Thankfully though, after only five minutes, he turns me down a dark street.
Butterflies erupt in my belly. Where the hell is he taking me?
He brings me to an ominous black door before he pushes me up against the wall and stares down at me.
He hasn’t touched me since he walked out earlier, yet my body is still embarrassingly aware of his every move, waiting for him to strike.
“Ash?” I ask, my nerves about where we’re going evident in my voice.
“You stay by me. You don’t accept a drink from anyone but me, and you don’t go anywhere with anyone but me. Understood?” His eyes bore into mine, expressing just how serious he is about this.
“O-okay,” I agree when what I really want to do is ask if we should even be bothering. We could just go back to his apartment and order takeout or something.
“Perfect.”
He pulls me from the wall but he doesn’t move, so all I end up doing is crash into him.
“Remember what I said earlier. This,” he says, cupping me between the legs. The heat of his fingers burns my sensitive skin, making me damn near desperate for more of his touch. “No other fucker gets to even think they have a chance.”
I nod, my words getting caught in my throat.
“Let’s go.”
He moves this time, his arm comes around my waist and he pulls me into his side.
After knocking on the door, it opens and after a second, whoever is at the other side must realize who it is, and it’s pulled back.
Ash walks me into a dark hallway, the only two people are what seem to be guards at the doors.
“Fury,” one of them says with a nod as we pass. Ash returns the gesture but he doesn’t say anything as he leads me down the hallway.
The music gets louder the deeper into the building we get before we come to a set of stairs. He leads me down and that’s when the party reveals itself.
“What is this place?” I shout over the music.
“A basement, little one.”
There are couches everywhere, each one littered with people. There’s what seems to be a makeshift dance floor in one corner with bodies grinding and gyrating against each other. There are other couples dotted around.
“Oh my God, are they having sex?” I ask, my eyes almost bugging out of my head as I take in one couple on a couch as we hit the floor.
“Probably,” Ash answers without even looking at the couple who’ve caught my attention.
I always thought Ethan’s parties were wild, but this really is something else.
Eyes turn our way as we make our way through all the people. The scent of cigarettes, weed, and whatever the fuck else people might be smoking fills my nose and I swear I get a little hit from it alone.
“Well, well, look who’s decided to show his fucking face,” some guy says from a couch as we approach. Ashton brings us to a stop as the guy stands. The two embrace briefly. Ashton releases my waist so he can thump this guy on the back. “It’s good to see you, man.”
“You too.”
They part and the guy’s eyes come to me.
“And who do we have here?” he asks, his hungry eyes eating me up.
“This...” Ash says, turning to look at me. “Is mine, motherfucker.”
The guy chuckles. “And when does Ashton Fury refuse to share his toys?”
“From right now.”
I look between the two of them, trying to figure out if they’re joking or not.
“Well, that is a damn shame because she is fine.” He shoves his hand in my direction. “Name’s Axel, but these motherfuckers call me X.” I slide my hand into his because I have no idea what else I should do in this situation. He lifts my hand as if he’s going to kiss my knuckles, but before he gets the chance, he pulls me into his body and drops his lips to my ear. “But I don’t care which you use when you scream my name.”
“X,” Ashton growls behind me before his hand grips painfully onto my hip and I’m hauled back into his body. He wraps a protective arm around my waist before sitting down on the couch after someone gets up for him.
I fall down on top of him and am forced to sit there while everyone stares at him and glares at me.
What the fuck is this place and why are we here?
“Hey, man,” the guy next to us says. “Sorry to hear about your mom.”
Ash nods at him, accepting his condolences but I don’t miss the way his entire body tenses at the mention of her.
“I’m Cash,” he says, turning his eyes on me, but unlike Axel, he doesn’t strip me bare with one look, hell he looks at me like I could well be a guy. It’s a relief.
“Ruby,” I say with a smile.
“Got this one whipped then?”
I look to Ash who’s talking to the guy on the other side of him.
“I’m not sure that’s the right word.”
Cash smiles at me but I can’t help thinking there are things he’d love to tell me.
I look around the room once more. We’re sitting in a square of four couches. Most of the seats are filled by guys, there are only two girls sitting on their own with drinks in their hands, any others who are here are on guys’ laps, some sitting less innocently than others.
I watch one couple for a few minutes. I know I should look away, but I’m weirdly fascinated by their shameless public display.
She’s straddling his lap, and he’s quite obviously fingering her as she arches her back and throws her head back in pleasure.
I’m so engrossed watching them that I don’t realize that Ashton has finished talking.
“You like watching, little one?” he growls in my ear. “It sure got you wet last week with everyone’s eyes on you.”
“Fuck you,” I spit. “You can’t compare what you did to me to... to that.”
“Hmm,” he groans, his grip tightening as if he’s about to turn me in the same position as that girl.
“I need the bathroom,” I say, pulling away from him.
“Right down there.” He nods toward a door where another girl disappears.
“What? You’re not going to escort me?” I ask, widening my eyes at him.
“I can watch your every move.”
“But who knows what I might get up to in that stall.”
“Don’t test me, little one.”
I smile at him, loving that I can get to him quite so easily.
I climb from him, trying to be as elegant as possible so that I don’t flash anyone, and walk toward the door. His eyes follow me the entire way and when I look over my shoulder before I push the door open, my eyes lock with him instantly. Unfortunately, as I look away, I catch someone else’s. Axel’s. Where Ashton’s cold stare might scare me somewhat, Axel’s downright terrifies me.
Ripping my eyes away, I slip inside the bathroom and breathe a sigh of relief when I only find a couple of girls reapplying their makeup in the mirrors.
I spend longer inside the stall than necessary as I try to get my head together. I need more alcohol for this.
The second I pull the door open, my eyes lock with a blonde’s.
I walk over to the sink to wash my hands and her stare follows me.
“You’re with Ashton,” she states.
“Uh... I guess.”