Chapter 16
My heart pounded as I parked my car in the hotel lot and stepped out.
The door clunked shut behind me, and I clicked the lock button on my key, staring at the rising monstrosity before me.
I was here. Asher was here, waiting for me on the tenth floor, where we would once again be alone in the very place that had started all of this.
And I was a little excited. Also nervous, but more time spent with him was exciting.
Smoothing down some strands of hair that had slipped from my braid, I put my car keys into my pocket and slid out the room card.
The sidewalk was bustling, busy people rushing in and out of the hotel.
The city, though only a twenty-minute drive from our little town, seemed like an entirely different world from the one we lived in.
Walking up to the sliding glass doors, I entered the cool lobby and froze in a panic. Hordes of girls stood waiting at the elevators. Signs all supporting Void were scattered amongst all of them, patiently hoping to simply catch a small glance of at least one of them.
There was no side door this time. If they caught wind that I was going to see one of them, more specifically Asher, I would be a dead fish in the water. Maybe I should simply turn around and get out of here. If I never tried to breach the crowd, there would never be any suspicion of why I was here.
What if Sydney or any of my other friends were here?
I quickly scanned the crowd, looking for the blonde-haired bombshell who I called best friend, or really any of the girls. Luckily, as I did my fourth pass on the throngs of girls who squealed every time the elevator doors opened and someone unsuspecting got off, I didn’t see a single one of them.
I could risk this.
Gripping the keycard, I smoothed out my striped chic dress that stopped barely above my knees and began to trudge forward.
I quietly waded through the crowd, pretending to blend and wander through to the doors.
A couple girls glared at me when I accidentally bumped into them, but I avoided eye contact and eventually found myself standing in front of the elevator and two security men.
Flashing the keycard, they let me pass, and I pushed the button, then waited.
Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long and listen to the whispered gossip around me as the elevator light came on and the doors slid apart.
A couple got out, giving me a sympathetic smile as I hustled inside.
Raising the keycard to scan, I quickly pressed the ten and waited impatiently for the doors to close.
Come on. Hurry up. I avoided looking at anything except the elevator buttons, not wanting to see the eyes that I could feel were locked onto me.
Finally, the doors began to slide shut, and I heaved a massive sigh. Thank you.
Alone at last. It was so quiet, even the elevator music seemed to be on hold today as I began to rise to the tenth floor. It felt like an eternity before I was finally there, and I rushed off the elevator, ready to escape into blissful solitude with Asher once more.
I didn’t bother to knock as I scanned my keycard and shoved the door open.
“You won’t believe the crowd that’s—” I froze the moment my eyes left the door handle.
Seated at the couch were the three other members of Void.
But no Asher.
The TV was on, playing something I didn’t even bother to look at in the background. My mouth was stuck open as Kieron lifted a brow and smirked.
He tossed an arm across the back of the couch behind Drake and faced me. “Well, well, well. What have we here?”
My heart thumped in my chest so loudly, I could’ve sworn they all could hear it. I felt sick to my stomach. Where was Asher, and why were these three in his room without him? I mean, I guess maybe that’s normal, but he knew I was coming over after work.
The toilet in the bathroom flushed as I remained locked in place, shocked. No matter how desperately I wanted to, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t find a way to speak, either, as the door opened and someone else came into the room.
The very man that I had expected to find.
Alone.
“Why the hell is it so quiet?” he asked, and then he too stopped moving as I finally managed to look at him.
His eyes widened, and he immediately dug into his black jeans pockets and ripped out his phone, checking the time. “Shit,” he muttered.
“Shit? Shit is all you have to say?” Kieron said, grinning. Jaxon and Drake both raised confused but curious brows between Asher and me.
“Uh, look. You guys need to get the fuck out,” Asher said, and I groaned as Kieron wiggled his brows. “Like now.”
“So, this is why you’ve been ditching us,” Kieron replied, moving unusually slowly while rising from the couch.
His movement, along with Jaxon’s and Drake’s, snapped me out of whatever stupor I’d been stuck in. “I’ll leave. It’s fine. You guys carry on. See you Saturday,” I said.
“They’re leaving, Cosette. Just give them a second,” Asher quickly replied as I desperately shook my head.
“It’s fine. Really. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” I turned around and fumbled for the doorknob.
“Cosette? You two are on a first-name basis?” Kieron taunted.
“Shut up, Kieron,” Asher grumbled. “Cosette, stop.” I managed to turn the handle and pull open the door.
“Cosette Duval,” he growled, loudly, pausing me in my tracks.
“Let. Go.” I looked down at my hand, my heart racing.
I wanted by all means to not listen to him, to simply run from this situation and pretend like it never happened.
But I couldn’t. My fingers involuntarily opened, releasing the knob from its grasp, and the door clicked shut.
“Everyone just sit down. Please,” Asher said, and I heard feet shuffle. The couch cushions poofed quietly as the rest of the band sat back down. “You too, Cosette.” His voice was softer as he asked me to join them.
Cautiously, I turned around.
Avoiding eye contact, I walked to the empty couch that faced the three guys.
Asher plodded across the floor, meeting me at the sofa as I hesitantly sat myself down.
I kept my gaze to my feet, staring at my clogs that most certainly were out of fashion.
But they were the comfy kind that I just couldn’t quite part with yet.
His leg bumped against mine when he sat down, and I jumped, quickly putting space between us.
If we had been outside, crickets would certainly be chirping. The silence was stuffy and thick. It was uncomfortable as I sat there, staring at nothing but my shoes. My heart wasn’t calming down either, as I could feel Asher’s body heat along with the intense stares of the rest of his friends.
“Sooooooo,” Kieron said, breaking the silence.
Asher took a deep breath. “You have three minutes to ask whatever you want before you better be gone.”
“Is this a serious thing?” Kieron asked first.
“Does anyone else know?” Jaxon questioned next.
“Why wouldn’t you tell us?” Drake was the last to speak.
All three of them asked something different yet similar. What got me is that not one of them asked if we were sleeping together. Why were they not wondering what I was doing here? Did he sleep with girls so often that it didn’t faze them?
“Why are none of you asking if we fucked?” I blurted out, tearing my eyes up from the floor. All three mouths fell open in shock.
Silence again as they stared at me. I furrowed my brows, slowly drifting my gaze across all three of them and then facing Asher. He had his lips pulled into a thin, amused line.
“What’d I say?” I whispered to him.
“They’re shocked by your dirty little mouth, Princess,” he quietly replied through gritted teeth.
“Well, my question still stands. Why are none of them wondering that? Do you have girls over so often that it’s assumed?” I stared at him, and he slowly shook his head.
Facing the three guys, he cleared his throat to speak, but Kieron beat him to it. “Because you have a key to his hotel room. So, obviously you two have fucked. But no, he doesn’t have girls over.”
“So, who else knows?” Jaxon asked.
“Nobody. And it needs to stay that way,” Asher quickly answered.
“Please,” I quietly begged to almost no one but myself.
“Why?” Kieron pressed.
“You know what.” I stood up. “I’m not doing this.
I feel like I’m sitting in an interrogation room, and I’m done.
You three, listen up.” I pointed at the three men sitting across from me, teacher mode turned on.
“You’ll not tell a soul about this. If you do, I will find you, and believe it or not, I know more ways on how to get rid of a body without anyone knowing than you can imagine.
I don’t give a rat’s ass that you’re famous or whatever. This doesn’t leave this room. Got it?”
Three mischievous grins slid across their faces. I glanced at Asher, who was smiling to himself, his eyes closed.
“What?” I snapped.
“We like her,” Drake said, and Kieron nodded in agreement.
Asher pushed himself off the couch. “Get out now, please.” He pointed to the door.
“I totally saw this coming,” Kieron said, grinning triumphantly.
“Out,” Asher reiterated, but he couldn’t quite hide his smile.
All three men rose from their seats and walked to the door.
Pausing before they left, all three faced me.
“We won’t say a word. But it’s nice to meet his muse.
” Kieron winked and immediately shot out of the room.
All three were gone in an instant, and I caught a glance of Asher before his glare slipped away from his face.
I turned to the very man who’d caused all of this and threw my hands on my hips. “You ‘forgot’ I was coming?”
“No, I lost track of time.”
“Or you did this on purpose!” I argued.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I don’t know, this is some sick game for you? Do you not remember my best friend issue, or Duvaldi issue? Or how about the fact that I technically haven’t agreed to anything?”
A smirk crept onto his face. “No, I didn’t forget any of that. And this is anything but a game to me, Princess.”
“Then what the hell?” I shoved his chest, pushing him away from me. He caught my wrists and tugged me forward. I slammed against his body, and he crashed his arms around me, trapping me against his frame.
“Okay, so part of me purposefully ignored the time. Is it really such a bad thing that I wanted to show you off to my best friends?”
“Yes!” I glared at him as he lifted a single brow, and his eyes darkened, though that mischievous smile remained.
“They’re not going to say anything, to anyone. They get the need to keep things hidden and quiet. Jaxon and Drake both have girlfriends right now, and Kieron just broke up with his. Did you know about any of that?”
I squirmed in his arms, but he simply squeezed me tighter. “No, I didn’t.” I grunted. “But I don’t have social media.”
“Even if you did, you wouldn’t have known that. We like to keep our dating lives a secret because of the fangirls. We are grateful for them, but they go a little overboard sometimes.”
“Let. Me. Go.” I tried to shove against him, but he simply chuckled.
“Ask nicely.”
“No.” I went dead weight, trying to slither out from his arms.
“Then I’m not letting go.”
“Telling them without my permission was still wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
“Especially since we aren’t dating or anything.”
“I know that.”
“Now, let go.”
“You still haven’t asked nicely.” He grinned, his hands sliding down my body, and he squeezed my asscheeks.
“Asher.” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the smile from creeping across my face. I liked that. And I liked that he wanted those who mattered to him the most to know about me.
“Cosette.” He leaned forward and began peppering my face with kisses.
“Stooopppp.” I giggled, my resistance lessening. I really liked this. I liked him.
Asher suddenly slid his hand behind my thighs, picked me up, and slammed his lips against mine.
His tongue was in my mouth before I could even register what was going on.
But honestly, I wasn’t upset at all. Instead, I willingly let him taste all that he wanted.
I threw my arms around his shoulders and threaded my fingers in his hair.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pulled my body into him as tightly as I could. His excitement was growing with each passing second, hardening against my center that was quickly becoming hot and wet.
I dove in breathlessly, aggressively wrestling with his tongue.
His fingers dug into the back of my legs, and I could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It matched mine, racing in excited anticipation.
He pulled away from my lips and began sucking on my neck.
I bit back my moan, not wanting to come across as easy.
“I didn’t come here so we’d have sex,” I gasped breathlessly, a shiver running through my spine.
He licked at the spot on my neck he’d sucked on. “Is that you saying we can’t?” he rasped.
“No.”
He bit down. With his lips lifting into a smile against my skin, he carried me to the bed.
He threw me down and crawled toward me, sliding his hands against my knees, and shoved my legs open.
Soft nips trailed up the insides of my thighs.
For whatever reason, this time I wanted him to leave some sort of mark on my skin.
Evidence that I was only his. A mark that would last longer than some hickey.
“Harder,” I moaned as he neared the crease in my leg that met the edge of my thong with his teeth.
His tongue slid across my wet panties toward the opposite leg, and then he bit down.
Hard.
I yelped as his fingers dug into my thighs. Pushing myself up, I found his eyes lifting from between my thighs, hunger dripping from his gaze. He increased the pressure of his bite, and faint blood oozed from the wound as one hand of his left my skin.
My heart raced as I watched him reach into his own pants, excited, and pump himself. All thoughts immediately soared away. I had no words, nothing left to say as pleasure took the place of rationality.
His pleasure.
My own pleasure.
Every exhausting peak. Every edging. Every build of pressure between my legs.
I didn’t care what time it was, who else existed, because nothing and no one except for Asher filled my mind.
Stars exploded, the silver bursts of lights popped behind my eyes as my body quivered, aching for relief from him.
Again.
And again.