Despite being an employee in the same group, moving to the headquarters gives the same hassle as moving to a totally different company. New faces, new workspace, new key performance indicators, and new stress. I never experienced this rapid change in my career before, and I'm not sure how to feel about this. But there's no point in pondering about it right now since the bigger drama requires more attention.
The talk I had with Diandra last Saturday still hangs heavy in my head. Despite my determination in making my relationship with Ashton work, there are nagging thoughts in the corner of my mind. How long will it take until Diandra swings back with full ammunition? What is she planning right now? What do I need to do to prepare myself? I just hope that she doesn't drag Chloe into this and creates unnecessary tension.
I know Diandra thinks she's lending me her boy toy so that I can have fun until my time is up, but she forgets that this toy has a brain, a heart, and free will. Has she even talked to Ashton about this lately? Does she know what he wants? From what I gather from her perspective and how Ashton sees things are like day and night. It leaves me hanging in the grey area when I try to mix them.
I believe it's Ashton who is telling the truth, otherwise, I wouldn't want to go this far with him. But he needs to start talking to Diandra about this situation before it gets even uglier than it already is. But again, what do I want him to tell her? To re-break up with her when they aren't even in a relationship right now? Or ask her to stop wanting him? Can we even do that when we still love someone?
After Dickson fetched Diandra from the restroom that afternoon, we went on with the rest of the party plan. Ashton was trying to give all his attention to Chloe but I know that he wasn't fully there, and it didn't take a genius to guess what distracted him. I was not doing better either since the emotional rush from the talk with his ex was still freshly pumping in my veins. Yeah, talk about a party pooper.
"Have you tried to talk to her?" I ask Ashton when we have a chance to chat on the phone during lunch today.
I eat my lunch at my desk to avoid those scrutinizing eyes on me ever since the news about Ashton and Chloe was out. I'm sure that there are plenty of speculations about me going around right now, and I'm just not in the mood to deal with them just yet. Maybe never.
"No, not yet. Haven't found the time to do it and I don't think I can in the next few days. My schedules are too tight. And I still don't see the relevance of why I should talk to her." He pauses a bit, seemingly busy doing something judging from the shuffling sound in the background. "I ended things with her. Why do I need to reopen the closed case?"
"The case has never been properly closed. You're still talking to her. Maybe that's how she gets the wrong signals from you."
He sighs. "What signals? I don't understand why women love to complicate themselves by looking for something that is not there. Why not focus on what is spoken?"
"Because action speaks louder than words, Ashton." I glance at my not-fully-closed door, checking if someone is accidentally standing within hearing distance. I shouldn't have mentioned his name out loud.
"And what action did I do that spoke louder than my breakup line?"
I shrug while pouring the dressing into my salad. "I don't know. Maybe responding to her every time she texted you? Showing her a friendly gesture when you met her?"
"I don't see the need of turning our exes into our eternal enemies," he replies, followed by the sound of his fingers dancing on the keyboard buttons. He must be replying to emails while talking to me. "And considering Diandra's mom and my mother have become friends, you will see her around my family for a while."
"What if I mind?"
"About her being around my family whom I only see a few times a year?"
"No. About you texting her back." I bite my lower lip, regretting the words that have just rolled off my tongue. Did I sound like a possessive and insecure teenager?
"Then I will take your objection into consideration," he answers carefully.
I don't even dare to guess what is going on inside his head right now. "Gosh." I rub my hand over my forehead. "I sound like a cavewoman. Of course, I'm not going to tell you to whom you can talk."
After several seconds of silence, his deep voice vibrates through the phone line, "If you really, truly have a problem with it, I'll give you my password and you can check my conversation with her."
Okay. Now I feel like a controlling bitchfriend. He hasn't even done anything wrong or cheated on me. He doesn't deserve this. This is embarrassing, beyond embarrassing.
"No. Please don't do that. I trust you. I was just...I don't know how to handle this. She still thinks that you two are the couple who are going through some tests and I'm the other woman here."
"You are not the other woman, and you know that."
"But people have different ideas about it. And I'm tired of hearing they gush over the same thing about you and Di...her. They even make a bet on when you two will get back together."
"Well, it's not going to happen. Let them lose money if they make a wrong bet. Maybe you should place your bet, too. You'll make some money out of it."
"It's not something to joke about."
"Okay, sorry." He clears his throat. "Again. You worry too much about what people say. They will always say something about other people's business, especially those who sit on the executive chairs. You should get used to this because this is the life we're going to have once we do this in the open."
"True, but still, it sucks." I jab my fork into the potato and bring it to my mouth mindlessly. "But please, talk to her. I think she needs closure or this won't end well. Plus, you gotta be honest with me that the way she reacted last Saturday made you sad, too. She needs to understand that it's time to let go and move on."
He sighs audibly, accompanied by the creaking sound of his chair. "You're right. The scene last Saturday was...rather painful to see. But it is how it is; I'm with you now." I hear muffled knocks in the background, followed by Ashton replying briefly to Andy. "I gotta go. Look, I'll talk to her to have some closure because this is what you want. Then we gotta rest this case. Deal?"
"Deal."
Days go by and there is still nothing from Ashton about having the talk with Diandra. What can I say? He's not a guy with plenty of free time on his hands to fix his ex's problem. He can barely find time to see me, and we have to cut our phone conversation short because his schedule and my new work rhythm just don't match. Quick calls and sweet messages are the only evidence that we are actually together.
And no, I'm not complaining. I know this is just temporary because we agreed to keep it private for now. Once we're confident enough to bring this to the surface, things should be easier to manage.
I almost believe he starts to forget his promise to talk to Diandra when he brings up the topic. We're at Hugh's farm to see the newborn pony and let Chloe spend time with her four-legged friend.
"I talked to her," he announces when we stand behind the horse fence, watching Chloe riding Charlotte while Hugh strides next to her.
I look up at him, astounded that he didn't bring this up earlier today. "You did? When?"
"This morning," he replies. He stares at the leaf he's been fiddling with his fingers before throwing it away. "She was there in my lobby when I came back from running."
"Okay?" For some reason, the uneasiness creeps into my stomach. She came to his place. Did he let her in? "Why did she want to see you?"
"To talk."
"Oh. What happened then?"
"We talked. I even apologized if I hurt her because I kissed you that night. But I was very clear that I'm with you right now, and she said she understood."
After a few minutes and Ashton doesn't seem to say more, I turn my head to him again. "That's all?"
"That's all," he replies as he looks away to check on Chloe who is screaming to us in joy. Shifting our attention to our daughter, we both wave at her as we continue watching her learn a new technique in riding Charlotte. Once Chloe doesn't look in our direction, Ashton takes my hand in his, rubbing the back of my palm with his thumb slowly. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"At your place? What about our daughter? Sophie isn't home, and my parents have a party to attend."
"I guess I'll stay longer after dinner then. Can I?"
"Of course." I smile while examining his pale face. His stubble starts to grow and his eyes are dull. Since he showed up this morning he hasn't talked much. Is it because of the talk he had with Diandra this morning? "You look tired."
"Yeah," he mumbles. "It's been a heavy week. It takes a lot for us to adjust to the management change."
"Ah, yeah. I can imagine."
"And I need you." His hand tightens around mine.
I squeeze him back. "I'm here."
After a month of being together, this is the first time I see the needy and clingy Ashton. He's been in need of physical contact at all times when no one is looking at us. I'm almost sure Martha catches him sneaking his hand around my waist and kissing my temple when we're in the kitchen. We thought we were alone, but apparently, Martha is inside her food storage room.
Later in the night when we lie naked on my guest room bed, he's not the usual domineering man who pushes me to the edge with thrill and anticipation. He's more of a worshiper who treats me like his goddess. His movement is tentative and careful yet all he cares about is giving me pleasure after pleasure.
"Ashton..." I cry as I come into his mouth.
His hands grip my hips in place as he laps my slit while I ride down my climax. He then moves up to kiss my navel and lays his head on my belly, his green eyes fixed on my face as I try to catch up with my breath.
"You're so beautiful when you're doing that."
"Doing what?" With my eyes still partly closed, I run my fingers through his disheveled hair, still savoring the remaining bliss from my orgasm.
"Calling my name while you're coming undone. Bending your body upward" —his hand crawls up and stops on my breast— "while your nipples poke out, fully erected."
I bite my lower lip to suppress my moan when he gently pinches my nipple, trying to be as quiet as possible or we will wake up our sleeping daughter.
"I want you to come again."
"Put your baby maker in me then," I reply, earning a deep laugh from him.
"No, I will make you cum one more time before I make love to you." Ashton scrambles out of bed. "Where did you put your dildo? Ah, found it."
"Nooo," I whine as he lies down next to me sideways, one elbow supporting his weight while his other hand holding my black dildo. "I won't be able to walk in the morning."
"That's the idea." He rubs the dildo over my clit gently.
I whimper at the contact. "I've cummed twice already but look at you. You're still throbbing hard with balls full of ammunition. Let me help a bit." I reach down to touch his cock, but he stops my hand.
"No. Tonight is about you. I will make sure you're perfectly spent and have a good night's sleep before I leave." Then he starts with his assault, forcing me to grab a pillow to muffle my moan.
He meant it when he said tonight was all about me because forty minutes later, I'm welcoming my fourth orgasm with his cock filling me this time. His thrust is slow and deep, hitting all the right spots inside of me. We're not in a rush or racing to reach our climaxes, we're just two lovers who want to become one while savoring every second of our blissful ride.
Ashton presses his forehead on mine as he picks up the pace, his sharp gaze boring into my eyes. Joining him, I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, clinging to him for dear life as his thrust is getting bolder. I can't think anymore. The pleasure he's giving me makes me moan harder every second, prompting him to kiss my mouth to silence me.
"Umph, umph, umph, umph! Uuum mhgd..." And my body starts to spam from the mind-blowing ejaculation. My mind goes blank for a moment but my hands keep clinging around his neck as he finishes himself in me, giving me everything he has.
After our climaxes, we stay in position for a minute, slick with sweat and our mixed juices. Satiated, fulfilled, and completed; the moment I cherish the most during sex with him. It's when I hear the words slip between his lips as his warm breath caresses my ear.
"I love you."
⭐⭐⭐