A/N: Welcome back - if you're here after the cat chapter, you're a total champ & I love you!
This chapter is dedicated to TanteShineyHiney ! Thank you for the support, love & for taking care of so many incredible animals!
***
I was sprawled out on the couch in my pajamas, reading a book when my phone started ringing. I was itching to just continue ignoring it like I've been doing for the past few days, but it was relentless - vibrating away furiously on the wooden coffee table. Even, Neuro, my blind cat - who turned out to be the calmest animals I've ever met - was starting to get annoyed.
Frustrated, I reached for the mad little device, ready to tell whoever was disturbing my peace which orifice to stick it-
-when I saw the number I still haven't saved to my contacts, but couldn't forget if I tried.
"Take a hint, Wolfhart!" I said as a greeting, referring to the multiple calls I've gotten – and ignored – from him over the last few days. "I'm busy."
"The fuck you are!" He snarked, and I thought I heard a door slam in the background.
Followed by the distinctive sound of a car lock. "What are you doing?" Ash asked, skipping the initial custom greetings.
I glanced around my tiny apartment. "I'm in the lab. Late night." I lied, again. It was a Friday night, I was spending it alone with a glass of wine and an interesting, new collection of research papers my dad sent over. Oh, and my blind cat. I doubted this was Ash's idea of a good time, but if I was perfectly honest, I didn't mind. "I have to go." I was about to hang up on him, when he called out my name.
I lifted the phone back to my ear. "Quit bullshitting me, red!" He snapped, his deep voice booming through the speaker of my phone.
I swallowed hard. His nickname brought up very vivid, adulterated memories. "I'm not." I snapped back, but of course I was. His voice was so impossibly husky, so very Ash that it made the hair stand on the back of my neck-
-and my panties soaked.
On the other end of the line, Ash chuckled, like he knew the thoughts I was embarrassed to even admit to myself. "Well, if you're at your fancy lab, then who is at your apartment?"
My jaw dropped to the wooden floor. Did he-
But I didn't get a chance to get another word in, because he added. "It's a good thing I swung by. I'll check it out for you."
"The door is locked." As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew how foolish I sounded.
"Oh, red... " Ash laughed, the sound as sinister as it was an aphrodisiac for me. "That hasn't stopped me before!" He threatened, but then his voice softened. "Or, you could just open it, and let me in."
It was uncanny - the way he could make his raspy, deep voice smooth like honey whenever it suited him.
I found it hard to breathe for a second, my throat closing in. He was here. "Open for me, Gia." Ash knew damn well what he was doing. There was not a single doubt in my mind that he didn't chose those exact words on purpose to rile me up. He knew what he was, and how to use it, and despite my best judgement, I found myself getting to my feet and walking over to my front door.
"You're infuriating, has anyone ever told you that?" I countered, but I felt my defenses slip.
"More times than I can count." Amusement laced his velvety voice, and if it was possible, it dropped even lower. "Although, none as beautifully as you."
I was in front of the door now, and I could practically feel him on the other side. "I'm not sleeping with you." I added, just for good measure. But it didn't matter what I said, because I knew what my body craved and he knew that I was lying.
"So you keep telling me."
My fingers trembled as I undid the chain, then turned the lock. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the effect Ash would have on me when there would be nothing separating us.
I stepped back, placing my body in the crack the opening door made.
Ash was wearing black leather boots, the kind that would look ridiculously tacky on anyone but a tattooed up rock star. His black, skinny jeans did nothing but accentuate his impressively built legs, and the rips revealed little bits of tan skin underneath. Despite the colder temperatures outside, he was in a sleeveless, black shirt, with studs around the neck.
And on Ash Wolfhart, it fucking worked.
"Are you going to let me in?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Or you just plan on staring from far away?"
My eyes snapped up to his black ones. "Fine. Come in." I swirled on my heel, taking a deep breath to gather my wits. It's been a week since the incident on my kitchen counter, and I was ready for more. The satisfaction from that mindblowing orgasm did nothing to satisfy my thirst for him - if anything, it amplified by the next morning. "Make sure you shut the door. I don't want Neuro to get out."
I nodded toward my cat, who was sniffing the air curiously. If he was alarmed by the six and a half foot tall, widely built rock star that was now taking up all the space in my living room, he didn't show it.
"You got a cat?" Ash asked, eyeing Neuro.
"London's mom got a cat - but her dad is allergic and-" I cut myself off, remembering who I was talking to. Ash didn't care about the black creature's backstory. "He's old, blind, and needs a home. So here we are."
Surprisingly familiar with cat customs, Ash extended his hand to Neuro. "Beautiful." He murmured, while my cat scented him. His pink, scratchy tongue darted out, and Neuro gave Ash a quick lick.
Same, buddy. Same.
"Why are you here, Ash?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence. I was truly having a bad case of deja vu. We seemed to have the same conversation on repeat, as he continued showing up unexpectedly - and uninvited.
He took his time, petting Neuro's head, and scratching behind his ear. "We have unfinished business, Gia." He said, in a low, threatening voice.
It was as if he was speaking straight to my vagina, because my hormones kicked into gear. I pressed my thighs together. "I'm not interested in finishing said 'business'." I replied, using my snarkiest voice.
Ash chuckled. "Fancy words coming from the girl who currently has my face spread over her tits."
I gasped, my cheeks heating immediately, as I glanced down at my outfit. Jesse, Ash's younger brother, has gotten this shirt for me during one of our sleepovers. In fact, he brought Hazmat shirts for all of the girls - and himself - and somehow I ended up with Ash's.
But that happened a year ago - and honestly, I only kept it because it was made of a soft, comfortable material, that was long enough to reach to my knees. It was warm, cozy, and the perfect shirt to sleep in, and after all this time, I no longer noticed whose face I have been wearing to bed.
"Fuck." I groaned, under my nose, embarrassed by not only my actions, but by the fact that I've been caught.
Ash chose that exact moment to straighten up, and turn to face me, that knowing look spread over his impossibly handsome face. "I don't mind one bit, red. You have the kind of tits I used to jack off to when I was younger." He stepped closer, his body moving with the fluidity of a predator as he approached me. I was frozen in place, still blushing - but the flush that has overtaken my entire body wasn't from embarrassment anymore. Now, it was lust. "Perhaps, I still do."
My gaze moved up to meet his dark, black one. He was so much taller than me, so much wider... So fucking masculine. I couldn't help it.
"Fine.." I whispered - so quietly, I wasn't sure he heard.
His head tilted to the side. "Fine?" Ash's large hand reached out, stroking a long finger along the hem of my shirt. His skin skimmed my thigh, the touch sending an electrical current through my entire body. "Have you had dinner?"
Still breathless, I shook my head.
"Put something on. I'll take you out."
If it was possible, my cheeks heated further. I just blatantly gave him a free pass to get into my panties, and he wanted food instead?!
I stepped back, shaking my head in an attempt to free my thoughts from his mind-control fuckery. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" I snapped. "The very last thing is for a stalker of yours to take my picture."
Ash frowned. "Fine." He shot back. "We won't get out of the car. Put shoes on."
And with the confidence only a dominant man like him could possess - and get away with - he strolled to my door, and opened it for me in invitation. I crossed my hands in front of my chest in defiance. He could boss around his groupies, if he wanted, but I didn't have to put up with it.
"Coming?" He cocked a thick, black brow at me.
I shook my head. "Not a chance."
But instead of the angry outburst I expected from him, Ash only grinned - the movement slow and calculated.
Shit. I saw him too late - Ash was already by my side, and had me over his shoulder by the time I realized what he was going to do. "Suit yourself, Gia!" I heard him chuckle, as he strolled out of my apartment, carrying me as if I was a sack of potatoes. Thankfully, he had the common sense to lock my door, then pocketed the keys as we descended the stairs to the parking lot.
"There better not be any cameras around!" I hissed, but I kept my voice down.
Ash patted the outside of my hip, jiggling my most unflattering bits in the process. "Don't worry, red! No one will see your glorious ass." Then, he added. "No one but me, of course."
"Of course..." I groaned, before the sound shifted into a yelp as he threw me in the backseat of his darkened muscle car, and slammed the door shut.
***
"Where are you taking me?" I wasn't sure if Ash heard my voice from the loud rock music that was blaring through the speakers of the car. Surprisingly, I found my legs bobbing along with the rhythm, and my fingers tapping on the center console.
He turned his head slightly, to regard me in the rearview mirror, before re-focusing his attention on the road. "To eat."
I wanted to tell him that I'm a vegetarian - and bordering on a vegan diet - and while I didn't judge him on what he consumed, I was quite selective with my own food choices. And I highly doubted we had the same appetite. "I'm very picky!" I shouted over the music, which switched into a quicker song.
I leaned forward, as far as the seatbelt allowed me to, so I could observe his reaction. Only a small, secretive smile, playing on the corner of his lip gave away that he was biting back a snarky comment.
And I was dying to hear what he was thinking about. "Why are you grinning like that?!" I pressed.
His right hand left the wheel, and moved over to the screen to flip the volume lower. "I was thinking that you didn't seem too picky the last time I've had you all to myself. Or the time before that."
I rolled my eyes. "You're too into yourself. It's very unbecoming."
Bottomless black orbs flashed to meet mine in the mirror. "I want to be into you." Ash said simply, before chuckling. "I'll let you conjure up an adult comeback for the second part of what you just said. You're really making it too easy for me."
I took in a deep breath. "You think you're clever?"
"No, red. I think you're clever. And a fucking knockout." Ash's compliment caught me off guard. He was rarely nice to anyone - as far as I was aware - and that statistic became increasingly worse when it came to women. His concern over my lack of nutrition was touching, and completely unexpected from the man I once witnessed punching a mouthy paparazzi in the face, and effectively breaking his nose.
Perhaps, he wasn't the monster everyone made him out to be.
"A clever little knockout with an incredible pair of tits I want to get in between."
And then he went and ruined it. I rolled my eyes. "I told you, I'm not fucking you." Even though I very obviously wanted to for a second there, back at my apartment.
Ash's head cocked to the side, revealing his impressive profile. "You misunderstand, Gia. It'll be me doing the fucking. All you have to do is lay back and enjoy."
"How romantic of you." I commented, shaking my head. But the reality was that I was tired, and wrung out from another tiring, monotone week at school and at the lab, and nothing sounded more appealing than getting worshipped my a man as well equipped to please as Ash, while I just got to relax. So logically, I did the exact opposite of what my body wanted. I tried to push him away. "What are you going to tell me next? That you made me come so I owe you?"
"If I was keeping score, I would tell you that I made you come on two very separate occasions." If Ash was put off by my attitude, he sure had a way of hiding it. Usually, my snarky comments and smart mouth put men off - but he just kept coming back. "But what I am telling you is that I'd love to do it again. And again. And agai-"
I raised a hand. "I get it. You want out of Blueball Town." I nodded. "So why are you taking me to eat?" I already agreed to his original plan, and if I was being honest, I made no actual effort to kick him out of my life. If I really wanted to, I could've probably fought harder to push Ash away... If I really wanted to.
Shit. This really wasn't going how I planned it to.
Ash shrugged, like he hasn't really thought about it before I asked the question. "It seemed like the normal thing to do."
I agreed. "So you'll buy me dinner and then you'll fuck me?"
The only reply I got was a light chuckle, as we pulled up in front of a very fancy looking restaurant. Ash parked the car, then went to type away on his phone.
"I'm not going in looking like this." I held up my bare feet in demonstration, placing it on the center console so he could see it from the front seat. "And I have no pants on."
A low, animalistic growl left him - the kind that made my insides turn to jelly. Ash was eyeing my naked foot with ferocious hunger, reminding me once again that I should've paid more attention when London rambled on about Hazmat members' quirks.
"Stay." He said in a stern voice, leaving no room for question. Ash's door opened and closed, and I watched him stroll into the restaurant, his long legs carrying him with a speed my own short, stubby ones could never dream of. A minute barely passed, and he was coming back, with two bags of food neatly packed in each hand.
He set the bags on the passenger side, and a moment later, we were peeling out of the parking lot. I had no idea how he managed to score takeout from a five star restaurant that was owned and managed by one of those famous TV chefs, but it didn't matter.
I just filed it away in my mind, along with the long list of weird quirks that made Ash Wolfhart the infamous enigma that he was.
***
A/N: I know what you are all waiting for. It's coming, don't worry ;)
Are you guys ready for Halloween?? Do you celebrate?! T & I are huge on horror, & we finished the Haunting of Hill House in like 3 day, and we just spent the entire night at Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Night. This is the time of the year when I really come alive ;) What are you going to be dressed up as?
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