5. Ashton
Chapter 5
Ashton
I exhale the breath I didn't realize I was holding while Emily goes back and forth with the judge. She serves up a mix of remorse and sincerity, knocking it out of the park. I’m impressed and relieved as she rolls with the punches. Once the hearing wraps up, I click off the link to Houston and turn to her.
“Alright, let’s finish this,” I say, turning to the laptop to tackle her fines. I guide her through the pages until we get to the “Pay Now” button. Relief courses through me as this part of our journey comes to an end.
After wrapping up the payment, I decide it’s time to move on to the next step in my campaign to win her heart. First step in the plan: help Emily set up her new mobile grooming van.
Dillon sticks his head in the office door. “Can I have my office back now?” The unspoken “ asshole’” at the end echoes around the room.
“We just finished up,” I tell him before adding, “Now that we’ve got Emily’s tickets squared away, I’ll be taking a few days off,” I say casually.
Dillon looks up from his desk, glaring at me. “I don’t remember you asking for vacation.” Then his eyes narrow. “What about your spoiled-ass dog?”
“I didn’t ask.” I try to maintain a teasing vibe as my mind whirls with plans for my unexpected time off. “And I’ll pick Edna up a little later.”
“Fucker.” He shakes his head sadly. “We’re going to have a discussion about who’s in charge of who when you get back.”
“Whom,” I correct, knowing it will ruffle his feathers. “It’s who’s in charge of whom.”
“Get out of here before I fire your ass.” We both know he isn’t serious. “Just so you know, I like your dog more than I like you.” Probably true. Edna is pretty loveable and I’m a cranky son-of-a-bitch.
As I follow Emily to her house, I glance around the quirky little suburban neighborhood. Despite everything she’s been through since yesterday, she’s still fucking stunning and so full of fire.
She hops out of her car and leads me through the side gate to her garage, and I can feel the anticipation growing. “You ready for the big reveal?” she teases, a mischievous glint in her eye as she throws the garage door open.
Her van is parked inside, an eye-catching hot pink mobile grooming setup, perfectly outfitted for her new venture. But the moment my gaze lands on the bold letters painted on the side, a laugh breaks free before I can stop it. “Doggie Style,” really is a unique name.
Emily turns to me, arms crossed, a defiant smirk on her face. “Well, what do you think?”
“It’s absolutely brilliant!” I barely manage to choke out between fits of laughter.
She glances up into my eyes, her confidence shining through. “It gets attention, and that’s half the battle in this game.”
“I think it’s the perfect name for a mobile grooming business.” I feel a rush of admiration for her determination.
Standing here, bathed in the sunlight spilling through the open garage, she looks more radiant than ever. I watch as she opens the back doors, revealing a space filled with all the essentials. There’s a grooming table, a doggie shower stall, and various dog beauty products.
“Wow, this is fantastic,” I say, stepping inside the van. “You’ve really thought this through.”
“Yeah,” Emily says, sliding in next to me, and the atmosphere thickens. “I waited until I had enough money to do it right.”
We’re standing close, the scent of dog shampoo mixed with her sweet perfume filling the air, and there’s an undeniable spark between us. My heart starts to pound as I meet her eyes, suddenly aware there’s nothing standing between us.
“What’s the plan for today? Are you ready to dive into this head first?” I ask, forcing my voice to remain steady even though my pulse is racing.
“Are you planning to help me?” She inches a little closer, her shoulder brushing against my arm, and I swear I can feel the heat radiating between us.
“Of course, I’m going to help you.” I lean in slightly, lowering my voice to match the intimacy of the moment. “I’d love to be a part of this new chapter in your life.”
Her breath catches slightly, and for a heartbeat, I know she feels the pull between us, too. “This chapter?” she asks, an expression of vulnerability crossing her face and slicing through the earlier bravado.
“This chapter and all the future chapters. I’m all in.” I can feel my pulse roaring in my ears from the way she’s looking at me. The unyielding gaze seems to pull me in.
The air thickens around us, charged with a mix of tension and unspoken desires. For a moment, we’re suspended in time, the world falling away as I lean in ever so slightly. As I kiss her soft lips, the world around us disappears. She runs her soft hands up my side, sending electricity shooting down my spine. Before things go too far, I pull back and lay my forehead against hers.
There’s something intensely personal about sharing the small space with her, an intimacy I didn’t expect. Her laughter, rich and inviting, echoes off the metal walls and wraps around me, drawing me in closer with every moment.
“Let’s get our shit done so we can continue the fun part.” My cock urges me to kiss her until we’re both breathless, but we don’t have time right now. Getting her van ready is the first order of business. Then we’ll see where things go.
We spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon working side by side. When I realize we worked straight through lunch, I order us sandwiches from the little deli in town.
A while later, my phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to see a text from Dillon. Fuck. Emily has been occupying my mind all day, and I forgot all about my boss and my dog.
Asshole in Charge
Have you forgot something?
Me
It’s Forgotten not forgot
I laugh when I see the middle finger emoji he sent to me.
Asshole in Charge
You’re pushing your goddamn luck.
Me
I’ll be there in a few minutes.
Asshole in Charge
I’ll believe it when I see it.
After tucking my phone into my pocket, I glance over at Emily. “I have to run over to Dillon’s and pick up Edna. I’ll drop her off at my house and grab us some dinner on my way back.”
Emily narrows her eyes playfully, a grin tugging at her lips. “Don’t drop her off at home by herself. Bring her back here and we’ll try out my new set-up. She can be my first client, and we’ll order a pizza for dinner.”
Fucking perfect. “Sounds great, gorgeous.” Pulling her curvy body close, I place a soft kiss on her lips. “I won’t be long.”
I knock on Dillon’s door, and he opens it. “It’s about fucking time,” he grumbles as Edna lumbers out of the kitchen, holding her pink unicorn lovie in her teeth.
“Were you a good girl?” I bend over and give my spoiled pooch a pat on the head, and she responds with a snort of acknowledgment, while her eyes are saying, “Finally, you’ve returned to serve me.”
“She was great,” Dillon tells me as I lead my dog over to the truck. “Much better than her owner.” When I open the back door, she hops in and lays across the entire back seat.
As I head back toward Emily’s place, I find Edna peering through the seat, staring at me like she’s already plotting her revenge for my abandonment.
“I promise I’m going to make this up to you,” I say to her as she gives me her most intimidating side-eye glare.
When I pull into Emily’s driveway, I park and hop out, instantly greeted by Emily’s curious gaze as she steps outside. “Everything okay?”
Edna slumps out of the car, drooping like a heavy sack of bricks, giving Emily the full force of her smiling bulldog charm. "Meet Edna, the reigning queen of attitude and slobber,” I introduce, chuckling at the sight of them.
Emily kneels, warmly extending a palm toward my dog, who approaches with a half-hearted sniff, then rolls over as if to say, "Pet me." I can’t help but laugh at the sight while feeling a swell of affection for both of them.
“You’re a pretty girl,” Emily says, petting her head as Edna groans in contentment. “We’re going to give you the full spa treatment today.”
I lean against the side of the van, arms crossed, just soaking it all in. My heart warms as I watch Emily handle this dog, her gentle yet firm demeanor instantly winning over Edna.