Chapter Thirty-Six
ASHTON
Emma smiles at me as she approaches the table and my heart rate kicks up a notch. She still affects me like no other. Every man in this room would be envious, she looks so beautiful tonight. I’m proud to have her on my arm.
Standing, I pull out her chair. Once she’s seated, she places her clutch purse on her lap, fishing around inside it.
Emma’s hand moves to mine under the table. “Here.”
I look down. What the fuck. My eyes snap to hers.
“You said you wanted to see them.”
My cock goes instantly hard as a deep groan bubbles in the back of my throat. Without thinking, my arm rises toward my face, but she captures my wrist, stopping me. “Don’t you dare,” she warns. “If you sniff them here, I’ll kill you.”
She knows me so well.
Chuckling, I run the delicate lace between my fingers before shoving them into my pocket.
“God, why do rich people have to be so stuffy and boring?” Carla mumbles from across the table, oblivious to the panty exchange that just went down. “With all that money, you think they’d know how to have some fun.”
“Hey, I resent that remark,” Grayson gripes. “And I’m plenty of fun.”
“Except you, baby, you’re an exception. Nothing about you is boring or stuffy.”
He smiles, leaning in to place a kiss on her hair.
“Are these charity events always like this?” Carla asks.
“Pretty much,” I chime in. My mother has been dragging me to them for years.
“Even the music is putting me to sleep.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, it’s pretty bad.”
Grayson and I usually come to these events alone. I’ve never brought a date before, neither has he.
Carla’s attention moves to Emma. “Did you just yawn?”
“Yes,” she answers with a giggle. “This music is putting me to sleep, too.”
“Right, that does it.” Carla slams her hands down on the table. “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” I laugh at her euphemism, it’s from one of Emma’s favorite movies, Dirty Dancing. Emma made me watch it with her the other night. I only agreed on the proviso if she did her own dirty dancing with me when it was finished.
And she did.
It was fucking hot.
Carla stands, and all of our eyes are on her as she struts across the room, approaching the DJ. God only knows what song she’s going to request. Knowing her, it’ll be something completely inappropriate for this crowd.
She looks like a woman with a purpose as she comes striding back to our table. There’s a huge-ass smile on her face. When she reaches us, she holds out her hand to Emma. “Get ready, Em, the next song is for you, pretty girl.”
“You want me to dance with you?”
“Of course. You love to dance. Let’s show these lacklusters how it’s done.”
“But the dance floor is empty.”
“So! Since when has that stopped us? More room for us to show off our awesome dance moves.”
Tentatively, Emma takes Carla’s hand and stands.
My eyes follow my girl as she crosses the room, her hips swaying in a way only a woman who unknowingly possesses natural sex appeal can. I grip the glass in my hand until my knuckles turn white because my eyes aren’t the only ones on her. The fact that I now know she’s panty-less under that dress makes me borderline insane.
I’ve never thought of myself as the jealous type, but the way the men have been ogling her all night ignites a steely possessiveness inside me. I should’ve known the sharks would be circling tonight. Aside from her obvious beauty, she has an unequivocal grace about her that lures you in.
I intake a few deep breaths trying to control my raging need to claim her, right here in front of everybody. Just the thought of someone else trying to take her away from me is like a stab to the heart with a hot poker.
She’s fucking mine.
Emma throws back her head and laughs when the introduction to Footloose blares through the speakers. People suddenly sit up straight in their seats as their heads dart around the room. I’ve been to a lot of these charity events over the years, and this isn’t the kind of music that’s ever played.
Carla starts walking backward onto the dance floor, crooking her fingers in front of her for Emma to follow. When the instrumental kicks up a notch, Emma’s body starts to bob to the music as she raises her arms and starts playing the air guitar.
“Fucking hell,” I mumble to myself as Grayson throws back his head and roars laughing.
I cover my eyes with my hand but continue to watch them through the gap in my fingers. It’s like a train wreck, but it’s one I can’t look away from.
There’s no denying Emma can dance. I’ve witnessed her moves firsthand in the bedroom, she’s definitely got it going on. I get a semi just thinking about it.
Their bodies move in sync to choreographed line dancing and some wacky random shit they add in along the way. At one point, Carla starts moonwalking across the floor as Emma’s arms flank around in front of her like a damn robot. These two have zero fucks to give.
“They’re certifiably nuts,” I say, laughing.
Grayson pins me down with a hard stare. “But the good type of nuts… you know that, right?”
“Yeah, I do.” I established weeks ago Emma is nothing like my ex.
My eyes dart to my mother who’s sitting at the far end of the table, I’m almost afraid to see what her reaction to this will be. There’s no denying she loves Emma, but this is her charity, these snobs are her friends.
To say I’m taken aback to see her beaming as she watches them—clapping along to the music—would be an understatement.
When the song finishes and the girls make their way back to the table, my mother stands. “Bravo, my dear… bravo.”
Emma’s face turns as red as her dress, making me laugh.
Before she gets a chance to round the table to me, some brazen fucker reaches for her hand, trying to pull her back toward the dance floor.
I’m out of my seat in a flash. “Fuck off,” I say, eyeing him as I grab her and start moving toward the exit.
“Ashton, Jesus… let me go.” Ignoring her, I keep moving. “Where are we going?”
“I need some fresh air.”
I need you.
“Slow down.”
Pushing through the doors, we continue through the elaborate gardens until I find a spot to shield us from view. I’m on her before she even realizes what’s happing. Falling to my knees, I gather her dress up around her waist, slinging one of her legs over my shoulder.
“You’re bare?” I say as I take in the sight of her pussy.
“I got waxed today.”
Fuck me.
“I didn’t think it was possible for your pussy to be any prettier.”
My fingers glide over her smooth lips, I’m so turned on right now.
“Ashton,” she whimpers the moment I slide two fingers deep inside her.
Her nails dig into my scalp as my mouth bears down on her, but she’s not pulling me away, she’s dragging me closer.
I’m shocked by my aggressive savageness, but my need to claim her, to mark her, it’s too great. I devour her with my lips, my tongue, and my fingers. I don’t stop until her body is withering under my touch.