Ashia

by Taige Crenshaw

  She took a quick shower and covered herself in a knee-length light blue asymmetrical hemmed dress. Sliding her feet into some nice sandals, she made sure her nails were painted the same hue as her attire. A gold necklace, earrings in place, and a few gold bangle bracelets and she walked from the room ready for the dinner.

  Reid waited for her in the bedroom. A low whistle left his lips. “You look amazing.”

  She smiled at his compliment. “Thank you. You look nice yourself.” And he did. While she was in there he’d changed into black slacks and a light grey polo-style shirt.

  “I aim to please.” He winked and offered his arm. Together they walked downstairs and headed off to their dinner date.

  * * * *

  Reid glanced up from where he was working at the front counter of Leonard’s Veterinary Clinic installing the new computer system. His gaze landed upon Ashia where she stood talking to one of the kennel workers, a gentleman named Mason. As if she felt his eyes on her she turned her head and gave him a wink.

  In less than a heartbeat he was glad to be sitting at the desk. The instant erection wasn’t quite what he needed at the workplace, however. Honestly there’d been a small part of him that had believed once he and Ashia had started living together, things would start to wane between them.

  He’d never been so happy to be wrong. If anything, everything between them had heated up. There wasn’t a room in her house where they hadn’t made love to one another. He’d been with her for two weeks now, not wanting to rush the system he put together for her.

  He was a bit concerned though at the look on her face she got when he thought she wasn’t being observed. Devi and Rhodes had been gone for a week now and had called to let her know they were taking a month in Egypt before going to see Kenric and Saffron’s ranch in Montana where they would be for a while longer. So instead of a month-long trip it would most likely be closer to two.

  Maybe she wanted to take a vacation like that. He blew out a heavy sigh, unsure of what to do to make her happier.

  “Hello,” she whispered in his ear.

  He tried to hide his jump, she’d caught him unawares. “Hello yourself.” He turned his head and winked at her.

  The smile she bestowed upon him made all his doubts fly away. Surely she wouldn’t smile like that if she was unhappy.

  “How’s it going?” She propped herself against the counter and crossed her arms over her breasts.

  “Good, good. Sorry you’re down to only one computer at the moment.”

  She waved it off. “We only used the ones up here really and we’re making do.”

  “I will be finished by the end of the day and can give you a crash course in it, then you can let your staff know.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle at the horrified expression on her face combined with a slight glazing of her eyes.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I’m not very technologically sound.”

  She didn’t lie. He shrugged. “I can do it then in the morning, if you can just have them come in a bit earlier.”

  She grinned again, causing his heart to pound out a thunderous cadence. Cripes, he was falling in love with her. He craved that smile from her. The one that made her eyes sparkle and her expression soften.

  “I’ll let them know, thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  She stood up and touched his shoulder as the front door opened, admitting a harried-looking woman.

  “Dr Leonard, I have a dog in the back of my car that was hit by a car.” Her eyes were a bit wild.

  Reid sat there, in awe, and watched as the woman who could—and did—send him into such a spiral transform into a doctor with a single-minded purpose, saving the life of her patient.

  Ashia called out orders as she hurried out to the car. One tech placed a call before she grabbed a sling and rushed out of the door as well. Seconds later Stacy also headed out.

  He forced himself to remain in place. The urge to go out there was powerful, but he knew the last thing Ashia needed was him in her way. He got back to completing the setup so he could begin file transfers and get the system up and running. The trio moved by him without a word and disappeared into the back.

  The door opened just as the last of her files had finished transferring over from one system to the other. He looked up and grinned like an idiot when he saw her there. Did the woman even know how to look tired?

  “Hey,” he said.

  He stood, waved her over to her desk and gestured for her to take a seat. She brushed her lips along his cheek before she sat down.

  “I thought you had left.”

  “Nope. Had to do this one yet. Just finished with it. You’ll be able to chat with others face to face and will get your information much quicker.” He moved behind her, reached around the back of the chair and began rubbing her shoulders. Her answering groan shot steel to his cock and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from acting on it. “How did it go with the emergency?”

  “He’ll survive for now. Going to be a rough road to recovery for him. She got him here just in enough time.” She paused. “Barely.”

  “You have some paperwork to fill out yet?” He nuzzled the top of her head.

  “Yes. I will get to it in a minute. I needed to sit and get a drink for a moment.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Reid left the office and went to the small kitchen area they had. After opening the refrigerator, he pulled out her favourite soft drink and headed back to her office. This time he closed the door behind himself. Ashia sat there playing with her new computer—a slight turn of her lips portrayed her excitement.

  “Here you are,” he said.

  She took the drink from him.

  He gave her a basic rundown on the computer setup then he watched her as she played around with it. He stroked his hand along her face and down her neck. Lower and lower he went until his fingers moved along the outside of her breast.

  She released a slow moan and pressed into him. He licked his lips and repositioned the chair to where he knelt between her thighs. With deft fingers he undid her lab coat, shirt and bra before leaning forward and taking one breast into his mouth and holding the other with his right hand. He alternated between them both, sucking and laving until she squirmed on the chair. He slipped his left hand into her pants, past her panties until he had free access to touch her wet, bare pussy. He dipped two fingers inside and worked her until she writhed beneath him and begged for more. Her cream covered his digits and ran over his wrist. He didn’t care. He wanted more. It didn’t take him long to stand them both up, bend her over part of her desk and free himself. He stroked forward deep inside her growling possessively. He’d never get enough of her.

  It didn’t matter they were at her place of work. Or that he had more things to do. All that mattered was where he was at that precise moment. At least it was until his phone rang. Seconds after she’d come around him, its bell announced a call. One hand on the small of her back, holding her in place, he reached to the desk and answered it.

  “Reid.”

  He listened to the person on the other end muttering until they hung up. Then he dropped the phone and leaned over her, loving how she pushed back, trying to get even more from him.

  “I have to go.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes. Another client. I won’t be home until late.”

  “Better make this good then,” she said with a hint of jealousy.

  “I’ll do my best.” And he proceeded to do just that.

  Chapter Six

  Ashia locked up the clinic and headed for home. She scowled as she waited for traffic. Some days she truly hated this human mode of transportation. She longed to be home already, relaxing and possibly with Reid.

  She’d not seen much of him the past few days. He’d been working on fulfilling the other obligations he had. She didn’t mind him doing what he’d agreed to do, but honestly, she wanted him around more. Sharing him with others was becoming tiresome.
She was possessive, jealous and greedy when it came to Reid.

  He had no need to work, she could provide him with everything he could possibly need. He doesn’t know that, her subconscious chimed in.

  She grumbled under her breath. Another point which stressed her out. Lately she’d been reliving how distraught Devi had been when Rhodes had discovered her true self.

  Thought you said all he would be was an interesting distraction. That you caring for him wouldn’t become any sort of issue. Her brain reminded her with all too much glee. Therein lay the problem. She had gone way past the caring stage when it came to Reid Jacobs.

  He’d asked her a few more times about her comment ‘antiquated human ways’ but she had always found a way—a delightful way—to distract him. Lately he’d been watching her with all that much more scrutiny and she wasn’t sure why. Yes, she could hear his thoughts if she wanted to, but she liked being surprised by him. Besides, Reid tended to mutter to himself when he worked on computers so even if they weren’t in the same room she usually was laughing and smiling over the one-sided conversation he had with himself.

  None of which helped her current situation—driving home through traffic and wanting to be with Reid. Two things she really couldn’t fix. Not true. She could fix the traffic issue and she could send herself to where Reid was. Pulling off the main road, she parked in a lot and shielded herself from human eyes before transferring herself and her vehicle back home. A sigh of relief left her. One thing solved.

  Jumping out, she then jogged up the steps to the front door, noticing with disappointment that Reid’s vehicle was gone. Seeing him when she got home always made her feel better. So does the kissing and touching he gives me as well.

  Once inside she changed clothing with a mere thought and took care of the dogs. While they ran outside, she dished up their supper and let it sit there while they played. Full of the need to see Reid, she materialised to where he was. She didn’t have to know, she could feel him.

  Ensuring that no one could see her by concealing herself from mortal eyes she looked around. The office with people getting up and heading home was unfamiliar to her but this was where her power had brought her during her search for Reid. Nice place.

  Her skin tingled and the back of her neck prickled as she heard Reid’s laughter. Moving towards the familiar sound, she paused before the open door then strode into the office, noting it was tight quarters. And he wasn’t alone.

  Possessiveness and power both welled up inside her with a rushing force. Reid occupied the room with a thin, petite woman with dark glossy hair and an exotic look. Each fluttering eyelash, each coy smile the woman gave dropped Ashia’s mood further.

  Could this woman be any more obvious? What truly bothered her was how Reid laughed with her and seemed to be having a fine time as they worked around one another.

  This woman had the top few buttons of her shirt undone. Her pencil skirt seemed to be hiked up even more than it should have been and even if Reid were blind—which he wasn’t—he would have been able to have a front-row seat to the blatant view she kept offering him when she would bend towards him and touch his shoulder. Right before they laughed again.

  She wanted to hurt something. Maim something. Destroy something. And starting with that woman right there beside her man was a brilliant place to begin, in her mind.

  Forcing herself to leave, she flashed back to her house, body still shaking with the intensity of her anger. She let the dogs in and fed them then went to a chair she created out of thin air.

  Anger still coursed through her body as she sat there on her cloud-soft chair with a golden goblet adorned with jewels in her left hand filled to the brim with the rich ambrosia she no longer drank as often. Today was a day to have it.

  Cursing Devi for not being there, she pursued her lips and sighed heavily. How the hell was she supposed to do the right thing if she didn’t have any knowledge of what the right thing was supposed to be?

  An ugly feeling of jealousy moved over her, towards Reid and Devi. She didn’t want to think about Reid so she tried to figure out why she had some about Devi.

  Because she is off with her man and to see a best friend.

  Would her brain ever stop with the unwanted commentary? She took a long drink and groaned in pleasure as the drink flowed past her lips. Still, it wasn’t enough to soothe her raging emotions. It was true. She and Devi had become good friends but they’d not known each other for very long. Apparently she and this Saffron woman had known each other much longer. It bothered her. And she really didn’t want to think about why that was so she turned her attention back to thoughts of Reid.

  Unfortunately all she could see was that woman thrusting her breasts into his face as he worked. The sound of thunder boomed above her and she felt it resonate through her soul as her anger began to boil.

  Reid had no business being so close to a woman other than her. She froze in the motion of taking another drink. She frowned. What do I care? He is a mortal. Nothing more. A distraction.

  It wasn’t true and she knew the writing on the wall indicated he meant so much more to her than that. What would she do? Could it work? She thought of the first time she’d met Devi and the advice she’d given her.

  ‘It is possible for gods and humans to fall in love. So what one may believe to be a dalliance, of which they will eventually tire, could be the beginning of their everything. I hear you know when it’s love and even for us, with all our power and immortality. To be loved and to love seems even more important.’

  She almost dropped her drink at the recollection. So what one may believe to be a dalliance… That was exactly what her time with Reid was supposed to have been. Nothing more than that. And certainly not the beginning of her everything. Apparently somehow, her heart and soul didn’t get that memo. For whether she liked it or not, he was more to her than a momentary distraction.

  Shit! A myriad of emotions tore through her and she drained her drink in one long gulp and changed into one of her dresses she preferred to wear. The moment the soft material covered her—its twilight hue shimmering in the light—she felt marginally better. She stayed there until her acute hearing picked up on the sound of Reid’s vehicle parking out in the front yard. She stayed in her dress but removed the chair and goblet before he reached her, opting instead to go sit on the loveseat bench and watch the dogs continue to run around.

  He stepped out onto the back porch and she looked up, her breath catching in her throat. Reid looked even better than he had when she’d seen him at work. Where that woman flaunted her wares to him. Her anger re-emerged and she clenched a fist to keep from lashing out as every fibre in her being wanted to. It wasn’t easy, especially when on the air she could smell the cloying and sickly sweet scent of that other woman on his skin.

  “Hey,” he said, coming to her side.

  She didn’t respond when he brushed his lips over hers. Instead she tried not to gag from the perfume clinging to him.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “You have a good day?” she countered. His smile nearly broke her heart. No, everything wasn’t okay.

  * * * *

  Reid watched Ashia as he got ready for work. She’d been acting differently for the past few days. Anytime he brought it up she would get this hard look in her eyes and wave him off. He didn’t like it. If he knew what he’d done he would have tried to fix it.

  Picking up his messenger bag that held his computer, he shouldered it and looked around for the woman who had come to mean so much to him.

  “Ashia?” Nothing. He went looking for her but couldn’t find her in the house and paused at one of the windows leading to the backyard. No sign of her still. Moving to a different view he peered out to the front of the house. Her vehicle sat parked next to his.

  “Okay, so where did she go?”

  Glancing at his watch, he realised he would be late if he didn’t leave . With a puff of disappointment he called for her one more time then head
ed on his way when he still didn’t get a response.

  On his way to the first job he withdrew his cell phone and tried to call her. It went straight to voicemail. Maybe she’s in surgery.

  He shook his head. That didn’t make sense. How did she get to work? Her truck was next to his by the house. Is she this upset with me that she’s avoiding me?

  He almost turned around and headed back. Today was his last day with this one particular job, then he would be back at her house to finish updating her computer. He was looking forward to being there with the dogs and seeing her as soon as she came home.

  Leaving a message for her, he put his phone down and continued on his way. Once he made it to his job, he tried to focus on his work.

  His fingers flew over the keys as he typed in commands and code.

  “Not too many more hours to put up with me, Reid. I’m sorry it’s been such a chore,” Sally said.

  He forced a smile on his face. “Not a chore, Sally. You’re very easy to get along with.” A lie. Not a total one, she was easy to get along with. Although I understand why she has to be with me, this place requires an escort at all times but, geez, she’s overly bubbly and vivacious. I prefer working alone and in silence.

  Reid glanced up at her as he reached for his bag. Her short skirt combined with a tight blouse with a few top buttons undone, and a blazer of the same colour as her skirt. Nice high heels finished off the picture. Her dark blonde hair drawn back from her face in some kind of combination of sexy and business-professional style completed her look.

  He chuckled as he got back to work. His phone rang and he ignored it, trying to get this bit done. They went to take a break and he pulled out his phone in the cafeteria while Sally got her own food since he couldn’t leave the room without her.