Chained To Me: A Billionaire Enemies To Lovers Romance

Chapter 36 -Everly

I've been working for Aston for the past couple of weeks. Neither of us has said anything about what happened between us, that we had incredible sex on his desk and in his penthouse.

No.

Instead, he's put me to work organizing his new charity—The Aston Thomas Center for Cancer Research. It focuses specifically on breast cancer research.

After hours of trying to pressure him into picking something meaningful, he finally chose this cause. I don't know why he did it or if it even has significance to him, but it meant something in the way of progress, so I ran with it.

Now, Lina's helping me spread the word about Aston's new charitable image. Today, he's appearing on The Morning Show With Jen and Paul to discuss the charity and how he's turned over a new leaf. I have to admit that I'm incredibly nervous about it.

I bite my fingernails as we arrive at the studio in Aston's limousine.

"Just remember to stick to the talking points I gave you," I tell him. "If they ask about that night at Amethyst, explain that you were having a rough time, apologize, and change the subject. Got it? Change the focus to the charity."

He runs a hand through his hair, reminding me of how it looked while he went down on me.

His tongue explored places on my body that hadn't been utilized in years besides by my pink vibrator and a few crummy boyfriends that aren't even worth talking about.

I experienced an orgasm like no other. Seismic.

I'd be lying if I didn't think about the experience often.

But I shake my head and try to get back to work. I'm here for a reason: to help Aston. I need to get thoughts of how he felt inside me out of my brain.

"What if they want to know why I was in a rough place?" he asks.

"Well, that would be the truth of things you refuse to reveal," I remind him. "You're going to have to deflect."

"You could just save us all a lot of trouble and tell the world what the hell happened that night," Lina says.

"Never." An icy cold stare comes over his face. "That will never fucking happen."

"Then you do it my way." I toss him a forgiving grin.

Now that I know why Aston was at Amethyst, I understand why he doesn't want the world to know. I'm determined to help protect his secret.

We get out of the limousine and are greeted by a team of people who walk us through the studio to Aston's dressing room. They explain what will happen on the show, where Aston needs to go before walking on camera, and all the logistics.

"You ready?" I ask him as Morgan brushes his hair back from his face in the dressing room.

"I was fucking born ready for this. How hard could some simple press be?"

"Right. Well, knock 'em dead. And remember, focus on the charity," I remind him.

Just then, someone comes to get Aston, telling him it's time for him to go on.

I sit back in my chair and watch the television mounted to the wall.

I need him to succeed at this. It's imperative to the image makeover we're trying to achieve.

I watch as Aston walks onto the set. The small crowd goes wild, cheering his name as he sits beside Jen and Paul. This tells me that what little work we've done to his image is already doing its job. People want to see Aston.

"Good morning," Jen says.

"Thanks for having me," Aston responds.

"Now, you're here to promote your new charity—The Aston Thomas Center for Cancer Research. Is that correct?" Paul says, leaning back in his seat, taking Aston's measure.

Aston, for his part, looks like the classic hunk. He's so tall and statuesque. He fills out the chair, his huge body taking up so much space that he makes Paul look puny by comparison. He's got a glittering smile on his face that lights up the room.

I'd say he was a charismatic charmer if I didn't know him so well. But, unfortunately, I do know him well, so I've seen his cold, controlling side. I hope he's genuinely changed and that that side stays buried.

"That's right, Paul," he says. "This is a new thing for me, the charity world. But I find it just as exciting as real estate."

"Now, this comes on the heels of some risky photos you had taken of yourself at a club called Amethyst," Jen says, trying to get the dirt. "Is there any correlation between you building this charity and trying to rebuild your image?"

Aston, to my surprise, takes it in his stride. "Those photos were an unfortunate event," he admits. "I was having a tough time dealing with some personal issues. And there's no excuse. I'm truly sorry for what you and the public saw. But the good news is this charity is a passion project. It's birthed from an idea I had after losing my mother to breast cancer."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Jen places her hand on his arm, indicating her empathy. And the crowd lets out a collective sigh.

I'm dumbfounded. I had no idea that this charity meant anything to Aston. I thought it was simply something he picked at random. But to know it's so personal to him makes a tear come to my eye, which I quickly wipe away.

"Right, so the focus is on cancer research, specifically breast cancer. We're hoping to make a dent in this incurable disease, to help eradicate it once and for all." He looks into the camera, looking confident and handsome.

"That's truly admirable," Paul says. "We'll all be following your endeavor in the future."

"Thanks." Aston smiles at the crowd.

And I breathe a sigh of relief at knowing his first press interview is over, and he knocked it out of the park.