Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
ANABELLE
For the first week after our night together in the sex club, Asher barely speaks to me in the office. But now that we’re in the middle of the week following, he seems to have unraveled some of the tension that wound him so tightly.
I wasn’t lying when I told him I liked it. Hell, my only regret is that I have to wait two and a half more weeks before we can do it again.
Every time I look at him, I wish he’d order me around and tell me to do something. Make me his submissive. But he’s been nothing but professional. Not cold per se, but not exactly warm either.
When he enters his office this morning, rather than heading over to his desk as he always does, he walks over to mine and stands on my right, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed. His eyes, the color of the deep blue ocean, take me in with what I think might be concern.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
He sighs. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, but I’ve refrained because I didn’t want to upset you. It’s about the night you met Preston.”
Not exactly something I want to relive, but we haven’t really spoken of it in much detail.
In all honesty, there’s been so much going on in my life that I’ve managed to push that night away into the recesses of my mind.
I know at some point I’ll have to deal with what almost happened, but I don’t feel equipped at the moment. There’s too much other stuff going on.
“What about it?” I move my hands away from the keyboard and lean back in my chair, my hands on the armrests.
“I always assumed, but didn’t actually ask you, and now I need to be sure. Did you consent to Preston drugging you?”
I whip up from my chair, hands fisted at my sides. “Of course not!”
Asher frowns and nods.
“You believe me, right?” Tears prick my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.
He clasps my shoulders. “Of course I do. I just needed to be sure. I know others who are into somnophilia. I assure you, you’ll get no judgment from me if you are, but I needed to know if you had consented to that before Preston drugged you.”
“Somno what?” My forehead wrinkles.
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed if you are.”
“Asher, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pushes his hand through his hair, dislodging some of his perfectly swept back waves. “It’s when someone enjoys having sex with someone who is sleeping or unconscious. For some people, it’s important that their partner wants to participate. Others… aren’t as concerned about that.”
The look of horror I give him is probably answer enough. “Well, that’s not me.”
“I didn’t think so.” His voice sounds grave.
“Why? Why are you asking me this?”
“Because I’m going to ruin him. And there will be repercussions for my family and my business.”
That sounds… ominous. “Asher, you don’t have to do anything. You already beat the shit out of him.”
His hands drop from my shoulders, and he pushes up off the desk. “He’s lucky I didn’t bury him out back in the garden.”
The viciousness in his voice says he’s serious.
“Why would you put your company and your family at risk? I mean, we’re not…” I’m not sure how to put it. We’re not what? Boyfriend and girlfriend, lovers, friends? All of that is true, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel wholly true either.
He ignores my question. “I spoke to Marcel this morning, and the repairs on your room in the staff building are complete.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll be sure to move my things out when I’m done working today.”
I hate the twinge of pain in my chest at having to move farther away from him, which is stupid.
It’s not as if I spend any time with him in his bedroom, or him in mine.
And sure, Midnight Manor is kind of creepy at the best of times, but especially at night.
Still, I know I’ll miss sleeping in the west wing.
“You’re not going anywhere. I’ve already told Marcel that you are to stay right where you are.”
“Why would you do that?” My voice is almost a whisper.
He levels me with his stare. “I think you know why, Anabelle.” Then he leans in and brushes a soft kiss over my eyebrow before retreating to his desk.
It takes me a moment to move again, sinking back into my chair.
I told myself I wouldn’t develop feelings for Asher Voss, that this is just about sex and the pleasure he can give me during my time here.
But something makes me think that maybe that promise is futile.
Because the more layers of Asher I discover, the more I want to keep unraveling.
At the end of the workday, I head back to the staff housing to scrounge up something for dinner.
After dinner, I plan to venture back into the maze until I find the center, where I’ll finish the book I’m reading.
It’s getting really good. The hero has just broken the heroine’s heart, but I know he’ll put it back together.
That’s always my favorite part of any romance novel.
The maze is a private space, and it reminds me of Asher and the night we first crossed the line.
If I go in early enough, I have every expectation that I’ll be able to find my way out before it’s dark.
The humidity outside makes sweat slick my skin as I make my way along the path. It’s always like that this time of year, even when it’s overcast like today.
I turn when I hear my name called and see Marcel rushing toward me.
I’ve been nervous about seeing the other staff members today now that Asher has told Marcel I’ll be staying in the manor.
It was one thing to be staying there when there was nowhere else to go, but it’s another now that my old room has been repaired.
What will they think of me? Will they know I’ve had sex with Asher? Do they know about the sex club, and if so, will they somehow know I’ve been there with him?
I wait for Marcel to catch up and smile at him, hoping it looks natural.
“Where are you headed off to?” he asks.
“I was going to go make myself some dinner, same as I do every night. Why? Do you need my help with something?”
He laughs. “Not at all. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t headed back to the staff quarters to take over your old room.”
I shift in place. “About that—”
“I think it’s marvelous.” He throws his hands in the air as though it’s a celebration.
“You do?”
“Of course.” He loops his arm through mine, and we continue walking the path. “Mr. Voss obviously cares about you, otherwise he wouldn’t have insisted. We all think that’s a great thing.”
I don’t even know where to start with that statement. “We?”
“The rest of the staff. Well, not everyone knows of course, but eventually they all will.”
I groan.
“What’s that about?” He stops us, and I turn to look at him.
“I’m just thinking about what everyone else must think.”
“They think the same as I do—that Mr. Voss finally has someone in his life he’s opening up to, maybe even opening his heart to.”
God, his words give me hope, but no. That will only lead to heartbreak.
I shake my head and walk again. “It’s not like that.”
He follows me. “Trust me, it is.”
I whip around to face him. His words are only going to make it harder to keep my head in check, and I’ll be the one who ends up hurt. “It’s not. Asher doesn’t care for me. Not like you’re thinking.”
Marcel shakes his head and gives me a sad sort of smile. “Did you know that Mr. Voss has never had a woman in the west wing? Ever. Because of how he was raised…”
I wait with bated breath for him to continue.
“Let’s just say he has many walls he’s fortified over the years, and it seems that you’re the one who’s figured out how to scale them. We’re all hoping they’ll eventually come crumbling down.”
“How was he raised?” That’s all I can focus on in his ridiculous statement.
Marcel frowns. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not for me to say.” He walks on, and now it’s me chasing him down the path.
“You can’t do that! You can’t say something like that and not tell me the rest of it.”
He glances at me. “If you keep down the path you’re on, I’m sure you’ll learn for yourself. I’ve already said too much. Now, let’s go get something to eat, though you know you can eat in the manor now that you’re staying there, right?”
Truth is, I wasn’t sure. But I’m glad to hear him say it. It will be much easier to grab my breakfast and lunch at the main house.
“All right. Do you mind if I come for dinner down here most nights though? I wouldn’t mind the company.”
Living in the manor, closer to Asher is nice, but because he doesn’t spend any time with me in the evenings, it’s more isolating than when I stayed in the staff building.
“Of course not. You’re always welcome.”
At least I still sort of belong somewhere.
At the moment, I’m straddling two worlds, and I don’t feel as if I quite belong to either.
There was the Anabelle who showed up here the first day, demanding to see Asher Voss, and the one who stands here now.
I have a feeling by the time I leave, that Anabelle won’t resemble either of her early incarnations.