9. Halo
“What are you doing in my bedroom?” I sat up immediately alert. “Is everything okay?”
The door to my bedroom was closed, and Ashton was leaning against it.
His mere presence had awoken me it seemed.
Ashton finally spoke, his voice clear and concise. “I wanted to apologize to you.”
“About what?”
He took a breath, and I watched as his hands flexed where they were by his side. Finally, he folded his arms as if making a barrier between the two of us.
“Last night, it shouldn’t have happened,” he shrugged.
Closing my eyes I listened to his words before they snapped open. “So, you fucked me, and now you’re sorry about it.”
He went to push away from the wall but stopped short. “You don’t understand. I’m not who you think I am, Sakura.”
Anger began to run through my body and I finally flipped the covers away, getting to my feet. It was Saturday morning and I was sure the girls would be up at any moment. They had equestrian practice at eleven.
I sneered at my husband, feeling like my blood pressure was about to go through the roof. “And what does that even mean?”
“What does what mean?”
Remembering where I was, and that I was on the same floor as the girls, I kept my voice to a low hissing sound. “Sakura? Like don’t fucking deflower me and then give me some pet name in the goddamn middle of it….this is the most bullshit thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Before I could even think, I found myself being shoved up against the wall with just a t-shirt and panties on. Awareness sparked through my body as my nipples became hard points and I immediately squeezed my legs as a quake popped through my pussy.
My breathing became quick and labored.
“I will call you whatever the fuck I like,” Ashton’s hand gripped my face forcing me to look up at him. “Do you understand that…wife.”
His dark brown eyes seemed dark and more turbulent.
I spat back at him. “Well, I don’t want you to…husband.”
We stared at each other, the tension had become electric. Before I knew it, he was sliding a hand down my body his own breathing heavy. “You have no fucking idea, how much self-control I exercise…day in and day out.”
A few quick knocks came on my bedroom door and we both froze. I knew it was Maggie because she had her distinctive knock. Pushing Ashton away from me, I began to look for the robe.
She called out, still sounding sleepy. “Halo?”
I pulled the door open and stuck my head out to keep her uncle hidden. The last thing I wanted was for her and Luna to start asking even more questions. They already wondered why we didn’t share a bedroom.
“Hey, Maggie!”
One of her little eyebrows raised and I noted her face looked flush. “I’m not feeling good. And I can’t find Uncle Ashton.”
“Oh no!”
Alarm ran through my body and before I could say much more, Ashton was by my side nearly about to topple me over and stooping down in front of his niece.
His tone was gruff. “I’m here.”
Maggie looked between the two of us and I scratched at my neck as my face grew warm with embarrassment. “I don’t feel well.”
“Not even good enough for your lessons today?” He asked, his tone serious.
“I don’t want to get Honey sick either,” Maggie sighed mentioning her horse.
Touching at her forehead like my own mother had done a thousand times whenever I’d been sick, I noted she felt incredibly warm. “Okay, back to bed. I’m bringing you soup.”
Maggie’s little lip quivered and Ashton scooped her up but before he left, he spoke again. “We’re not finished talking.”
Watching them bound off to Maggie’s room, a sigh escaped. Luna would be knocking next with her teen-tude. Just because her sister was sick, didn’t mean she wouldn’t want to go to her lesson.
As I descended the stairs, lost in my thoughts about Ashton and his hands on my body the sound of Luna’s laughter hit my ears. She sounded happy and carefree but the second I round the corner she was tucking her phone away awkwardly. For a few minutes, she shifted her weight from foot to foot and avoided eye contact.
Ashton must’ve made coffee because there was some already steaming hot in the coffee maker. Pulling a monogrammed tumbler out of the cabinet I finally turned to her. “Are you hungry?” I asked grabbing a tumbler from the cabinet.
“Nope, had cereal. Can we get going?”
Taking a breath, I poured the creamer into the coffee next before screwing on the lid. “Sure.”
Quietly we walked to the car and were about to slip in when Mark appeared. “Ma’am…”
“Mark, please…I’m taking Luna to her lessons.”
“I’m aware….but Mr. Tanaka…”
Mark’s words never even finished because I was already getting behind the wheel of the car and driving away. He knew exactly where I was going and I was sure he’d play catch up.
For a few minutes after leaving the house, the car was filled with silence which I didn’t mind. Luna looked out the window for a long time before saying anything.
“I’m sorry about dinner last night, you know,” she shrugged.
Not a teenage apology, I thought.
“I’m not about to say it was okay,” I replied. “My mom would have smacked the taste out of my mouth if I’d ever been that disrespectful.”
Luna’s eyes widened but she remained quiet.
“But I do understand, this is a hard time in your life. And your mom…I know how much you miss her. I still miss my mom so much.”
She sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
We were just a few moments away from the equestrian center and when I checked the rearview, I spotted Mark. Rolling my eyes, I responded. “I understand that as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone, literally no one. But I’m here if you ever do want to talk.”
The car stopped and Luna hopped out, “No thanks.”
Taking a breath I followed her inside, noting that there was a help wanted sign in the window as I approached. I signed Luna in and watched as she went to catch up with a friend from school. The two girls walked off and I sighed before turning to find intense blue eyes on me. Sheamus O’Connor was a friendly man who always had a smile for me.
“Teenagers, am I right?” He shook his head a grin on his lips.
“You have no idea,” I sighed.
“I do, my little cousin, is staying with us this summer. The mouth on that girl…she could make some sailors blush.”
“You do understand,” I laughed.
I was about to sit down when I remembered I’d left my coffee in the car. Sheamus and I nearly collided as we tried to go out at the same time. He caught me and spun me into a standing position.
“Hey there now, careful, Ms. Tanaka” he had pulled me against his burly chest, both of us breathing hard. Sheamus”s voice sounded like thunder and his eyes were still shining with a little twinkle.
The bell above the door gave a little jingle and in walked Mark looking annoyed as hell. A blush crept over my face as I stepped away. I already knew he was drafting a fucking text mentally to tell Ashton what he’d just seen. As if that was any of my husband’s business.
“I’m gonna get my coffee,” I remarked. “Sorry about that.”
Mark followed me outside. “What was that about?”
“Excuse me?” I unlocked the car and reached inside.
“Are you and that man…”
I pulled the coffee cup out and straightened up. “Mark…I nearly broke my neck. Also, it’s not your business.”
Ashton’s head henchman had the nerve to look upset. “It is my business. I’m here to protect my boss even from his wife and sometimes himself.”
“He runs a tea company, I have no idea why in the hell he needs so much security,” I sighed.
“That’s not your business.”
My eyes searched Mark’s face which had taken on a mask of seriousness. I got the feeling that he didn’t like me too much.
“You’re right,” I replied to him before walking away. “But all the same, what happens between me and my husband is between us.”
The coffee was still hot, and small curls of steam danced their way through the air when I slid the top back. I sipped it, feeling refreshed and energized.
Do it,I thought.
“Hey, Sheamus,” I came back to the desk.
“I see you need some help here at the equestrian center.”
His eyes nearly bugged out of my head and then peered around me and out into the parking lot. “Mrs. Tanaka, don’t take this the wrong way… but you drive a pretty fancy car…”
I winced outwardly, the coffee cup feeling heavy in my hands.
“Are you sure you want to work here? The pay isn’t a whole lot…”
Blowing out a breath I smiled. “I’m used to making my own money.”
“Really?” He leaned back in his chair.
I gulped down a bit more of the coffee. “Really!”
“Well, it’s just some light office work, to be honest. The pay is only around fifteen an hour…”
Before I knew it I was filling out the application on the spot. I carefully went through and listed my previous employment which had mostly been at the diner. By the time I handed the clipboard back over to Sheamus, I had a text message from Ashton.
Running my fingers over the screen, I slowly read the words. A tingle ran down my spine a
You are not to speak to Sheamus O’Connor anymore…
Shock seemed to wrack my body and I stood to walk over to the door and peered out. Mark was standing near his car, looking directly at the main building.
What in the fuck did he tell Ashton?
Before I could even plan a reply, I had another message coming through from him. And hurry home, Sakura. My parents are in town and we’re having dinner with them.
Holy shit,I thought. My inlaws….
My foot began to tap and I looked at the time on my phone and then back at Ashton’s message. Dryness seemed to form inside of my mouth and my stomach twisted just a bit.
I’d never even met these people. Ashton had barely said two words to me about them and now I was meeting them.
Tonight.
I was meeting them tonight.
I wanted the floor to swallow me up.