. “Because the donations are coming in, but dean, didn’t you mention you’d be needing help with the expansion of the music department?”
Something flickers between the two men, causing the air to linger with a heaviness that seems to stifle everything from the music to the chatter. But it’s only my perception. The moment I look away from their interaction, everyone seems oblivious to what’s going on at our table.
“Dean Harrington.” A young girl rushes up to the table with a bright smile. Her gaze lands on Ash and then Ember, and I recognize her reaction to them. It’s the same one I have each time I walk into their space. “We need you on stage for the welcome,” she tells the dean with a smile.
“I’ll be there in a moment.” Rising from his seat, he nods toward us before he makes his way up to the stage and we’re left with his wife at the table. Ash’s hand is still on my thigh, holding onto me like I’m about to disappear.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and a special welcome to our new students.” The dean smiles from the stage. The band sits silently behind him, presumably waiting for their moment to shine. “This evening, we have our scholarship students from the Addington fund who are going to be joining us this semester. Each student is special, chosen for a reason. I normally call each of our youngsters up on stage, but this year I’d like to do something different.”
“What is he doing?” Ash questions the woman who’s seated beside him.
The wife of the dean smiles as if she’s proud of her husband. “He’s giving the
intros for the students who are joining us, explaining to our sponsors why they were chosen.”
Both Ash and Ember still beside me; they’re rigid. A slideshow pops up on the screen with the face of a man I recognize instantly. He’s exactly like I remember him in a three-piece suit and white shirt, with a smile that could melt butter.
My heart leaps into my throat as the speech continues. “Mr. Addington has always believed in giving back to our community, and when he came up with the idea of offering a handful of students the opportunity to study further, we were thankful for his contribution. Each year we have a random selection process, but we have a student especially chosen by Ashton and Ember Addington. Welcome to the lovely Katerina Nielsen, who will be the star pupil from the Addington Fund.”
He points in the direction of our table and as both men beside me rise, all eyes land on me, causing my body to shudder as I push my chair backward. It squeaks along the floor, but I ignore the sound, rushing from the room with Ashton behind me. He calls to me as I make my way through the empty hallways. When I reach the ladies restroom, I push the door open and shove my way inside.
Thankfully, it’s empty, and I bend over the sink, my arms shaking as I hold myself up by my hands on the metal counter. Inhaling deep breaths, I try to focus, but I feel the bile rising in my throat, and I expel my lunch into the sink.
When the door flies open, I don’t need to turn around. I know Ash is here, his spicy cologne envelops me. He’s at my back, reaching for me before I shrug him off. I don’t know why he chose me specifically, but knowing his father was the man who tried to help me has me scared and nervous.
“Kitten,” Ash starts, but I swing my arm out, pushing him away from me.
“Don’t fucking kitten me.” My voice is venom. “You knew who I was. Didn’t you?” I meet those cerulean eyes, finding the lies dancing in them. For the first time since I met Ash, I see dishonesty in his face.
