Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
If Ashley was forced to make a list of what she most certainly shouldn’t do with Alexander, she would likely say that stepping towards him was at the top.
Then there’d be the parts about wanting to touch Alexander, wanting to feel him, wanting to press her lips against his, but the funny thing about listing all the things that she shouldn’t do was that the more she listed them, the more inclined she felt to do those things, or at least, that was Ashley’s experience.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice that sounded vaguely like her brother’s was lecturing her about morals, what was right and what was wrong, and something about her duty to him.
But that voice was drowned out by the siren call of Alexander’s hungry eyes, and she didn’t give a single flying fuck about it.
Not when Alexander was standing right in front of her and looking as gorgeous as he always did.
Tired of being told what she could and could not do and the frequent reminders that the world was currently working against her, Ashley decided that she was done holding back.
She had to give in because if she didn’t, it was very likely that she would finally lose her fucking mind. She took a step towards him.
She wanted to touch him. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers, and by the way that he was currently eyeing her, forcing Ashley to remember that she was standing there in nothing more than her underwear, he wanted to touch her just as badly.
“Ashley,” Alexander said her name as more of a warning than anything, a plea to her to not do anything insane, to allow him just a moment of clarity.
But Ashley couldn’t be warned off. She couldn’t resist him anymore.
She decided to reach towards him, twining her arms around his neck.
She didn’t care about whether or not he saw her underwear or what he thought of her body.
She could tell by the way that he relished her curves, worshipping them with each and every swipe of his eyes, that he was attracted to her just as she was attracted to him.
Ashley looked up from underneath her eyelashes at him, silently begging him to make any move.
All she wanted was to feel his skin on hers, to know what it would feel like to be touched by someone like him, someone who saw so much in the world.
Someone who had captivated her from the moment that she met him, and he did not disappoint.
It took a matter of moments for Alexander to decide to dive forward, swearing to himself and possibly muttering Ashley’s name amongst the haze as he placed his hands to either side of her face and pressed his lips against hers, so tired of resisting.
Their mouths moved as one, his hands dominating Ashley’s body as he slowly began to roam and explore it, confirming for her that he felt just as she did.
She was undeniably attracted to him, unable to pull away, unable to so much as dream of looking away.
The only problem was that Ashley was aware that there were people nearby who would want to see her soon and would check in on her to ensure that her dress fit properly.
Not to mention, it would only be a matter of minutes before Emma would reappear, eager not to let Ashley too far out of her view after the incident earlier in the day.
Ashley had to be careful, but her mind rebelled against the idea.
She had to think logically, but there was no logic left in her as his mouth dominated hers, his body shifting ever closer, the realization of the fact that he was real and he was there hitting Ashley.
“I don’t know why, but I can’t pull away from you,” Ashley murmured to Alexander, pleading for help, for him to say the right words that would make sense. Instead, he growled, all too eager to take advantage of what she had said and to use her body against her.
His mouth pressed against hers with more urgency, more of a demand playing out between their lips as he shifted closer to her, his hands cupping the back of her head and making it so that there was no escape.
Ashley couldn’t help the moan that tore out of her lips the moment that she felt his hips press against hers, driving home the point that he was more than attracted to her.
She could feel the thick swell in his slacks.
His cock was standing at attention. He wanted to fuck her. She knew that.
More importantly, he wanted her to know that.
He made it clear with each movement of his hips, groaning as slid his tongue along hers.
She could practically feel every inch of his length, an impressive eight inches grinding against her leg, and Ashley imagined what it would feel like having that pound inside of her, even though she had never been fucked before.
The idea of losing her virginity to this man, in the tailor’s workshop, of all places, was enticing.
Her mouth was practically salivating at it.
Finally, after a matter of seconds, Alexander seemed to give up on propriety, murmuring into Ashley’s shoulder as he pulled her into him. “Fuck it.”
In that single second, it seemed like she would find some sort of relief, like the two of them would find their ecstasy together. It was the only thing she wanted.
There was a knock at the door. The kind meant to let her know that someone was there. A second later, Emma’s voice filled the air.
“Ashley, the door is locked and the tailor wishes to resume his work,” Emma called, and Ashley swore under her breath, wishing that she had never heard of the tailor and that pants were an acceptable outfit to wear to a ball.
All this period bullshit was starting to get her.
And yet, still, she smiled just slightly when she heard a chuckle beside her, the low sound of Alexander’s voice resonating in the bottom of her stomach.
“Apparently, we must say goodbye,” Alexander said as he took a step back from her, looking like he regretted it, and yet he was still able to find the humor.
Ashley appreciated that about him because it was so rare that the men in her life were able to find humor in anything, but still, she watched him with the slightest frown, allowing her hand to touch his face as he drew away.
The urge to relish in the feeling of his skin on hers was strong but it was impossible. “Fuck Emma and fuck the tailor.”
“I wish,” Alexander whispered, and she smiled at him. Ashley dared to take a risk, just one, and leaned towards Alexander to make a demand of him.
“Find me at the ball,” Ashley said, making clear that this wasn’t one of those optional requests. This was a demand. He was to show up there because if he didn’t, she wasn’t sure if she could go through with it all.
Alexander looked at her with interest before he nodded. He understood that his presence was necessary, required, even. His eyes trailed over her body as he finally stepped away from her, giving the slightest bow.
“As you wish, my queen,” Alexander said, and Ashley couldn’t deny the way that his words resonated in the back of her skull, a pleasant murmur.
The idea of being his queen was enticing, and she couldn’t help how her fingers balled at her sides, her heart skipping a beat as she looked at him.
And then, feeling like she had no other option, she dove towards him, capturing his jaw once more before he could escape through a passage at the corner of the room.
She took his mouth with hers. With that single motion, she claimed him, reminding him that he belonged to her and her alone at the end of the day.
“Mine,” Ashley dared to say, her voice making clear one thing: it wasn’t a questionable fact. He belonged to her.
And honestly? She couldn’t imagine giving him up for anything, even her supposed mate, the Diamond King whom she hadn’t met.
Ashley didn’t know how the rules of dragon society worked.
She did know that if she weren’t allowed to have Alexander, she would likely do exactly what Jack Tracey had done and choose her own path, regardless of what her brother thought of her.