Chapter 25
ALLIE
A black SUV pulls up in front of my house, and this already feels too similar.
It was a limo that night, but it’s all the same.
I tell myself tonight will be different.
No one is going to threaten anyone’s life.
My best friend won’t look at me with disappointment in her eyes.
I won’t spill all my secrets. It’s just dinner, like Ashton said.
We’ll get stuck talking to investment bankers and tech moguls.
We’ll have canapés and champagne. Then I’ll choke down dry chicken and under-seasoned vegetables because even with all the money in the world, these people would rather starve themselves than risk not fitting into their bikinis this summer.
The car comes to a stop and Ashton exits from the back.
I’ve barely seen him this week. It’s been pretty hectic at the paper.
I’m officially out of my probationary period and the interns have started, which means I’ve been training them, along with writing my usual articles.
It also means I’m no longer Ashton’s bitch.
If I’m being honest, I haven’t been for a while.
He’s been taking on a lot of the menial tasks so that I have more time to research and write.
He thinks I haven’t noticed, and we’ve never discussed it.
I open the front door as Ashton walks up the path.
He’s wearing a fitted navy suit with a crisp white shirt underneath, tan oxfords, and his light brown hair is gelled off to the side.
He looks every bit the part of a wealthy heir.
Which is exactly what he is. It’s just another reminder that we would never work together as an actual couple. Which is good. Reminders are good.
Of course, that reminder goes out the window as soon as he gets close enough for me to see his smile. I never thought someone’s smile could make me feel like I’m floating, but that’s what his does.
Not to mention, he’s looking at me like I hung the fucking stars in the sky.
“You look…” he starts, shaking his head and cursing.
I glance down to make sure a boob didn’t pop out.
I’m wearing a cream chiffon gown with a halter bodice and a deep side cut that reveals the rose tattoo on my ribcage.
The dress is cinched at the waist, and below is a flowing, multi-layered tulle skirt.
I paired it with strappy black heels and even set my hair so it has a little wave.
Emory let me borrow the dress from her arsenal of past gala outfits.
She was even nice enough not to give me a hard time about the Ashton situation in general.
She told me she was happy for me and that I could tell her as much or as little whenever I wanted.
Satisfied that my tits are, in fact, where they’re meant to be, I smooth out the skirt and take a step forward only to slam into him. Ashton hasn’t moved an inch. He’s still standing there, eyes glazed over, chest rising and falling rapidly.
“You are so goddamn beautiful.”
“I—” My phone buzzes before I can respond, startling me, and it falls to the ground.
Thankfully, it lands on the silicone case so it doesn’t break.
Ashton kneels down to pick it up, and I’m suddenly brought back to the day after my birthday when he got on his knees for me.
Let’s just say I will never be able to eat mint chocolate chip ice cream ever again without getting horny.
As far as apologies go, that one was a ten out of ten.
After he made me come twice on his tongue, he made good on his promise from the night before and fucked me so hard I had trouble walking the rest of the day.
I was still wobbling on Monday morning, and Ashton had adjusted himself and smirked when he noticed it.
That was a week ago, and we haven’t done anything since.
To say I’m desperate for him would be an understatement.
Every time we tried to meet up after work this week, something came up.
His sister came to visit unannounced one night.
Then Emory thought she was going into early labor.
It ended up just being heartburn, but Luke freaked out and is now following her around more than usual.
But tonight, after we get this song and dance over with, that man is all mine. For now. Not forever, of course.
Ashton hands me my phone and reaches out for me to take his hand.
I do it, and he guides me to the waiting car.
He opens the door for me, and I lift my dress before climbing in.
When he gets in on the other side of me, the awe in his eyes is replaced by a playfulness I’ve come to crave.
I know exactly what it means. Before I can wonder what he has planned, he reaches down next to him and pulls out a copy of The Emberfield Lantern.
He turns to page five and hands it to me.
“Care to explain, Chaos?”
I glance over the headline that reads “Willow & Thyme Temporarily Closed Due to Health Code Violations.” My lips tip up into a smile. I was wondering when he would confront me about this.
“Oh, my,” I say, feigning innocence. “That’s unfortunate.”
“Allie,” he warns.
“What?”
“You wrote that article.”
“I did. You signed off on it. Otherwise, how would it have gotten printed in the paper?”
“Skylar signed off on articles this week. I had a lot on my plate.”
“Well, that’s not my problem.”
He narrows his eyes as we back out of my driveway. “How did you get the intel?” he pushes.
I press my lips into a thin line, raising my eyebrows. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”
He sighs. “He deserves worse, but I don’t want him coming after you.”
“I don’t know what you’re referring to.” I take my compact mirror out of my clutch to double-check my makeup.
“Like I said, it’s unfortunate.” I snap the mirror shut.
“I heard they found several rats in the kitchen. Poor Craig. It will probably be closed for several months before they can get the health department to perform another inspection.”
Ashton grins. “Huh. I wonder how the health department found out about it in the first place.”
“I’m sure some well-meaning citizen let them know.”
“Of course. I just hope the citizen was careful.”
“I don’t think the citizen needs your concern,” I shoot back. “In fact, the citizen has been taking care of herself long before you showed up.”
Ashton nods and lets his head fall back to the seat, closing his eyes. They snap open when I take his hand in mine. “Are we done talking about egotistical assholes with small dicks?”
His lips part as he runs a finger along the edge of his shirt collar. Did it just get five hundred degrees hotter in here?
“You know,” he says, moving closer so the driver can’t hear him. “I’ve had a few days to think about exactly what I want to do to you tonight.”
“Have you?”
“Uh-huh, and…” he presses a button on the side of his door, and there’s a buzzing sound as a divider appears, cutting us off from the front of the car. “I want to try something. You up for it?”
“Yes.” It doesn’t matter what it is. If it’s with Ashton, I’m up for it.
God, when did I become so cringy?
“Spread your legs, Allie.” Not wasting any time, I do as I’m told, letting my thighs fall open.
“Lift your skirt.” I bend over and grip the edges of the tulle, bringing it back up with me so my black lace thong is on display. I glance toward the divider. “Is that soundproof?”
Ashton lets out a dark chuckle. “I love that you know I can make you scream, but I wouldn’t worry about that right now.”
Ashton runs a finger over my clit, still clothed in lace, and I shudder.
“So sensitive tonight,” he points out in a mocking tone.
So that’s the mood he’s in. We’ve explored the power dynamic between us and discovered we both like to dominate and submit during sex, but lately, I’ve wanted him to be in control.
He’s the only person I’ve ever been submissive with, and I’ve become addicted to it.
He doesn’t seem to mind, either. We’ve played around with light humiliation.
I love mocking him, but I think I like it even more when he does it to me.
Ashton adds another finger and pushes down, rubbing circles on my clit. It feels good, but it’s not enough. I go to reach down to move my panties to the side, but he stops me with his other hand.
He tsks. “No touching. Put your hands behind your back.”
I do what he says, scooting forward so I can cross both hands behind me. I look out of the window at the trees blending together. We’re still on the highway. The benefit is in Baybridge, of course, so we probably have another twenty or so minutes before we get there.
Satisfied with my obedience, he continues his task, this time applying more pressure and moving faster.
Heat spreads up my spine and my hips rock forward to meet his movements.
Holy shit, I feel like I could come from this.
I’ve never had an orgasm with underwear on.
He stops what he’s doing and shoves two fingers in my pussy, bringing the lace material with them.
It’s slightly rough, but the friction feels amazing.
My panting turns to gasps as he continues to push the material in with his fingers.
“Such a good girl,” he praises. “Taking whatever I give you.”
His words nearly push me over the edge, but when he brings his thumb to my clit, I buck off the seat.
“Shit, Ashton, I’m gonna—”
One more thrust of his fingers, and…
He stops.
Removing his hand, he gently pulls down my skirt and brings my knees back together. Then he tugs on my arms, releasing them from behind my back. I’m so stunned that I let him move me around like a rag doll.
When he presses the button on the door and the divider slowly rolls back down, it finally hits me, and I turn to him. “What the hell was that?”
“Control, remember?”
I blink. “Excuse me?”
“You wanted to be controlled. This is that.”
“You said you weren’t into denial,” I argue.
“Yeah, I thought I wasn’t, but I wanted to try something new, and it was fucking hot as hell.
To think, you almost came in your panties.
” He shakes his head and blows out a breath.
I don’t miss his erection straining against his dress pants.
He looks down then back up at me, smirking before coming closer to speak into my ear again.
“All night, you won’t be able to focus on anything else.
People will speak to you, but you won’t hear them.
You’ll eat, but you won’t taste anything.
All you will be able to think about is coming.
You’ll be so desperate that you’ll beg me to leave or maybe even take you in one of the bathrooms. Maybe I will.
Maybe I won’t.” He shrugs. “We’ll just have to see how good you can be. ”
Desperate doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling in the pit of my stomach.
And the worst part is I love it. I want everything he just described.
I want to not be able to focus. I want to beg him.
I want him to laugh at how poor and desperate I am.
Humiliate me. Drive me mad. Turn me into nothing but need itself.
Rewire my brain so that I don’t know where the desire begins and my mind ends.
Because this feeling swirling around my ribcage?
It’s freedom. And I’ve never felt more free than when Ashton Tyler is controlling me.